June 29, 2020

Phase 2:

Updates from Adams Morgan

Click Here to see previous updates in our newsletter archive

We want your thoughts on the "Adams Morgan Pedestrian Zone" on 18th Street this past weekend

The virtual interactive forum will be condensed to a 1.5 hour information session with the following format:

• Opening Session: The Impact of COVID-19 and Resources for Small Businesses
• Three concurrent breakout sessions: Focus on Women - COVID-19: The Impact on Women-Owned Small Businesses, Now What? Youth Entrepreneurs - Starting Your Business During COVID-19. Small Business Development - Insights and Resources to Navigate Uncertain Times
• Closing Session – Retooling, Recalibrating for Reopening
• Closing Remarks

The business forum will highlight small businesses that have interesting and successful operational pivots to remain viable during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will highlight what women and very young entrepreneurs bring to the community with their small business ideas. Finally, panelists will be engaged in a discussion around strategies for resilience, recalibrating and escalating operations in the discovery of a new era and a new normal in the marketplace.

Tuesday, June 30, 2020; 10:00am - 11:30am

Sign Up Now



Update from RAMW

In PPP updates, the SBA released additional guidance last week that expanded on information we already knew and shared. One important piece of guidance of note relates to loan forgiveness. Loan forgiveness will not be reduced if you can provide information to support any of the below three scenarios:

1. You are able to restore your full time equivalent (FTE) count to pre-COVID levels by 12/31.
2. You document a good faith effort to rehire employees, who ultimately declined to come back to work at your business.
3. You are able to document an inability to return to the same level of business activity due to compliance with requirements established or guidance issued by Health and Human Services, CDC, or OSHA during the period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending December 31, 2020, related to the maintenance of standards for sanitation, social distancing, or any other worker or customer safety requirement related to COVID–19.

If you think any of the above scenarios might apply to you, we encourage you to connect with your CPA or attorney to discuss your options.

In DC, some updates and reminders. First, a reminder that the minimum wage and tip minimum wage increase to $15/hour and $5/hour, respectively on Wednesday, July 1st as previously scheduled. Please make sure you are planning accordingly to ensure you are in compliance.

In Phase 2 updates, live music is not permitted by ABRA for ABC licensees during Phase Two. However, there is an opportunity to apply for a waiver, if this is something you are interested in offering while adhering to the strict social distancing guidelines. Click here for the waiver . You must receive approval before you amend operations outside of what is laid out in guidance from the Mayor’s Office, DOH, ABRA and DDOT.

On tax relief, if you are eligible for the Small Retailer Property Tax Relief Credit, and did not claim the credit on your 2018 District franchise tax return, it is not too late to file a return claiming the credit. For 2019, the deadline to file a return is July 15, 2020. The credit, of up to $5000, is available for tax years 2018 and 2019 to eligible small retailers who had a sales tax account with the Office of Tax and Revenue and federal gross receipts of $2.5 million or less during those years and are current on all District tax obligations. Click here for more information.

And additional relief from DC last week as the Committee on Business and Economic Development passed provisions of the Mayor’s Budget Support Act out of Committee, which means they are one step closer to the final vote which will occur on July 28th. There were many advantageous provisions for our industry, including:

• Permanently allowing alcohol takeout and delivery for on premise licensees and allow carry out and delivery of alcohol between 6am and 1am.
• Inaugural week will be expanded to include January 9-24, 2021.
• On-premise hours for service of alcohol will begin at 6am daily.
• Provides six additional holiday hours days--Saturday and Sunday adjacent to Veterans’ Day, Christmas Eve and Emancipation Day.

As we head into the 4th of July holiday, Mayor Bowser issued a strong recommendation for the 4th of July that DC residents celebrate at or near their home and in small gatherings. No official guidance was issued for businesses for this upcoming Holiday that normally brings many tourists to our area. We will keep you posted if more information becomes available as we head into the Holiday weekend.

Info Session On Using Crowdfunding To Pivot Your Business

The Department of Small & Local Business Development (DSLBD) is excited to share this information session, moderated by Director Kristi C. Whitfield, for DC small businesses interested in exploring crowdfunding as an option for raising capital for your small business. They will have national and international crowdfunding experts to share how to approach crowdfunding and how small businesses the world over are using this tool today.

This session will include an opportunity for Q&A, and will also be recorded.

Wed, July 1, 2020; 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

Sign up now to receive the log in and additional information.

LEDC Webinar: Credit Score Building

Join LEDC for this virtual discussion where you will learn everything you need to know about building your credit score and why it is one of the most important things you can do for your financial future. We will also provide you with practical advice on how you can start or improve your credit score. At the end there will be a Q&A session where you will be able to ask any questions you might have. This is a free event that will be offered via ZOOM from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.To participate, please register here and you will be sent the information to participate.If you have any questions, please contact svonhoroch@ledcmetro.org or call (202) 681-5876.

July 01, 2020 at 5pm - 6pm

Click here for more info and to register

Urgent Opportunity To Weigh In At The DC Council

URGENT ALERT: The DC Council is now considering imposing new taxes on DC residents and businesses. The Recover Strong Alliance -- a group of DC businesses, workers and community organizations -- has been formed to oppose this effort. We encourage you to take a few minutes TODAY to let your voice be heard at the DC Council. Thank you!

Please submit comments/forward this link to your colleagues today: https://recoverstrong.quorum.us/

The deadline for budget comments/testimony has been extended to Monday, July 6 by 5 PM.

LookThink Webinar:

How to Analyze and Improve Your Online Presence

LookThink in collaboration with BIDs and DSLBD has held three webinars aimed at small businesses to help them better leverage online tools. All the slides and webinar recordings are here . The last webinar -- How to Analyze and Improve Your Online Presence -- is on July 9th.

Description: We will focus on how to reinforce and evaluate the strategies you've started implementing from our prior webinars. We'll cover ways to enhance the online presence you've started to establish and considerations for next steps.

July 9th, 2020; 3-4 PM

Register Here



More Support Needed:

Ask Senators to Give DC its COVID Relief Money

DC needs your help! Make sure the Senate hears how important COVID-19 relief funding is to the District of Columbia.

 This debate is heating up in the Senate, and with heightened tensions between the local and federal government, the need to show diverse constituent support for local funding is more important now than ever. You can support these efforts in three ways:

1. For individuals: The FC2 has built a tool that will allow individuals to reach key members of Congress by sending letters. The letters urge quick action on the next state and local funding package, as well as equal treatment for the District. Send your letter using this link. If you’re willing, share this link broadly with friends, family, colleagues and employees who would also like to support these efforts.
2. For businesses: Last month, the FC2 sent a letter on behalf of more than 425 regional businesses in support of funding for the District. FC2 would like to publicly show this support on a website that has been launched to support this work. If you signed onto the letter (or even if you haven’t), and are willing to lend your name to the site, please fill out this 1 minute form .
3. SHARE this with your family, friends and colleagues and encourage them to add their support.

Lease Negotiation in the Time of COVID-19

DSLBD recently debuted #BuildBackBetterDC, a digital learning series for small business experts and owners to share insights and resources with the entire small business community during these unprecedented times.

In the latest episode, DSLBD Director Kristi Whitfield talks to DC Bar Pro Bono's Darryl Maxwell about lease negotiations during COVID-19.

Follow @SmallBizDC on social media and stay tuned! #DCHOPE

Click here to watch the video

Metro to reopens 15 stations, reallocates bus service to address crowding

Metro reopened 15 rail stations that had been closed as part of the transit agency’s Covid-19 response on Sunday, June 28. In addition, beginning today, buses are being added to the system’s 14 busiest bus lines to provide more capacity and more frequent service as the region reopens.

As the region enters the beginning stages of reopening, transit agencies and DOTs are working to ensure that residents and workers can travel safely throughout the transportation network. As we enter this next stage, Metro aims to keep capacity ahead of demand—to enable social distancing to the extent possible.

Metro is seeking feedback from employers about their expected “return-to-office” schedules, which will determine changes in demand for Metrorail and Metrobus services.

We invite you to share or update your organization's latest reopening plans with Metro to ensure that Metro can match safe levels of service against future demand. If you would like to participate, please follow this link for a short questionnaire that Metro has made available.

#AdamsMorganStrong video launched to highlight Adams Morgan businesses, raise money for Adams Morgan Day

We've put together a short music video highlighting dozens of our 240+ small businesses that need your help during these difficult times so that we can have more laughs, more meals together, more fun, and more time TOGETHER. Consider making a donation at admodc.org/support to support Adams Morgan Day. We will send you a free #BuyRestaurantBonds poster with a $50 donation or all five of them with a $200 donation.

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