Support for Small Businesses

April 2, 2021

Extended COVID-19 Business and Nonprofit Resources

The Leeds Business Confidence Index Released

Use Advertised Salary Data to Explore Wage Trends

COVID-19 Alert Notifications

COVID-19 Upcoming Applications and Extensions

The Paycheck Protection Program deadline is extended to May 31, 2021.

Changes to PPP:

To further promote equitable relief for the smallest of small businesses, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it will:

allow sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the PPP’s funding formula for these categories of applicants
eliminate an exclusionary restriction on PPP access for small business owners with prior non-fraud felony convictions, consistent with a bipartisan congressional proposal
eliminate PPP access restrictions on small business owners who have struggled to make federal student loan payments by eliminating federal student loan debt delinquency and default as disqualifiers to participating in the PPP
ensure access for non-citizen small business owners who are lawful U.S. residents by clarifying that they may use Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for the PPP

How to apply

U.S. SBA announced Shuttered Venue Operators Grant applications will open April 8.

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant information below is provided to assist Colorado private sector establishments to apply to this grant being offered by the United States Small Business Administration.

Who can apply?

Live venue operators or promoters
Theatrical producers
Live performing arts organization operators
Relevant museum operators, zoos and aquariums who meet specific criteria
Motion picture theater operators
Talent representatives
Each business entity owned by an eligible entity that also meets the eligibility requirements
Must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020
Venue or promoter must not have applied for or received a PPP loan on or after December 27, 2020

The U.S. Small Business Administration launched a splash page for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal prior to taking applications on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

SBA increased lending limit for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans

Starting the week of April 6, 2021, the SBA is raising the loan limit for the COVID-19 EIDL program from 6-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $150,000 to up to 24-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $500,000.

Additional information

Restaurant Revitalization Fund

The U.S. Small Business Administration is targeting early April to launch a phased rollout. Steps to get prepared:

Work with an accountant to prepare paperwork that clearly shows your gross revenue loss in 2020 as compared to 2019.
Keep checking SBA’s COVID-19 relief options web portal for upcoming instructions from the SBA

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, part of the American Rescue Plan Act, will provide $28.6 billion in grants to restaurants and bars in need. This fund will offer grants to hard-hit restaurants and bars, with restaurants able to apply for grants based on lost revenue. Five billion dollars of that total will be set aside expressly for businesses with 2019 gross receipts of less than $500,000.

Most restaurants and bars that lost revenue in 2020 versus 2019 will be eligible to apply for grants.

Colorado Business Confidence Increases

University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business releases a quarterly index that gauges Colorado business leaders’ opinions about economic trends and how their industry will perform in the coming quarter. The index captures expectations for the national economy, state economy, industry sales, profits, hiring plans, and capital expenditures.

Business confidence increased sharply from Q1 2021 to Q2 2021, and marked further improvement looking out two quarters to Q3 2021, largely due to the pace of vaccinations and the expectations about easing economic restrictions. Optimism was revised up from the December survey for the second quarter that coincides with momentum in the recovery. One-third of panelists cited the COVID-19 vaccine as the main driver for their outlook, and one-fifth cited the easing of restrictions for their sentiments.

Read/Download Report

Jefferson County Business & Workforce Labor Market Data

Use advertised salary data to explore wage trends

Advertised salary is the salary information provided by a company or entity advertising for a position. It can be used to understand unique variances of advertised compensation by job title, company, region, and even skill sets.

This information can allow you to make smart decisions while advertising your open positions or even retaining talent. Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center has the ability to pull specific industry and occupational reports with real time information.

Please contact Phil Rohrbach for additional information and to learn more about how Labor Market Information can help you find talent for your business.

Sign up for Jefferson County COVID-19 Alerts

Sign up for Jeffco COVID-19 Alerts to get the latest updates on vaccines, testing sites, changes to Jeffco’s dial status, and more.

Here’s how you sign up:

Go to the NotifyMe section on this website: https://www.jeffco.us/list.aspx
Scroll to “Alert Center” and look for “Jeffco COVID-19 Alerts”
Click the envelope icon to receive email alerts AND/OR click the phone icon to receive text alerts
Follow system prompts to complete your registration

Have questions about the COVID-19 Vaccine?

There are many questions about vaccine availability and when community members will be vaccinated. The best place to get the most up-to-date information is on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website. Jeffco residents can also find information directly from the county here.

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

Jefferson County Business & Workforce Workshops: https://www.jeffco.us/calendar.aspx?CID=28

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://covid19.colorado.gov/

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

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://edgewaterco.com/planning

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/

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.