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The Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and the Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP) have formed the Champaign County Economic Recovery Task Force to help local businesses recover from COVID-19 shutdowns. The task force is composed of Chamber and CEP board members and other community leaders representing retail stores, restaurants, manufacturing, education, agriculture, banking, and city, village and county government. In initial meetings the task force created subcommittees to focus on specific initiatives, Chamber Executive Director Sara Neer said. These include Urbana University, Fundraising, Personal Protective Equipment, Marketing, and Training and Support. The Training and Support subcommittee, Neer said, is planning webinars with guest speakers, who will share industry-specific regulations and best practices for operating in the pandemic. The online sessions will be scheduled for restaurants and food service, retail, manufacturing, beauty and barber shops, and health and fitness. Task Force objectives include: · Support local businesses impacted by the pandemic · Ensure that the local economy rebounds from the pandemic as quickly as possible · Connect local businesses to government · Establish a unified voice to advocate in the community’s best interests · Ensure consumer confidence in local businesses as they reopen “We want people to have confidence that they are safe when they visit and shop or dine at Champaign County businesses,” CEP Director Marcia Bailey said. “Our local businesses are taking every precaution and are looking forward to having their businesses reopened and serving their customers.” Neer said that the Chamber will conduct a second Support Local apparel fundraiser. In the first, buyers designated businesses to receive a portion of each sale. In the second, money will be raised to support recovery efforts, Neer said. In addition, the CEP has conducted a survey to determine the needs of businesses impacted by the pandemic and established, with the help of Champaign County commissioners, the COVID-19 Champaign County Small Business Emergency Grant Fund, which recently presented a total of $54,265.15 to 24 businesses. Last week 24 local businesses received a total of $54,265.15 in grant funds to support them during the difficulties faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To be eligible for the grant program, commercial or retail businesses must have a storefront in Champaign County (cannot be home-based or nonprofit), have fewer than 50 employees, be current on local, state and federal obligations such as taxes and assessments, been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and, if a franchise, have no more than two storefronts in the county and not be corporate owned. 24 local businesses applied for this grant program and the CEP Board of Directors agreed to assist all 24 businesses that applied. The following businesses received funds: The Half Day Cafe, LG Industrial Supply, Tommy Brooks Salon, Massage on Monument Square, The Cutting Edge Hair Salon, The Hair Closet, Carriage House Salon, Let's Eat Cake, Pam's House of Beauty, Kim's Creative Designs, Theresa's It Figures, East Lawn & Garden, Kaleidoscope, Oxner's General Store, Vape on the Square, Main Graphics, The Vintage Traveler, Brugh's Auto & Tire, Family Country Cuts, Tom's Varsity Barbershop, Paul's Catering, Metz Painting & Roofing, Jones Country Store and The Hive. Many of the business owners were overwhelmed with emotions and all were grateful for the opportunity these funds offered. Some said they were struggling to decide whether to continue after being closed. Mike Manoloff, owner of Oxner's General Store, said, "Thanks to this grant, I'll be staying in business." "This will improve my chances to remain apart of Urbana's Small Businesses... It also keeps a dream alive, " Tina Blakeman, owner of The Vintage Traveler. “Our small businesses are essential to the vitality of Champaign County. We want to do what we can to help get them back on track, to continue providing jobs and valuable products and services that make our county a better place to live and work,” explained Marcia Bailey, CEP Director. JobsOhio and the Ohio Department of Commerce Announce Program to Support Bars and Restaurants5/11/2020
"The liquor rebate for Ohio’s bars and restaurants is part of ongoing efforts to support Ohio businesses during the COVID-19 crisis," said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and chief investment officer. "Because JobsOhio’s business model is unlike any other in America, we have had the unique capability to commit up to $300 million for similar initiatives since mid-March to help Ohioans when it is needed most."
The Liquor Rebate Program is part of a broad directive from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to find innovative options that assist businesses’ as they navigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. "We know this has been an uncertain time for Ohio bars and restaurants," said Sherry Maxfield, Director of the Department of Commerce. "We hope this brings some relief as they plan for reopening. Our team and agency partners will continue to find ways to ease some of the burden." Rebates will be applied as soon as a permit holder places an order from their assigned Agency. For example, if a permit holder purchases $1,000 in high proof liquor to restock inventory, the rebate will be applied at the point of sale and the actual cash cost to the permit holder will be $500. "Bars and restaurants have been hit hard economically by the COVID-19 pandemic, and creative solutions will be needed to help them eventually open once again," said Lorraine Terry, JobsOhio Beverage System Managing Director. "When bars and restaurants make plans to open operations, they can do so with the confidence they will have a rebate available to help them stock their shelves." There are more than 13,600 eligible permits in Ohio, totaling $6.8 million in potential rebates available to bars and restaurants. To view qualifying permits and to register for the liquor rebate program, visit Wholesale.OHLQ.com. JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio though Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. The Division of Liquor Control is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce. The Department is Ohio’s chief regulatory agency, focused on promoting prosperity and protecting what matters most to Ohioans. We ensure businesses follow the laws that help them create jobs and keep Ohioans safe. To learn more about what we do, visit our website at com.ohio.gov. Ohio Liquor is a partnership between the Ohio Division of Liquor Control and JobsOhio Beverage System (JOBS). JOBS owns the spirituous liquor product (intoxicating liquor containing more than 21 percent alcohol by volume) in Ohio for retail and wholesale sales. The division manages wholesale and retail operations for the sale of spirituous liquor in Ohio. OHLQ Locations are private businesses which own and operate retail outlets and sell spirituous liquor products on consignment. Profits from spirituous liquor provide dedicated funding for JobsOhio’s economic development efforts.
Choose from a nice, soft tee, long sleeve tee, sweatshirt or tote and represent Champaign County! When you checkout, simply enter the name of the business or organization in Champaign County you wish to support and for each item you purchase the Chamber will send them a $10 donation.
 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Dr. Amy Acton, MD, MPH, today made several major announcements regarding Ohio's plan to responsibly restart Ohio's economy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
HEALTHCARE: Beginning May 1, 2020, all medically necessary procedures that do not require an overnight stay in a healthcare facility or do not require inpatient hospital admission and minimizes use of personal protective equipment may move forward. This includes regular doctor visits, well-care checks, well-baby visits, out-patient surgeries, imaging procedures, and diagnostic tests. Dental services and veterinary services may also proceed if a safe environment can be established. Healthcare providers and facilities that plan to resume providing these services must adhere to infection control practices, have sufficient PPE, and talk with patients about the risk of contracting COVID-19. Surgeries and procedures that, if not performed, would cause a threat to a patient's life, a threat of the spread of cancer or the permanent dysfunction of a limb or organ, the presence of severe symptoms causing an inability to perform activities of daily living, and/or the risk of rapidly worsening symptoms have always been permitted even if an overnight stay is necessary. RESPONSIBLE RESTART OHIO: The guiding principles of the Responsible RestartOhio plan are protecting the health of employees, customers, and their families, supporting community efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, and responsibly getting Ohio back to work. "We put this plan together based on all the information we have about how dangerous COVID-19 still is right now, balanced with the fact that it's also dangerous to have people not working," said Governor DeWine. "COVID-19 is still out there. It's still killing people. We're asking Ohioans to be reasonable and rational. Please don't take huge chances, and please use common sense when you go out and where you go out." Beginning on May 4, 2020, manufacturing, distribution, and construction businesses may reopen if these businesses can meet mandatory safety requirements for customers and employees. The full Responsible RestartOhio plan for manufacturing, distribution, and construction can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov/ResponsibleRestartOhio. Beginning on May 4, 2020, general office environments may reopen if these businesses can meet mandatory safety requirements for customers and employees. The full Responsible RestartOhio plan for general office environments can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov/ResponsibleRestartOhio. Beginning on May 12, 2020, consumer, retail and services, may reopen if these businesses can meet mandatory safety requirements for customers and employees. The full Responsible RestartOhio plan for consumer, retail and services can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov/ResponsibleRestartOhio. The general safe business practices that all businesses must follow as they reopen are:
CONTINUED CLOSURES: The following types of establishments are ordered to remain closed due to their increased risk of potential COVID-19 exposure:
STAY AT HOME ORDER / LARGE GATHERINGS: Because the danger of COVID-19 still exists, Ohio's Stay at Home order will remain in effect to encourage Ohioans to continue making reasonable, rational decisions about leaving home. Although anyone is susceptible to getting sick with COVID-19, those who are 65 or older are encouraged to be especially careful, as are those with high-risk conditions such as chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, heart conditions, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or liver disease, as well as those who are immunocompromised or obese. Large gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited. MORE INFORMATION: More detailed information on the Responsible RestartOhio plan can be found at www.coronavirus.ohio.gov/ResponsibleRestartOhio. CURRENT OHIO DATA: There are 16,325 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 753 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 3,232 people have been hospitalized, including 978 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov. Video of today's full update, including versions with foreign language closed captioning, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel's YouTube page. For more information on Ohio's response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH. Small businesses in Champaign County have a new source of financial assistance to help them reopen and recover from the pandemic -- the COVID-19 Champaign County Small Business Emergency Grant Fund.
The Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP) established the local grant program with the support of the Champaign County Board of Commissioners, which allocated a portion of local tax dollars generated for economic development through conveyance fees collected on Champaign County real estate sales. “We are very thankful to the Champaign County Commissioners for funding this important initiative,” Kyle Hall, president of the CEP Board of Trustees, said. “The COVID-19 grant fund can really make a difference in our county. It will help small businesses bridge the gap in revenue during the shutdown and help them meet safety requirements for reopening, so that consumers will return to them with confidence.” Through 5 p.m. May 15, qualifying local businesses may complete and submit a simple application for $500 to $2,500 in grant funds, at www.champaignworks.com/PayItForwardGrant. Businesses may submit their applications directly from the website. But if they prefer, they may print out the application form, complete it, and drop it in the Champaign Economic Partnership mailbox (next to the CEP office door, inside the ATM lobby of Security National Bank, 3 Monument Square, Urbana), or email their completed, scanned application to the CEP at info@cepohio.com, by the 5 p.m. May 15 deadline. “The commissioners want to support the health and vitality of the Champaign County business community during the pandemic,” said County Commissioner Steve Hess, who serves on the CEP Board of Trustees. “Through this grant fund we want to help our local businesses get through this crisis by supplementing the support they’re getting from the state and federal government.” To be eligible for the grant program, commercial or retail businesses must have a storefront in Champaign County (cannot be home-based or nonprofit), have fewer than 50 employees, be current on local, state and federal obligations such as taxes and assessments, been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and, if a franchise, have no more than two storefronts in the county and not be corporate owned. CEP Director Marcia Bailey said the grants may be used for operating expenses such as rent, utilities, payroll, and the cost of supplies and modifications needed to comply with safety requirements for reopening. Grant money cannot be used for taxes or other assessments. Grant recipients will be required to report to the grant committee how they spent the money. “Our grant committee desires to make this a self-perpetuating fund so that money will be available to support future economic sustainability in our community,” Bailey said. “Through the Pay It Forward provision of the program, we will encourage grant recipients to contribute financially to the Champaign County Small Business Grant Fund once their businesses are back on their feet – in an amount equal to or greater than their grant.” She added, “Our small businesses are essential to the vitality of Champaign County. We want to do what we can to help get them back on track, to continue providing jobs and valuable products and services that make our county a better place to live and work.” For grant guidelines and the application, visit www.champaignworks.com/PayItForwardGrant Springfield Small Business Development Center which serves Champaign County has several resources available to help figure out available loans and grants for small businesses. 
Below are some U.S. Treasury Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans FAQs released last evening, 4-6-2020. These answer quite a few of the questions that many of us have had in regard to the PPP loans and expands on some of the FAQs relating to businesses with more than 500 employees. Please note that this applies to non-profits as well, but only those registered as 501(c)3. 
The Champaign Health District is providing these posters for area businesses to use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click to download full version for printing.
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