Few tri-county lenders ready to accept CARES Act loan applications
April 3 was the first day small businesses could apply for new programs under the CARES Act, but last-minute changes meant only a few financial institutions in the Tri-Counties were able to roll out those options on opening day. Through hard work and preparation, Montecito Bank & Trust was able to accept initial applications when Read More →
Garufis: Loans available to help businesses survive
By Janet Garufis We have all witnessed first-hand the serious and immediate impacts of the pandemic on local small businesses, our friends, neighbors and ourselves. Many workers have been furloughed or are now unemployed as non-essential businesses close and others learn to operate under restrictions that provide safe social distancing. At Montecito Bank & Trust, Read More →
Dubroff: Loan program will stabilize America’s small businesses
Within the next week or so, thousands of small companies are going to be applying for loans — and possible loan forgiveness — under the Paycheck Protection Program or PPP that’s part of the $2 trillion in federal funding approved under the CARES Act. I’ve been studying the PPP since the first details began to Read More →
COVID-19 challenging for tri-county spas and salons
Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, the region’s salon and spa businesses had witnessed a transformation of their business model, moving toward memberships and express services as customers integrated them into a broad approach to wellness. In recent weeks, though, the heavily touch-based businesses have been among the hardest hit by shelter-in-place orders Read More →
Scolaro: Coronavirus forces leaders to get creative
By Sierra Scolaro When I founded Wayve with a mission to provide the world with easy access to clean water, there was no way I could predict what lay ahead. Some days you feel on top of it all, when the pieces fall into place and the path to success is a freshly-paved road lined Read More →
Small businesses forced to adapt to COVID-19 outbreak
Small businesses on the Central Coast are finding ways to adapt to sweeping new coronavirus restrictions, staying connected to customers even as they keep them at arm’s length. Whether it’s through online orders and curbside pickup or careful limits to the number of customers in a store, business owners are changing the way their products Read More →
Tri-county planning group helps companies pivot during pandemic
Long-term economic planning has taken a backseat to coronavirus mitigation measures, as business and economic development leaders have pivoted to meet immediate emergency needs. For the newly renamed REACH 2030, formerly known as the Hourglass Project, that’s meant marshalling public-private partnerships to source and distribute N95 masks, sanitizer and other resources, often tapping companies that Read More →
