Guidance and Resources for Business and Employers
Small Business Administration
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources
Health and government officials are working together to maintain the safety, security, and health of the American people. Small businesses are encouraged to do their part to keep their employees, customers, and themselves healthy.
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
For more information visit the SBA online here
The Kansas Department of Commerce
The Kansas Department of Commerce has officially received enough worksheets to pursue a STATEWIDE disaster declaration.We will keep you posted on available resources as they come, but for now they no longer need any more worksheets.
Additional information is available on the KDEM website: http://www.ksready.gov/
Additional information can be found here: HANDOUT_SBA Disaster Assistance_Resources for Businesses
Bourbon County Economic Development
We will provide one on one assistance for business looking to apply for the SBA disaster relief loans once available. It can be a confusing and cumbersome process to many!
Please contact Jody Hoener at jhoener@bourboncountyks.org if you are interested!
Kansas Department of Labor: Shared Work Program
Kansas Department of Labor, CDC, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Department of Children and Families, and GetKansasBenefits.gov
Links to the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Department for Children and Families and GetKansasBenefits.gov will be available on this one page to make it easier for Kansans to keep updated on the virus and resources available to assist them during this challenging time.
“The Kansas Department of Labor is here to help our business community and the workers who make it vibrant,” Secretary García said. “We will continue to add available resources and contact information as we work to address this challenge.”
“We are encouraging employers to avoid layoffs if possible by reducing employee hours and applying for the shared work program to supplement their wages,” Unemployment Director Laurel Searles said. “If the employer cannot avoid layoffs, then we hope they will contact us and file by spreadsheet, expediting the application process for their workers.”
Displaced workers can also file online at www.GetKansasBenefits.gov. Additional resources for affected workers may be found at the Kansas Department of Labor’s website: www.dol.ks.gov.
CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers
Plan, Prepare and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019