More than 1,500 smalls businesses have reached out to the Monterey County Business Council looking for assistance in acquiring a loan from the Small Business Administration.
WITH MORE ON HOWSMALL BUSINESSES CANGET HELP WE GO TOACTION NEWS REPORTERCHRISTOPHER SALAS LIVEIN SALINAS.###WELL DAN YOU WALKHERE IN OLDTOWNSALINAS..AND YOU SEE SIGNS LIKETHIS..
"CLOSED UNTILFURTHER NOTICE DUE TOCOVID-19... NO IDEAWHEN WE'LL BE BACK"BUT FOR THE FEBUSINESSES THAT REMAINOPEN..THEY'RE DESPERATELYCOUNTING ON LOANSFROM THE SMALLBUSINESSS ASSOCIATION..AND SO FAR..
THERESPONSE HAS BEEN ASQUIET AS HERE INDOWNTOWNAS THE COUNTRY FIGHTSTO BEND THE CURVE..RESTAURANTS FIGHT TOSTAY ALIVE..WITH EMPTY SEATS..AND TAKE OUT ONLSIGNS.2089536 03:30 "I WANTSAY 70-90 PERCENT OF OURSALES WENT DOWN BECAUSEOF IT." DENNIS WOOOPENED DAMURA SUSHIJUST FOUR MONTHSAGO..AND HE'S ALREADY LAIDOFF 2/3S OF HIS STAFF.06:05 "WE'RE TRYING TOKEEP UP AS MUCH AS WECAN." JUST LIKETHOUSANDS OF OTHERSMALL BUSINESSES LIKEHIS...WOO APPLIED FOR APAYCHECK PROTECTIONPROGRAM LOAN..PART OF THE 2 TRILLIONDOLLAR STIMULUSPACKAGE..BUT JUST MINUTESAFTER WOO SAID HEFINISHED APPLYINGTHURSDAY MORNING..THE SBA STOPPEDTAKING APPLICATIONS..AND THE MONEY DRIEDUP.05:21 "YEAH I'M PROBABLYTHE LAST ONE!" IT'S NOTTHE ONLY LOAN WOOHAS SOUGHT UNDER THEPROGRAM...APPLYING FOR THEECONOMIC INJURYDISASTER LOAN 3 WEEKSAGO..BUT HE HASN'T HEARD AWORD SINCE.07:47 "IT'S ONLY ONLINE SOTHERE'S NO GENERALMANAGER TRYING TO HELPME OUT, THERE'S NO ACTUALPERSON I'M TALKING TO.SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAYIF I'M GOING TO GET IT, ORWHEN I'M GOING TO IT."MORE THAN 1,500 SMALLBUSINESES HAVEREACHED OUT TO THEMONTEREY COUNTYBUSINESS COUNCILASKING FOR GUIDANCESINCE THE SMALLBUSINESS LOAN PROGRAMSTARTED..05:54 "FOR INDEPENDENTCONTRACTORS AND SELF-EMPLOYED, THE PPPBECAME AVAILABLE ONFRIDAY.
BUTT TO SO THAT'SJUST ABSURD TO THINK THATTHE NATION CAN APPLY INFOUR BUSINESS DAYS FORTHAT TYPE OF LOAN." CRAIGSAID THE COUNCIL ISWORKING TO GIVE SMALLBUSINESSESINFORMATION ONDIFFERENT TYPES OFLOANS AND PROGRAMSTHEY CAN ACCESS..00:49 "THE COUNTY OFMONTEREY HAS PARTNEREDUP WITH CAL COASTAL TOCREATE A SMALL BUSINESSEMERGENCY LOAN FUND, IT'SAN EMERGENCY MICRO LOANPROGRAM TO PROVIDE LOANSOF 25,000 OR LESS ANDTHEY ARE AVAILABLE TOMONTEREY COUNTYBUSINESSES THAT AREFINANCIALLY IMPACTED BYBUSINESSES." AND FORBUSINESSES LIKE WU'S...THEY'LL TAKE WHATEVERTHEY CAN..
TO KEEPROLLING ON..CRAIG SAID THERE AREOTHER LOANS WITHINTHE SBA THAT SMALLBUSINESSES CAN UTILIZETHAT ARE NOT TIED TOCOVID-19..DASHE RECOMMENDSPEOPLE GO TO THEECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTDEPARTMETN HERE INSALINAS.TURNING NOW TOTHE LATEST COVID-19CASES ON THE CEN
The independences of the Arab nations in the 20^th century brought hope to the Arab masses for better living standards and better..