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June 29, 2020
Small Business relief and best practices, written by www.Safehome.org, provided to us by the Safety, Health and Consumer Council:
https://www.safehome.org/resources/small-business-protection-guide/
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2020
Yesterday, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-110, announcing the state will begin entering Stage 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan as we continue to overcome and work toward recovering from the COVID-19 outbreak. Beginning Thursday, June 4, retailers may begin to reopen with certain capacity limits in place, and beginning Monday, June 8, restaurants, bars and children’s camps may also begin to reopen with limited capacity for both indoor and outdoor restaurant services. Subject to local regulation, gyms and fitness centers may conduct outdoor classes, practices, training sessions, or games, provided that coaches, spectators, and participants maintain six feet of distance from one another during these activities. Outdoor pools can also reopen, with restricted capacity.
Businesses that remain closed include indoor theaters and performance venues; indoor gyms, fitness centers and recreation areas; hair, nail and tanning salons, tattoo parlors and spas; and, casinos licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
Additionally, the stay-at-home order was lifted today as a result, allowing groups of up to 100 people to gather outside while practicing safe social distancing. To read the full list of businesses impacted by today’s executive order, click here.
A number of resources are available to businesses and communities in the state as they work to navigate reopening. The following resources are also available at michiganbusiness.org/covid19.
- The MI Safe Start Plan outlines how Michigan will re-engage the economy while continuing to keep our communities safe.
- As businesses begin to safely re-engage in the economy, the MI Symptoms Web Application is a cost-free way for employers to comply with recent executive orders and implement a COVID-19 symptoms screening questionnaire for employees. Designed primarily for employers and employees, the online tool is also available to all Michigan residents. Learn more.
- The Employer Guide to Best Practices from the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity provides guidance for restaurants/bars on reopening best practices.
- As required by recent executive orders, businesses that begin reopening in the near future will be required to provide employees with non-medical grade PPE, including face masks, face shields, gloves, goggles and other materials as necessary to ensure the health and safety of their employees and customers. The PMBC COVID-19 Procurement Platform will work to connect those businesses in need of access to PPE with suppliers that may meet their demand. The online portal is open to companies of all sizes and industries and is available for all scales of PPE demand, and can be accessed at michiganbusiness.org/ppe along with additional information on the program.
- The Reopen Main Street website will offer communities key resources to develop strategies to reopen their downtown businesses
MEDC’s COVID-19 resources page also includes information about the latest relief programs and support available, at michiganbusiness.org/covid19. Learn more about the impact these program are having across the state at michiganbusiness.org/covid19response.
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The Greater Brighton, Hartland area, Howell area and Ann Arbor SPARK are teaming up once again to invite you to participate in 3 dynamic webinars - all on "Getting Back to Business" May 5 (Links for program flyers.) These webinars feature experts in each area, and they will surely be able to assist you when reopening your business. It has been a pleasure working with these organizations during the COVID-19 outbreak. See information below and follow the links to register.
Pam McConeghy, President & CEO
The Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce
Getting Back to Business - Fire & Safety
May 5th, 3pm
Hear from Livingston County area fire department Chiefs: Adam Carroll, Andy Pless & Mike O'Brian, and Livingston County Sheriff Michael J. Murphy as they share best practices in maintaining a safe atmosphere for staff and the public when establishing your "open for business" plan.'
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U.S. Chamber of Commerce Releases Guide to Help Tens of Millions of Independent Contractors Secure CARES Act Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, APRIL 16, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today released a new guide to help independent contractors and self-employed individuals secure funding under the CARES Act.
The guide, which was prepared after the Small Business Administration provided new guidance on Tuesday, is intended to assist millions of independent contractors including accountants, construction workers, musicians, real-estate agents, freelance writers, and gig workers. The guide provides step-by-step assistance to help individuals understand eligibility requirements, borrowing limits, and appropriate use of funds under the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. It also outlines the steps required to apply for Unemployment Compensation under a special program created by the CARES Act.The guide for independent contractors and self-employed individuals is available at uschamber.com/ICguide. The Spanish version of the guide can be found at uschamber.com/ICGuideESP.
“No self-employed individual, independent contractor or their families should go bankrupt because of the economic fallout from the coronavirus,” said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “This guide will help our nation’s independent contractors across a wide spectrum of industries secure the funding they need to support themselves and their families during this difficult time.”23 Million Independent Contractors
According to IRS data from 2016, nearly 23 million Americans earn wages as independent contractors working either part or full-time. Of those 23 million independent contractors, less than 2 million (8.6%) earn wages as part of the on-demand economy.
To help illustrate the depth and breadth of the nation’s independent workforce, the Chamber has posted data visualizations on a state-by-state and industry basis. The interactive map shows both the number of independent contractors in each state and the number of independent contractors in each state that work through online or app-enabled.Not surprisingly, the most populous states of California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois topped the list in terms of the most independent contractors per state, but it also showed that 13 states have more than 500,000 people working as independent contractors and 38 states have at least 100,000 independent workers. Further, the dataset shows the top five independent contractor industries:
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
- Other services
- Real estate, rental, and leasing
- Health care and social assistance
- Construction
“Twenty-three million American support themselves and their families through work as an independent contractor. Whether it is in construction or real-estate, delivery services or entertainment, or the hundreds of other independent contractor occupations, these individuals are a critical element of our economy. We are pleased that Congress included support for them in the CARES Act,” Bradley said.
Paycheck Protection Act Funding
Beginning on April 7, independent contractors receiving 1099-MISC forms and self-employed individuals were eligible to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program loan as part of the $2 trillion CARES Act. While these loans are potentially 100% forgivable, loan commitments have reportedly reached the maximum total of $349 billion available in the Paycheck Protection Program. Earlier today, the Chamber urged congressional leaders to restore this needed CARES Act funding. “Today’s tragic and staggering unemployment figures underscore the dire need for bridge funding to keep more Americans on the job and more businesses afloat during the coronavirus economic crisis,” Bradley said. “There is absolutely no excuse for failing to get these funds approved immediately. American small businesses, self-employed workers, and independent contractors need and expect the type of bipartisan cooperation that led to the CARES Act to solve this immediate crisis.”The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is committed to helping American businesses respond to the coronavirus so they can support their employees, customers, and communities. Our members and the state and local chambers, who are on the front lines of this pandemic, need us now more than ever to help them through this significant disruption. We will continue working every day to help our country’s people, businesses, and economy weather this storm and emerge stronger—just as we have at other challenging times in our nation’s history. Visit uschamber.com/Coronavirus for more information.
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Dear members and community partners,
Thank you for being a valuable partner in our efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Following the announcement of the state’s first presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are providing recommendations designed to help prevent the spread of the virus.
These recommendations apply at the individual, organizational, and community levels. They apply to businesses, workplaces, schools, community organizations, health care institutions, and individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and health profiles; every single person has an important role to play.
Please take a moment to review the Interim Recommendations to Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19 (March 11, 2020).
This is a unique situation and information changes quickly. Please stay informed by regularly visiting Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
As we continue to monitor the situation and what is best for the community, please note that the job fair has not yet been canceled. We ask that you continue to watch our website and the registration page for updates.
Sincerely,
Your Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce Team
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