To our fellow business owners, clients, family and friends:
These are unprecedented times and uncharted waters. Like so many of you, we are struck by the helplessness we feel against COVID-19. There is no “standard operating procedure” or “best practices” manual that we can look to that will tell us how to navigate a pandemic that has shut down schools, churches, businesses, restaurants, and so much more at a rapidly alarming rate. We feel a loss of control and while we know that fear is not a productive response, we also know that it is real. So, the best antidote we have found for these feelings is knowledge of the situation, focusing on the things that we CAN control, and sharing our humble thoughts with you on how we are navigating this situation.
Although it is very challenging, we believe that social distancing is one of the best measures to effectively combat this virus. If your outing is not “mission critical,” then stay home! Even if you aren’t worried about yourself because you are young and healthy and rarely get sick, consider your parents, grandparents, and other vulnerable people in your life. Check out this well-written article from The Washington Post, which illustrates how social distancing helps to “flatten the curve.” In an effort to do our little part to flatten the curve, we will continue to serve our clients remotely via a multitude of technology options we’re so thankful to have available to us in 2020!
There are resources available to keep your business viable and to support your employees during this tumultuous time:
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued an Executive Order to ensure workers that have lost work, had their hours reduced, or lost daycare due to COVID-19 have access to benefits, without the typical waiting period. Click here for more details. Note that applications should be submitted online as there is not call center capacity to handle all the phone calls.
- The US Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing disaster assistance loans for small businesses and non-profits impacted by COVID-19, which do not have credit available elsewhere. To apply for assistance, visit the SBA website.
- The Internal Revenue Service provided 90 days of relief by extending the tax payment deadline to July 15, 2020. You will still need to file by April 15, 2020, or file an extension if you cannot meet the April 15 deadline. This is a welcome relief measure, as it is predicted to free up $300 billion of liquidity in the economy.
Additional resources and information will be made available as the pandemic unfolds. We will keep you posted as we hear of changes.
We feel deeply for all the businesses and individuals that are being affected right now, but we love to hear the stories of support for one another. We will do what we can to continue to support you, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
Megan Beckler
CEO/President of Multi Business Solutions