Small Business

Written By Rahwa Gebretnsaie

A number of nonprofit organizations have set up pro bono or low bono legal assistance programs to help small businesses affected by the pandemic:

  • Lawyers for Good Government is a nonprofit organization of lawyers who have set up a small business clinic to provide pro bono legal aid to small businesses affected by COVID-19. They currently have a coalition of lawyers working in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington State. If you do not live in these regions, you can still sign up for legal assistance and they will inform you when a program becomes available in your area: https://www.lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/covid-smallbusiness

  • The SCORE Association is a nonprofit association comprised of over 13,000 volunteer business counselors throughout the United States. The volunteers provide free advice and mentorship for business owners. Their website is regularly updated with information about financial resources for business owners, including guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program, SBA Disaster Loan, and other assistance programs for small businesses. Find your local SCORE Office: https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/find/?type=SCORE%20Business%20Mentor&pageNumber=1

  • Our Fair Share is a private initiative educate and guide minority small business owners, non-profits, independent contractors and churches through the SBA PPP loan programs available to you through the recently passed CARES Act. https://www.ourfairshare.com/

**Beware of Fraud**

  •  You should only share financial information with your bank or the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA and city agency web sites and emails all end with “.GOV” extension.

  • The SBA does not initiate contact.  Any communication regarding an application already received will reference the application number provided to you by the SBA.  Make sure they are identical.

  • You should not need any agent, broker, eSignature provider or other outside service to complete a loan.  Beware of anyone offering these or related services.

  • For more information about how to protect yourself against scammers, visit: https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice

California Residents:

  • For all businesses, California supports a network of small business centers which provide free or low-cost consulting and training to help businesses figure out which loans or other federal, state or local programs are a fit for them, and develop resiliency strategies. Many offer multiple languages. Visit this website to find the center nearest you: https://ibank.ca.gov/small-business-finance-center/

  • The state of California has allocated $50 million to the Small Business Finance Center at California’s IBank to support financial relief. This program is available to all California small businesses including undocumented immigrant entrepreneurs. Loans of up to $50,000 will be available through the Financial Development Corporations (FDCs) and their partner CDFI nonprofit lenders. Learn more at the IBank Small Business Finance Center: https://www.ibank.ca.gov/small-business-finance-center/ or email IBank at: COVID19LOAN@IBANK.CA.GOV

  • DLAC has published many resource guides on legal issues that may have arisen due to COVID19, including for small businesses. Some of their guides are also available in Spanish. For more information, visit: https://disasterlegalservicesca.org/covid-19/

Rahwa Gebretnsaie
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