**SBA Payroll Protection Plan - Additional PPP funds have been approved. Applications will be made through local banks who are certified SBA Lenders beginning the week of January 11, 2021. Changes and clarifications to this program and the application process continue; please stay in contact with your local bankers.

• Eligibility Requirements:
• • You have used or will use the entire amount of your first PPP loan;
  • Your business must have been open on February 15, 2020;
  • You must have 300 employees or less;
  • You have experienced a greater than 25% reduction in gross receipts during the first, second, third, or fourth quarter in 2020 relative to the same quarter in 2019.
• Loan Amount (generalized): The maximum loan amount is the average monthly payroll costs for the entity during the 12 months prior to the loan or, at the election of the borrower, 2019 multiplied by 2.5.

• SBA Certified banks in Hanover include: Atlantic Union Bank, M&T Bank, Sonabank, Village Bank, Virginia Commonwealth Bank. We suggest you take time to refresh a relationship with your/these commercial bankers to submit applications.

Rebuild Virginia Funding - *Program Expanded and extended! Additional funding, announced on Dec 29, 2020, will bring the program total to $120 million and will enable more than 300 small business and nonprofit organizations that applied before the last round of funding was exhausted in early December to receive grants. Eligible applicants that are still in the pipeline have been notified via email that their applications have been re-opened. Qualifying businesses and non-profits can now receive up to three times their eligible monthly expenses, plus COVID related expenses, up to a maximum of $100,000 (expanded from $10,000). Businesses and nonprofits are eligible; they must certify that they will use the funding only for recurring expenses and that the grant will not be used to cover the same expenses as CARES Act funding.

• Review details and apply at https://www.governor.virginia.gov/rebuildva/
• Applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis until fund are depleted; apply early.

The Town of Ashland is working to assist small business as they begin opening during phase 1 and 2. The Safety Enhancement Grant is a program of our Economic Development Authority, and intended to help businesses in Town as they serve the public under the new guidelines established by the Governor in Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan. This program is open to any business in the Town of Ashland who is current on their taxes and business license. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, and we encourage interested businesses to reach out to us if they have any questions about the process. Town website https://www.ashlandva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=402

Safety Grant Overview
Safety Grant Application 

U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) Disaster Assistance Loans, EIDL - could offer disaster relief loans of up to $2 million for merchants and businesses adversely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19); all of VA is included. Applications are submitted directly to the SBA website. Note: Applications accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are depleted.

• Find more details and know further info will be developing: https://www.sba.gov/disaster-assistance/coronavirus-covid-19
• Direct link to the web application: https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/
• Recording of SBA EIDL Webinar on qualifications and application steps: https://vccs.zoom.us/rec/play/7JB8cbypqjo3S93A5QSDB_cqW465LaKs0SIbqPVZxEnmUnFRZ1rwMuNBNuCL-OOwBuzaQZSyXq31vV2k?continueMode=true

Hanover Business Resiliency Grant - Hanover County is offering up to $5,000 per business in recovery funding for companies with 50 or fewer FTE employees. Unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors and the Hanover County Economic Development Authority, this Small Business Resiliency Grant program is made possible by federal funding under the CARES Act. The BOS has made a total of $300,000 available to small businesses.

• This Fund is now closed. We are glad to hear that 58 local businesses were helped because of this program!

GENERAL UPDATES

Resources from Virginia Governor's Office

• • Governor Northam's main website: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/
  • State Coronavirus website:  https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus/
  • Vaccination Plan Update, released January 6, 2021: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/

Hanover County Economic Development

Frequent updates to numerous local and regional and state resources with a focus on business news and tools. 

https://www.hanovervirginia.com/grow-your-business/covid-19-information-and-resources/

Unemployment & Hiring

• THE VIRGINIA RESTAURANT, LODGING & TRAVEL ASSOCIATION has created (as of April 2021) a jobs portal specific to positions at related companies. Though the site lists jobs across the Commonwealth, many are located within our local area. Be sure to check this link often for updates and share it with those searching for a new position.
• Go to the Job Portal
  
• Companies Who Are Hiring - Virginia Career Works' live link page for employers in VA who are currently hiring: https://vcwcapital.com/covid-19-related-resources/jobs-available/
• Virginia Employment Commission - For information on unemployment, especially notes specific to new policies around Coronavirus job reductions/losses: https://www.vec.virginia.gov/; https://www.vec.virginia.gov/node/11757
• • If you were denied regular Unemployment payments in the past weeks, you may now apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). This includes those who are self-employed, gig workers, clergy and other nonprofit staff previously ineligible. See details: https://www.vec.virginia.gov/html/pua.html

Chickahominy Health District - Hotline:  804-365-3340 to answer health questions related to COVID-19. The District includes Hanover, New Kent, Goochland and Charles City http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/chickahominy/. As a note, King William is part of the Three Rivers Health District http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/three-rivers/.

The Chickahominy Health District is gathering information to assist in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Based on your information, the District will notify you when your vaccination group is available to receive the vaccination. Go here to access the form. DO NOT fill out this form if you have registered online elsewhere.

Hanover County Updates - Closings, modified services and alert information for many offices including Circuit Court, Library, Parks & Rec, DMV Select, Jail and others.

Utility Relief program benefits customers; sign up

On December 7, 2020, Hanover County Department of Public Utilities was informed that it received a grant under the Federal CARES Act and Virginia’s COVID-19 Municipal Utility Relief Program to Assist Customers. Eligible customers may receive assistance paying past due balances on their water and sewer accounts due to COVID-19 related circumstances. Past due balances for services billed between May 19, 2020 and November 19, 2020 for both residential and non-residential are eligible for relief. If you have incurred an economic hardship due to COVID-19 and desire to participate in this program, a CUSTOMER INTAKE FORM must be completed and received by Hanover County’s Department of Public Utilities by 5:00 pm on April 30, 2021 to ensure evaluation of your account. To qualify, you must have incurred an economic hardship due to COVDID-19 and must attest to it on the Customer Intake Form. Here is a fillable PDF Customer Intake Form as well as an electronic Customer Intake Form that will electronically get submitted to the Department of Public Utilities. You can mail to P.O. Box 470, Hanover VA 23069--470; email to utilityrelief@hanovercounty.gov; drop off at the Public Utilities office at 7516 County Complex Road, Hanover VA 23069; or submit on the website at www.hanovercounty.gov/utilityreliefprogram

CALL CENTER FOR COVID QUESTIONS

Hanover County established a call center to answer questions related to COVID-19. The number is 804-365-3240, and it will be open Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Voice messages left in the mailbox after hours will be returned the next business day. (REMINDER: Be sure to leave your phone number at the beginning and end of message so we can call you back.) This is being done in coordination with the Chickahominy Health District, which includes Goochland, New Kent and Charles City. Additional information about the process of getting a vaccine can be read here.

Links to information about the Coronavirus can be found at https://www.hanovercounty.gov/1024/COVID-19-Coronavirus

• Highlight for the Planning Department: New submission procedure to limit face-to-face visits effective 3/19 and until further notice; Memo Planning Apps 3.18.2020 (1).pdf
• Hanover County Public Schools - http://hanover.ss12.sharpschool.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=1251067&pageId=3125587
• If you are not receiving County updates, it is recommended that you sign up for the HAN (Hanover Access News) email blasts at https://www.hanovercounty.gov/list.aspx?ListID=255

Hanover residents who have questions or need specific assistance can get help by calling one of four important County phone numbers:

• Chickahominy Health District Covid-19 Hotline (listed above)
• Hanover County Community Resources 365-4300
• Hanover Community Services Board– Mental Health 365-4222
• Hanover Social Services 365-4100 

Hanover residents that are facing financial challenges are also reminded to apply for food assistance (SNAP), temporary financial assistance (TANF) or health insurance benefits (Medicaid) through Hanover Social Services. For more information on these programs you may call the Social Services Call Center at 1-855-635-4370 or apply on line at www.Commonhelp.Virginia.Gov 

Town of Ashland Updates - Posts and updates shared on their website often

https://www.ashlandva.gov/

• Town Council Election: A recording of the recent Candidate Forum and absentee voting information to “Vote at Home” is available on the Town's homepage.

Sheriff's Office Updates -

• Our HCSO deputies, lead by Sheriff Colonel David R Hines, are working diligently to keep our county safe. Read an update from the Sheriff here, also published in the Mechanicsville Local. 
• Scammers are taking advantage of fears surrounding the Coronavirus. They’re setting up web sites to sell bogus products and using fake emails, texts, and social media posts as a ruse to take your money and get your personal information. Tips to help keep the scammers at bay can be found in the SHEILD newsletter on the HCSO SHEILD Program website. 

U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Since the Hanover Chamber is a association member of the US Chamber, all of their resources, detailed blogs, webinars and conference calls are available to our local chamber members individually.

• https://www.uschamber.com/
• See more details about their Foundation's grant program below, under "Funding".

Working from Home

As many of us transition and continue to work remotely or work from home, we may encounter a few new challenges. Here are a few resources on safe teleworking, electronically speaking:

IBM cloud struggles

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ibm-cloud-struggles-suffers-small-outage-dallas/ 

Microsoft and other clouds remote work struggles

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/12/remote_work_struggles/ 

Dangers of & Fixes for RDP without VPN (Remote Desktop Protocol without a Virtual Private Network); we suggest you connect with you IT provider for more on this topic. (Don't have an IT provider? Check our member directory.)

https://www.itprotoday.com/compute-engines/dangers-using-rdp-without-vpn 

https://www.liveconsulting.com/news/remotely-working-why-vpn-is-more-secure-than-remote-desktop-protocol/

https://www.ericom.com/whatis/rdp/ 

https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/other-blogs/mcafee-labs/rdp-security-explained/ 

https://openvpn.net/for/remote-desktop/

Supporting our local Restaurants, Personal Services and Companies

Click over to our Coronavirus Member News page for updates submitted by our members. Many of our eateries are offering take-away service, retailers are still accepting online orders (often with special discounts) and many services (nonprofits too) are continuing to operate as best as possible. We, along with area partners, are working on a listing of various food, retail and services in the Hanover/Ashland area. Consider supporting local vendors whenever possible. Check our Member Directory and contact places directly!