New York SBDC Research Network

06-05-20 POV 6 ways leaders can combat racism in the workplace By Nicholas Emerson Mazzone Fast Company Magazine "The CEO and founder of Supportful, who is gay and part Japanese, says it is this diversity and experience that equipped him with the skills necessary to be an empathetic founder and understanding leader." Even without the evidence that bigotry drives your bottom line down, we know dealing with instances of racism in the workplace is the right and legal thing to do. It is also what people want. This article encourages business owners to address difficult issues in the workplace and not shy away from difficult conversations about race and equality.

Here's how 3 women pivoted their small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic Almost a third of small-business owners have had to close their in-person business operations because of government regulations put in place as a response to the pandemic. By Michelle Fox CNBC.com May 18, 2020 9 Entrepreneurs Who Have Rapidly Transformed Their Businesses for the Better A small sample of owners proving that it's possible to regroup and reinvent. Daniel Priestley CEO, Dent Global Entrepreneur.com April 13, 2020 EDITORS' PICK   How Three Small Businesses Are Pivoting To Stay Afloat Amid The Coronavirus Pandemic Maneet Ahuja Forbes.com May 12, 2020 Small Businesses Adapt, Plan for Growth Amid Pandemic Struggles The latest Coronavirus Impact Poll performed by MetLife and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that many small businesses are adapting and pivoting their workflows to make it through the pandemic. Matthew D'Angelo, Contributor US Chamber

  Fr ee training is available by ServSafe that specializes in training restaurant and hospitality staff. With restaurant owners faced with the challenges of preparing to re-open, ServSafe offers a number of courses such as ServSafe Delivery-COVID-19 Precautions and   ServSafe Reopening Guidance: COVID-19 Precautions . The real advantage is that this training   provides participants a certificate to hang on their door to reassure customers  that the establishment takes safety seriously and is adhering to a standard of service . Many professionals in the field of hospitality may already be familiar with ServSafe Food Handling as many health departments require it. You can register for the courses available here .   

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/05/ftc-sba-warn-operator-sbacom-lead-generator-lendio-stop?utm_source=govdeliveryThere is a great deal of information floating around at the moment about relief programs for small business owners and it can be difficult to know what information to trust. In this case, the SBA and the FTC sent warning letters to ITMedia Solutions and Lendio because their sites could confuse small business owners seeking funding under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other SBA programs.  You can read the full press release here: FTC and SBA Warn Operator of SBA.com and Lead Generator Lendio to Stop Potentially Misleading Coronavirus Relief Loan Marketing The letters warn the recipients to take immediate action to ensure all deceptive claims are removed and to remediate any harm to small business consumers as a result of the claims. The letters also instruct the recipients to notify the FTC within 48 hours about the specific actions

The SBA has announced that they will be working to provide low-interest disaster relief loans to small businesses impacted by novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Now that the President has declared a National Emergency, State and Federal governments can work together to assist businesses severely impacted by the pandemic. A statement by SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza was released on Friday, the 13th of March. You can read more about the Small Business Administration at www.SBA.gov/Coronavirus. You can read about SBA resources here:  https://www.sba.gov/disaster-assistance/coronavirus-covid-19

Small businesses are especially vulnerable to the threat of any sort of disaster and certainly, we are now getting a glimpse of just how much businesses will be affected by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. As the spread of the disease moves quickly from continent to continent and across the country, we can see healthcare organizations and cities roll out their plan for emergencies such as this. But if there is a task that falls by the wayside for the small business owner, planning for business continuity is probably the one that falls through the cracks. Perhaps lessons learned from myriad climate disasters have prepared business owners for this new threat but if not, there is no time like the present. I've come across a few articles that offer some practical things that business owners can do to mitigate the damage.  ECONOMICS & SOCIETY How Chinese Companies Have Responded to Coronavirus by Martin Reeves , Lars Fæste , Cinthia Chen , Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak and Ke