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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 11, 2020)
SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2020 | 11A Greater Florence Area B usiness Quarterly Siuslaw News’ Business Quarterly is a way to seasonally highlight local businesses and economic development updates. To advertise, call 541-997-3441. To submit, email pressreleases@thesiuslawnews.com. PPP Loan How small businesses can prepare to reopen Forgiveness A Workshop s spring slowly gave way to summer, communities everywhere gradually began to reopen. After months of adher- ing to stay-at-home restrictions implemented in response to the outbreak of the novel coronavi- rus COVID-19, businesses were allowed to reopen if they fol- lowed certain guidelines. Reopening a business after months of closures or limited op- erations is uncharted territory for many small business owners. In recognition of the anxiety some small business owners may feel about reopening, the U.S. Cham- ber of Commerce (USCOC) of- fers the following tips to ensure the transition back to business is safe and smooth. Did you receive a Paycheck Protection Program Loan? Won- dering how all the changes will affect you and your loan forgive- ness? Join Florence Area Chamber of Commerce and Chris Eyler, US Chamber Executive Director for the Northwest Region, for a walk through and workshop on Wednesday, July 15, at 10 a.m. The workshop will provide discussion on new changes in- cluding: • Extending the time to spend PPP funds • Lowering the amount that must be spent on payroll • Extending the deadline to restore FTEs and payroll • Setting the repayment term for loans made after June 4, 2020, at five years. This webinar, held via the Zoom application, is open to both chamber members and non-chamber members and is free to all. People can sign up through florencechamber. com/event/paycheck-protec- tion-program-loan-forgive- ness-workshop/?rsvp_sent=1. Start before opening your doors Though economies in many parts of the globe are reopening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still recom- mending that people adhere to social distancing guidelines when leaving their homes. Business owners can help consumers fol- low those rules by preparing their offices and establishments for life in the age of social distancing. The CDC recommends that people maintain distances of at least six feet between one another while out in public, so business owners can mark every six feet in their stores near checkout lines and cash registers to make it easier for customers to shop and stay socially distant at the same time. Offices preparing to welcome employees back can create more distance between work stations. ployee wellness plans to monitor the health of their employees. USCOC recommendations in- clude: • provide personal protective equipment (PPE) or face cover- ings for all employees • institute daily temperature checks to enter a workplace • encourage employees to self-report any symptoms via dai- ly symptom surveys Get creative with scheduling Offices can establish days when certain workers come into the of- fice while others work remotely and vice versa. This allows em- ployees to get out of the house and do some work in the office Implement safety measures while making social distancing in Reopening is a team effort that an office setting that much easier. requires cooperation between consumers and businesses. Each Monitor employees’ health group can do their part by rec- The health of employees is a ognizing the need to change how big concern for small business physical items are handled. Cash- owners on the cusp of reopening less payments at registers can their facilities to consumers and minimize the risk of virus trans- workers. The USCOC advises mission. business owners to create em- However, businesses must rec- ognize that some consumers may not have access to credit or debit cards, and it may be necessary to develop a contingency plan to ac- commodate such customers. Communicate plans clearly The USCOC notes the im- portance of clearly communi- cating a strategy to customers and employees so each under- stands their role in mitigating COVID-related risks. Reiterate messages in-store and through transactional touchpoints and be ready to adapt the strategy as the situation changes. Reopening is a tall task for small business owners. But it’s a challenge they can confront to- gether with their staffs and cus- tomers working in concert. — Metro Creative Connection DevNW provides free financial counseling Port Hole Books FULL SERVICE BOOKSTORE! New-Used - Rare Special Orders - Book Searches Appraisals www.PortHoleBooks.com Email: info@EllenTraylor.com Owner: ELLEN GUNDERSON TRAYLOR www.EllenTraylor.com Computers 179 Laurel Street - Suite D Florence, Oregon 97439 Ph: 541-999-5725 Owner/Publisher: Bestselling Author ELLEN GUNDERSON TAYLOR www.EllenTraylor.com )NTERNET DevNW, a community offers a variety of programs nians build to their next fi- development non-profit, and tools to help Orego- nancial goal in life, includ- ing financial counseling and classes. Its vision is to grow Northwest commu- nities by empowering the region’s individuals, fami- lies, small businesses and neighborhoods. Now through Aug. 31, DevNW is offering free financial counseling and Beverly Unger & Tiffany Rogato financial education to Welcome to Florence anyone whose income Greeting Service has been affected by the 1919 E. 23rd St. 997-7075 coronavirus. That is a $75 website: www.welcometoflorence.com value thanks to sponsor- email: welcome@oregonfast.net ship from Citizens Bank, Welcome To Florence owner, Tiffany Rogato with man- Columbia Bank, KeyBank, ager, Beverly Unger, have been welcoming new comers to the area since 1998. Many fine local businesses participate as Oregon Pacific Bank and sponsors, offering gifts and discounts to our appreciative and U.S. Bank. For more infor- enthusiastic new residents. mation, visit www.devnw. org/blog/covid-19-mem- bership-scholarships-faq/. Through this program, people will be able to en- 5PGRADES Support Support Networks Networks (OSTING Locally Owned and Operated since 1999 COMPUTERS INTERNET COMPUTERS & & INTERNET WIRELESS BROADBAND WIRELESS BROADBAND Full Service Computer Computer Store Store Full Service Powered By OregonFAST.net Fiber New & Laptops New Computers & Used Computers $39.99 Repairs • Upgrades • Support Fiber & Wireless Internet Web Design • Hosting & Streaming Per Month We have never Changed our prices since 1999 gage in phone or web- based financial counseling and financial wellbeing classes at no charge. A DevNW membership gives your household ac- cess to unlimited financial counseling, classes and workshops for one year. DevNW also has bilingual counselors and instructors. According to DevNW, “No matter how much you earn or how your in- come has been affected by COVID-19, everyone can benefit from looking over their financial pic- ture with an expert. Think of it like coaching — the goal of financial counsel- ing is to help you improve your financial status over time. Financial counsel- ing can include a range of topics, including money management, credit, debt and making a plan to deal with life in the middle of a financial crisis. DevNW financial counselors are HUD-certified and are committed to a con- sumer-friendly-first and non-steering approach.” Anyone who has ex- perienced a reduction or loss of income caused by COVID-19 is eligible for this DevNW Membership scholarship. There is no written proof required — the scholarship is based on the honor system. Under this program, the DevNW Member- ship includes a full year of complimentary financial counseling. This includes classes and workshops, such as Financial Founda- tions, Homebuying Foun- dations, Youth Financial Foundations, Student Debt, Investing, Wills & Life Planning, Side Hustle, Social Security Planning, Home Maintenance and other financial wellbeing workshops. Learn more at www. devnw.org.