Resources for COVID-19 National Emergency

The Chamber is working to keep our business community informed of the resources and tools available to them during the COVID-19 national emergency. In response to Governor Lamont’s executive order, the Chamber offices are closed at this time. All staff are available via email.

We would appreciate your feedback on how we can help you during this time. Click here to participate in our survey.

Please click the following links for information:

NEWEST INFO ADDED:

New COVID-19 Relief Funds for Small Business 4-23-2020

Act quickly to take advantage of this business relief program. Please call JoAnn at 860-309-3318 with any questions.

Letter from David Lehman:

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed a $480B spending bill that expands COVID-19 business relief programs. While final passage is expected tomorrow, we want to give you a heads up to prepare as we know this funding is absolutely critical for our Connecticut businesses.

  • This latest round of federal funding includes an additional $310B to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and $60B for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) including $10B in grants.
  • The PPP provides forgivable loans to small businesses with less than 500 employees. 75% of the loan must be used for payroll expenses, with the remaining used on rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. Companies apply for this program through SBA-approved banks, credit unions and online financial lenders, or fintechs. Fintechs are a critically important tool for small businesses who do not have banking relationships. Applicants can use their smartphones to apply for funding.

Authorized fintech lenders include: PayPal, QuickBooks, Bluevine, Funding Circle, Kabbage, OnDeck, and Square.

  • The EIDL provides low-interest loans and grants up to $10,000 to small businesses and non-profits to cover payroll, sick leave, production costs or business obligations, like rent or mortgage payments. Funds are made available within just a few days of your application being accepted. Companies apply for this program directly through the SBA.

Demand for these relief programs remains incredibly high. We encourage you to act quickly and, whenever possible, work with a financial professional to determine which programs are best for your organization. If you have not previously applied for these programs, now is the time to look into it.

Also importantly, tomorrow, April 23, at 2:00 p.m., the CT SBA in partnership with HEDCO will host a live Zoom meeting for Latino small business owners in Spanish to discuss funding sources including the PPP, EIDL and the COVID-19 Business Response Program line of credit. To join tomorrow visit: https://t.co/blhdXtOgvX.

Sincerely,

David Lehman, Commissioner
david.lehman@ct.gov, (860) 500-2310


April 23, 2020


U.S. Department of Labor – Temporary Rule implementing the paid sick leave, etc.

The U.S. Department of Labor released a temporary rule implementing the paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The law provides refundable tax credits for employers with fewer than 500 employees to cover the costs of providing paid leave to their employees for reasons related to COVID-19. For information about the temporary rule, fact sheets on the new paid leave provisions for employers and employees, and a U.S. Department of Labor FAQ page, click here.


April 2, 2020


CARES Act Guide Information

  • Connecticut Department of Revenue extends Sales & Use Tax Return deadline.
  • US Chamber of Commerce Guide to the CARES Act.
  • From Sharon Hospital – Nuvance Health

    • First and foremost – Sharon Hospital and Nuvance Health are here for you. We remain committed to keeping you safe, healthy and informed.
      Nuvancehealth.org/coronavirus is designed to keep our communities informed with the latest updates and information on steps to take if you have symptoms or concerns about possible exposure to COVID-19, changes to visitation policies, how to contact the COVID-19 Community Hotline, donating supplies to our facilities, and news about our specimen collection sites in New York and Connecticut.Our dedicated teams are working around-the-clock to ensure a safe environment for all amid this global outbreak. We continue to work in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local and state health departments to stay abreast of the latest developments and take necessary precautions.Please follow us on social media @SharonHospital and @NuvanceHealth for updates and health and wellness tips. Together, we can help mitigate the spread and impact of COVID-19 in our communities.

  • Eversource Energy COVID-19 Information


March 31, 2020


CARES Act – Help

  • The Small Business Guide to the CARES Act
  • Thomaston Savings Bank is offering assistance to small businesses:
    • Thomaston Savings Bank’s financial condition is strong and has been built to withstand adversity.  The Bank has taken proactive measures to help mitigate the spread of illness and as such our Branch Lobbies are currently closed to walk-in traffic.  Our drive–up service remains accessible as well as our ATMs.  We strongly encourage our customers to use our digital tools and other resources for self-service banking and 24/7 account access.  We will meet with customers by appointment for bank services that cannot be completed through drive-up or other self-service channels. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please call us at 855-344-1874 or visit our website at thomastonsb.com/covid19 for the latest updates and resources.
  • Access Health CT has established a special open enrollment period:
    • Dear Community Partners,  As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to threaten public health, Access Health CT announced a NEW SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD for these exceptional circumstances available from March 19 through April 2, 2020 for qualified uninsured Connecticut residents.  Residents can see if they qualify by calling 1-855-365-2428 (Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm). We will not be able to process enrollments online for the New Special Enrollment Period, however you can still enroll online if you have a Qualifying Life Event or qualify for Medicaid/CHIP.
  • Salisbury VNA Offers Help During COVID-19


March 30, 2020


Seitz LLC is Hiring!

Seitz LLC Has Job Openings

Due to the current COVID situation, in our support of our medical customers, we are seeing a surge in demand.

While we are mainly looking for long-term employees, this might also be a great option for anyone recently furloughed or otherwise out of work due to COVID closures in the restaurant or other non-essential business arena.

Since our surge might be temporary, this could be good for someone looking for work until called back.We will 100% honor a “return to home company” policy for any local companies that have furloughed people and see this as a way to support their employees in a time of need.

The work is light assembly and manufacturing; no prior experience is required; Must be 18 years of age or older.

We are looking for people interested in committing to full-time (preferably; will consider part time) work for our off shifts (2nd is 3 pm -11:30 pm and 3rd is 11 pm -7:30 am).

These roles might be also good for any college students that are now home.

Interested parties should contact Human_Resources@seitzcorp.com

Visit us at: SeitzLLC.com


March 27, 2020


Roberts Tax Group Notifies Northwest CT Chamber of COVID-19 Tax Credits and Paid Relief

  • Thanks to Roberts Tax Group for notifying us of the COVID-19 Tax Credits and Paid Relief for Workers that is now available.  Click here for details. In addition, The IRS unveiled the People First Initative offering more help!
  • One of our member’s clients, Chuck Richards of CoreValue is offering a free webinar – “Small Business Triage – Taking Control of your Business during times of Crisis” on Thursday, March 26th at 10:30 a.m.  Click here to register.  Details:  “Many business owners are struggling and in panic mode as more and more cities across the U.S. go into lockdown due to COVID-19.  We’ll talk about how to find opportunity during times of crisis and we are here to help business owners find it.  It’s 30 minutes and we’ll share 5 steps to help your clients assess, adjust, and excel over the next several months.”

Also for your reference:

  • Small Business Administration’s Disaster Assistance
    • You can call the SBA directly at 800-659-2955 or click here to email them.
    • DECD has launched a COVID-19 Business Emergency Response Unit, which will be dedicated to helping businesses in Connecticut navigate the resources available to them during this crisis. Small businesses seeking guidance can reach the unit by calling 860-500-2333. In addition, DECD and Advance CT, a nonprofit organization that works to advance economic competitiveness in Connecticut today began distributing a comprehensive survey to businesses to get information on what types of resources they need through the duration of this pandemic. This will help the state gather important information on the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses interested in participating in the survey can access it here.


March 25, 2020