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Protect Your Business from ADA Lawsuits

On November 3, the Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance and Joint Venture Silicon Valley presented an informational webinar on ADA compliance for small businesses. Guest speakers included expert attorneys, a Certified Access Specialist (CASp), and small business owners. In case you missed it, you can review the presentation slides and a recording of the webinar, as well as this helpful one-pager of ADA resources.

MILPITAS BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

  • Business representatives needing assistance with technical assistance such as loan eligibility, purpose of funds, repayment plan, SBA supporting information required, etc., please write directly to staff via email at BusinessAssistance@ci.milpitas.ca.gov.

BUSINESS RESOURCE GUIDES

CONSTANT CONTACT MESSAGING

Click here to be added to the Constant Contact distribution list.

PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM

  • The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will forgive loans if all employee retention criteria are met, and the funds are used for eligible expenses. The SBA reopened the Paycheck Protection Program during the week of January 11, 2021 and will continue to accept applications until March 31, 2021.

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION LOANS

  • The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance Program offers qualified entities working capital loans to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue. The U.S. Small Business Administration is currently accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications from all qualified small businesses, including agricultural businesses, and private nonprofit organizations. 

MAIN STREET LENDING PROGRAM

  • The Federal Reserve has announced that it is establishing a Main Street Lending Program to support lending to small and medium-sized businesses that were in sound financial condition before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA)

  • Not all businesses are the same, and some workers may face different levels of risk within the same business. OSHA maintains detailed guidance in its publication, Guidelines on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC)

  • The CDC has a dedicated page for businesses on COVID-19-related information.

CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS COVID-19 RELIEF GRANT

  • Eligible small businesses and non-profits can apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to cover costs incurred due to COVID-19, including payroll, rent and mortgage payments, and expenses related to reopening business operations. Grants do not need to be repaid, and businesses who have received PPP and EIDL funds may apply. Applications for the next and final Round 6 of funding will open again on Wednesday, April 28th at 9:00 AM through Tuesday, May 4th at 5:00 PM. Notifications will begin Friday, May 7th. Any eligible applicants who did not receive an award for prior rounds do not need to re-apply; their application will automatically be rolled over for consideration in Round 6. Grants will not be distributed on a first come, first served basis; instead, once meeting the eligibility requirements, the grant will be reviewed on key factors including geographic distribution, industry sectors most impacted, and underserved small business groups. Click here for further details. Businesses can apply through one of several Santa Clara County partners which can be found here.

CALIFORNIA REBUILDING FUND

  • The California Rebuilding Fund is an economic recovery loan program to support California’s small businesses, especially those located in economically disadvantaged and historically under-banked areas of the state. Businesses who employed 50 or less full-time equivalent employees and had gross revenues of less than $2.5 million or below in 2019 are eligible to apply. The full eligibility requirements can be found by clicking here.

CALIFORNIA IBANK LOANS

  • California IBank has low-interest and state-guaranteed business loans and microloans for small business borrowers who have been impacted by regional disasters and who need term loans or lines of credit for working capital.

CA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS: COVID-19

  •  The California Department of Public Health has published a comprehensive list of guidance documents for employers, health care professionals, school administrators, and other sectors, as well as guidance on the latest Stay At Home orders.

EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT (EDD)

  • California EDD has programs to help both employers and employees deal with the costs of illness, caring for ill family members, shorter hours and closures. Employers can even request an extension on their payroll reports and payroll taxes.  Layoff alternatives for businesses by utilizing partial claims and work share.

EVICTION MORATORIUM INFORMATION FOR LANDLORDS AND TENANTS

  • For small business tenants who qualify for protection under the County’s ordinance, the County’s eviction moratorium has been extended through June 30, 2021. Small business tenants have up to 6 months after the moratorium expires or terminates to repay at least 50% of the past-due rent, and up to 12 months after the moratorium expires or terminates to repay in full the past-due rent. Civil fines and penalties, monetary damages and injunctive relief may be imposed on landlords who seek to retaliate or deny small business tenants of their rights and protections under the ordinance.

CALIFORNIA CAPITAL ACCESS PROGRAM FOR SMALL BUSINESS (CALCAP SB)

  • CalCAP SB encourages banks and other financial institutions to make loans to small businesses that have difficulty obtaining financing. CalCAP is a loan loss reserve program which may provide up to 100% coverage on losses as a result of certain loan defaults.

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (GO-BIZ)

  • GO-Biz has compiled helpful information for employers, employees, and all Californians as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. For a complete list of resources, please visit the California COVID-19 Response website.

CALIFORNIA LABOR COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE

  • The California Labor Commissioner’s Office has listed basic information with relation to employee leave options, compensation, and salary.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FAIR EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING (DFEH)

  • DFEH is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. The mission of the DFEH is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations and from hate violence and human trafficking.

GREAT PLATES DELIVERED PROGRAM

  • On April 24, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of a first-in-the-nation “Great Plates Delivered” program, a meal delivery service for California’s older adults. The State of California will pay restaurants to make, deliver meals to senior citizens.

COMMERCIAL EVICTION MORATORIUM INFORMATION FOR LANDLORDS AND TENANTS

  • For small business tenants who qualify for protection under the County’s ordinance, the County’s eviction moratorium applies until June 30, 2021. Small business tenants have up to 6 months after the moratorium expires or terminates to repay at least 50% of the past-due rent, and up to 12 months after the moratorium expires or terminates to repay in full the past-due rent. Civil fines and penalties, monetary damages and injunctive relief may be imposed on landlords who seek to retaliate or deny small business tenants of their rights and protections under the ordinance.

MILPITAS TEMPORARY OUTDOOR DINING

  • Starting June 4, 2020, the City of Milpitas will begin accepting applications from local restaurants to temporarily create or expand outdoor dining areas consistent with the current June 5 shelter-in-place Order. Links to the Guidelines and Application are available on the Planning Department website. No fee will be charged for registration, and same-day confirmation is expected for most applications.

NOVA JOB CENTER

  • NOVA is committed to providing critical workforce development services to its customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. NOVA has created a special webpage during this pandemic with information about filing an unemployment insurance claim, job search assistance, resources on food, financial and mental health relief, list of
    companies that are hiring, and volunteer opportunities, among other community programs and services.

SILICON VALLEY SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER 

  • The Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center provides expertise at no cost for small businesses related to access to capital, business trainings, marketing and promotions, and various other resources.

SILICON VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY (SVCE)

  • SVCE is helping small, medium and large businesses switch from polluting natural gas to clean electricity through advancing and investing in electric vehicle infrastructure and building electrification.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS HUB

  • Remote work is being aided by several technology companies that are offering free or expanded services for small businesses.

MILPITAS BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

  • If you have any questions or need business assistance during COVID-19, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Economic Development team by sending a message anytime to BusinessAssistance@ci.milpitas.ca.gov.

PAYPAL BUSINESS LOANS

  • PayPal offers financing to small businesses via two programs, PayPal Business Loan and PayPal Working Capital. The PayPal Business Loan program offers loans from $5,000 to $500,000 and is best suited for businesses with at least 9 months in business and $42,000+ in annual revenue. A PayPal Business account is required to fund your loan. The PayPal Working Capital offers loans from $1,000 to $300,000 and is best suited for existing PayPal customers that have had a PayPal Business account for at least 90 days and have processed $15,000+ within the last 12 months.

FACEBOOK GRANTS

  • Facebook Small Business Grants Program is offering $15 million in cash grants and ad credits to Bay Area small businesses struggling due to COVID-19 with a specific focus on grants for businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. The application process officially commenced in the Bay Area as of April 20. The application deadline is at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time on May 6.

VERIZON GRANTS

  • Verizon Small Business Recovery is offering $10,000 grants to help small businesses fill urgent financial gaps until they can resume normal operations or until other more permanent financing becomes available.

SALESFORCE GRANTS

  • Salesforce is offering Salesforce Care Small Business Grants of $10,000 to provide capital to help keep businesses afloat during the COVID-19 crisis. These grants will support small businesses as they work to replenish materials, pay salaries, or adapt their business model to overcome these challenging times.

HELLO ALICE EMERGENCY GRANTS

  • To ensure Business for All, Hello Alice with the support of Verizon, Silicon Valley Bank, eBay, and others is offering $10,000 emergency grants, being distributed immediately to small business owners impacted by this pandemic.

KIVA LOANS

  • Kiva is a non-profit that expands access to capital for entrepreneurs around the world. Kiva is offering up to $15,000 at 0% interest loans for U.S. entrepreneurs.

SILICON VALLEY COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS

  • The Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits has also compiled resources specifically for nonprofit organizations.
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

As businesses across the city of Milpitas find creative ways to grow and adapt their businesses during COVID-19, the Milpitas Small Business Spotlight program will provide an opportunity for 15 local small businesses to create a 90-second promotional video featuring their business. We have asked the community to nominate their favorite Milpitas-based small businesses and received over 60 nominations. On September 25th the Office of Economic Development held a lottery to select 15 businesses to be “in the Spotlight.” The promotional videos will be shown across the City’s social media channels and a copy of the video will be given to the selected business as well. The Spotlight program will showcase these videos over the next 12-15 months to continue supporting and promoting our local businesses. The names of the 15 selected businesses will be divulged after verifying they meet all eligibility requirements.

Link to video

The following 15 small businesses were selected to be in the Spotlight. Click on the link to watch their video:

MICROENTERPRISE GRANT PROGRAM

The Milpitas Microenterprise Grant Program Lottery took place on August 31, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.  The Lottery was recorded via Zoom​​. RANDOM.org was used as the online platform to randomly select Lottery numbers.  A total of 38 applicants were selected and conditionally approved to receive grants of $5,000 each to assist their microenterprise business during the pandemic. Qualified applicants that were not selected will be put on a waitlist based on ranking.  All applicants, whether selected in the top 38 or not, will receive free technical assistance by the Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center.

Here are copies of the Milpitas Microenterprise Grant Program Lottery results document and a screen shot of the RANDOM.ORG results.

The video is also uploaded onto the City’s YouTube channel and can be viewed similar to other City public meetings here.

For more information about the Microenterprise Grant Program Lottery, meeting the goals of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and

the overall grant process, please call the Enterprise Foundation (Fiscal Agent) at 415-881-7232.  If you need assistance in Mandarin, Spanish or Vietnamese, Enterprise Foundation staff can also assist you at the same number.

BUSINESS RESOURCES WEBINARS

Business Resiliency and Recovery Webinar

The Office of Economic Development hosted a Business Resiliency and Recovery Webinar on April 16, 2020, to provide the business community information regarding financial assistance, small business assistance programs, and opportunities for youth employment.

Guiding Your Business Through the Pandemic

On Wednesday, December 9, the City of Milpitas shared information and resources to help boost your business during the pandemic. Considering the additional stress that the Regional Stay At Home Order may place on businesses, the Departments of Economic Development, Fire, Planning, Recreation and Community Services, Public Works, and the Milpitas Chamber will be available to share helpful resources and answer any questions. Please click this link to watch the re-watch the webinar.

COVID-19 and the Next 30 days of Your Business

In order to help small businesses facing COVID-19 hardships, the NorCal Small Business Development Center hosted a virtual town hall to present information on local, State and Federal organizations offering a wide variety of resources and programs that can help businesses experiencing hardships get help with working capital, inventory, marketing, refitting for new social distancing guidelines, operating and emergency maintenance, property taxes, utilities, rent, supplies, Legal Services for Entrepreneurs (LSE), refinancing high cost debt, mortgage assistance, foreclosure prevention and other appropriate business purposes.

SBA Resources

In partnership with Regional Lending Manager Chris Horton of the NorCal Small Business Development Center and Deputy District Director Carlos Gutierrez of the San Francisco District Office of the Small Business Administration, the Milpitas Office of Economic Development is excited to present this webinar focusing on SBA Resources to help businesses acquire the resources needed to keep their business afloat. Please click here to view the webinar recording and the presentation slides.

Business Resilience and Retooling

NorCal Small Business Development Center Regional Lending Manager Chris Horton presented five considerations on making your business stronger after the pandemic: 1) Have a panel of advisors 2) Define what recovery means to your business 3) Evaluate the business’ current strategic plan 4) Identify the non-negotiable decision criteria and 5) define the business process. Watch the webinar video to learn more details about these five considerations.

Catalyze SV – Revitalizing Main Street Community Conversation on Business 4/29/21

In partnership with local nonprofit CatalyzeSV, the City of Milpitas will be facilitating three Community Conversations on Revitalizing Main Street, each revolving around a different aspect of the future of Main Street. The first conversation focused on the business community including – How do we keep, support, and expand Main Street businesses to encourage economic development throughout the neighborhood? You can watch the discussion at the following links: (1) and (2)

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