With digital platforms for business marketing ever increasing, a business owner needs to have an understanding to use these outlets to help grow.  Google Primer is designed to help anyone learn more about digital marketing and business. This is ideal for people like small business owners, job seekers, students, and startup entrepreneurs. Primer’s free lessons offer instructions on boosting sales, getting started with online marketing, customer engagement, and much more. 

After the app is downloaded, users can choose which topics are most relevant to them and take mini-lessons on those topics, all on their phones, and in 5 minutes or less. Some of the skills include video marketing, website, selling, email marketing, business planning, content marketing, customer engagement, business insights, business management, startup, digital marketing 1 and 2, mobile marketing, agency marketing, user experience, analytics, and brand building.

Primer and Grow with Google have partnered to create 3 unique mini-courses for business owners, job seekers, and startups. To find these mini-courses, learners can open the Primer app and search gwgbiz for business lessons, gwgstartup for startup lessons, and gwgjobs for lessons for job seekers.

For more information on Google Primer check out these resources and the Getting Started with Primer guide so you can find lessons that are right for you.

More than 435 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and the region. Increased membership allows the Chamber to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives. The Chamber welcomes Allison Crane & Rigging.  

Allison Crane & Rigging has over forty-two years of experience in crane and rigging tasks. Their certified operators can perform a variety of jobs with the capability to travel.  Their main office is located in Williamsport. Other locations include State College, Mansfield, and Pittsburgh, PA as well as Pecos, & San Angelo, TX.  Visit their website, or Facebook page to find out more information.  

More than 435 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and the region. Increased membership allows the Chamber to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives. The Chamber welcomes Wilkes University Passan School of Nursing.  

The Passan School of Nursing has over a forty-year history of educating nurses and offers an array of undergraduate and graduate concentrations.  They offer flexible and online programs to suit any needs. To find out more information about Wilkes University’s Passan School of Nursing, visit their website and Facebook page.  

On, Tuesday, June 9th the state legislature passed a resolution intended to terminate Governor Wolf’s emergency declaration related to the pandemic. This would allow all businesses to reopen fully and terminate much of the Department of Health’s guidelines related to business operations. The resolution received bipartisan support in the House (121-81) and Senate (31-19). Senator John Gordner and Representatives Kurt Masser and David Millard voted in favor of the resolution.

Republican majority leadership have indicated their belief that they are not required to submit the resolution to the governor to be signed or vetoed, and that he must rescind the emergency declaration, per the resolution. The Wolf Administration has indicated its belief that the legislature is required to submit the resolution (which, presumably, the governor would veto); if they don’t, the declaration will continue unabated.

Both sides are claiming Constitutional authority for their respective positions. Senate Republican leadership has filed an action with Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and the State Supreme Court could also take up the action. As there is no immediate clarity, Senator Gordner advises as of this morning that the Governor’s order is still in effect and businesses should continue to follow the order and guidelines that are in place.

We will continue to monitor developments and will keep you all updated.

Bloomsburg University Announces Modified Fall 2020 Schedule

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania announced its plans to offer a modified academic calendar for the Fall 2020 semester.  The modified calendar begins on Monday, August 17, and ends on Tuesday, November 24 and prioritizes the health and safety of the entire BU community.

The plan also maximizes the use of classrooms for instruction while following social distancing guidelines, and allows for flexibility should there be a resurgence of COVID outbreaks during the coming year.

The semester will begin one week earlier than initially planned, and will consist of two six-week sessions in combination with a 12-week term. The full schedule to include finals week will be released as the new schedule is built. One-third of all courses will be offered within one of three sessions. BU will also offer a six-week online winter term.

“I would like to thank the faculty and staff that are working behind the scenes to make these decisions, “ said Rogers-Adkinson. “We want to make sure a quality educational experience occurs for all of our students. Due to social distancing guidelines this model maximizes contact times for students and faculty in face-to-face instruction.”

“I am grateful to our Provost, Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, our acting Vice President for Student Affairs, Jim McCormack, and the planning task force committee members for their hard work and many hours of virtual meetings to craft this plan,” said BU President Bashar Hanna. “I also thank our faculty, our students (members of the Community Government Association), and the various constituency groups with which the task force has met over the past several weeks to seek their input.” 

Return to rabbittransit  

As Pennsylvania gradually reopens, rabbittransit invites you to return to ride!  We will continue to follow CDC safety recommendations and require all riders to wear a nose/mouth covering.  If you need a mask, please contact customer service at 1-800-632-9063. Cloth masks are available at no cost to riders. Please observe social distancing guidelines posted on the vehicles and make use of the hand sanitizer on board to help slow the spread of germs.

rabbittransit’s Shared Ride service is available to seniors 65 years of age and older. This door-to-door service provides rides that are grouped together between multiple customers. There are no restrictions on the reason you may ride, so you can use the Shared Ride Program for all kinds of trips, including; medical appointments, grocery shopping, beauty salons, banking, recreation, physical therapy, visiting friends, adult day care, and more! There may be a co-pay each time you board the vehicle. The cost depends on many different factors.

It’s easy to schedule your own rides online through FindMyRidePA.com or by calling customer service. You can prepay for trips on our website or by calling customer service. This simple contactless payment option is recommended to help stop the spread of germs by handling cash.

There is a required application process for new riders to use Shared Ride, so call 1-800-632-9063 to speak with a customer service representative and get started today!

Service 1st Announces Additional Lobbies Will Reopen in June

As Columbia, Northumberland and Union Counties prepare to move to the Green Phase under Governor Tom Wolf’s plan to reopen Pennsylvania, Service 1st Federal Credit Union has updated their plans to reopen additional lobbies in June.

The following Service 1st office lobbies will be opening on Wednesday, June 10, 2020:

• Corporate Center | 1985 Montour Boulevard, Danville
• Bloom Road Office | 861 Bloom Road, Danville

The following Service 1st office lobbies will be opening on Wednesday, June 17, 2020:

• Loyalsock Office | 814 Westminster Drive, Williamsport
• Shamokin Dam Office | 3054 North Susquehanna Trail, Shamokin Dam
• Sunbury Office | 1185 North 4^th Street, Sunbury
• Bloomsburg Office | 327 Columbia Boulevard, Bloomsburg

The following Service 1st offices lobbies will be opening on Wednesday, June 24, 2020:

• Elysburg Office | 196 West Valley Avenue, Elysburg
• Lewisburg Office | 101 Walter Drive, Lewisburg
• Mifflinburg Office | 52 East Chestnut Street, Mifflinburg
• Montandon Office | 2613 PA-45, Milton

The following Service 1st office is available by appointment only:

• Wilkes-Barre O­ffice | 620 Baltimore Drive, Wilkes-Barre

Governor Tom Wolf has announced a $225 million statewide grant program to support small businesses that were impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis and subsequent business closure order.

“The funding was developed in partnership with state lawmakers and allocated through the recently enacted state budget, which included $2.6 billion in federal stimulus funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, of which $225 million was earmarked for relief for small businesses.

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) will distribute the funds to the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which will then administer the funding in the form of grants.

Eligible businesses will be able to use the grants to cover operating expenses during the shutdown and transition to re-opening, and for technical assistance including training and guidance for business owners as they stabilize and relaunch their businesses.

The funds will be available through three programs:

• $100 million for the Main Street Business Revitalization Program for small businesses that experienced loss as a result of the governor’s March 19, 2020 order relating to the closure of all non-life-sustaining businesses and have or will incur costs to adapt to new business operations related to COVID-19;
• $100 million for the Historically Disadvantaged Business Revitalization Program for small businesses that experienced loss as a result of the business closure order, have or will incur costs to adapt to new business operations related to COVID-19, and in which socially and economically disadvantaged individuals own at least a 51 percent interest and also control management and daily business operations.
• $25 million for the Loan Payment Deferment and Loss Reserve Program, which will allow the CDFIs the opportunity to offer forbearance and payment relief for existing portfolio businesses that are struggling due to the impact of COVID, as well as shore up the financial position of the CDFIs that are experiencing significant increased defaults in their existing loan portfolios.

Specific details on these funding programs are being finalized.

From Congressman Dan Meuser

Congress recently passed and President Trump signed into law H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act. This bill modifies the Paycheck Protection Program to better suit small business’ evolving circumstances. The main reforms include:

• Extends the covered period for loan forgiveness from eight weeks after the date of loan disbursement to 24 weeks after the date of loan disbursement, providing substantially greater flexibility for borrowers to qualify for loan forgiveness.  Borrowers who have already received PPP loans retain the option to use an eight-week covered period.
• Lowers the requirements that 75 percent of a borrower’s loan proceeds must be used for payroll costs and that 75 percent of the loan forgiveness amount must have been spent on payroll costs during the 24-week loan forgiveness covered period to 60 percent for each of these requirements. If a borrower uses less than 60 percent of the loan amount for payroll costs during the forgiveness covered period, the borrower will continue to be eligible for partial loan forgiveness, subject to at least 60 percent of the loan forgiveness amount having been used for payroll costs.
• Provides a safe harbor from reductions in loan forgiveness based on reductions in full-time equivalent employees for borrowers that are unable to return to the same level of business activity the business was operating at before February 15, 2020, due to compliance with requirements or guidance issued between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, related to worker or customer safety requirements related to COVID–19.
• Provides a safe harbor from reductions in loan forgiveness based on reductions in full-time equivalent employees, to provide protections for borrowers that are both unable to rehire individuals who were employees of the borrower on February 15, 2020, and unable to hire similarly qualified employees for unfilled positions by December 31, 2020.
• Increases to five years the maturity of PPP loans that are approved by SBA (based on the date SBA assigns a loan number) on or after June 5, 2020.
• Extends the deferral period for borrower payments of principal, interest, and fees on PPP loans to the date that SBA remits the borrower’s loan forgiveness amount to the lender (or, if the borrower does not apply for loan forgiveness, 10 months after the end of the borrower’s loan forgiveness covered period).

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with Treasury, will promptly issue rules and guidance, a modified borrower application form, and a modified loan forgiveness application implementing these legislative amendments to the PPP. The last date on which a PPP loan can be approved is June 30.

The Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund announced that it will deploy at least $100,000 for diverse small businesses who have suffered loss due to property damage and looting. The nonprofit organization provides $3000 forgivable loans to small businesses owners who complete a simple application and submit a video. The Fund launched on May 7, 2020, and has already funded over 70 companies, including 36 minority-owned small businesses, impacted by COVID-19.

“Our intention was always to help small businesses in Pennsylvania survive for 30 days as they create the plans and get the support they need to continue operating,” said Jeff Brown, Board member of the PA 30 Day Fund and CEO of the ShopRite chain of Brown Superstores. “We now see small business owners who are suffering from looting and violence, and those businesses are disproportionately owned by people of color. Our Board is determined to help them survive, and we have $100,000 we plan to distribute within the next week.”

The nonprofit PA 30 Day Fund is led by Cassandra Bailey, Slice Communications’ CEO; Jeff Bartos, President of ESB Holdings; Roger Braunfeld, partner at Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld; Jeff Brown, CEO of the ShopRite chain of Brown’s Superstores; Maia Comeau, public affairs consultant and CEO of Comeau and Company; Thomas Nerney, CEO of United States Liability Insurance Group; Richard Phillips, former Chairman and CEO of Pilot Freight Systems; and Mustafa Rashed, CEO of the government relations and communications firm Bellevue Strategies.  

Working with other business leaders throughout the Commonwealth, the Fund’s goal is to help save as many Pennsylvania jobs as possible. Pennsylvania businesses that qualify for assistance from the Fund meet these requirements:

• Small businesses that employ three to 30 people;
• Based in Pennsylvania and have been operating for at least one year;
• Owned and operated by a Pennsylvania resident;
• Operate as a for-profit business.

“Over the past few days, the civil unrest that has led to rioting and damaging of small business across PA has been another hurdle that small businesses have to overcome,” said Mustafa Rashed, Board member of the PA 30 Day Fund. “We recognize this additional challenge and want to be able to support those businesses as the majority of the state resumes business operations.”

The funds disbursed to small businesses by the PA 30 Day Fund do not need to be repaid. If businesses who receive the Fund’s assistance do, at a later date, wish to “pay it forward” to another Pennsylvania small business in need of assistance, they may do so by directing those dollars back to the Fund, which will disburse the funding to another Pennsylvania business in need.

All donations collected by the PA 30 Day Fund are given to recipient businesses without offsets, administrative fees, or any other expenses.  Donations and applications can be submitted here.  

More than 435 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and the region. Increased membership allows the Chamber to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives. The Chamber welcomes PB&J Bar.

PB&J Bar, also knows as The Plant-Based and Juice Bar, is located on Mill Street in Danville.  They offer breakfast, lunch, and food to go, providing healthier plant-based options and fresh juices and smoothies.  To learn more about PB&J Bar visit their website and Facebook page.