Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Business Resources & Updates

Coronavirus RESOURCES IN OTHER LANGUAGES

• Recursos en español

  Hola Alice, "Business for All" Subvencion para Empresarios Hispanos
  Hello Alice ha designado una parte de sus subvenciones de emergencia de $ 10,000 exclusivamente para propietarios de negocios hispanos. La financiación se esta distribuyéndo de inmediato a los fundadores afectados por el coronavirus como parte de nuestra misión más amplia para garantizar Business for All (Negocios para Todos). Todos los solicitantes recibirán acceso a recursos y apoyo continuo de la comunidad Hello Alice. Se ofrece apoyo con la aplicación en español.
  
  ¿Qué debes saber sobre el coronavirus (COVID-19)?
  (La mención: University of Missouri Extension)

  Asistencia de Desastre de la SBA en Respuesta al Coronavirus
  (La mención: SBA)
  La Agencia Federal de Pequeños Negocios (SBA, por sus siglas en inglés) les ofrece a ciertos estados y territorios designados préstamos federales de desastre de bajos intereses para usar como capital de trabajo a los pequeños negocios que sufren daños económicos sustanciales como resultado del Coronavirus (también llamado COVID-19). 
  
  STL Juntos
  (La mención: Facebook)
  Colaborando con otros grupos, individuos y organizaciones en un esfuerzo por proporcionar la información más reciente necesaria para la comunidad en español.

  Las mejores formas para que los latinos hagan crecer sus negocios
  (Source: Bankrate)
  En un esfuerzo para ayudar a las empresas latinas a recuperarse, Bankrate compiló las mejores formas para que los latinos hagan crecer sus negocios y superen la brecha de financiación.  Cerca del final del artículo hay una lista de cooperativas de crédito (Credit Unions) latinas y opciones de subvenciones para minorías.

• Resources in Other Languages

  Language Access Information for Local Hotlines (IISTL)

  • St. Louis City Hotline – 314-657-1499

    • Open between 8 am to 10 pm

    • Ask for interpreter

  • St. Louis County Hotline – 314-614-2660

    • Press 2

    • Wait

    • Ask for Interpreter

  • Mercy Hotline for Testing – 314-251-0500

    • Press 2

    • Ask for an interpreter

  • Missouri Hotline – 877-435-8411

    • Press 1

    • Wait

    • Ask for Interpreter

  STL Bosnians Inc. — website and Facebook page have translated government and health documents 

  RukaNade —  Bosnian aide group, Facebook page in the process of translating documents for posting in the near future
  
  WhatsApp messaging groups — Abu Bakr Al Siddiq (Farsi), Dar-Al Jalal (Arabic)
  
  St. Louis Vietnamese Community — government publications about COVID-19 translated into Vietnamese and posted on FB
  
  OCA -Asian Pacific Advocate — questions through the website and social media then referrals to groups that can best help
  
  International Institute of STL —  staff members who speak Arabic, Farsi, Kinyarwanda (Rwanda), Nepali, Pashto, Swahili and Spanish
  
  IISTL— CDC fighting germs in 20 languages (Amharic, Arabic, Bosnian, Burmese, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Kinyarwanda, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, Vietnamese); COVID-19 fact sheet in 4 languages (Amharic, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese); audio messages in 7 languages
  
  State of Missouri website has COVID-19 fact sheets in 15 languages (Amharic, Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, English, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Russion, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese) 

Coronavirus HELP FOR YOU

• Find the Right Funding for Your Business

  We're here to help you determine if you are ready to apply for financial assistance and which program(s) (local, state or federal) might be the best fit.
  
  Tell us more about your business and what you need.

  Help my business
  find funding

   

• Free Remote Mentoring and Business Coaching

  SBDCs (Small Business Development Centers) are located throughout the state and offer no-cost one-on-one confidential consulting for businesses. Their consulting services include but are not limited to the following:

  • Up-to-date COVID-19 SBA disaster information for small businesses

  • Cash flow analysis

  • Local, state, and federal resource information

  • Long-term strategic planning

  • Executive coaching from certified coaches to help during these stressful times

  Sign up to find a business consultant near you:

  • in Missouri

  SCORE mentors offer free, personalized assistance to help you and your business address and adapt to the current crisis. Find a mentor.

   

• Policy Tracker

  COVID-19 Policy Tracker
  (Source: MultiState)
  This page contains all of MultiState's resources on the state and local government response to COVID-19/coronavirus, including dashboard, maps, and other resources for tracking how states and localities are responding to the crisis.

  Senate passes $2 trillion aid package, on to House
  (Source: SSTI)
  The legislation includes additional emergency loans and tax credits for retaining employees, as well as near-term aid for individuals, small businesses, and some of the most affected industries.

  What Employers Need to Know: Families First Coronavirus Response Act
  Enacted on March 18, 2020, Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) guarantees free coronavirus testing, establishes paid leave, enhances unemployment insurance, expands food security initiatives and increases federal Medicaid funding. Here’s detailed information on H.R. 6201.

  • Fact Sheet for Employees

  • Fact Sheet for Employers 

  • Questions and Answers

   

Coronavirus SELF-CARE

• Work-Life Balance during COVID-19

  The pandemic has reframed "work": where and when it happens. Here are tools you can use to help you and your employees reset—or retain—work-life balance to promote a healthier and productive team. 
  
  4 Lessons the Pandemic Taught Us about Work, Life and Balance
  (Source: TED)
  "All that muscle around innovation and flexibility and creativity that we didn't thing we had, we had all along." 
  
  Consultant Patty McCord reviews four key insights employers and employees alike gleaned from their shift to working from home — and shares how companies can use what they learned in lockdown to creatively and innovatively rethink how we do business.

  
  

  A Post-Pandemic Shift in Work/Life Balance
  (Source: HR Advisor)
  HR Advisor asked for input from HR professionals and hiring managers to get a sense of what they are seeing and what they expect the future to hold.

  Work-Life Balance Is a Pandemic: A Public Health Issue We Cannot Ignore
  (Source: The Conversation)
  Before the pandemic, a common objection to remote working was the suspicion that staff would disengage and productivity levels would drop. But recent evidence suggests the opposite is true – working from home effectively means working more. 

  Remote Working’s Longer Hours Are New Normal for Many
  (Source: Bloomberg)
  The number of hours people are logged on has fallen back toward pre-pandemic levels in only Belgium, Denmark, France and Spain

  How You Can Give Your Employees Work-Life Balance
  (Source: U.S. Chamber)
  Rising employee burnout has consequences for employees, companies and the economy. Here are some ways you can improve work-life balance for your employees (and hey, you, too)  to reduce their stress and burnout.

  How to Transition Between Work Time and Personal Time
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Here are some of the ways to be less distracted and more present whether you’re working or enjoying personal time.

  How to Reenergize Your Organization to Overcome Pandemic Fatigue
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Explore these five ways to reenergize your organizations and help individuals grow personally, nurture their talent and live their purpose through work.
   

• Self-Care and Stress Management

  9 Ways to Build Bonds (Even in Times of Crisis)
  (Source: Stanford Medicine)
  Many of us are facing unprecedented circumstances with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, and suddenly find ourselves in isolation from coworkers, friends, and loved ones. Social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical well-being. Here’s how to (re)connect.
  

  How Can Entrepreneurs Take Care of Their Mental Health during the Coronavirus?
  (Source: SCORE)
  COVID-19 is dramatically shifting the routines of small business owners. What’s happens to our health, physical and mental, during this unprecedented crisis? Read more

  Stress and Coping
  (Source: CDC)
  Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.

  Don’t Let Uncertainty Paralyze You 
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  How to get past the crippling anxiety, even when things seem hopeless.

Coronavirus HOW TO HELP

• How Communities Can Help

  How Local Leaders Can Help
  (Source: Brookings)
  This brief guides community leaders through the economic and policy uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 small business crisis by offering insights in three areas:

  • What is the scale of the problem, by estimating the number of businesses that are at risk of closure in the immediate and near term, both nationwide and in counties, metro areas, and states.

  • What is the scale of the federal relief, by reviewing the small business provisions embedded in the CARES Act.

  • What local policymakers should do now, by outlining how small business support providers can provide awareness, technical assistance, and immediate liquidity for small businesses.

   

• Shop Local Safely

  Missouri

  • #BuyMO

  • MOFoodFinder 

  Cape Girardeau 

  • Keep Cape Strong

  Columbia

  • Shop Local COMO

  Kansas City 

  • Downtown KCK Carryout Guide

  • North Kansas City

  • Strawberry Swing’s online Maker’s Marketplace

  Springfield

  • Downtown Springfield

  St. Louis

  • #314Together

  • Curbside STL (Guided St. Louis)

  • Metro East Eats

  • STL Take It Home (Explore St. Louis) 

  Shop local online. Support local ecommerce by buying local.
  
  Join a Missouri CSA: Missouri  has a large network of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) networks, which typically offer seasonal subscriptions from a farm, food provider or partnerships composed of several small providers. Here's a list of Missouri CSAs that operate all over the state.

   

Coronavirus REOPEN, RETURN AND RECOVERY

• Event Planning and COVID-19

  Events will forever look different because of the pandemic—and especially as we navigate reopening and rebuilding during potential virus spikes. Here are some event planning resources to help you navigate your event through COVID-19. 
  

  Event Planning and COVID-19: Q&A
  (Source: CDC)
  The CDC regularly updates event planners on best policies and protocols to protect their attendees and to guide event planning. Check with your local government for local regulations. 

  Guidance for Organizing Large Events and Gatherings
  (Source: CDC) Review these guidelines for CDC recommendations for small and large gatherings. Check with your local government for further guidelines and mandates for your area. 

  COVID-19 Safety Playbook for Events
  (EventBrite)
  Before launching in-person experiences again, event creators are considering health and safety risks for their event. This is a resource for you when determining what risks are present and how to address them.

  How Event Planning Companies Adapted to COVID-19 Challenges
  (Source: U.S. Chamber)
  Six brands in the events industry offer solutions for hosting events. Plus tips for promoting your online event and how to leverage virtual “shoppable moments” for holiday sales.

• Returning to the Workplace

  Getting to Work: Employers’ Role in Covid-19 Vaccination
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  What are employers’ role in Covid-19 vaccinations and a healthy workplace?

  Missouri Chamber Uniting for Recovery and Return to Work Guide
  As part of Uniting For Recovery Economic Response Agenda, the Missouri Chamber is providing this free Return-to-Work guide based on best practices to assist businesses in their efforts to create safe workplaces for their employees and customers.

  Hybrid Work Models Could Hurt Remote Workers
  (Source: Business Insider)
  Zillow CEO wants of a “two-class system” as companies move to a hybrid work model.

  Redesigning the Post-Pandemic Workplace
  (Source: MIT Sloan Review)
  Suggestions on workplace redesign.

  How to Reenergize your Organization to Overcome Pandemic Fatigue
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Suggestions for re-engaging staff with their purpose and their work. 

  Grief, Loss and Burnout: Navigating a New Emotional Landscape at Work
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  A discussion to help leaders address complex and uncomfortable as we return to the workplace 

  What Psychological Safety Looks Like in a Hybrid Workplace
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  The hybrid workplace will force managers to rethink and expand psychological safety, one of the strongest proven predictors of team effectiveness.

  What’s Next for Remote Work: An Analysis of 2,000 Tasks, 800 Jobs, and Nine Countries
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Executives have indicated in surveys that hybrid models of remote work for some employees are here to stay.

  
  

  
  

• Recovery and the Next Normal

  What to Stop, Start, and Accelerate
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  As businesses step into the post-coronavirus future, they need to find a balance between what worked before and what needs to happen to succeed in the next normal.

  Beyond Coronavirus: The Path to the Next Normal
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  The coronavirus is not only a health crisis of immense proportion—it’s also an imminent restructuring of the global economic order. Here’s how leaders can begin navigating to what’s next.
  
  Rebuilding Better
  (Source: Start Us Up Coalition)
  To respond to this crisis and help rebuild the economy, Start Us Up American unveiled Start Us Up’s COVID-19 Response Plan, which includes policies that come from the broader framework in America’s New Business Plan but are specific to what entrepreneurs need most today. The goal is not just to restore the economy but to rebuild better by ensuring all Americans, especially women, minorities and rural entrepreneurs who have historically been marginalized by investors and lenders, can turn their ideas into businesses.
  
  

  From Surviving to Thriving: Reimagining the Post-COVID-19 Return
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  For many, the toughest leadership test is now looming: how to bring a business back in an environment where a vaccine has yet to be found and economies are still reeling.

  Capitalising on Three Positive Outcomes of the Pandemic
  (Source: University of South Australia)
  For those who have used this time effectively, the “new normal” will be different – possibly even better than the pre-pandemic “normal”. Dr. Jana outlines three positive outcomes of the pandemic.

  Recovery Solutions for Missouri Manufacturers
  (Source: Missouri Enterprise)
  With a specific focus on helping manufacturers transition through this pandemic, Missouri Enterprise created the Covid-19 Response Team. For our experts to respond to your needs, we recommend you first take our brief Covid-19 Readiness Recovery Assessment, which will provide you with valuable feedback on  where your company’s recovery strengths and weaknesses are in the categories of strategy, communications, people, and processes.

• Remote Work and Hybrid Workspaces

  Whether your employees are working from home or headed back to the office—or doing a little bit of both, here are some tips and guidelines for promoting productivity and psychological safety. 

  What Psychological Safety Looks Like in a Hybrid Workplace
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Sorting out hybrid work arrangements will require business owners and managers to rethink and expand one of strongest proven predictors of team effectiveness: psychological safety. These authors suggest a series of five steps to create a culture of psychological safety that extends beyond the work content to include broader aspects of employees’ experiences.

  What Is Your Organizations Long-Term Remote Work Strategy?
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Companies shifted quickly and unexpectedly to remote work in early 2020, but leaders planning for a post-pandemic future have an opportunity to take a more intentional, strategic approach to remote work. The authors examine key emerging trends in these areas and suggest a number of questions leaders should ask themselves as they plan for their organization’s optimal mix of remote work.

   

Coronavirus EMPLOYEES

• Employee Communications

  Use Google to Communicate with Your Employees
  (Source: Google)
  These Google links can help you manage your employee communications: 

  • Store contact information for your employees, vendors and clients online so it’s accessible from any device.
  • Make a business continuity plan, and share it with employees via an email address they can access outside of the office.

   

• Employee Paid Leave

  Exemptions from FFCRA Paid Leave Law
  

  (Source: HR Dive)
  HR Dive outlines exemptions to the FFCRA Paid Leave Law for employers and small businesses with fewer than 50 employees as well as criteria around DOL’s temporary non-enforcement of the FFCRA (until April 17) for employers who act "reasonably" and "in good faith."

  COVID-19 and Family and Medical Leave Act: Q&A
  (Source: U.S. Department of Labor)
  If you or your employees are out with the flu or are caring for ill family members, check with the Department of Labor (DOL) for information on whether such leave is covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Under the FMLA, covered employers must provide employees job-protected, unpaid leave for specified family and medical reasons, which may include the flu where complications arise.  Employees on FMLA leave are entitled to the continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms as existed before they took FMLA leave.

  Paid Leave for Workers and Tax Credits for Small Business
  (Source: IRS)
  Small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees.

   

• Employee Policies and Workforce Concerns

  Fair Labor Standards Act FAQs
  (Source: U.S. Department of Labor)
  Have questions around volunteers, wages, employees under government-imposed quarantine, telework (and if you can require it)? Here are Q&As around fair labor standards during a pandemic.

  
  
  

   

• Employee and Workplace Wellness

  Wellness Webinar
  (Source: Missouri Enterprise, in partnership with AIM)
  Often, when we think of an organization’s health, financial outlook statements and viability often come to mind. It’s less likely we consider how the organization supports employee health. As we face a global health crisis, it is more important than ever to create a culture of wellness that encourages and promotes the well-being of your employees.

   

• Employment, Unemployment and Alternatives (for Employers)

  Looking for Employees?

  If you’re an industry that needs to ramp up your workforce, consider listing your opportunities with these local hiring sites.  

  • Missouri One Start

  Employee Transition Team
  (Source: Missouri Office of Workforce Development)

  Managing staffing reductions and layoffs can be a grueling experience. The Employment Transition Team (ETT) is available at no cost to businesses and affected workers to help:

  • Conduct employee assistance meetings

  • Provide Trade Act and other training program information

  • Present Unemployment Insurance information

  • Connect employees with current job openings

  • Assist with employer layoff obligations

  Reengineering the Recruitment Process
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  The pandemic has accelerated some trends in recruitment, which may require businesses to change their hiring practices.  

   

• Payroll Tax Credits (also see Tax Relief)

  Employee Retention Tax Credit
  (Source: IRS and Kansas SBDC)
  Employee Retention Tax Credits could pay for 50% of your payroll for the rest of 2020 if:

  • you can afford to still pay at least 50% of your payroll for the near future

  • your business has suffered a significant loss due to COVID-19 (defined as a quarter being 50% less than the same quarter last year)

  • you think that the economic injury might continue (the tax credit only lasts until a subsequent quarter hits 80% of the same quarter last year, or Jan. 1, 2021)

  Compare that to the Paycheck Protection Program, which offers a forgivable loan equal to 8 weeks of payroll and a small portion of non-payroll expenses. 

  Work with your accountant and run the numbers. While you can do the EIDL and PPP (as long as they’re for different expenses), you can’t do the Employee Retention Tax Credit and the PPP, so find out which one is best for your business. 

  All You Wanted To Know about Maximizing Your Tax Credits through the CARES Act
  (Source: Markowitz Accounting)
  The ERTC is the gift that could potentially keep on giving, quarter after quarter for the rest of the year.

  All You Wanted to Know about the Employee Retention Tax Credit
  (Source: Markowitz Accounting)
  Assuming you have under 100 employees, the ERTC is a credit of 50% of all qualified wages in a given quarter.

   

Coronavirus DOING BUSINESS ONLINE

• Customer Communications

  Step one: make sure you are. Communicate your office hours and have those may have changed, and let folks know the precautions you’re taking--and that you expect them to take--to protect themselves and your employees. 

  Update Your “Google My Business”
  (Source: Google)Let your customers/clients know your business hours, make sure your phone number is correct and post a bit about your business and how you’re helping folks navigate the outbreak. And if you aren’t fully repped online, now is the definitely the time. 

  • If your hours of operation have changed, edit your Business Profile on Google.

  • Use Posts to communicate information directly on your Business Profile on Google, like special offers or inventory updates.

  • Consider setting an email auto-reply with answers to frequently asked questions.

  More Resources from Google
  (Source: Google)
  Here are more tips and recommendations from Google to help you navigate this for your employees and customers.

  Coronavirus Response Toolkit
  (Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
  Find sharable graphics based on the CDC’s latest guidance for businesses and employees. We encourage you to share these assets on social media, websites, and other channels, and send them to your colleagues and employees. 
  

  5 Tech Tools for Customer Communication
  (Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
  Business owners are exploring new ways to engage with customers in the wake of COVID-19. Here are some popular tech tools that aid in these communications. 

• Marketing

  Update Your “Google My Business”
  (Source: Google)
  Let your customers/clients know your business hours, make sure your phone number is correct and post a bit about your business and how you’re helping folks navigate the outbreak. And if you aren’t fully repped online, now is definitely the time. 

  Brand Marketing through the Coronavirus Crisis
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  With so much changing so fast during this difficult time, what actions can brands take to serve and grow their customer base, mitigate risk and take care of their people?

  Why Your Business Needs to Be Online
  The COVID-19 crisis is driving the global growth of eCommerce sales, with millions of consumers worldwide in quarantine shopping for goods, services and entertainment online. Transaction volumes in most retail sectors have seen a 74% rise in March compared to the same period last year, while online gaming has seen a staggering increase of 97%.
  

  MOFoodFinder 
  (Source: University of Missouri Extension)
  Farmers, growers and local suppliers can map their local food business by entering basic information about the food they sell, location and contact information. Customers can find local food sources using the map and search tools below.

  How to Tell Your Story on LinkedIn 
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Know your audience and connect the dots for them.

   

• Remote Work, Work from Home and Workplace Policies

  Google’s Remote Work Resources 
  (Source: Google)
  Prepare to effectively work from home with these tools and resources from Grow with Google.

  • Collaborate using a shared document, a quick conference call, or by creating an email list or a chat room.

  • Access important documents from anywhere by uploading them to the Cloud through a product like Google Drive or downloading to your mobile phone or computer for offline access.

  Remote Work Resources
  (Source: Upwork)
  As the world adapts to working remotely, Upwork shares what it’s learned in its work in helping companies implement effective remote work strategies, including:

  • How to Build a Remote Workforce
  • Managing a Remote Team Effectively
  • Creating a Remote Strategy for the Long Haul
  • How to Set Up and Manage a Remote IT Infrastructure
  • Remote Yet Close: How to Maintain Company Culture During COVID-19
  • 10 Ways to Manage Your Freelance Business During Times of Crisis
  • How to Pitch to Clients During a Crisis
  • Trending Talent and the Fastest Way to Find It [Templates]

  Top Tech Tools to Keep Your Team Connected
  (Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
  If your business is now managing a full-time remote workforce for the first time, here are a few tech tools that will help your quarantined team stay connected.

  Build Your Team’s Resilience — From Home 
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  It comes down to two things: people and perspective

  Leading Virtual Meetings
  (Source: DDI)
  Not able to meet with your team in person? This free microcourse from DDI is designed to assist you in leading more effective virtual meetings. 

  A Blueprint for Remote Working: Lessons from China
  (Source: McKinsey Digital)
  As home to some of the world’s largest firms, China offers lessons for those that are just now starting to embrace the shift to remote working.

  An Exec’s Field Guide to Remote Work 
  (Source: FirstRound)
  Maggie Leung built out the 80-person fully remote content team that's helped NerdWallet stand out. Here are her tips for executives who are now tasked with leading large teams working remotely for the first time.

  How to Keep Your Team Motivated, Remotely
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Many leaders have taken the first step toward creating an effective work environment for remote employees. The next critical question we must ask is: How do you motivate people who work from home?

  Adapting Workplace Learning
  (Source: McKinsey Accelerate)
  Managers can’t push the pause button on capability building, so the moment belongs to virtual learning. Some tactics and strategies can help

  3 Tips to Avoid WFH Burnout
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Millions around the globe have made a sudden transition to remote work amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Not surprisingly, this has some employers concerned about maintaining employee productivity. But what they really should be concerned about in this unprecedented situation is a longer-term risk: employee burnout.
  
  Security Tips for Remote Workers
  (Source: National Cyber Security Alliance
  As more employees work from home, basic security measures need to be taken to protect the individual and enterprise from cyber criminals who are taking advantage of lax telework security practices. Check out NCSA’s tips for staying safe online when working remotely.

  The Remote Company Checklist: Strategies for Effective Remote Team Management
  (Source: bitovi and our network’s own Jennifer Wadella!)
  Workers can only be as successful as their environment allows. Use this checklist to set up your business and your processes for remote work.

  Remote Work Policy Template 
  (Source: Overland Park Chamber of Commerce)
  Even better than tips? A template. Your employees are likely headed home to work. Use this template to help inform your plan. 

  The Necessities of Policies, SOPs and Job Descriptions
  (Source: Employment Law Handbook)
  Operating a business without policies, SOPs, and job descriptions is like attempting to play a new board game without reading the rule book first, leading to confusion, conflict, and blame.  

  Best Tips for Working from Home Effectively
  (Source: Tech.co)
  The coronavirus outbreak has many businesses urgently considering their work-from-home policies. If you're soon likely to be logging on from your living room, there are some best practices for working from home that will keep your tasks efficient and your business secure.

  KCBJ Series: Working from Home
  (Source: Kansas City Business Journal)

  KCBJ has published several articles on how overcome the challenges of working from home for both employers and employees:

  • More companies are encouraging (or even requiring) people to work from home. That could cause unexpected problems. Read more here.
  • Be mindful of technology, legal and cybersecurity issues when it comes to having your staff work from home. Read more here.
  • Both employers and employees have a difficult balancing act ahead: working remotely while also caring for children who are home from school. Read more here.
  • Staff engagement and performance measurement can become more challenging at times of increased remote work. Read more here.
  • Here's how industries that can't telework are confronting coronavirus. Read more here.

  What’s next for remote work: An analysis of 2,000 tasks, 800 jobs, and nine countries
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Executives have indicated in surveys that hybrid models of remote work for some employees are here to stay
  

  
  

• Broadband

  Helpful Tips to Improve Your Internet
  (Source: Connected Nation)
  These tips provide quick explanations about how things work, why they sometimes don’t and how to fix them. They will hopefully get you back onto the information superhighway in a flash.

  Broadband: Missouri Providers
  (Source: Department of Health and Senior Services)
  Broadband access is more important than ever as Missourians have been instructed to stay home from work and school as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the quarantine, several broadband providers are temporarily offering free internet service, waiving disconnect and late fees, providing access to wi-fi hot spots and other measures to help people at home access the services they need. Click that link to find examples of how Missouri providers are ensuring continuity of service to our communities during this time of need.

  FCC’s Keep Americans Connected
  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai launched the Keep Americans Connected Initiative, in order to ensure that Americans do not lose their broadband or telephone connectivity as a result of these exceptional circumstances. The pledge entails for the next 60 days:

  1. Not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic;

  2. Waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic; and

  3. Open its Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.

  FCC Lifeline Rules Waived 
  The FCC announced changes to waive Lifeline program rules to assist program participants potentially affected by the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and aid community efforts to slow its spread. The Lifeline program plays an important role in ensuring that low-income Americans have access to affordable communications services by providing monthly discounts on broadband and voice services to qualifying customers.

  Free & Low-Cost Internet Plans 
  The National Digital Inclusion Association (NDIA) list of current offers from major ISPs that will help low-income household to acquire service at no cost, or at very affordable prices. Most have eligibility limitations linked to income or program enrollment. The list also included established, nationally available low-cost plans offered by nonprofit organizations.

  Missouri Broadband Grant Program
  (Source: Missouri Department of Economic Development)
  Governor Mike Parson announced 16 broadband development projects will receive a total of $3.05 million through the state of Missouri’s broadband grant program. The selected projects will bring service to more than 4,400 Missouri homes, businesses, and farms that lack access to high-speed internet.The focus of this grant program is to provide state resources that help providers, communities, counties, and regions invest in building broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas of the state.

   

• Virtual Events and Meetings

  Don't Just Throw Together a Webinar — The Virtual Events Crash Course You Need
  (Source: FirstRound)
  Whether you’re tasked with energizing your existing community or scrambling to spin it all up for the first time — or just trying to hold a really great virtual happy hour — community expert David Spinks has the tips you need.

  How to Elevate Your Presence in a Virtual Meeting
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Elevating both your point and your presence in a Zoom, Skype, or similar virtual meeting, requires not only engaging in video conference-friendly tactics but also disabusing yourself of potentially detrimental misconceptions about the medium. To help keep your impact actual when your presence is virtual, consider these six recommendations.

  Resources for Event Creators
  (Source: Eventbrite)
  Whether you have an event coming up or you’re trying to decide whether to schedule one later this year, we've designed resources, including information, articles, suggestions, and support for decision-making. We acknowledge the increased need for flexibility in times of uncertainty, and if the best decision for your event is to turn it virtual, or postpone for a few months from now, we’re here to help.

Coronavirus LEADERSHIP

• Post-Crisis Leadership

  The Next Normal Arrives: Trends that Will Define 2021—and Beyond
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Identifying some of the trends that will shape the next normal, how they will affect the direction of the global economy, how business will adjust, and how society could be changed forever as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

  Build Resilience
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Adapting employees’ skills and roles to the post-pandemic ways of working will be crucial to building operating-model resilience.

  Reimagining the Post-Pandemic Organization
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  The organization of the future is taking shape in the moves that companies are making now. Here’s what’s changing—and why some companies say they won’t go back.

  Leaders, Do You Have a Clear Vision for the Post-Crisis Future?
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Don’t let your short-term response get in the way of your long-term plan.

  Shifting from Why to How
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  What is your company’s core reason for being, and where can you have a unique, positive impact on society? Now more than ever, you need good answers to these questions.

   

   

   

• Business Survival and Disruption Strategies

  What to Stop, Start, and Accelerate
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  As businesses step into the post-coronavirus future, they need to find a balance between what worked before and what needs to happen to succeed in the next normal.

  Coronavirus: How Big Brands Are Responding
  (Source: Brandchannel)
  Brandchannel has pulled together up-to-date snapshots of how brands are responding to the coronavirus crisis. 

  5 Steps to Increase the Odds Your Business Will Make It Through
  (Source: Dr. Jana, University of South Australia) 
  The bad news, not every business will make it through this, but here are steps you can talk to increase the odds that yours will.

  Guide to Conquering a Business Disruption
  (Source: Missouri SBDC)
  Cash management, pricing and cost containment, supply chain management, marketing--dig into this checklist to help your business stay on track.

   

• Crisis Leadership

  Coronavirus: Leading through Crisis
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Check out this collection of insights on how organizations can respond and what happens next.

  A Leader’s Guide: Communicating with Teams, Stakeholders and Communities during COVID-19
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  COVID-19’s speed and scale breed uncertainty and emotional disruption. How organizations communicate about it can create clarity, build resilience, and catalyze positive change.

  4 Behaviors That Help Leaders Manage a Crisis
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Decide with speed over precision, adapt boldly, reliably deliver, engage for impact: these are the four behaviors to lead through a crisis.
  
  

  Lead Your Business through the Coronavirus Crisis
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  There’s preparing for coronavirus and preparing to do business during the coronavirus. This article is a great and fast read on how to prepare your team and think through your communication and processes. We especially like no. 7 and no. 10. As a leader, communicating through this uncertainty with clarity and confidence is key. 

  5 (Practical) Cs for Leading in a Crisis/Downturn
  (Source: Verne Harnish of Scaling Up)
  Panic is contagious, but so is leadership. This one-pager from Verne Harnish details the 5 Cs of leadership in a crisis/downturn. Tip one: communicate daily, maybe even twice per day. 

   

• Emergency, Disaster and Continuity Plans

  Business Continuity Management Gap Analysis Checklist
  (Missouri Enterprise)
  Missouri Enterprise can partner with your company on Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery and Sustainability.
  

  Getting Ahead of the Next Stage of the Coronavirus Crisis
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  First the virus, now the economic fallout—you need to launch your plan-ahead team. Direct that team to work across multiple time horizons, using five frames.

  Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Financial Forms
  (Source: Federal Bank of Kansas City)
  Take the first steps in preparing for a disaster by completing your personal or small business financial form. 

  Ready Rating(
  Source: American Red Cross)
  Use the American Red Cross’s Read Rating to see where you can improve your safety and disaster readiness.

  Emergency Planning Exercises
  (Source: FEMA)
  Make your plan. As a business, bring your staff together and prepare a plan for what you will do if the incident worsens or improves. It’s also helpful to conduct a tabletop exercise to simulate potential scenarios and how your business management and staff might respond to the hypothetical scenario. 

  Planning for a Coronavirus Pandemic - City of KCMO
  (Source: Public Health, City of Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department)
  Though global by definition, pandemics have local impacts. Pandemics can cause absenteeism, alter patterns of business and travel, interrupt supply chains, and affect the daily operations of your business. You can  minimize the impact to your organization by creating a plan that clearly outlines roles, responsibilities, and policies

  Business Continuity Plan
  (Source: Ready.gov)
  When business is disrupted, it can cost money. Lost revenues plus extra expenses means reduced profits. Insurance does not cover all costs and cannot replace customers that defect to the competition. A business continuity plan to continue business is essential. 

  How to Develop a Business Continuity Plan
  (Source: KCBJ and Sean Wright of Affinity Technology Partners)
  For businesses that want to respond appropriately to protect both employees and customers from risk of infection, a large component of that planning should involve a business continuity plan that empowers workers to utilize technology in a secure manner to remain productive when working away from the office. This article provides a few key items to consider as you establish your business continuity plan.

   

  
  

• Risk Management + Business Management

  Aon, offers a wealth of info around risk management on its COVID-19 response site around business continuity and supply chain; employee health, benefits and duty care; communications and insurance and alternative risk; reinsurance; and industry-specific impacts. All are super informative. Here’s a sampling of risk management strategies, especially for business owners.

  • Managing and Mitigating Business Risk, COVID-19 

  • Property and Coronavirus (COVID-19):  Is My Business Covered?

  • Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in U.S. Casualty Claim 

  • The Coronavirus – D&O, EPL, and Wage & Hour Insurance

  • Is Disinfection Coverage Available for Coronavirus (COVID-19) Under  Environmental Insurance Policies?

  The Coronavirus Economic Impact: Will Business Interruption Insurance Help (& What Are My Other Options)?
  (Source: SCORE)

  An add-on insurance called business interruption may help—but this is the exception, not the rule.

  Stay Safe Online
  (Source: National Cyber Security Alliance)

  To help individuals and organizations find resources they can use and share, NCSA has launched the COVID-19 Security Resource Library. This library features free and updated information on current scams, cyber threats, remote working, disaster relief, and more.

  Scams and Fraud Alerts
  (Source: SBA)
  The CARES Act, the largest financial assistance bill to date, includes provisions to help small businesses. Fraudsters have already begun targeting small business owners during these economically difficult times. Be on the lookout for grant fraud, loan fraud, and phishing.
  

   

• Close, Sell, Transfer Your Business

  Call MOSourceLink at 866-870-6500 or let us know what you need at mosourcelink.com/myplan to get connected with vetted resources and qualified advice to  help you make this decision and fill the right paperwork.

  How to Close or Sell Your Business
  (Source: SBA)
  The SBA walks you through the steps of how to close, sell, transfer ownership or liquidate. 

  Knowing When to Stop, Proceed with Caution or Ramp Up
  (Source: Dr. Jana Matthews, Australian Centre for Business Growth)
  One big issue for CEOs is to be able to recognise whether your warning light is blinking red, yellow or green, because each colour suggests a different set of issues and requires a different response from the CEO.

  How Do I Close a Business?
  (Source: Missouri SBDC)
  There are several warning signs that may indicate it’s time to change or close your business.

   

Coronavirus LEGAL ISSUES

• Quick Links

  Free legal resources for small businesses from regional law firms: 

  • Armstrong Teasdale

  • Husch Blackwell

  • Kutak Rock 

  • Polsinelli

  • Stinson

• General Legal Tips

  Polsinelli COVID-19 Blog
  Bookmark this one. The Kansas City legal firm Polsinelli has launched its COVID Response Team and the new COVID-19: What Your Business Needs to Know blog. Polsinelli’s cross-disciplinary COVID-19 attorney team draws on the expertise of more than 15 practice groups and provides practical guidance and counsel on the full array of industries and legal complexities. 

  Current topics include:

  • CMS Waivers 
  • Commercial Contracts
  • IRS Guidance for HDHP
  • as well as supply chain logistics, FDA-regulated industry, employer guidance and more

  Kutak Rock Legal Portal
  Kutak Rock developed three different legal resource portals, each focused on providing news, analysis and guidance on a wide variety of legal topics. Check back frequently as publications evolve with the release of information.

  • COVID-19 Legal Resource Portal: General legal guidance for businesses

  • CARES Act: Specialized legal guidance for businesses

  • COVID-19 “Ticker” Blog: Pandemic news in a legal context

  Covid Vaccine Workplace Issues
  (Source: Thomsonreuters)
  This legal blogs looks at legal issues surrounding employers requesting proof of vaccination or mandating vaccinations, and the accommodations regarding religion or disability.
  

  Force Majeure and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  (Source: Stinson)
  Generally speaking, entities that enter into contracts are bound to perform them. However, as matters evolve, the impacts of natural and man-made problems arising from the coronavirus (COVID-19) are being felt by customers, their contractors and suppliers. Who bears the costs of such impacts and are there possible defenses or routes to recovery of costs? Force majeure provisions may prove to be a sword and a shield for addressing such impacts.

  Coronavirus: Preparing Your Business for Impact 
  (Source: Lockton)
  The experts at Lockton address property or business interruptions, employee rights and benefits and employee health and welfare.

   

   

• Workplace Issues

  Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
  (Source: OSHA)
  This guide walks through how COVID-19 could affect workplaces, how to classify worker exposure and how to protect workers. OSHA wants you to know that these recommendations are advisory in nature, informational in content and are intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace. 

  What Is Your Organization’s Long-Term Remote Work Strategy?
  (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  Companies shifted quickly and unexpectedly to remote work in early 2020, but leaders planning for a post-pandemic future have an opportunity to take a more intentional, strategic approach to remote work

  Do I Really Have to Return to the Office?
  (Source: Korn Ferry)
  One in five workers says there is “nothing” they are looking forward to about coming back. How can companies make the option more agreeable?

  Coronavirus and the Workplace: Compliance Issues for Employers
  (Source: Maria Dennison, SHRM-SCP and Regional Director of Seward County Community College’s Kansas SBDC)

  First things first: as an employer you have to provide a safe and healthy work environment and that comes with some legal requirements--and some key questions around wages, leave requirements, ADA and OSHA. 

  Do I Need to Travel Again?
  (Source: Korn Ferry)
  There’s a major reluctance, particularly among older workers and executives, to resume business travel. Can businesses thrive with fewer road warriors?

  
  

Coronavirus INDUSTRY IMPACTS

• Business, Entrepreneurship and Industry Impact

  The Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Small Businesses
  (Source: Small Business Administration)
  An economic report of areas in the U.S. and business sectors hardest hit by the pandemic.
  
  COVID-19 and the great reset
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Our latest perspectives on the coronavirus outbreak, the twin threats to lives and livelihoods, and how organizations can prepare for the next normal.
  
  The Future of Work After Covid-19
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  How will the workplace change in the post-Covid economy.
  
  KC Chamber COVID19 Presentation (PowerPoint)
  (Source: Dr. Archer, KCMO Health Department) Dr. Archer’s (@RexArcherMD) presentation provides context, data, local resources and community strategy suggestions around the coronavirus outbreak. 
  

  Impact of Coronavirus on Small Business
  (Source: America’s SBDC, Thryv, Inc.)
  Small business advocates Thryv, Inc. and America's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) conducted a survey to gauge COVID-19 impact among small businesses.
  
  Coronavirus Regional and Economic Impacts and Policy Responses
  (Source: Heartland Forward)
  Heartland Forward has published some new research on how the heartland is likely to be affected by the immediate and lasting effects from the coronavirus. TL/DR: Our region will, on the whole, likely be less affected than the coasts.That said, there are many pockets within the region that will suffer quite a bit, due to the importance of sectors like parts manufacturing, tourism, financial trading and logistics to local economies.

  Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak on Supply Chain
  (Source: Institute for Supply Management)
  This page is a centralized resource to gather news, resources and upcoming events centered on information you should know and education and research you can access on mitigating the risks impacting the supply chain today.
  
  The Ripple Effects of COVID-19 on Emerging Technologies
  (Source: PItchBook)
  While VC deal volume was down 28% in the Great Recession, deal activity was down a modest 5% and actually increased for angel and seed deals, suggesting that startups will still have the opportunity to find investors, though deal sizes are likely to be much lower.

  COVID-19 Implications for Business
  (Source: McKinsey & Company, March 25, 2020)
  These briefing notes from March 25, 2020, provides business leaders with a perspective on the evolving situation and implications for their companies. The outbreak is moving quickly, and some of the perspectives in this article may fall rapidly out of date. This article reflects McKinsey’s perspective as of March 9, 2020 and they plan tol update it regularly as the outbreak evolves. McKinsey and Company is a global management consulting firm.

  Coronavirus Impact on Industries & Sectors around the World 
  (Source: IBISWorld) This link from IBISWorld provides a collection of fast facts about how the spread of COVID-19 is affecting sectors in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the UK and the US. 

   

   

• For Artists

  Artist Relief
  (Source: Artist Relief)
  To support artists during the COVID-19 crisis, a coalition of national arts grantmakers have come together to create an emergency initiative to offer financial and informational resources to artists across the United States.

• For Farmers

  FAQs: Related to COVID-19 Impact on the Fruit and Vegetable Industry
  (Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service)
  Work in the perishable agriculture industry? Get the FAQs on how COVID-19 is impacting your business and the resources you can tap now.
  
  USDA Implements Measures to Help Rural Businesses Affected by COVID-19 
  (Source: USDA)
  USDA Rural Development has taken a number of immediate actions to help rural residents, businesses and communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Rural Development will keep our customers, partners, and stakeholders continuously updated as more actions are taken to better serve rural America.
  
  MOFoodFinder 
  (Source: University of Missouri Extension)
  Farmers, growers and local suppliers can map their local food business by entering basic information about the food they sell, location and contact information. Customers can find local food sources using the map and search tools below.

  FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

  🛑Farmer Relief Fund
  (Source: American Farmland Trust)
  AFT’s Farmer Relief Fund will award farmers with cash grants of up to $1,000 each to help them weather the current storm of market disruptions caused by the coronavirus crisis. Initially, eligible applicants include any small and mid-size direct-market producers. These are defined as producers with annual gross revenue of between $10,000 and $1 million from sales at farmers markets and/or direct sales to restaurants, caterers, schools, stores, or makers who use farm products as inputs. Deadline: Initial application round extending until April 23rd, with grants beginning to be made by May 1st. 

  USDA Microloan Programs
  (Source: USDA)
  The focus of Microloans is on the financing needs of small, beginning farmer, niche and non-traditional farm operations, such as truck farms, farms participating in direct marketing and sales such as farmers’ markets, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), restaurants and grocery stores, or those using hydroponic, aquaponic, organic and vertical growing methods.
  

  🆕Farmers Market Promotion Program Deadline: May 26, 2020.
  (Source: USDA)
  The purpose of the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) is to increase domestic consumption of, and access to, locally and regionally produced agricultural products, and to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets by developing, improving, expanding, and providing outreach, training, and technical assistance to, or assisting in the development, improvement, and expansion of, domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agritourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities. 
  

  🆕 Local Food Promotion Program Deadline: May 26, 2020.
  (Source: USDA) 
  The Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) offers grant funds with a 25% match to support the development and expansion of local and regional food business enterprises to increase domestic consumption of, and access to, locally and regionally produced agricultural products, and to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets. There are two types of project applications are accepted under LFPP—planning grants and implementation grants. Applicants can apply for either but will receive only one type of grant in the same grant cycle. Eligible entities may apply if they support local and regional food business enterprises that process, distribute, aggregate, or store locally or regionally produced food products. 

   

• For Innovation-Led Startups

  Global Venture Funding Hits an All-Time High in 1Q 2021
  (Source: Crunchbase News)
  Venture Capital Emerged from the Pandemic by reaching a record high. 

  Survey Results: Midwest VC Activity during COVID-19
  (Source: Lewis and Clark Ventures’ Tech Between the Coasts and Jonathan Ellis, Managing Director of Chicago-based Sandalphon Capital)
  Over the past few weeks, Ellis reached out to 106 VCs and other early stage investors throughout the midwest for their thoughts on how the state of investing will change in the coming weeks and months. A few highlights:

  • 28% reported things are “business as usual” 

  • 69% are focused on their current portfolio; of that 69%, 54% said they’re still taking some meetings with the intent to invest near-term, while 15% are only taking early-stage meetings for the time being

  • 46% reported they are being “a little more selective” when taking meetings

  • 19% said they’re being “much more selective”

  • The most common response when asked how 2020 valuations will compare to 2019 was a 20% discount

  How to Think about Startup Funding Post-COVID-19
  (Source: Founder Institute)
  Octopus Ventures has a great, short guide for both founders and investors on tips for approaching remote pitch meetings.

  • VC Mark Suster shares a deck from his recent presentation given at SaaStr outlining his own investment outlook, as well as this post on how VC-backed startups can make sense of the PPP loan program.

  • In a Medium post, Rockstart ventures CEO Rune Theill advises startups that can to postpone their next fundraising until Q4 2020.

  • DocSend has an interesting real-time Pitch Deck Interest Index that tracks investor interest and engagement via reporting from founders actively raising funding. 

  • FounderSuite CEO Nathan Beckord wrote this post on 'Raising Capital In A Turbulent Market' with four opportunities and four things founders can do now.

  • Learn about the do's and don'ts of fundraising in this webinar replay that Techstars hosted. 

  • The Forbes article "Guidance for Startups/VCs From VCs Around the Globle During COVID-19" reminds founders that deals are still happening, and advises both sides how to move forward and handle agreements.

  • Get tips on how to raise capital and survive in this Entrepreneur article written by the CMO of Myia Health.

  • For US-based startups here are government sponsored Relief Resources for SMBs.

  
  

  Impact of COVID-19 Crisis: Insights from Global Startup Survey
  (Source: Startup Genome)
  To better understand the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on startups globally and equip governments with tools and actionable insights to support their innovation ecosystems, Startup Genome launched the first-ever global startup survey on the topic. Some key highlights:

  • 41% of startups globally are threatened in what we call “red zone”: they have 3 months or fewer of runway. 

  • 74% of startups saw their revenues decline since the beginning of the crisis. The most common type of change in revenue is a relatively modest decline. 

  • Only 2/3 of startups have reduced their expenses since December 2019.

  • 38% of startups have not received assistance and do not expect to be helped by policy relief measures related to the crisis. 

  COVID-19’s Influence on the U.S. Private Equity Market
  (Source: Pitchbook)
  As the coronavirus epidemic reshapes the global economy, it's also shifting the focus in certain areas of the market. For private equity—in many ways a bet on future economic growth—that means first looking to secure current investments before sourcing new deals.

  
  

  How VCs & Founders Are Reacting to the Downturn
  The VC & Founder Sentiment Survey is an ongoing initiative to track how early-stage Investors and Founders are reacting to the COVID-19 crisis. The goal is to provide a reference point to the community in the midst of one of the most unpredictable climates we’ve seen.

• For Main Street Businesses

  • Missouri Department of Health

  Statewide and Local Results
  The impacts of COVID-19 on Main Street businesses are not felt evenly across the country. To better understand what is happening on the state and local level, Main Street America dug into its survey data to provide state-by-state granular data through interactive maps.
  
  Impact of COVID-19 on Main Street Businesses
  A study by Main Street America revealed: 

  • Main Street programs are essential resource connectors and educators for small businesses during the current crisis. 

  • Minimizing permanent business closures is critical to downtown and district recovery. 

  • Small businesses desperately need support in transitioning to e-commerce selling.

  By the numbers:

  • 40% of small business respondents indicated concerns about accessing recent COVID-19 financial programs, given the menagerie of financial assistance programs at the local, state, and federal levels. 

  • 60% of respondents have less than 5 months remaining of likely business survival, the survey reveals. Thus, there is the need to not only address the revenue side of the income statement, but find ways to reduce expenses. Currently, much of the focus has been on revenue enhancement by supporting carry-out, gift card purchases, and online shopping where/when possible. 

  • 66% of responders indicated a need to suspend some expenses in the interim while they are mandated to be closed. These typically consist of rents, utilities, and other operating fees. Main Street programs are encouraged to dialogue with property owners as partners to help retain small business tenants, and continue as a connector and educator on programs at the federal level designed to suspend mortgage payments.

  • Nearly 63% of respondents lack e-commerce sales. E-commerce training programs, website development grants, and connections with low cost e-commerce platforms have to be prevalent now.

  RE-ENTRY AND RECOVERY
  

  Re-Entry for Retailers: Returning to the Store
  (Source: Gensler)
  Here are a few considerations we recommend when rethinking how to best modify — or in some cases retool — your retail spaces to accommodate these new consumer expectations.

  COVID-19 RESOURCES
  

  
  National Restaurant Association – Coronavirus Information and Resources
  The National Restaurant Association updates this page regularly with resources specific to restaurants. Have a restaurant? Start there.

  COVID-19 Crisis Main Street Checklist
  (Source: Main Street America)
  As the COVID-19 crisis continues to develop, Main Street America has gathered some quick tips, ideas and inspiration that your Main Street program can implement to keep your community supporting local while social-distancing or isolating.
  
  FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

  KCMO Assistance for Bars/Restaurants
  (City of Kansas City, Missouri)
  Pursuant to City Code 10-340, businesses that have a retail sale by drink license can deliver alcoholic beverages. Pursuant to City Code 10-102, certain licensees can also sell alcoholic beverage in the original package on the licensed premises. For additional information contact Regulated Industries (816) 513-4560.

    

• For Manufacturers

  NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers provide services to small- and medium-sized manufacturers such as connecting businesses that are pivoting their production in response to the coronavirus to new supply chains, connecting firms with state resources, advising companies on new operational issues, and providing workforce support.Connect wtih your MEP center:

  • Missouri Enterprise

  WHAT’S NEEDED
  

  • Sell or Manufacture Medical Products to Missouri (Missouri DED)

  • Missouri Manufacturers Needed: Masks and Gowns

  • St. Louis Manufacturers Needed: Healthcare and Critical Infrastructure

  • Donate to the Face Shield Initiative STL 

  Supply Chain Recovery
  (Source: McKinsey & Company)
  Actions taken now to mitigate impacts on supply chains from coronavirus can also build resilience against future shocks.

• For Self-Employed, Gig Workers, Independent Contractors

  Unemployment for Self-Employed, Gig Workers and Independent Contractors
  Missouri and Kansas are also starting to provide funding for pandemic unemployment assistance (unemployment for sole props, independent contractors, etc.). 

  • Missouri

  Missouri Encourages Self-Employed, Gig Workers to Apply for Unemployment
  (Missouri Department of Labor)
  Self-employed, gig workers and independent contractors whose businesses have been impacted by the coronavirus are encouraged to apply for unemployment assistance. Under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, those who qualify will be eligible for weekly benefit payments of between $133 and $320 per week plus a $600 federal supplement available under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. File claims online at uinteract.labor.mo.gov.

   

• Research + Running Business Statistics

  U.S. Small Businesses and the Impact of COVID-19
  

  The sixth through ninth waves of a study by Thryv and America’s SBDC revealed:

  A sixth wave of the study occurred April 24 – 26. The biggest change from wave 5 is that funds have begun flowing for businesses in need.

  • Slightly more than one in four (28%) say they have received funds, up from 5% in wave 5.

  • Most businesses (61%) say they have applied for SBA loans.

  • One in three said their loan has been approved, increasing from 21% in Wave 5.

  • Looking only at those that said they were approved for the loan, 78% said they had received the funds.

  Download the full wave 6 study findings.

  Seventh and eighth waves of the study have been completed, with the most recent wave occurring May 4 – 10. The most significant changes show that business owners are beginning to feel less concerned and have received funding from the SBA.

  • The level of “extremely concerned” has hit its lowest point at 70% in wave 8, down from 74% in wave 7

  • The “large decrease” in change of demand has also dropped to 69% for the first time since wave 1.

  • Slightly more than one in four (28%) say they have received funds, up from 5% in wave 5.

  Additionally, feelings about bringing employees back and longer-term prospects are improving.

  • The number of employees still working jumped to 41%, and another 28% said employees will return when they are allowed to reopen.

  • Businesses that believe they would completely recover one year from now increased to 28% in wave 8, up from 21% in waves 5 and 6.

  Applications and loan payouts saw significant changes, as well

  • Most small businesses that applied for SBA loans have now been approved, increasing from 43% in Wave 7 to 65% in wave 8.

  • Among businesses that said their loans were approved, 92% said they have received the funds.

  Download the full wave 8 study findings.

  The ninth wave of the study has been completed, with the most recent wave occurring May 10 – 17. For this wave, small businesses answered new questions about concerns that a second wave of the virus is imminent and how their volume now compares to 12 months ago.

  • Many of the trends continued in a positive direction. For instance, those saying they are extremely concerned about changes in demand has fallen below 70% for the first time since the study began.

  • Also, businesses saying they will not have to decrease employees hours has continued to improve, with 30% saying they do not need to reduce employee hours.

  However, some businesses are torn between staying safe and the need to save their businesses.

  • 64% are very or somewhat concerned about a second wave of the virus.

  • However, more than half (57%) think waiting a couple more weeks to re-open is too long.

  • Even among those that are concerned about a second wave of the virus, 38% think a couple more weeks is too long.

  Other major impacts of COVID-19 include SBA loans and overall business volume.

  • Almost half (49%) the small businesses that received an SBA loan think they will not need to repay it.

  • Most (57%) small businesses are operating at 50% or less of their volume this time last year. Slightly less than 15% say they are operating at 100%.

  Download the full wave 9 study findings.

  
  Census Bureau Releases Interactive Data Hub in Response to COVID-19
  (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
  A new interactive data hub centralizes demographic and economic data to facilitate pandemic-related decision-making. The data hub, released as a beta version, will be updated periodically as the situation changes and as feedback is received from users. 

  
  Which Workers Will Be Most Impacted?
  (Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
  These disruptions disproportionately affect communities that were already struggling. In the United States, at-risk workers are more likely

  • to be younger, to be nonwhite or Latino

  • to have lower levels of formal education than lower-risk workers

  • to earn less than those in lower-risk jobs but nevertheless contribute significantly to their households’ earnings

  • to rent their homes and have housing costs that eat up more than 30% of their household income. 

  
  

  Survey Results: Midwest VC Activity during COVID-19
  (Source: Lewis and Clark Ventures’ Tech Between the Coasts and Jonathan Ellis, Managing Director of Chicago-based Sandalphon Capital)
  Over the past few weeks, Ellis reached out to 106 VCs and other early stage investors throughout the midwest for their thoughts on how the state of investing will change in the coming weeks and months. A few highlights:

  • 28% reported things are “business as usual” 

  • 69% are focused on their current portfolio; of that 69%, 54% said they’re still taking some meetings with the intent to invest near-term, while 15% are only taking early-stage meetings for the time being

  • 46% reported they are being “a little more selective” when taking meetings

  • 19% said they’re being “much more selective”

  • The most common response when asked how 2020 valuations will compare to 2019 was a 20% discount

  
  

  Impact of COVID-19 Crisis: Insights from Global Startup Survey
  (Source: Startup Genome)
  To better understand the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on startups globally and equip governments with tools and actionable insights to support their innovation ecosystems, Startup Genome launched the first-ever global startup survey on the topic. Some key highlights:

  • 41% of startups globally are threatened in what we call “red zone”: they have 3 months or fewer of runway. 

  • 74% of startups saw their revenues decline since the beginning of the crisis. The most common type of change in revenue is a relatively modest decline. 

  • Only 2/3 of startups have reduced their expenses since December 2019.

  • 38% of startups have not received assistance and do not expect to be helped by policy relief measures related to the crisis. 

  • 20% had term sheets canceled

  • 58% of startups have done layoffs

  • 71% are in industries negatively impacted by COVID-19

   

Coronavirus HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Prevent Illness

  The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to it. The CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

  • Stay home when you are sick.

  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

  • Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask: CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty. 

   

   

• Cleaning and Disinfecting

  List of Disinfectants for Use against Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  (Source: EPA)
  This list includes products that meet EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19.

   

   

• Plan and Respond

  Guidance for Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  (Source: U.S. Chamber)
  This document shares CDC tips for preventing the spread of the coronavirus at work as well as insights into policies that should be implemented if employees get sick.

  How to Conduct a Risk Assessment of Potential Exposure
  (Source: CDC)
  Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.

   

• Missouri Regional Resources

  Here are few quick links to the response to COVID-19 in Missouri. 

  City of Kansas City, Missouri

  City of Kirksville, Missouri

  Jackson County, Missouri

  St. Louis County, Missouri
  
  Email us at info@mosourcelink.com to add your county. 

• General FAQ

  Because the situation is rapidly evolving and recommendations from the CDC and the U.S. Department of State change daily, members of the University community are encouraged to monitor the CDC and U.S. Department of State websites for the most up to date information.

  • Kansas Department of Health

  • Missouri Department of Health

  • World Health Organization: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Travel Advice

  • United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel

  • United States Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs - Current Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019

  • United States Travel Association: Emergency Preparedness and Response - Coronavirus (COVID-19)