COVID-19 Business News

April 22nd, 2020

This week's newsletter features special events and resources for your business.

A Conversation on COVID-19 with your Jeffco Commissioners

April 22nd 5:45 p.m.

The Board of County Commissioners will be hosting a virtual telephone town hall on Wednesday, April 22, from 5:45-6:45 p.m. to provide an update about how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting our Jefferson County community, its businesses and those in need. Following the short presentation, community members will have an opportunity to ask questions and engage with the panel.

How to join: At 5:30 p.m., we will randomly call 50,000 residents to take part in the telephone town hall. If you don’t receive a call, you can still participate by calling 855-695-3486. Residents can also sign up to receive a phone call by texting JEFFCO to 833-TXT-LIVE (833-898-5483).

See the COVID-19 web page for latest information from Jefferson County Public Health.

Employee Engagement
During COVID-19

Virtual Panel- April 24th 9:00 am

The Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center is excited to host a virtual panel focusing on how COVID–19 is affecting employee engagement and morale. Panelists from businesses and non-profits will be discussing how the “Stay at Home” order is affecting companies who have transitioned to being fully remote as well as those with staff onsite—and how they are adapting to meet unique challenges. This panel is intended to promote and share innovative strategies for doing business during these challenging times.

Guest Speakers:

Sid Hanna Saleh, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Teaching Associate Professor, Economics & Business
Colorado School of Mines

Rachel Jaakkola
Human Resource Generalist
Barber-Nichols Inc

Josh Wolcott
Operations Manager
Vacuums R Us

Sherry McEachran
Finance Director
Foothills Art Center

To attend, please register now
REGISTER

Registration Password - Jeffco1

$7.5 Billion Paycheck Protection Program for Colorado

Colorado businesses received $7.5 billion dollars in PPP funds as of 4/16/2020. These funds supported over 41,635 businesses in the state. Many more applications are pending , while businesses hope Congress approves additional funds for the program.

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To PPP or Not to PPP?

A local Jefferson County business felt lucky to be approved for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The process was stressful and initially their organization was not one of the approved businesses. They applied through their business banker and were one of the last businesses approved. The approval was a welcome relief and vital to the survival of their business. The initial excitement of being approved has been replaced with concern over fulfilling the PPP requirements for loan forgiveness.

A PPP loan will be fully forgiven if the funds are used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. At least 75% of the forgiven amount must have been used for payroll. Forgiveness is also based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease. Since their business was deemed nonessential and had to close, their employees were laid off and are collecting unemployment benefits. The business continued to pay healthcare for their workers during this period.

With the loan in hand, they are preparing to get back to business and rehire their employees. They plan to have employees back on their payroll by April 29^th. Employees will be paid to remain at home until the business reopens on May 5^th. However, they are learning that it is not so simple. They are concerned that some of their workforce can’t return right away. This could impact their ability to meet the requirements of the PPP as well as their ability to return to profitability.

Low wage employees might struggle with finding open day care facilities. Those with older children must find someone to help with their child’s education while schoolrooms are closed. Grandparents may not be a viable option among COVID-19 concerns. Some employees may be in high risk categories or have someone at home who is. Added to these concerns is the fact that many low wage employees are receiving more in unemployment benefits than they would earn on the job.

Although the Paycheck Protection Program is a valuable program for small businesses, it is important for each employer to weigh the pros and cons of accepting this funding.
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No Employee is an Island

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started and stay- at- home measures have been in place, virtual meetings are becoming more and more important to many teams across several different industries. We have no way of knowing what ramifications this crisis will have on the future of work culture here in the United States. One thing many experts agree on, however, is that working remotely and utilizing video communications will be more and more prevalent in the way we do business. Like any new practice, there is a learning curve. Here are just 4 ways to have a more successful virtual meeting.

Always have a backup plan
- Video and Teleconferencing software is easier to use than ever. Even with multiple practice runs, there are several things that can go wrong. Company firewalls and security, unstable connections, and simple user error are all things that can pose unexpected problems. Back up plans like setting up a dedicated audio line or sharing presentations beforehand can help offset the technical delays that sometimes occur.
Focus on the tasks that require teamwork and coordination
- Syncing your team’s schedules can be tough. The key is to recognize the tasks that don’t require interaction. For example, instead of using your video conference to show a presentation or slide deck, have your team review the project beforehand and ask for comments before the meeting. You can then use the video conference time more effectively by focusing on the questions and concerns raised or areas of interest.
Prepare and communicate
- In addition to making sure your participants have clear directions to access the meeting including all relevant links and passwords, make sure that everyone is clear on the purpose of the meeting. Create a timed agenda, designate clear roles, objectives, and follow up on expectations.
Keep people engaged
- Not being in the same room can cause some people to feel disconnected. Using more visuals representing work or creative use of stories can keep people involved. You can also keep people engaged and connected by giving them tasks such as time-keeper or scribe. Managers can also give up some of their usual control over team meetings by empowering their staff to plan and facilitate different parts of the meeting.

To make virtual meetings work, you might just need to make a small adjustment to how your team approaches them. A little preparedness could have huge impacts on both the effectiveness and enjoyment of your virtual meetings. More information can be found here:

https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/managing-virtual-teams-high-performance-7310
https://hbr.org/2020/03/what-it-takes-to-run-a-great-virtual-meeting

Unemployment Insurance Answers for Businesses

Colorado Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Division Employer Services offers a broad range of services and information to businesses and employers. These include information and resources on how to start a business, connecting businesses to a local Workforce Center for assistance with job postings and employee recruitment services, incentives and tax credits, layoffs and separation programs, labor laws, workers’ compensation, fraud prevention and more.

If you want to learn more about Unemployment Insurance Employer Services or have questions about your Colorado Unemployment Insurance (UI) account call 303-318-9100, website https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/businesses-employers, email [email protected].

Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center
Business Services

Business Services offers a wide array of services and resources to help businesses of any size.

Information about layoff assistance and layoff aversion programs are available, please contact Jill Howard at [email protected] or call 303-271-4768.

If your business is currently hiring, we can assist with job postings, marketing to job seekers and virtual job fairs. Contact the Business Services team at [email protected] or call 303-271-4800.

Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center website:
https://www.jeffco.us/Business-Workforce-Center

Additional Resources

General Unemployment Insurance Information Related to Coronavirus
Up-to-date information for employers, employees and FAQ’s about Colorado Unemployment Insurance programs and other resources.
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/information-and-resources-coronavirus

Colorado Unemployment Insurance Employer Services website
Information about layoffs, labor laws, incentives and tax credits, audits, posting jobs on Connecting Colorado and more.
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/businesses-employers

Work Share Program
Alternative to laying off employees and unemployment insurance if an employee is still able to work part-time.
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/layoffassistance

Businesses Responding to Job Separation
How and why it’s important to respond to the Unemployment Insurance employee job separation notices.
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/node/20121

Unemployment Insurance Guide for Employers
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Employer_Guide.pdf

Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Learn what it means for employers.
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/families_first_coronavirus_response_act.pdf

U.S. Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance for the workplace.
https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20200309

Jefferson County Small Business Resource Center
Non-profit organization supporting small businesses in the community including business plan development, brand and marketing material assistance, financing sources and more.
https://www.jeffcobrc.org/

Small Business Guidance & Resources
Information about Economic Injury Disaster Loan Programs, Guidance for Businesses and Employers, SBA Products and Resources, Government Contracting and Local Assistance.
https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources

SBA Disaster Loan Assistance
Federal Disaster Loans for Businesses, Private Nonprofits, Homeowners and Renters.
https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources

Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation
Jeffco EDC is an advocate for the county’s business community and is dedicated to building economic prosperity in the community. Current resources for businesses are included on the website.
https://jeffcoedc.org/

Clear Creek Economic Development Corporation
The CCEDC works to create and offer programs for Clear Creek County businesses. Information about emergency working capital loan program is on the website.
http://www.clearcreekedc.org/our-programs

Arvada Economic Development Association
Arvada Economic Development Association has community, government, and civic partnerships which allow AEDA to provide your business with the latest business information and resources.
https://arvadaeconomicdevelopment.org/

City of Edgewater
The City's economic development programs are designed to bolster the economic health and opportunity within Edgewater and the surrounding area for residents and businesses alike.
https://www.edgewaterco.com/index.asp?SEC=E2A42395-4AC3-449F-B502-65FEF8800E38&Type=B_BASIC

Golden Community & Economic Development Division
The City of Golden Community & Economic Development Division provides a network of resources to support existing and growing businesses including grant opportunities.
https://www.cityofgolden.net/work/economic-development/

Lakewood Economic Development Division
The Economic Development Division of the City of Lakewood provides services to businesses, including business attraction, expansion, entrepreneurialism, marketing, communications and resources.
https://www.lakewood.org/Government/Departments/Economic-Development

Littleton Economic Development Department
The Economic Development Department of the City of Littleton focuses on business development, retention and attraction by providing business resources for companies operating in or planning to locate within the city.
https://www.littletongov.org/city-services/city-departments/economic-development

Westminster Economic Development Department
The City of Westminster Economic Development Division provides resources to existing and growing businesses.
https://www.westminstereconomicdevelopment.org/

Wheat Ridge Economic Development Division
The City of Wheat Ridge Economic Development Division is dedicated to both the businesses and citizens of Wheat Ridge by providing an array of resources for the community.
https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/269/Economic-Development

Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade
OEDIT has a hotline for small business owners to call with questions at (303) 860-5881 or email [email protected]
https://choosecolorado.com/

Workshops
https://workforce.jeffco.us/workforce_public/

Chambers of Commerce

Chamber of Commerce associations promote and protect the interests of the business community in a local community, and offer valuable resources and education to businesses

West Metro Chamber
https://www.westmetrochamber.org/

Arvada Chamber
https://www.arvadachamber.org/

Conifer Chamber
https://www.goconifer.com/

Evergreen Chamber
https://www.evergreenchamber.org/

Golden Chamber
https://goldenchamber.org/

Littleton Chamber
http://littletonbusinesschamber.org/

Westminster Chamber
https://www.westminsterchamber.biz/

Wheat Ridge Chamber
http://www.wheatridgechamber.org/

Wheat Ridge Business Association
https://www.wheatridgebiz.com/

Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center serving Jefferson, Clear Creek and Gilpin counties is an equal opportunity program; auxiliary services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.