COVID-19 Resources for Small Businesses

Information for individuals experiencing sudden unemployment due to COVID-19 is located in our Unemployment Services and Resources Guide.

Some self-employed individuals, such as independent contractors or gig workers who have lost income due to the pandemic are now eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. Visit the Maryland Department of Labor's COVID-19 Employer and Claimant Information for more information about applying.

For the latest updates, resources, funding opportunities and executive orders relevant to small businesses in Maryland, please check out the State government’s Maryland Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for Business.

Financial Relief & Tax Credits

• Guide to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - From the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, including a comprehensive PDF guide, The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act.
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employer Paid Leave Requirements by the Department of Labor - Certain employers are required to provide their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.
• FAQs on COVID-19-Related Tax Credits for Required Paid Leave Provided by Small and Midsize Businesses - Provided by the IRS. Employers subject to the paid leave requirements are entitled to fully refundable tax credits to cover the cost of the leave required to be paid for these periods of time during which employees are unable to work. Certain self-employed persons in similar circumstances are entitled to similar credits.

Loan & Grant Opportunities

Maryland Resources

• Baltimore Development Corporation - Fill out a survey on how your business is affected to be contacted about state and federal resources as they become available.
  
• Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network (BCAN), and Maryland Citizens for the Arts - funding and resources for local artists.
• The Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) has a Pandemic Adjustment Loan Fund Program to help Maryland's food and fiber producers, harvesters, and primary processors adjust to business disruptions.

Other Resources

• SBA disaster assistance loans - Apply online for loan assistance. Please note they are experiencing a high volume of requests.
• Kiva - this crowd-sourced loan platform is expanding fund access for businesses
• Facebook Small Business Grants Program - Applications open soon for 100 million dollars in cash grants and ad credits to over 30,000 businesses in 30 different countries
• Funding and resources for artists - Covid-19 and Freelance Artists
• Business and Loan Guidance - Information from the U.S. Small Business Administration related to COVID-19.

Platforms for Online Meetings

Stay in touch with staff, virtually meet with customers, or create a video to share. Many of these platforms offer free versions with limited functions, with the option to pay a monthly fee for more features.

• Zoom - shared audio, video, chat, and screen sharing
• Jitsi Meet - No sign up required
• Google Meet or Hangouts - Easy to use if you’re already using G Suite
• Discord - Used primarily for online gaming, this is like a very visual version of Slack
• Notion - Organizes personal tasks and allows collaboration.
• Tech Against Coronavirus - A crowd-sourced listing of online platforms.

Local Organizations

Baltimore-based groups that are actively sharing updates through social media and their own resource guides.

• Impact Hub - Resource guide including a survey for Baltimore business owners about the impact of coronavirus
• Baltimore Corps - This link is their Facebook page, where they share their events and initiatives as well as pertinent articles.
• Baltimore SourceLink - Entrepreneurship support system that forms connections within the local small business community.
• Baltimore Together - Resources for businesses and displaced workers. Also provides information on where to donate excess food and how to file a bulk unemployment claim.
• Maryland SBDC - The Small Business Development Center offers consultations, resources, and training to entrepreneurs.
  
• EcoMaps, Baltimore’s Local Resources for Businesses - Created a centralized database of businesses still serving the public in some capacity. Business owners can add their actively operating establishments to this list.

Pratt Digital Library Resources

Use these free library resources to conduct market research, stream business videos, read, or take an online class. You will need a library card to access these resources.

• Pratt Library Databases
• Business videos on Kanopy
  
• Business & Economics eBooks on Hoopla

Additional Sources for Online Learning & Information

• Maryland Tax Information for Businesses
• Center for Disease Control’s Interim Guidance for Businesses
• Facebook’s Business Resource Hub - Advice from Facebook, including a tool kit and action guide.