Reopening and Recovery

Retail Guidelines

• OSHA – Guidance for Retail
• National Retail Federation Checklist

Cosmetology Guidelines
Kansas Board of Cosmetology Guidelines

PPE items - these members offer Personal Protective Equipment 

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Riley County Health Department

Funding

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & CONNECTIVITY

Kansans in every corner of the state have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we work to recover from the unprecedented economic situation caused by this virus, the state of Kansas is making emergency financial relief available from federal CARES Act funding to those who need it most.

The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce has approved more than $130 million in relief funding for economic development and connectivity in the state. These dollars are being awarded in the form of grants to eligible businesses.

Read Small Business and Connectivity Grants Frequently Asked Questions here.

APPLICATIONS WILL OPEN WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19 AT 12:00 P.M. CST.

• Applications will be view-only from Thursday, August 13 at 4 p.m. through Wednesday, August 19 at Noon
• Businesses should review the application, gather necessary information and develop their application
• Applications will be reviewed and scored on a “first-in, first-out” basis

There are 10 total grant programs – 8 Economic Development programs and 2 Connectivity (Broadband) programs

• More information on all grant programs, including eligibility guidelines, grant amounts, and FAQ’s, will be available beginning Thursday, August 13 at 4 p.m. on the “Back to Business” portal at www.kansascommerce.gov.

Many local businesses will be eligible for the Small Business Working Capital Grant:

Small Business Working Capital Grant

• Overview – Funds can be used to pay working capital expenses such as payroll, rent, mortgage insurance, utilities, inventory and more.
• Funding – Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis until depleted.
• Eligibility Requirements
  • For-Profit or not-for-profit busines owned or operated in the state of Kansas with 500 or fewer employees
  • Business must be in operation since July 1, 2019 and in good standing with the Kansas Secretary of State
  • Must be able to demonstrate a loss of at least 25% of gross revenues from January 1, 2020 – June 30, 2020 as compared to July 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 (there will be an appeal process for this requirement)
  • Business has received no more than $350,000 in combined local, state and federal COVID assistance (there will be an appeal process for this requirement)
  • Business must plan to use all awarded funds exclusively for working capital expenses and be able to articulate how the funds will be used

Visit the “Back to Business” portal at www.kansascommerce.gov beginning Thursday, August 13 at 4 p.m. and stay tuned to Chamber emails and social media for more information.

PPP has plenty of money for small businesses and program enhancements, but deadline to apply is August 8.
On Friday, June 5 the President signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (H.R. 7010), which made several enhancements to the very successful Paycheck Protection Program. About $130 billion remains to be loaned, but, small businesses must contact a lender and apply by Aug. 8.
Here are a few of the enhancements made to the PPP in H.R. 7010:

• Extends the maturity for loans made on or after June 5, 2020 from two years to five years.
• Extends the covered period from June 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020 for forgiveness of PPP loans.
• Extends the covered period for the use of loan proceeds from eight weeks to 24 weeks.
• Provides a safe harbor for small businesses from the rehire requirements if the business owner can
  document their inability to hire employees for unfilled positions by December 31, 2020 or their inability to
  return to the same level of business activity because of federal COVID requirements pertaining to social
  distancing, sanitation, and worker safety.
• Allows borrowers to use 60 percent of the loan amount for payroll costs and up to 40 percent for debt
  obligations, including interest on a mortgage, rent payment, or utility payment.
• Extends the deferment period for loans retroactively until the amount of forgiveness is remitted to the
  borrower by the lender (the deferment period ends for all borrowers 10 months after the end of the
  covered period).
• Delays the payment of employer payroll taxes until January 1, 2021 for PPP borrowers.
  
  For additional resources and a list of lenders participating in the Paycheck Protection Program,
  visit www.sba.gov/PPP.

SBA Disaster Assistance in Response to the Coronavirus
The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications are being accepted online and there is an up-front $10,000 emergency grant program. For more information and to apply, go to https://covid19relief.sba.gov/. Note that If you apply for an EIDL and the grant, you can still apply for a PPP loan. However, if you choose to accept the PPP loan, the amount forgiven will be decreased by the $10,000 grant.

Small Business Owners Guide to multiple Federal relief options from the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Live Chat feature available on the Kansas Department of Commerce COVID-19 Response webpage specifically to provide support to Kansas businesses and nonprofits applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans through the U.S. Small Business Association.

Kansas Creates Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency Fund
The Kelly Administration has established the Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency (HIRE) Fund to provide bridge loans for Kansas’ hospitality sector during the COVID-19 crisis. In order to sustain operations for this sector, the administration has allocated $5 million for a round of bridge loans to hospitality businesses. Eligible businesses in Kansas will be able to apply for a one-time loan of up to $20 thousand at 0% interest for a period of 36 months. There will be no principal or interest payments for the first four months.
Due to the overwhelming initial response, we regret to announce that all initial funds available through the HIRE Fund have been allocated at this time. However, they are keeping the form open and will continue to collect information from Kansas hospitality businesses on the losses they are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Resources

We encourage local businesses and Manhattan residents to monitor the situation and be diligent in protecting themselves. The Chamber has compiled resources, both locally and nationally, for its business members and the general public.

Our goal is to minimize the impact on our community by looking to our public health experts for guidance related to COVID-19. Here are some additional resources for your reference.

• Kansas Department of Health and Environment
• Riley County Health Department - In cooperation with Ascension Via Christi and local medical partners a screening phone line available at 785-323-6400. 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Guidance for Businesses and Employers – CDC
• Risk Assessment Guidance – CDC
• Kansas Department of Labor
• Mental Health Related - Managing your mental health time of crisis by Pawnee Mental Health

Resources from the U.S. Chamber

• Federal Payroll Protection Program (PPP)
• NEW - Guide to SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)
• NEW - Guide to the Employee Retention Tax Credit   
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched a new online series called Path Forward to supplement and inform the Chamber’s work. Each episode of Path Forward will feature experts sharing their perspectives on the complex issues involved in a responsible reopening strategy. You can learn more about this initiative in the letter we sent to all of our members. We will be hosting a series of webinars, which you can sign up for by clicking here.

Resources for Restaurants and Workers Coping with the COVID-19 Emergency

K-State

USD 383

Fort Riley

The Kansas Department of Commerce launched a jobs website, connecting job seekers with Kansas businesses hiring to fill urgent needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 jobs site, kansasworks.com/coronavirus, allows employers from essential industries to quickly and easily post critical positions that need to be filled to support activities related to helping individuals and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. The site, which is available at no cost to employers or job seekers, will be updated continuously as businesses add new jobs to the system. Job seekers can visit the site to find companies hiring for COVID-19-related positions and quickly access company hiring portals.

2-1-1 is a service by the United Ways of Kansas that puts people in touch with much-needed services and volunteer opportunities in their local communities. Now you can call, go online or even text to find help.
Dial 2-1-1

Google resources

Webinars

METL is a regional coalition of the Manhattan, Emporia, Topeka, and Lawrence Chambers of Commerce, representing the voice of nearly 3,000 Kansas businesses are hosting a webinar series.  This webinar series will provide business resources for COVID-19.

March 31
Sec. David Toland of the Kansas Department of Commerce
Sec. Toland provided business assistance information relating to the COVID-19 response.

April 2
Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Neil discussed the CARES Act and what that means for small businesses.

April 7
Karl Klein, regional director of the Kansas Small Business Development Center and Will Katz, director of the KU Small Business Development Center
This call focused on the nuts and bolts of the SBA application for small businesses.

April 9
Laurel Klein Searles, Unemployment Insurance Director for the Kansas Department of Labor

April 14
Sheldon Bartel with the National Development Council, a national non-profit
He will discuss revolving loan funds and small business recovery programs, including EIDL and PPP.

April 16
Wayne Bell, the District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, based in Wichita

Based on recommendations of the CDC

• Frequently and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, or use your inner elbow or sleeve.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home if you’re sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
• Clean surfaces in your home and personal items, such as cell phones, using regular household products.
• Consider an “elbow bump” instead of a hug or handshake.
  
  
  We hope to maintain business as usual, but also want to ensure we’re aligning with best practices to do all we can to keep our community healthy.