SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund Eligible restaurants and other dining establishments are entitled to apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a $28.6 billion grant program under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, as established in section 5003 of the legislation. The SBA recently released a Program Guide that…
What Can Small Businesses Do About the Maskless? As more states lift requirements that people wear COVID-19 masks indoors when in public, what can small businesses do to protect their employees—and other customers who still prefer to wear masks? As of April 5, more than one-third of states (18) lacked…
Pandemic Relief for Restaurants Smaller restaurants and bars soon will have a new opportunity for pandemic-related relief when the U.S. Small Business Administration posts the application for the new Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a program created as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 signed by President Biden on…
New County Ordinance, Supreme Court Orders to Impact Landlords Landlords in Illinois, especially those in non-home-rule portions of Cook County, will face a raft of changes this spring in the wake of three state Supreme Court orders issued in late February, and a new ordinance passed by the Cook County…
How to Determine Your Workplace Vaccination Policy As COVID-19 vaccines begin to become available for working-age people—first for those in healthcare, then those in other “frontline” occupations, then for those at risk due to medical conditions, and finally for the general 18-to-64 population—can employers implement mandatory vaccination policies? In general,…
CTA – Federal Reporting Requirements for Small Business The paper work for many small businesses will be increasing. Many small businesses with 20 or fewer employees and $5 million or less in gross receipts or sales will be subject to new federal reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”),…
Small Business Pandemic Survival Information The $900 billion pandemic relief package included relief for Small Businesses. The updated programs are intended to make it easier for small business owners to apply and gain funds. The Small Business Administration (“SBA”) approved $5 billion in new Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans on…
How to Prepare for 2021 Wow, 2020 was a year to forget! I hesitate to say it was interesting because it was not. It was more like a nightmare as we coped with a public health crisis, an economic crisis, a political crisis, and a civil rights crisis. Let’s put…
Employees can be required to vaccinate. The federal government has stated that workers can be barred from work if they refuse the vaccine. Employers can make a COVID vaccination a condition of employment. But, employers must also consider exemptions for employees with disabilities or religious objections. After a long delay…
December 9. The Illinois Supreme Court approved a new rule which authorizes any Illinois court to develop and use a text message notification system. Amended Rule 14 is effective immediately and the full text of the rule can be viewed here. This is part of an effort by the Illinois…