Small businesses: Where to go for financial relief information

Small businesses: Where to go for financial relief information by Lesley Fair, Attorney, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection If you own a small business or work for one, you've seen the headlines about financial relief that may be available to some companies through the Small Business Administration (SBA). But you've also heard about scammers who extract a grain of truth from the news and distort it in an effort to cheat small businesses.  Now more than ever it's critical for small businesses to go straight to the source for accurate information about what's happening at the SBA. And that source, of course, is the Small Business Administration's dedicated page, sba.gov/coronavirus. Read more  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/04/small-businesses-where-go-financial-relief-information  This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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Let's beat our 2010 Census response rate this time around

"Recently, you should have received a census form. The US Census determines both State & Federal funding based on the information collected! Be counted! The census is quick, easy, and important, and all of your answers are confidential. 

Visit http://my2020census.gov today!"

We are currently (as of April 3) at 55.8%  As of 3/31 we were at 49.3% so we increased by about 6% in a few days.

In 2010 we responded with a 79.9% rate. Let's get well into the 80% rate this year!

The 2020 Census rate response interactive pagehttps://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html

Let's beat our 2010 Census response rate this time around

 

Spend a few minutes with Marcus

Better late to this than not to have seen it. The ONE thing the pandemic has given us is time. The real question then comes back, if we let it, "how do we use this time?"

Marcus Buckingham, the strengths guy, speaker, author ... Someone I would put on my 'dream Board of Directors" posted this 14 minute video to Instagram. He did it, not his team, they are all distant now. As we are physically distant too. And we don't, shouldn't be, socially distant. We need each other to get through this.

Spend a few minutes with Marcus. He has a series of these. Don't catch up all at once. Gardening is not a binge action. Gardening takes time, you can not rush it.  https://www.instagram.com/tv/B99YyO9AkYJ/

View this post on Instagram

We all have a responsibility right now. To give and to give up. There are things in life we have to give up in order to contribute. We have to give up our going out, our eating out, our hugging and handshaking. And there are things that we can give. Yes, we can give money, food, excess toilet paper to our neighbors. And of course, your biggest gift: contributing the strongest and best parts of you. But if you don’t know what those are, and if the people around you don’t either, this ‘biggest gift’ is not possible. I’ve probably spent too many hours wishing I could sing or make songs like Chris Martin of Coldplay, or play piano like @JohnLegend. Or tell jokes like @TheEllenShow. But those are not my gifts to give. I’m just a researcher. One who loves to ask questions and write books. I AM clear, though, on where I am strong. And so, for the next, oh dear, however many weeks, I want to help you bring more love and more strength into your life. And if you do, then, as the data show, you will bring more strength into the lives of those you love: Your son, daughter, sister, mother, father, friend, and maybe your bullheaded yet brilliant, British mate. So, here is day one. I promise to give my best tomorrow to you. I see you. I love you.

A post shared by Marcus Buckingham (@marcusbuckingham) on Mar 20, 2020 at 7:47am PDT

From my email from Marcus:

Hello. I hope the last 8 videos in the #iseeyouiloveyou series have been useful in your life and the lives of those you love.

I’ve linked each below in case you missed any of them:

• DAY ONE: Where are you strong?
• DAY TWO: The SIGN Interview – find a few people to do this with and let me know what you find.
• DAY THREE: Questions you may have never asked your mother. Or your lover. Or your friend. (Listen in to a conversation I have with my Mum in London!)
• DAY FOUR: “Does it Matter If....?” is one of the most powerful questions to really discover someone.
• DAY FIVE: Resilience: The 2 Sources of Control ~ Discover 2 powerful questions to help you and others take back control.
• DAY SIX: Learn 3 powerful techniques to get people to reveal themselves
• DAY SEVEN: What space are you making for others? (a must-see for PARENTS + TEACHERS!)
• DAY EIGHT: Your #StrongLifeTeam – Your source of Strength: Monday – Friday of this week! 

I hope you join me this week for #StrongLifeTeam - Together we will build something for you that you will be able to lean into for a lifetime.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_banners/53504913/1555960570/1500x500

Two too good not to share!

1 - "Happy birthday Will! We love to bring a smile!"

Happy birthday Will! We love to bring a smile! Hey @johnkrasinski and @somegoodnews here is #SomeGoodNews ! https://t.co/70nZCAMgfG

— Franklin Police (@franklinpolice) April 3, 2020

Also found in the Milford Daily News:
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200403/video-franklin-boy-serenaded-by-police-on-his-12th-birthday

Twitter video screengrab

2 - Kathy Pennell reads "Brown Bear, Brown Bear ..."

View the story video on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/kathy.pennell.10/videos/10222192179696410/ 

Facebook screengrab image

 

Senator Rausch: COVID-19 Update #9

CORONAVIRUS / COVID-19 UPDATE #9

Friday, April 3, 2020

Hi friends,

I hope you are staying well and practicing extensive social distancing.

Great news - the municipalities bill that I've been shepherding through the legislative process is now passed and signed into law! (Here's the final language.) The bill does a whole bunch of important things to ensure our local and regional governments keep functioning and providing services to Bay Staters:

1. creates significant budget flexibility, particularly important for towns that can't have Town Meeting right now to pass a Fiscal Year 2021 budget;
2. extends the time frame for holding Town Meetings;
3. grants extensions for permits, hearings, and other deadlines, including a temporary lift on any constructive approvals;
4. allows municipalities to extend the deadline for property taxes and waive penalties on any late payments of taxes or fees; and
5. contains an important equity provision that prohibits the termination of any essential municipal service – including water, sewer, and trash collection – for a resident who is unable to pay local taxes or fees. In this uncertain time of job loss and insecurity, the last thing our government should do is prevent vulnerable residents from washing their hands.

By the way, this bill also carried the income tax extension from April to July, and lets everyone order beer and wine as part of your takeout order from local restaurants! A great way to continue to help your local businesses stay afloat during these trying economic times.

In addition to my extensive and ongoing work as the Senate Chair of the Municipalities Committee, I've also been advocating for decarceration, a stay at home order (not an advisory), shutting down non-essential construction, medical privileges for clinicians licensed in other countries, robust protections for medical professionals and first responders who are fighting this thing on the front lines, and more. I'm hearing from constituents daily, and I am giving voice to our shared concerns and disappointment with the executive management of this crisis.

....

My team and I are all working overtime and are here for you. Call us at 617-722-1555 or email me directly at becca.rausch@masenate.gov and one of us will get back to you as quickly as we can.

Wishing you and your families strength, health, and resilience.

Yours in service,

Senator Becca Rausch

The newsletter was shorted for publication here, to view the full contents:
https://us20.campaign-archive.com/?u=09452b4d597ce95fe20563af4&id=71591a6e6a

Senator Rausch: COVID-19 Update #9

Franklin Latter-day Saints Invite Town to Watch Worldwide Broadcast on Peace

In a time of such uncertainty, random acts of kindness and neighborly love has and continues to be shown in abundance around the globe. A worldwide pandemic, such as the one we are facing now in COVID-19, has a way of uniting people of all denominations, races and beliefs. It's as if we are all brothers and sisters in an expansive global family. It just takes something as drastic as our current conditions to realize it.

Members of the local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Franklin would like to invite all to watch a global broadcast this weekend that aims to uplift, strengthen, and ultimately restore the sense of peace we all seek.

Saturday 12 PM, 4 PM, 8 PM
Sunday 12 PM, 4 PM

Broadcast Link:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts?lang=eng

 

Franklin Latter-day Saints Invite Town to Watch Worldwide Broadcast on Peace

United Regional Chamber of Commerce on the COVID-19 Pandemic

The past three weeks have been nothing short of unbelievable and that adjective does not even seem adequate. The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly challenged us --- our leaders, businesses, workers and economy. The severity of the very fluid situation changed hourly, shifting to daily. In a short period of time, the way we learn, conduct business and live our lives were all disrupted.

This has and will continue to be a challenging time. Business leaders had to reinvent their entire business models with little to no notice. Leaders face unchartered territory, shifting regulation, difficult decisions, and the fear of maintaining the livelihood of their business and retaining the jobs for their employees with fewer customers. Thousands of workers, who are like family, have taken pay cuts or have lost their jobs altogether for an unknown amount of time.

However, amid this time of uncertainty and change, I have seen resiliency, adaptation, ingenuity, compassion and unity in its truest, most authentic form. Locals have rallied around efforts to support our local businesses and non-profit organizations. Manufacturers have shifted their production to retain their talented workforce, while filling a critical need of personal protective equipment for medical professionals on the front lines of fighting this epidemic. Retailers, arts/culture organizations, restaurants, gyms/fitness businesses have taken a hard pivot into the digital space – offering online ordering, Facebook live sales, DIY at-home projects, educational content, and more. 

Local, state, and federal lawmakers have worked to create bipartisan legislation to provide much needed aid for hardworking Americans and businesses of all size. I have seen neighbors serving neighbors –providing food for students in need, displaying teddy bears or hearts in their windows as a sign of hope, and going to the grocery store for the immunocompromised and elderly.

These examples are a mere sampling of the adaptation and kindness that has occurred, but they are indicative of our very nature --- the definition of who we are as Americans. From the Miracle of Hickory during the devastating polio epidemic, to the Great Recession, within more recent memory, our community time and time again has pulled together, hunkered down, and has emerged bruised, but not defeated. The COVID-19 economic disruption will be no different.

www.unitedregionalchamber.org

Our communities’ health and well-being are our top priority. Our neighbors’ lives are at risk and we cannot afford to overwhelm our healthcare infrastructure. Our government leaders have had to make some tough choices to flatten the curve. We must withstand these temporary setbacks, all while doing our part to protect our families, co-workers, and neighbors.

It continues to be an honor to serve in this role on your behalf every day. Regardless of the IRS definition, I believe that all businesses are “essential:”

• You make up our local economy, bringing personality to our cities and towns
• You create a place to belong, to connect, to celebrate. and to cultivate a new relationship
• You are the familiar face mixing up our favorite cocktail or the server who makes you smile by remembering your name
• You are the retailer who pays attention to every detail --- from your front window display to your thoughtfully selected merchandise
• You provide opportunity, a second chance, a means of supporting a family, and the hope and promise of a better future
• You make and sell products that improve the lives of humanity across our region, country and the globe
• You have sacrificed for incremental growth, have faced tough decisions, and have seen seasons of success and set back
• You are stylists, therapists, and self-care professionals who have mastered your craft to provide needed rest, healing, enhanced confidence, or even a listening ear, to your clients
• You give our communities vibrancy, energy, and attraction
• You are essential …. and we need you

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is your partner, sounding board, and advocate. We are in this with you.

Working for Business,

Jack Lank, IOM
President and CEO
The United Regional Chamber of Commerce
310 South Street
Plainville, MA 02762
Phone: 508-316-0861
www.unitedregionalchamber.org