DIRECTORY OF COVID-19 RESOURCES AVAILABLE to ALL INDUSTRIES across the SOUTHERN TIER:
GUIDANCE ACROSS NEW YORK STATE
New York State Guidance for businesses & residents
REQUEST SMALL BUSINESS LOAN ASSISTANCE
New York Forward Loan Program HERE.
REQUEST WITH PAYROLL ASSISTANCE FROM SBA
The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.
The Paycheck Protection Program closed August 8, 2020, detail and forgiveness information is now live: APPLY ONLINE HERE.
REQUEST HELP WITH SBA LOAN PAPERWORK
Small Business Development Center
SBA Lenders across the Southern Tier
REQUEST ADDITIONAL SMALL BUSINESS LOAN ASSISTANCE IN THE SOUTHERN TIER
The Agency (Broome County IDA/LDC) is offering loan assistance to all businesses in Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Tioga & Tompkins Counties. Loans will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis and there is approximately $1,000,000 in funds available for lending. Click HERE for more details.
Grow with Google Small Business Fund: Click HERE for more details. Local community development financial institutions (CDFIs):
Alternatives Credit Union, Ithaca
REQUEST UNEMPLOYMENT & NEW JOB PLACEMENT
File Unemployment Insurance Claims HERE & See Career Centers (based on your county below):
More information here:
Shared Work Fact Sheets for Business
Applying for UI Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fact Sheet
How to Prepare for Job Interviews
MANUFACTURERS: REQUEST ADDITIONAL HELP
Across the Region, Contact the Regional Manufacturing Extension Partnership: AM&T
In Otsego & Schoharie Counties: AIM
In Cortland County: TDO
MANUFACTURERS: REQUEST TO ASSIST
New York's Request to Get Involved: Seeking help from manufacturers & health care professionals, see more & help HERE
NYS funding for revising manufacturing practices, contact:
Business Funding: Eric Gertler, ESD 212-803-3100
Product Sales: Simonida Subotic, Executive Chamber 646-522-8477
REQUEST LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE, LOCAL LOANS & DISCOVER DINING OPTIONS:
Broome Chamber & Economic Development & City of Binghamton Economic Development & Town of Union Economic Development
Chenango Chamber & Economic Development
Cortland Chamber & Economic Development
Delaware Chamber & Economic Development
Otsego Chamber & Economic Development
Schoharie Chamber & Economic Development
Tioga Chamber & Economic Development
Tompkins Chamber & Economic Development
EXPLORE RESOURCES FOR START-UPS
Koffman Southern Tier Incubator Business Resources
Entrepreneurship Assistance Center @ SUNY Broome
EXPLORE ADDITIONAL NEW YORK STATE RESOURCES
Empire State Development Business Portal
Submit your Business Questions to New York Empire State Development for COVID-19
EXPLORE MAIN STREET LOAN PROGRAM CHANGES
Main Street Lending Program to enhance support for small and mid-sized businesses
EXPLORE VISUAL PERSPECTIVES
Global Cases Map HERE NYS County Cases Listed HERE US County Cases HERE
EXPLORE ESSENTIAL SERVICES GUIDANCE
Click HERE for more info regarding essential services.
EXPLORE CARES ACT REBATE INFO
Frequently Asked Questions to Congress
EXPLORE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS
The President's Operation Warp Speed
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the most up-to-date information on COVID-19. This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For updates from CDC, please see the following:
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Preventing Stigma Related to COVID-19
- Share Facts about COVID-19
- CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Web page
- Information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Prevention, Symptoms and FAQ
Below are recommended strategies for employers to use now. In-depth guidance is available on the CDC’s Guidance for Businesses and Employers web page:
- Actively encourage sick employees to stay home
- Separate sick employees
- Emphasize staying home when sick, respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene by all employees
- Perform routine environmental cleaning
- Advise employees before traveling to take certain steps
- Check the CDC’s Traveler’s Health Notices for the latest guidance and recommendations for each country to which you will travel. Specific travel information for travelers going to and returning from designated countries with risk of community spread of Coronavirus, and information for aircrew, can be found on the CDC website.
- Additional Measures in Response to Currently Occurring Sporadic Importations of the COVID-19:
- Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.
- If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees exposed to a co-worker with confirmed COVID-19 should refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.
Common Issues Small Businesses May Encounter:
- Capital Access – Incidents can strain a small business's financial capacity to make payroll, maintain inventory and respond to market fluctuations (both sudden drops and surges in demand). Businesses should prepare by exploring and testing their capital access options so they have what they need when they need it. See SBA’s capital access resources.
- Workforce Capacity – Incidents have just as much impact on your workers as they do your clientele. It’s critical to ensure they have the ability to fulfill their duties while protected.
- Inventory and Supply Chain Shortfalls – While the possibility could be remote, it is a prudent preparedness measure to ensure you have either adequate supplies of inventory for a sustained period and/or diversify your distributor sources in the event one supplier cannot meet an order request.
- Facility Remediation/Clean-up Costs – Depending on the incident, there may be a need to enhance the protection of customers and staff by increasing the frequency and intensity by which your business conducts cleaning of surfaces frequently touched by occupants and visitors. Check your maintenance contracts and supplies of cleaning materials to ensure they can meet increases in demand.
- Insurance Coverage Issues – Many businesses have business interruption insurance; Now is the time to contact your insurance agent to review your policy to understand precisely what you are and are not covered for in the event of an extended incident.
- Changing Market Demand – Depending on the incident, there may be access controls or movement restrictions established which can impede your customers from reaching your business. Additionally, there may be public concerns about public exposure to an incident and they may decide not to go to your business out of concern of exposing themselves to greater risk. SBA’s Resources Partners and District Offices have trained experts who can help you craft a plan specific to your situation to help navigate any rapid changes in demand.
- Marketing – It’s critical to communicate openly with your customers about the status of your operations, what protective measures you’ve implemented, and how they (as customers) will be protected when they visit your business. Promotions may also help incentivize customers who may be reluctant to patronize your business.
- Plan – As a business, bring your staff together and prepare a plan for what you will do if the incident worsens or improves. It’s also helpful to conduct a tabletop exercise to simulate potential scenarios and how your business management and staff might respond to the hypothetical scenario in the exercise. For examples of tabletop exercises, visit FEMA’s website at: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-planning-exercises
