The Business Council of Alabama (BCA) continues to be a leading resource for Yellowhammer State job creators looking to navigate the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The BCA on Monday announced that it will present the Small Business Exchange on Alabama Public Television (APT) this coming Thursday night. This event is designed to help small businesses apply for relief funding under the CARES Act, the $2.2 trillion federal stimulus package recently enacted in response to the pandemic.
In partnership with APT, BCA will bring together experts in business, banking, accounting and law to answer phone calls from Alabama business owners and employers as they grapple with the impact of the coronavirus on the state’s economy.
New federal loans are now available for small businesses, but funding is limited in some cases and quick action is required to take full advantage.
“We have to make sure that Alabama’s small businesses get the loans and support they deserve in these tough economic times,” BCA president and CEO Katie Boyd Britt said in a statement. “These business owners need as much help as we can give them to work through the process. The first step in getting Alabama back to work is to get this loan money flowing to our businesses.”
Available funding includes $10 billion in Economic Injury Disaster Loans and $349 billion in Paycheck Protection Loans. Each program has different eligibility criteria, financing and application processes, and, coupled with general confusion about the programs, this has led many business owners to be uncertain about availability, qualifications, requirements and deadlines.
The point of the Small Business Exchange is to get much-needed accurate information to business owners as expeditiously as possible.
“Our team of experts is donating their time and resources because this is a critical time for small businesses,” Britt concluded. “This federal funding can and will save companies and save jobs, so the BCA is facilitating this process in any way we can.”
The Small Business Exchange program will air Thursday on APT from 7:00-8:00 p.m. CT.
In total, BCA experts will be available to answer questions over the phone from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursday and from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday.
To ask a question or consult with the BCA experts during these time slots, you can call 1-833-BCA4BIZ (1-833-222-4249).
Since the start of the pandemic, BCA has hosted a landing page featuring the latest resources and information for business owners related to the coronavirus. You can access that website here.
RELATED: Keep up with Alabama’s confirmed coronavirus cases, locations here
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
