Monday, April 5, 2021

PPP Deadline Extended Until May 31, 2021

PPP Loan Application Deadline
Extended to May 31

The PPP Extension Act of 2021 has been officially signed into law in order to help small employers retain access to forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The PPP Extension Act of 2021 extends the deadline for PPP applications for another two months to May 31 and provides an additional 30-day period for the Small Business Administration (SBA) to process applications that are still pending.

Under the December law, small businesses that employ 300 or fewer people and that experienced a 25 percent or greater gross revenue loss between comparable periods in 2019 and 2020 due to COVID-19 are eligible to apply for a second forgivable PPP loan.

In addition, forgivable overhead expenses are expanded to include supplier costs and investments in facility modifications and personal protective equipment needed to operate safely. In recognition of the severe impact that COVID-19 mitigation measures have had on the hospitality sector, in particular, the formula used to calculate the maximum forgivable loan amounts for second draw loans is enhanced for restaurants and hotels to equal 3.5-times average monthly payroll. Further, small business owners that did not receive a PPP loan in the first round are also eligible to apply.

For more information on PPP, including program eligibility requirements and a lender search, please click here.

Finsing Financing From Multiple Channels

Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance - 2021 Broward Economic Survey

Business Leaders: Share Your Thoughts!
What is your business struggling with?

Participants will be entered to win one of three $100 Amazon gift cards.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance (GFLA) has been compiling data from decision makers throughout Broward County for the last nine years. They want to hear your feedback about our county's business environment, including your biggest opportunities and challenges, and how you are meeting them.

The survey results will provide a real assessment of the current economic climate and what you see coming in the next year. GFLA will compare the results to previous years and share the findings.

All responses are kept confidential and tabulated by the independent accounting firm Kaufman Rossin. Participants will be entered to win one of three $100 Amazon gift cards.

Take the 10th Annual Survey Here

LauderDeals Is Back... and Better Than Ever

LauderDeals are special savings for visitors and residents on hotels, spas, dining, and things to do during the summer and beyond. Updated and expanded from last year, LauderDeals invites you to promote your seasonal offers with Visit Lauderdale. There is no registration fee to participate and no gift certificates are required.

Categories include:

Hotel Deals (June through September)
Things To Do (June through September)
DineOut Lauderdale (August and September)
Spa Days (August and September)
And year-round promos like FLorida Resident, Military & First Responder, Cruise Deals, Travel Advisor Perks and more

When you participate, benefits include:

Advertising campaign drives consumers to the LauderDeals web pages where your free deals listing is displayed.
Public relations campaign focused on generating high impact stories in major media outlets.
Targeted social media campaign.
Inclusion in consumer e-newsletter to CVB opted-in database.
Dedicated listing on sunny.org.
Direct link to your website.

What is the deadline to sign up?

Hotel Deals and Things to Do Deals: Sign up by April 16
Dine Out Lauderdale and Spa Days: Sign up by June 25

How can your business participate in LauderDeals?

Your LauderDeals will help make Greater Fort Lauderdale the preferred choice, offering unrivaled value and enticing visitors like never before!

Important Notice For Hollywood Beach Business Owners

Due to the anticipated increase in visitors to Hollywood Beach and pedestrian traffic on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk during the Spring Break season, the City of Hollywood has modified the Temporary Café Zone. Effective immediately, the distance between the Café Zone area for tables, chairs, etc. and the bike lane will increase to TEN FEET.

We appreciate your cooperation and compliance with these safety measures to protect visitors to the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk and patrons of Hollywood Beach businesses.

In an effort to assist Hollywood businesses heavily impacted by COVID-19 safety measures, the City of Hollywood designated a Temporary Café Zone along the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk. This Temporary Café Zone provides businesses, that comply with all program requirements, the opportunity to expand their dining areas onto the Broadwalk to allow for additional seating while keeping 6 feet between parties. The Hollywood Beach Broadwalk Temporary Café Zone operates from Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. to Sundays at 11:00 p.m.

PPP Forgiveness Webinar

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has published a revised, borrower-friendly Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application implementing the PPP Flexibility Act. Join the SBA's South Florida District Office to learn more about the PPP Forgiveness process during one of this week's free webinars:

Thursday, April 8 • 1PM EST • Register Here
Friday, April 9 • 1PM EST • Register Here

COVID-19 Economic Aid Overview Webinar

The SBA, in consultation with the Treasury Department, re-opened the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers.

This round of the PPP continues to prioritize millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $284 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses through March 31, 2021, and by allowing certain existing PPP borrowers to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan.

Join the South Florida District Office and explore the next steps in the PPP process.

Tuesday, April 6 • 1PM EST • Register Here
Wednesday, April 7 • 1PM EST • Register Here
(en español) Wednesday, April 7 • 11AM EST • Register Here

SBA Disaster Recovery Q&A Sessions

Was your small business affected by Covid-19? Are you looking for small business funding? Join the SBA during their virtual hours and have your Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) questions answered by a live person. Participants may call at anytime and are welcome to enter and exit at will.

Tuesday, April 6 • 2PM EST • Join Here
Wednesday, April 7 • 2PM EST • Join Here
To Join By Phone: Call 202-765-1264 (Conference ID: 191 652 154)

Tuesday, April 6 (en Español) • 11AM • Join Here
To Join By Phone: Call 202-765-1264 (Conference ID: 919 146 391)

Virtual Open House - 2021 Business Programs

Missed our Virtual Open House?

Click here to watch the recording and learn about all of the FREE resources available to your Hollywood business.

Password: OpenHouse2021

Backing Business: City of Hollywood Partners With Broward SCORE

FREE virtual business workshops covering multiple business topics, including pandemic recovery, are led by local business professionals with specific knowledge on starting and running businesses in Broward County and the City of Hollywood.

Learn more and register today:
broward.score.org/city-hollywood-cmed

Summer Youth Employment Program - CareerSource Broward

Sea Turtle Nesting Season Has Begun

Beach Businesses & Residents: Ensure That Lighting Is "Sea Turtle-Friendly"

The official start of sea turtle nesting season in Broward County has officially begun. Last year, the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program documented more than 3,000 nests on the County’s 24-mile coastline, including the Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Hollywood. Three species of sea turtles typically nest on Broward’s beaches each season: leatherbacks, loggerheads and green turtles. While long-term trends suggest increases in local nesting populations, artificial lighting remains one of the biggest threats to sea turtles in southeast Florida.

Hatchlings use natural light from the moon and stars to locate the water after hatching, but artificial lighting near the beach can disrupt this sea-finding process and cause turtles to become “disoriented” or confused. To reduce the amount of artificial lighting reaching the beach in Broward County, local coastal municipalities enforce lighting ordinances during sea turtle nesting season (March 1-October 31). Lighting near the beach should be “sea turtle-friendly” and follow all three criteria below, established by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC):

Keep it low: Fixtures should be mounted as low as possible to achieve their purpose. Fixtures/bulbs should produce the lowest lumens (light output) necessary for the task.

Keep it shielded: The bulb, lamp, or glowing lens should be shielded from the beach. This includes interior lights, curtains, shades, and blinds should be closed after sunset.

Keep it long (wavelength): Fixtures/bulbs must produce long wavelength light (560 nm or longer) without filters, gels or lenses. Amber and red LEDs are good examples of these types of light.

Interior lights can also cause sea turtles to become disoriented. Implement these tips to reduce the amount of light reaching the beach from interior sources:

Close curtains or blinds after sunset.
Move light sources away from windows.
Choose low wattage, warm white bulbs such as those with a color temperature of 3000K.
Use fixtures with shades instead of exposed bulbs.
Apply window tint of 15% inside to outside light transmittance.

FWC provides a list of certified fixtures that can be safely installed near sea turtle nesting beaches. Alternatively, you can contact the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program for assistance with light retrofitting or additional information.

For turtle nesting updates throughout the season and other environmental news, follow @BrowardCountyEnvironment on Facebook and @BrowardEnv on Twitter.

Additional COVID-19 Resources For Hollywood Businesses Are Available Here

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PPP Loan Application DeadlineExtended to May 31

Business Leaders: Share Your Thoughts!What is your business struggling with?