Do you think the Delta variant of COVID-19 will have an effect on your small business?
If you do, you’re not alone. A new survey out this week from Alignable shows nearly half of small business owners believe theirs will be subject to some form of government-imposed restrictions due to the spread of the Delta variant.
To date, there are no government orders in place that limit the operations of small businesses in any state. Some areas have imposed face mask requirements. And thousands of businesses in New York City are now required to ask for a customer’s vaccination card before serving them. But nationwide, small businesses are slowly trying to get back to pre-March 2020 operations.
Small Business News Roundup – August 20, 2021
Here’s what else is affecting small businesses this week:
52% of Small Businesses Haven’t Asked for PPP Loan Forgiveness
Although many of those who haven’t asked for forgiveness for their PPP loans took them out this year, there are still a large number of small businesses who got them last year that haven’t asked the SBA to forgive them.
The Reasons Why 75% of Remote Workers Want to Stay Home?
In March 2020, businesses across the US were forced to close their shutters and employees were instructed to do their job from home. The abrupt change in working setups has brought a number of benefits to both employer and employee, with many opting to maintain remote working practices for the long term. Determined to flesh out the real reasons workers are eager to stay remote, Digital.
1 in 4 Small Businesses STILL Don’t Have a Website
As many as one in four small businesses are yet to have a website. This somewhat startling statistic was unveiled by a survey carried out by Digital.com, providers of reviews to help small businesses locate the best online tools for growth. The survey was administered by the online survey platform Pollfish in May 2021.
Explaining the Vehicle Mileage Tax Pilot Program from the Biden Infrastructure Bill
Buried in the newest $1 trillion infrastructure package is a program that could bury small businesses. The proposed Vehicle Mileage Tax will launch as a pilot program for three years beginning in 2022. After three years, Congress will vote on whether to implement it permanently. What is the Vehicle Mileage Tax? A vehicle mileage tax is a per-mile fee.
Fiverr Launches Seller Plus Loyalty Program for Sellers
Fiverr, the online marketplace for freelance services, has launched a subscription-based loyalty program for the Fiverr seller community worldwide. The Seller Plus program enables freelancers to access a suite of benefits and advanced tools. Among the benefits is a personal success manager, faster payment clearance and growth program priority.
Colorado Entrepreneurs Can Start in a Commercial Condominium
What if “getting in on the ground floor” involved an actual dirt floor? And you were delighted about that? That’s an option for business owners and entrepreneurs who are buying innovative, flexible commercial condominiums from EnVision Constructors. Envision has just finished a project called Own It Vista in Lafayette, Colorado, about midway between Denver and Boulder.
USPS Proposes Temporary Hike in Holiday Shipping Rates
The US Postal Service (USPS) has announced proposed temporary rate hikes for the 2021 peak holiday season. The rate adjustment is similar to the one implemented in 2020, which anticipated a surge in demand for shipping during the peak season, which typically leads to additional handling costs.
Smartpress and Canva Partner to Benefit Designers and Small Business
A partnership between one of North America’s premium online printers and the world’s fastest-growing online design platform is about to make professional business marketing more accessible than ever before. Smartpress and Canva are joining forces, meaning businesses will now be able to design their own projects on the Smartpress website.
33 Organizations Get SBA Grants to Help Small Business in “Underserved Communities”
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued over 30 grant awards to women-owned, rural-based, and socially or economically disadvantaged small businesses. The grant awards are part of the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program.
Small Business Loan Approval Rates Up at Big Banks
From June to July of 2021, small business loan approval at big banks increased from 13.6% to 13.8%. The data comes from the latest Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index. The index also reports a jump in loan approvals at institutional and alternative lenders in July.
Image: Alignable
This article, “In the News: Will the Delta Variant Affect Business? Some Small Businesses are Worried” was first published on Small Business Trends
