We Are Here For Your Hollywood Business
The City of Hollywood’s Office of Communications, Marketing & Economic Development (CMED) is open for business, compiling information to assist Hollywood businesses throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage you to check the City of Hollywood’s webpage, sign up for City and Business email/text updates, and follow us on Facebook. Our team is available to talk you through any of your business-related issues. Contact us at 954.921.3620 or by email.
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Governor Issues 30-Day Stay-Home Order
PLEASE NOTE: Today Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-91 for the entire state of Florida to remain "Safer at Home" through April 30, 2020. The order is effective at 12:01 a.m. on Friday. April 3, 2020. View all Emergency Orders and Cancellations.
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Completing the Census Survey = More Resources for Businesses & Communities
Today is Census Day, the day the 2020 Census will count every person living in the United States of America and in the U.S. territories.
The United States Constitution requires that every 10 years a count, or census, is taken of America’s population. It’s easy to participate online or by phone using the code you received in the mail and it only takes a few minutes.
Learn more here. Participate in the Census online here.
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Join us in this FREE webinar to learn from experts in Human Resources, Accounting/Finance and Marketing on how your small business can survive and recover through these uncertain times. Register here.
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$10K Forgivable Loan Advance Available
The Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program offers emergency loans to provide relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations suffering because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was signed into law, which provided additional assistance for small business owners and non-profits, including the opportunity to get up to a $10,000 advance on an EIDL. This advance may be available even if your EIDL application was declined or is still pending, and will be forgiven.
Please visit www.SBA.gov/Disaster as soon as possible to fill out a new, streamlined application if you wish to apply for the advance on your EIDL.
In order to qualify for the advance, you need to submit this new application even if you previously submitted an EIDL application. Applying for the advance will not impact the status or slow your existing application.
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Paycheck Protection Program
This new loan program will help with payroll and other business operating expenses, and the SBA will forgive the portion of the loan proceeds that are used to cover the first eight weeks of payroll costs, rent, utilities, and mortgage interest. It will be available retroactive from Feb. 15, 2020, so employers can rehire their recently laid-off employees through June 30, 2020.
Loan Terms & Conditions:
- Eligible Businesses: All businesses, including non-profits, Veterans organizations, Tribal concerns, sole proprietorships, self-employed individuals, and independent contractors, with 500 or fewer employees, or no greater than the number of employees set by the SBA as the size standard for certain industries.
- Maximum loan amounts: Up to $10 million.
- Loan Forgiveness: All loans under this program will have the following identical features: Interest rate of 0.5%, maturity of 2 years, first payment deferred for six months, 100% guarantee by SBA, no collateral, no personal guarantees, no borrower or lender fees payable to SBA.
- Small businesses and sole proprietorships can apply beginning Friday, April 3, 2020.
- Independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply beginning Friday, April 10, 2020.
Visit SBA.gov/Coronavirus or the U.S. Dept. of Treasury for more information.
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Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Upcoming GHCC Programs & Content: Webinars and online classes, provided by GHCC members and experts, can be viewed here.
COVID-19 Best Practices: A Guide To Doing Business: The Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) is creating a "COVID-19 Best Practices: A Guide To Doing Business" forum to help businesses adapt and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Email the GHCC if you:
- Are hosting a virtual seminar
- Have a blog with valuable content
- Are posting content on social media
- Have information to contribute which assists the business community to conduct better business
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Important Information on Vacation Rentals
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has issued Executive Order 20-87 mandating that all parties engaged in the rental of vacation rental properties suspend these operations. All vacation rentals are prohibited from making new reservations or bookings and must not accept any new guests for check-in for the duration of the order.
If you believe any licensee is operating contrary to the Governor’s Executive Order 20-71 or Executive Order 20-87, please report the information to Department of Business and Professional Regulation using this form.
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COVID-19: First Glance at the Stimulus Bill
The third and largest COVID-19 aid bill, a stimulus package of over $2 trillion dollars, is designed to help the ailing economy and ease the burden on families and workers. View a breakdown here.
How the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Impacts Your Organization
Watch a recording of this webinar here.
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"Open For Business" Campaign
Owners of local businesses wanting to promote online discounts, giveaways and gift cards should submit their company information on each of the corresponding links below:
Besides gaining free on-air promotion whenever possible, participating businesses will also be featured on the “Open For Business” web page for listeners to view company details and promotion information.
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Broward SCORE Webinar Series: "COVID-19: Keeping Your Business Alive"
Broward SCORE: Online Small Business Workshops: Broward SCORE’s mission is to help entrepreneurs and small business owners start, develop and grow businesses in Broward County. Learn new business strategies here from the experts with SCORE’s online offerings of small business training workshops, instructor-led trainings and interactive courses.
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Local Restaurant Guides: If your Hollywood restaurant offers curbside pickup, takeout, delivery or drive-thru services, click here to add your business to one or more restaurant guides.
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Considering laying off your employees? Watch this video first from Mason Jackson, CareerSource Broward President & CEO.
The City of Hollywood urges its business community to evaluate the Short-Time Compensation Program in an effort to curtail major layoffs.
The Short-Time Compensation program helps employers retain their workforce in times of temporary slowdown by encouraging work sharing as an alternative to layoff. The program permits prorated reemployment assistance benefits to employees whose work hours and earnings are reduced as part of a Short-Time Compensation Plan to avoid total layoff of some employees. Apply here.
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Florida Small Business Emergency Loan Program
Effective immediately, eligible small businesses interested in applying for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program, a short-term loan designed to help business owners bridge the gap between the time of impact and when the business has secured long-term assistance, should apply for the program through one of two ways:
- OR -
- Download an application, complete it and mail it with the required supporting documentation to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) at: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, C/O Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan, 107 E. Madison Street, MSC-160, Tallahassee FL 32399-4120.
Small businesses that have already applied for the bridge loan program in response to COVID-19 should not submit an additional application.
Funds are already being disbursed to approved applicants! To complete a Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan application by the May 8, 2020 deadline, and for more information about the program, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
For application assistance, please contact the Florida SBDC office nearest you at www.FloridaSBDC.org/locations. For questions regarding the loan program, please contact DEO toll-free at 833-832-4494 or email FloridaBusinessLoanFund@deo.myflorida.com.
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Has COVID-19 affected your business? Take this survey to help activate additional resources.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) issued the Business Damage Assessment Survey to evaluate businesses affected by COVID-19 and the impacts the virus has had on the local economy. The survey’s feedback allows the State Government to fully assess the economic impact COVID-19 is having on Florida businesses and industries, in order to mobilize the appropriate resources to help alleviate those pressures. The Business Damage Assessment Survey can be taken online. Results will be shared with government agencies and local partners, including the Small Business Administration (SBA). For inquiries/assistance with the survey, contact ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
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SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has activated its Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. This program provides working capital to small businesses (and some small agricultural cooperatives and most private nonprofit organizations) who have suffered “substantial economic injury” as a result COVID-19. Substantial economic injury means a business has been unable to meet its obligations and to pay its ordinary and necessary operating expenses. Apply here.
SBA Economic Recovery Webinars
The Small Business Administration (SBA) South Florida District Office will host a series of Small Business Recovery webinars to provide the latest information on how the SBA is helping small businesses with their economic recovery from the effects of COVID-19. Webinars are:will be offered throughout the week during the time periods of 9AM-11AM and 1PM-3PM and are:
- Free to attend.
- Offered Monday through Friday
- Limited to the first 250 callers/attendees.
Webinar Sessions For This Week (English):
- Wednesday, April 1, 2020, 1-3pm
- Thursday, April 2, 2020, 9-11AM
- Thursday, April 2, 2020, 1-3PM
- Friday, April 3, 2020, 9-11AM
- Friday, April 3, 2020, 1-3PM
Webinar Sessions For This Week (Spanish):
For additional information, feel free to contact the SBA staff during Virtual Office Hours:
- Monday, March 23 - Friday, April 04
- 11AM-1PM and 3PM-5PM
- Phone: 202.765.1264 or Skype (Conference ID# 162817288)
Website: www.sba.gov/southflorida • Email: SouthFlorida_DO@sba.gov
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Hospitality Industry Resources
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau has compiled these resources to assist the hospitality industry affected by COVID-19.
Attractions, tours, restaurants and any tourism business providing virtual tours, learning experiences, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, musical performances, etc. through videos or social media live streams, may fill out this form to be included in the Virtual Vacation Experiences page.
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Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
Businesses can request a virtual meeting with the Alliance regarding business preservation assistance, including low- or no-interest loan opportunities and short time compensation for employers. Additionally, the Alliance has compiled business resources here.
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Information on Federal Economic Relief
Additional Online Resources
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Links to these established programs can be found on the City’s Economic Development website. Please continue to monitor www.hollywoodfl.org and www.choosehollywoodfl.com for the latest updates.
Economic Development Division
Raelin Storey, CMED Director
Herb Conde-Parlato, Economic Development Manager
Tekisha Jordan, Principal Planner
Marina Melo, Economic Development Marketing Coordinator
Community Redevelopment Agency - Beach & Downtown Districts
Jorge Camejo, Executive Director
954.924.2980