Supporting Struggling Small Businesses
The pandemic and Covid-19 mitigations began inflicting immense damage to many small businesses in March of 2020. Thousands of small businesses initially applied for Illinois Business Interruption Grants. While these grants helped some small businesses, approximately 80% of eligible small businesses which applied were not awarded a grant.
Subsequently, Illinois received over 8 billion dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funds. However, only $250 million were allocated for Back to Business grant program. These funds will likely be exhausted before many struggling and eligible businesses receive grants.
Illinois still has billions of federal funds and should replenish the Back to Business grant program with an additional $300 million. Our policymakers should not pick winners and loses when there is adequate funding to support the struggling small businesses.
House Bill HB5489 will allocate an additional $300 million for the Back to Business grant program. Please ask your legislators to support this legislation so that struggling small businesses can receive the support they need to recover from a pandemic, and associated mitigations, which they could not control.
Press Release – Chicago’s Cut Red Tape Agenda
Chicago’s Cut Red Tape Agenda March 2, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Elliot Richardson // 847-380-4900 // Elliot@sbacil.org Cutting unnecessary and burdensome red tape will help Chicago’s small and local businesses recover from the pandemic. Much of this red tape should have been eliminated long ago. The Small Business Advocacy Council and a coalition of…
New PPP Rules for Sole Proprietors and Businesses with 20 or fewer Employees
New PPP Rules for Sole Proprietors and Businesses with 20 or fewer Employees From February 24th to March 9th, the Small Business Administration will accept applications for PPP loans for sole proprietors and businesses with fewer than 20 employees. The move is meant to make it easier for businesses with few or no employees –…
ACTION CALL! Legislation To Get People Back To Work
Legislation To Get People Back To Work State Representative Gong-Gershowitz has filed the RISE Act. This legislation will get people back to work and support small businesses. The RISE Act (House Bill 0801) creates a tax incentive for businesses that retrain and hire employees who have lost their jobs or businesses because of the pandemic.…
