Business Resource Response Page for COVID-19

Our business community plays a vital role in assisting with providing accurate information to consumers, employees and partner organizations. As a regional chamber of commerce who operates a public visitor center, we have gathered the best practices and resources to help our area respond. Businesses of all sizes and industries should be prepared as possible to protect the health of their employees and clients. We have compiled links with downloadable information from the Ocean County Health Department, US Chamber of Commerce and Centers for Disease Control resources. Please use the links below to provide the best knowledge that will help make the informed decisions needed to do business during this time.

SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY CHAMBER COVID19 RESPONSE  – click for PDF

CARES ACT  
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) ACT extends unemployment insurance, allocates money for the Paycheck Protection Program, recovery rebates, and makes employers eligible for a 50 percent refundable payroll tax credit on wages paid up to $10,000 during the crisis.
Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act – Click here for PDF
Non Profit Foundation- Click here for link
Tax Foundation – Click Here

New Jersey Department of Education
6/26/2020
– Governor Murphy announced the Restart and Recovery Plan for Education. Click for PDF

New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)
6/22/2020: Ocean County has partnered with NJ EDA to provide $10 million in grants to Ocean County small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Ocean County is providing the funds from the money received through the federal CARES Act with the intent that the NJEDA distribute them only to businesses located in Ocean County. Business owners can apply for funding at https://forms.business.nj.gov/grant-2/. The county grant program has been established for businesses and non-profits with fewer than 25 employees to apply for the grant, on a first come, first serve basis. The application is now live. Applications are due by June 30.

Information for Phase 2 of the NJEDA Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant.
Applications for the expanded Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program Phase 2 will be available at 9:00 a.m. on June 9, 2020 in both English and Spanish. NJEDA staff will process the applications on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be no application fee. Applications are available now – click for link

Information regarding start-up investors or entrepreneurs via NJEDA Entrepreneur Guarantee Program  – Click for link
COVID-19 Economic Relief Package – download PDF 
Applications for State of NJ COVID-19 relief opened April 3 and is fully subscribed. NJEDA asks businesses to still submit in the case more funds become available. Find out what your business may be eligible to apply for now with the Eligibility Wizard. Click here for link

The application for NJEDA’s Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program will launch on Monday, April 13, 2020 at 9:00 am.  A link to the program application will be posted on the State’s COVID-19 Business Information Hub
New Initiatives to Support Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

NJ Department of Labor Benefits and COVID-19
Return to Work Guidelines: link
FAQs for Employers: link
General FAQs: link

The Department of Labor created a new web portal that allows New Jersey residents to contact the Department of Labor directly. This is a helpful tool for residents who have questions about their applications. To submit a message, residents must go to www.myunemployment.nj.gov and follow the instructions below:

Guidance for Self-Employed Individuals – Filing a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claim
New Jersey Workers Protections
COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus Information for New Jersey Businesses – FAQ

Small Business Administration

6/25 – PPP Webinar with Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce and SBA-NJ representative. Download the Presentation here or watch on YouTube

Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) – $350 billion has been made available.  The program would provide cash-flow assistance through 100 percent federally guaranteed loans to employers who maintain their payroll during this emergency. If employers maintain their payroll, the loans would be forgiven, which would help workers remain employed, as well as help affected small businesses and our economy to snap-back quicker after the crisis. PPP has a host of attractive features, such as forgiveness of up to 8 weeks of payroll based on employee retention and salary levels, no SBA fees and at least six months of deferral with maximum deferrals of up to a year. Small businesses and other eligible entities will be able to apply if they were harmed by COVID-19 between February 15, 2020 and June 30, 2020. This program is would be retroactive to February 15, 2020, in order to help bring workers who may have already been laid off back onto payrolls. Loans are available through June 30, 2020.  Application Form   Lender Information Fact Sheet

Loan Forgiveness
Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease. The loan forgiveness form and instructions include several measures to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers, including:

  •  Options for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an “alternative payroll covered period” that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll cycles
    •    Flexibility to include eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during the 24-week period after receiving their PPP loan
    •    Step-by-step instructions on how to perform the calculations required by the CARES Act to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness
    •    Borrower-friendly implementation of statutory exemptions from loan forgiveness reduction based on rehiring by June 30
    •    Addition of a new exemption from the loan forgiveness reduction for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined

o    Click here to download the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application (06-16-2020) (Spanish version)
o    Click here to download instructions for the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application (06-16-2020)
o    Click here to download the Paycheck Protection Program EZ Loan Forgiveness Application (06-16-2020)
o    Click here to download instructions for the Paycheck Protection Program EZ Loan Forgiveness Application

Download our Southern Ocean Chamber Federal Loan Fact Sheet.
Small Business Administration Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program – Additional Criterion for Seasonal Employers
Assistance for Small Businesses 
Disaster Loan Assistance  – as of March 21, 2020, small businesses are now eligible to apply for SBA Disaster Assistance. If your business was economically impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19), you may apply online here
Disaster Assistance COVID-19
Guidance for Business and Employers COVID19

Southern Ocean Chamber Small Business BingoDownload PDF

Tips for Landlord-Tenant Conversations During COVID-19Download PDF

National Travel and Tourism Week
Plan your visit to the LBI Region – view online or download a copy today!

NJ Business Action Center Resource Page
NJBAC GUIDE
COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus Information for New Jersey Businesses
Governor Murphy Announces Mortgage Payment Relief, Financial Protections as a Result of COVID-19 – Click for PDF

Non Profit Assistance
The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) has launched a South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund that will be of interest to your non-profit members to apply and all members who wish to respond to the crisis collectively. This new fund allows individuals and organizations to pool resources in order to address both short-term and long-term effects of COVID-19 in local towns and counties throughout South Jersey. Details can be viewed in a PDF or at their website: Click here for link

Non Profit Grant Maker Information – link

Risk Management Best Practices for Businesses/Non-Profits
Download

Ocean County Health Department
How to Prepare and Take Action for COVID-19

New Jersey Department of Health
Official Website for State of New Jersey
New Jersey COVID-19 Dashboard

US Chamber of Commerce
Save Small Business Fund – click for details
Corona Virus Emergency Loans – Small Business Guide & Checklist
Workplace Tips For Employees
Guidance for Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus

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