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Bottom Line

News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

Resources Roundup: 4/15/20

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The City of Seattle is committed to keeping you updated through these challenging and unprecedented times. In this weekly blog, we’ll provide you with news and information about resources available and policies from the City of Seattle, the State of Washington, the federal government, and our philanthropic partners.

Latest news

Mayor Durkan Announces Initial 250 Grant Awards through City’s Small Business Stabilization Fund

Yesterday, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the initial 250 grantees of the City’s $2.5 million Small Business Stabilization Fund. The fund provides $10,000 grants to small businesses financially impacted by COVID-19. You can find out more about the Stabilization Fund here, including a complete list of businesses that received Stabilization Fund awards.

Nearly 9,000 small businesses applied for the first round of the City’s Small Business Stabilization Fund, which underscores that the need goes far beyond what the City can provide without further support from the private sector, philanthropic partners, and economic relief from the federal government.

Comcast has donated $50,000 to address the urgent need for future rounds of the Stabilization Fund. This investment will help ensure we can continue providing direct capital assistance to small business owners struggling to support their employees and stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interested individuals and organizations can donate to the Stabilization Fund by emailing covidpledge@seattle.gov.

We’re here to help

Downtown Seattle with empty roads at twilight
Downtown Seattle During the Stay Home, Stay Healthy era | Photo by Howard Wu

We know many people have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to keep up with rent and other basic costs of living. Here are a few steps the City of Seattle has taken to ease these burdens, and links to resources that can help.

Rental assistance for King County residents

On Friday, April 10, Mayor Durkan joined with King County Executive Constantine and United Way of King County to announce an expanded rental assistance program. Thanks to generous donations to the Community Relief Fund and a variety of community partners, one month of rental assistance is being offered to people in King County struggling to pay rent due to the coronavirus. If you’re a King County resident who has been impacted financially by COVID-19 and are behind on your rent, you may qualify for assistance. If you meet these requirements, please fill out the online application at www.uwkc.org/renthelp.

Food assistance

Emergency Food Vouchers: Seattle expanded our emergency grocery voucher program to provide $800 in vouchers to 1,000 working people who have recently lost their job or experienced a significant reduction in hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These vouchers can be used to purchase food, cleaning supplies, and other household goods at any Safeway store in Washington State. Learn more here. 

Food Support for Seattle Public School Students: Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is distributing lunches from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every weekday at 26 school sites throughout the city. All SPS students can participate. These 26 sites will become central locations for family and student resource distribution. Find a site here. 

The City of Seattle also has a comprehensive COVID-19 website to help you navigate food, child care, small business, and other resources. To find a breakdown of all city, state, and nonprofit food resources, visit our website now: http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/covid-19#foodsupport. 

A new guide for local, state and federal resources

Snapshot of new OED landing page with COVID-19 resources
Our new OED webpage provides the latest information about resources and programs

We’ve got a new OED COVID-19 website!

The Office of Economic Development (OED) has created a new comprehensive resource page that’s a one-stop-shop for workers and small businesses impacted by COVID-19. You can find out more about loans, grants, and other resources available at the city, state, and federal levels.

Join the weekly webinars with OED

OED hosts weekly webinars for small businesses to share new developments, hear about the impacts you are experiencing, and answer your questions. Please join us Wednesdays, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

We will be rescheduling our next webinar for April 22, and you can register for that webinar here. Please share this with anyone you think might be interested in attending. We look forward to seeing you next week!

Find our April 9 webinar notes and information here.

Seattle & King County resources

Photos of the posters available for businesses to post
Public Health — Seattle & King County (PHSKC) has a new resource for business owners

Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) now has downloadable signs to print and post to help minimize risk of COVID-19. They’re available in multiple languages and are useful resources for grocery stores, restaurants, childcare facilities, and apartment buildings.

These signs can help establishments communicate with their customers and staff the steps they are taking to minimize the risk of COVID-19. Find the downloadable posters here.

Puget Sound Energy assistance

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) will make funds available to help customers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through its Crisis-Affected Customer Assistance Program (CACAP). This includes customers who recently became unemployed, partially unemployed, or cannot work.

Funds are also available in PSE’s other assistance programs. For more information on this program and other PSE COVID-related program offerings, see here.

Washington State resources

The closure of so many businesses in our state has created record-high unemployment rates. If you or your employees are seeking help with unemployment, the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) has some excellent new resources.

They have compiled an FAQ for businesses, as well as an FAQ for workers that contains lots of links to other resources. Also, ESD has a new eligibility checker that makes it easier to figure out whether you qualify for unemployment benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wait times for help from the ESD can be long. If you need help but aren’t able to wait on hold, you can now schedule a call back.

Federal resources

The federal government has created several new loan programs to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a variety of SBA loan options and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. To find out more about these and other resources, see our OED COVID-19 Resources for Businesses page.

To find out more about SBA loan resources and to access support, visit our SBA Disaster Loan Technical Assistance webpage.

OED is continuing to offer technical assistance with SBA loan applications and is also helping small businesses understand the federal Coronavirus Aids, Relief & Security (CARES) Act. OED has assisted more than 60 small businesses so far. For assistance, please email OED@seattle.gov or call 206-684-8090.

For more information on applying for SBA and PPP loans, see our website.

Support for completing PPP applications

Announcement about NDC's upcoming webinar Friday April 17 3-4:30 PM

The community and economic development non-profit NDC is offering a free webinar this Friday (12-1:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time) to help businesses applying for a PPP loan. This webinar will provide a line by line overview of the PPP application process. Webinar participants will walk through the PPP application requirements live with a NDC GAF Loan Officer, and thereby gain a strong understanding of the steps needed to put together a successful PPP application.

Register for the webinar here.

SBA debt relief

If you are a small business owner with an existing SBA loan, the SBA is now providing financial relief for loan payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of these debt-relief efforts, the SBA will automatically pay the principal, interest, and fees of current 7(a), 504, and microloans for a period of six months. You can find more information about this important program here.

Phishing alert

Beware of scams, frauds and phishing—the SBA will not initiate contact with you about either 7(a) or Disaster loans or grants. If someone unexpectedly contacts you claiming to be from the SBA, suspect fraud. Learn more here.

Business District Webinar – Connecting Businesses to Resources

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On Tuesday, April 7, the Only in Seattle (OIS) team hosted a webinar with neighborhood business districts and partners to provide relevant and timely information for small businesses. The OIS team coordinates with Seattle’s neighborhood business districts to provide resources for community stakeholders, business and property owners, and local organizations to achieve economic development outcomes determined by the community.

In response to COVID-19, the OIS team continues to work with business districts and community partners to provide resources and language access to small business. In the past weeks, OIS conducted a webinar on Small Business Administration (SBA) loan products and navigating unemployment referrals to small businesses.

Highlights from the April 7 Business District Webinar includes:

  • Overview of the CARES Act
  • SBA Resources Training
  • Community Liaison Program
  • Connecting Businesses to Resources

Below are links from the April 7th Business District Webinar:

For additional questions, please contact Heidi Hall at, Heidi.Hall@seattle.gov

#SupportSeattleSmallBiz Spotlight: Chef Tarik’s Transformative Community Work

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Chef Tarik’s apron reflects his personal and business ethos | Photo courtesy of Quinn Russell Brown

Meet Feed the People owner and founder Chef Tarik Abdullah (aka Cooka T), who has a boundless passion for food and for supporting his community. The lifelong cook is also a youth mentor and culinary educator, well-known pop-up event creator, and community visionary. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s teamed up with other local restaurant owners to form a collective that’s serving people free meals throughout Southeast Seattle . Read more about Chef Tarik’s background and work in this Seattle Refined story or watch him on this KING5 feature.

Before the COVID-19 crisis

Chef Tarik in the kitchen with children.
Cooka T in his element with the kids | Photo and video by Jessica Rycheal

Chef Tarik has been hosting pop ups in Seattle since 2014. Before the virus struck, he was “right in process of unveiling my new junior culinary program.” He notes that “Pop ups work as a classroom; you get inquiries from kids that want to cook. So I wanted to start that.” For more than two decades, he has been working with kids and providing mentoring and opportunities. His deep commitment to youth follows from his father’s example: “I took my father’s footsteps and moved forward.” His plan for the culinary program is on hold, at least for now, because of COVID-19.

Response to the Pandemic

Creative takeout meal Chef T made
One of the creative takeout meals Chef Tarik made recently | Photo courtesy of Tarik Abdullah

Yet Chef Tarik hasn’t let that stop his inspirational work in the community. He explains that about a week after the pandemic started, he partnered up with a group of other local chefs and restaurants — including Kristi Brown (That Brown Girl Cooks), Melissa Miranda (Musang), Cam Hanin (Guerilla Pizza Kitchen), Geo Quibuyen and Chera Amlag (Hood Famous Bakeshop), and Guitar (Sugar Hill)  – to form the kitchen collective. Their goal is to provide “prepared meals and donated food that we give out to the public for those in need – no cost and no questions asked.” You can read more about this inspiring effort in a recent Eater Seattle feature.

Looking out the window of Soulful Dishes
Soulful Dishes has provided space for Chef Tarik’s Feed the People initiative | Photo courtesy of Tarik Abdullah

Each day, Chef Tarik can be found cooking out of Jimaine Miller’s Soulful Dishes kitchen at 1800 E Yesler Way, across the street from Tiny Village, where “they don’t usually get hot food.” He says his choice of locations was partly influenced by the fact that there was “no other representation by community kitchen participants in the CD, and so there was a clear need.” He says “the biggest challenge for me was getting the kitchen and space set up” in order to provide free meals for walk-ups, while Jimaine (aka Def Chef) also provided takeout for traditional customers.

They figured it out so that Chef Tarik now has a warmer set up outside the restaurant “so people can just walk up and get a meal from me.” In addition to serving takeout meals from the restaurant, Jimaine also provides a lunch program for kids. The partnership is working well.

The day-to-day

Photo of Jimaine Miller's kitchen with pots, pans, ovens, and prep surfaces.
Jimaine Miller’s kitchen set up for the day’s work | Photo courtesy of Tarik Abdullah

Chef Tarik starts work at 6 or 7 a.m. and doesn’t leave until about 8 p.m. He opens at 10 a.m. for breakfast then switches to lunch meals at noon. He says he’s cooking and serving 85-100 meals each day, Monday through Friday, from 10-6 “provided we don’t sell out.” He makes up “all the hot food in warmers, scoops, puts a lid on it, and it’s out the door. Nothing is cold. We’re serving anyone who needs food; [all they have to do is] call or walk up to the door.”

Chef Tarik explains that every day is a new culinary adventure. He’s receiving donations for this effort from “restaurants, other chefs, neighbors and locals, food banks,” and a variety of other sources He never knows exactly what he’ll be cooking for the day because it depends on what has arrived. He notes “it’s like ‘Chopped’ – hmm, what are we going to do today? What are we going to do with this? It’s like a dream!”

Plates and bowls of food
A few of the innovative dishes Chef Tarik has served | Photo courtesy of Tarik Abdullah

He loves the variety and the unexpected opportunities to be creative. On Thursday, he had just received a large donation of apples and oranges and was imagining what he might do with them during our interview. “Maybe hand pies,” he mused. The most creative recent thing he remembered making was a “cinnamon croissant bread pudding with strawberry compote, coconut yogurt, and jasmine caramel — with fried plantain chips on top.”

What’s next

Chef T in the kitchen starting work
Each new day provides new opportunities for Chef Tarik | Photo courtesy of Tarik Abdullah

While he’s working longer hours than before the pandemic struck, Chef Tarik notes that the challenges created by the current situation have provided real growth opportunities. He’s morphed from being a “pop up guy to running a restaurant” in the course of a few weeks. Among other options, forming the collective has opened the door to doing more food policy work in the future. He also imagines what else he might do with the skills he’s developing, explaining “I can stick to all this or I can start my program and open up a space. The culinary program for kids is still my dream.”

For now, Chef Tarik will carry on cooking and serving hot food, while also working to ensure that they receive the 600 pounds of weekly food donations they need to continue serving 100 meals a day. Reflecting on a takeaway message he’d like to give the community, he says, “Thank you to every single restaurant and everyone that’s donated: financially and non-financially. I’m glad everyone came together to help each other out. This is a beautiful thing to see so many of us on the same page.”

To donate to his work or to order food, you can reach Chef Tarik through his website or by phone (206) 605-0159.

Mayor Jenny Durkan Announces Initial 250 Grantees of the Small Business Stabilization Fund

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“At the City, we’re doing everything we can locally to support our small businesses and workers during this unprecedented moment in history. Working together in the early days of this crisis, we quickly created this $2.5 million Small Business Stabilization Fund, which has become a model for cities across our country.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan

Earlier today, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced the initial 250 grantees of the City’s $2.5 million Small Business Stabilization Fund.

The fund provides $10,000 grants to small businesses financially impacted by COVID-19. Nearly 9,000 small businesses applied for the first round of the City’s Small Business Stabilization Fund, demonstrating that the need goes far beyond what the City can provide without further support from the private sector, philanthropic partners, and economic relief from the federal government.

With loans and grants available at the state and federal level, OED has also created a comprehensive resource page for workers and small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and is providing technical assistance to support our small businesses

Find a complete list of grantees for the initial round of the Small Business Stabilization Fund here.

Cities across the country — including San Francisco, Atlanta, and New York City — have reached out to learn more about the Stabilization Fund and try to replicate this model in their own communities. On April 1, Mayor Durkan signed into law her legislation to ensure the City of Seattle can accept donations, including for initiatives like supporting small businesses through stabilization funding and for families via food vouchers.

Comcast donates $50,000 to support next round of Small Business Stabilization Fund

“I am grateful to Comcast for their commitment to help fund further rounds of the Stabilization Fund and support the small businesses that make Seattle the best city in the country.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan

Comcast has donated $50,000 to address the urgent need for future rounds of the Stabilization Fund. This investment will help ensure the Office of Economic Development (OED) can continue providing direct capital assistance to small business owners struggling to support their employees and stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interested individuals and organizations can donate to the Stabilization Fund by emailing covidpledge@seattle.gov.

Rodrigo Lopez, Regional Senior Vice President of the Comcast Washington region, said “We recognize the important role that small businesses play in our economy and our community. Now more than ever they need our support and we are pleased to do our part. We also know that internet service is essential and are working hard every day to ensure that our network is helping both businesses and residents across of our community keep connected.”

The Mayor explained, “With nearly 9,000 small businesses applying to the first round of the Stabilization Fund, it’s clear that the need far outweighs what the City can provide to our small businesses.

“I urge all those who are able to support future rounds of this fund, and also support our small businesses by ordering pickup, delivery, or shopping online during this unprecedented time. While we to do everything we can at the City level to support small businesses, I will continue to advocate at the state and federal level to ensure our region receives the economic relief we need, both now and as we recover.”

City of Seattle actions and the critical role of state and federal resources

The City also recently launched the #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map, which helps residents find small businesses providing takeout or delivery in their neighborhood. The map allows users to search for open small businesses in their neighborhood and navigate directly to a business’ website or third-party delivery service page. As of April 8, 1,198 small businesses are included in the map, which has been viewed 185,000 times. If you’re a business owner interested in adding your information to the #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map, please contact the City at supportsmallbiz@seattle.gov.  

Mayor Durkan and the City of Seattle have worked to implement a series of actions that support artists, nonprofits, small businesses, and workers, including:  

As the City does everything it can to support small businesses, Mayor Durkan and the City of Seattle continue to advocate at the state and federal level to ensure our region receives the economic relief we need, both now and as we recover.

Small Business COVID-19 Weekly Webinar: April 8

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Power Point slide image from the Weekly Webinar April 8

OED is committed to supporting our small businesses as we work together to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19. We are holding weekly webinars to share new developments, hear about the impacts you are experiencing, and answer your questions. Please join us every Wednesday from 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Register for the webinars here.

A recording of each weekly webinar will automatically be sent to those who registered.

Highlights of our April 8 session included:

  • Updates on community needs and other topics from Public Health – Seattle & King County;
  • Updates from the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development about SBA loan assistance, workforce-related issues, and unemployment;
  • information from the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods Historic Preservation team about securing your business from vandalism during COVID-19-related closures;
  • Updates from the Small Business Administration regarding loan options for small businesses; and
  • Information about Governor Inslee’s new Working Washington Grants for small businesses.

Below are links from our April 8 webinar. (Please note: you must register for the webinar in order to listen to the recording.)

Please continue to monitor this blog for updated information from the Office of Economic Development. We’re all in this together!

Resources Roundup: 4/6/2020

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The City of Seattle is committed to keeping you updated through these challenging and unprecedented times. In this weekly blog, we’ll provide you with news and information about resources available and policies from the City of Seattle, the State of Washington, the federal government, and our philanthropic partners.

The City also has created a comprehensive resource page for residents and small businesses impacted by COVID-19. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

Latest News

Mayor Durkan’s New Executive Order to Align City of Seattle with Governor’s Extended ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ Order

Empty playground in Maple Leaf Park.
Like all City parks, Maple Leaf Park will remain closed at least through May 4 | Image courtesy of SDOT Flickr

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today issued an Executive Order to align the City of Seattle’s policies on facility closures and permit suspensions with Governor Inslee’s statewide ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order, which is extended until at least May 4, 2020.

The Mayor’s Executive Order extends the following policies to align with Governor Inslee’s order:

The Mayor’s Executive Order extends the following policies until May 4:

Policies including deferred B&O payments, rent relief for tenants of City facilities, and the moratoriums on residential, nonprofit, and small business evictions follow timelines that extend beyond May 4. For more information, read the Mayor’s press release.

Small Business Stabilization Update

Photo of the Seattle Waterfront
The Seattle Waterfront | Image courtesy of SDOT Flickr

Mayor Durkan and OED launched our Small Business Stabilization Fund COVID-19 Response so that Seattle-based, low and moderate-income small business owners with five or fewer employees could apply for a grant award of $10,000. March 25 was the deadline to apply. We received nearly 9,000 applications, and the City had available funds to award 250 grants.

We’ll announce the recipients of these awards soon. Please keep your eye out for updates at #SupportSeattleSmallBiz as well as on our website.

While the deadline to apply for the initial round of the Small Business Stabilization Fund has passed, we’re are also working to secure funding for another round of Stabilization Fund grants. All those who are interested and able can donate to the Stabilization Fund by emailing covidpledge@seattle.gov. We will have more details to share soon!

SBA Loan Assistance Available

The federal Small Business Association (SBA) received billions of dollars in funding via the CARES Act to support small businesses with special grants and loans. Assistance opportunities range between $10k – $10M depending on the product. Find more information about loans available through the SBA here. Additional details about these loans were included in our April 2 Resources Roundup blog.

OED is here to help small businesses navigate this loan application process. To request this service please email us at oed@seattle.gov. If you prefer to inquire by phone, call (206) 684-8090.

OED Weekly Webinars

PowerPoint slide image from weekly webinar.
Get weekly updates by attending our webinars

OED is committed to responding to and supporting our small businesses to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. We are holding weekly webinar calls to share new developments, hear about the impacts you are experiencing, and answer your questions. Please join us every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Register for the webinars here. 

The webinars are packed with updated information and if you can’t attend, you can find links to recordings, notes, PowerPoint slides on our Bottom Line Blog. Find out about our April 1 and March 25 webinars here.

Our upcoming April 8 OED Small Business Weekly COVID Resource Webinar will focus on the Creative Industries.

Expanded State Unemployment Benefits

OED’s Workforce Development Team continues to connect businesses and workers with resources to help answer questions about state unemployment benefits and navigating that system. Unemployment benefits were expanded with the recently passed CARES Act, and our staff are monitoring and sharing the latest information to help people access these benefits, including:

Resources from the Office of Film + Music

The Office of Film and Music (OFM) is providing updated information about COVID-19 for businesses and workers in the creative industries. To find out more, visit their COVID-19 Film Guidance and Updates page.

The non-profit Washington Filmworks also has compiled information about new unemployment benefits available to gig workers under the CARES Act and you can find it here. They’ve also created two surveys about how creative workers in the film industry are faring through this challenging period.

Private Philanthropic Resources

The Plate Fund

We’re seeing more and more local businesses step up to support struggling workers and businesses in the greater Seattle area. Today, Starbucks announced The Plate Fund, an initiative to provide immediate financial assistance to those who work in the restaurant industry. For more information or to donate, find them on Twitter at #theplatefund or visit their website.

All in Seattle

All in Seattle provides resources to non-profits who are supporting our community in a variety of ways through the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find out more about this important initiative or donate to it here.

Federal Resource Spotlight: Paycheck Protection Program Loans

The CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides small businesses with 500 employees or fewer up to $10 million in forgivable loans to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. All loan terms will be the same for everyone and are provided through financial institutions/lenders. 

For more information about PPP loans:

Community Teamwork in Ballard

Artists painting boarded over storefronts in Ballard.
Creating art for businesses in Ballard | Image courtesy of Stevie Shao

The Ballard Alliance had a creative response to seeing boarded up neighborhood businesses! They retained several local artists to paint a total of 13 business storefronts, thereby instilling a sense of community spirit and hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’d like to be involved in the Ballard initiative, contact Devin Reynolds (devin@ballardalliance.com) or Kiana (kiana@ballardalliance.com).

Similar projects are underway elsewhere around the Seattle, and we are hoping this effort will spur others to take similar steps and expand this kind of artwork throughout our community. If you’d like to be involved in the Lake City area, contact Chris.Leverson@chs-wa.org.

Small Business COVID-19 Weekly Webinars: March 25 and April 1

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The City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development is committed to responding to and supporting our small businesses to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. As this is a rapidly developing issue, we are holding weekly calls to share new developments, hear about the impacts you are experiencing, and answer your questions. Please join us every Wednesday, from 11:00am- 12:00pm. Register for the webinars here. 

A recording of the webinar will automatically be sent to those who registered. OED will post notes and a link to the recording on our Bottom Line blog shortly after (https://bottomline.seattle.gov/).

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this stressful time. Please continue to monitor the Bottom Line blog for evolving information from the Office of Economic Development.

This blog provides links from both our April 1 webinar and our March 25 webinar.

April 1 Webinar Resources

Topics covered included:

  • Update from Seattle King County Public Health
  • The new federal CARES Act
  • SBA loan products
  • Worker and unemployment-related issues
  • Resources for creative professionals and gig economy workers

Find all the details here:

March 25 Webinar Resources

Topics covered included:

  • Recap of relief for small businesses
  • Web links to centralized City resources for businesses and workers
  • The City’s Small Business Stabilization Fund

Find all the details here:

Resources Roundup: 4/2/2020

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Flowers at the Pike Place Market
Adaptive marketing strategies at the Pike Place Market

Following is information highlighting new and current resources available from the City of Seattle, the State of Washington, and the Federal government.

There’s lots of new information coming out for small business owners and workers, and we’ll try to keep you updated each week about what’s going on and the resources you can access for help during this challenging time. The City also has created a comprehensive resource page for residents and small businesses impacted by COVID-19. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

City Resources

Seattle skyline with buildings and Mt. Rainier in background
Our city is strong and resilient

“At the City, we’re doing everything we can locally to support our small businesses during this unprecedented moment in history. We’ve identified millions of dollars to invest directly in our most vulnerable small businesses and are working with our partners across government and in the private sector to help many who are struggling. With many of our neighborhood restaurants still open, we can support our small businesses by ordering pickup or delivery during this time.

Mayor Jenny Durkan

New #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map of restaurants, bars, cafes, and breweries providing services

Map showing businesses that are doing delivery, to-go, and drive-through
Map of businesses providing delivery, to go, and drive-through services

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced on March 30 the City of Seattle’s new #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map, which helps residents find small businesses providing takeout or delivery in their neighborhood. The map allows users to search for open small businesses in their neighborhood and navigate directly to a business’ website or third-party delivery service page. For more details about what this map provides, see the Mayor’s press release.

The map is part of the City’s #SupportSeattleSmallBiz campaign, which asks residents to post pictures and videos from their favorite Seattle restaurants, bars, and cafes that are doing delivery, to-go, and drive-through with #SupportSeattleSmallBiz and #WeGotThisSeattle, and tag @SeattleEconomy. City staff are working to add these locations to the map as quickly as possible.

To use the map, residents can enter their location or drop a pin and find all the available restaurants near them. Once they select their restaurant, they can place a takeout or delivery order directly through the app or can receive directions to the restaurant. The map also connects users directly to third-party delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Caviar to easily patronize a restaurant.

If you’re a business owner interested in adding your information to the #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map, please contact the City at supportsmallbiz@seattle.gov. 

Stabilization Funds for Small Businesses

Round 1

To help relieve financial challenges for Seattle’s most vulnerable businesses, the City of Seattle committed approximately $2.5 million in Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to the first round of the Small Business Stabilization Fund. Applications for this first round of the Stabilization Fund were due Wednesday, March 25 at midnight. The application period for these grants is now closed.

We received over 8,500 applications, and are currently in the process of reviewing them. If you applied for one of these grants, you can expect to hear whether or not your application will be funded by April 10.

Round 2

While the application period for Round One of the Stabilization Fund has closed, small businesses will have a chance to apply for a second round of Stabilization Fund grants. We’ll be announcing additional information soon. Please keep your eye out for updates at #SupportSeattleSmallBiz as well as on our website.

Residents who would like to donate to the Small Business Stabilization Fund may do so by emailing covidpledge@seattle.gov. We appreciate your support and partnership as we work to help our small businesses during this unprecedented time.

Additional resources from the City of Seattle

Local musicians Eva and Cedrick on their music show "Video BeBop" on the Seattle Channel
Local musicians Eva and Cedrick on their music show “Video BeBop” on the Seattle Channel

Mayor Durkan and the City of Seattle have worked to implement a series of other actions that support artists, nonprofits, small businesses, and workers, including:

State of Washington Resources

Washington State Legislative Building
Washington State Legislative Building

Find the most recent state-level resources and information regarding COVID-19 at Governor Jay Inslee’s site.

The Washington State Department of Commerce has direct links to the SBA loan programs and will soon have information about the Governor’s state-wide small business grant program. You can find Washington State resources for businesses outside the City of Seattle here.

Federal Resources for Businesses and Workers

U.S. Capitol Building
U.S. Capitol Building | Photo by Chris Grafton on Unsplash

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (or “CARES”) Act  was passed by Congress and signed by the President on Friday, March 27. This legislation provides businesses and individuals with new forms of relief during this period of economic hardship. For a summary of its provisions, see our website.

Resources for Small Business

NEW! CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans

For Small Businesses (500 Employees or less) the CARES Act provides up to $10 million in forgivable loans to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. All loan terms will be the same for everyone and are provided through financial institutions/lenders. The loan amounts will be forgiven as long as:

  • The loan proceeds are used to cover payroll costs, and most mortgage interest, rent, and utility costs over an 8-week period between February 16th and June 30th, 2020; and
  • Employee and compensation levels are maintained.

PPP loans are available to Small businesses with 500 or fewer employees—including nonprofits, veterans organizations, tribal concerns, self-employed individuals, sole proprietorships, and independent contractors. B

For more information about PPP loans:

How and where to apply for a PPP loan:

  • These loans are provided through a financial institution or lender, and not the SBA.
  • Find the Application Form for PPP loans here.
  • For more details about application, please visit an approved SBA lender/financial institution. The full list of lenders has not yet been finalized. We recommend you start by contacting your current personal lender. As a backup, please refer to this list.

Please note: the PPP SBA policy is still being finalized. More details will be forthcoming soon. For the latest news and updates, subscribe for email alertsat www.sba.gov/updates. You can also follow SBA on Twitter at @SBAgov, @SBAPacificNW or @SBASeattle

SBA Loans

Small Business Administration logo

On Monday March 16, the SBA announced a disaster declaration regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides low-interest loan assistance to businesses in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories that have suffered substantial economic injury as result of COVID-19. These loans provide small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

These loans can help small businesses meet financial obligations and cover operating expenses. For more information, click here. Additionally, this slide deck can guide you through the disaster loan program and includes step-by-step instructions on completing the application.

Applicants for the federal SBA Economic Injury Disaster loans may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information, and download applications at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 (interpretation provided) or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For information about all SBA loans and resources, visit the SBA’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources page.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance

Businesses that have applied for a disaster assistance loan due to COVID-19 can also request a $10,000 advance to help cover costs. The link to the SBA EIDL application gets you through the application process.  At the end of that you can submit and check the box to receive a $10,000 advance. 

You should get an email confirmation of application submission.  Once the application is submitted you will get the $10,000 auto deposited within 3 days of submitting your application, regardless of whether it is a successful application or not.  By simply applying you are eligible for the $10,000.  Applicants are not required to repay the advance, even if they are subsequently denied an EIDL. To apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan,click here.

Support for SBA Loan Application Process

The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) is also offering technical assistance to help small businesses apply for these SBA Economic Injury Disaster loans. To request this service please fill out this intake survey and someone will respond within 1 business day. 

If you prefer to inquire by phone or if you have an issue with the
survey, call (206) 684-8090. We’re here to help!

Deferment of Existing SBA Loans

If you have existing business loan through SBA, The SBA Debt Relief program provides a reprieve to small businesses as they overcome the challenges created by this health crisis. If you have an existing loan with SBA, under the SBA Debt Relief program:

  • The SBA will also pay the principal and interest of new 7(a) loans issued prior to September 27, 2020.
  • The SBA will pay the principal and interest of current 7(a) loans for a period of six months.

If you have questions about this, please call the lender that provided your SBA loan

New Resources for Individuals and Workers

Two men doing street work
Many workers find their jobs on hold during the “Stay Home Stay Healthy” order

Cash payments and tax relief

  • Most individuals earning less than $75,000 can expect a one-time cash payment of $1,200. Married couples would each receive a check and families would get $500 per child. That means a family of four earning less than $150,000 can expect $3,400. Checks to be deposited mid-April.
  • The cash payments are based on either your 2018 or 2019 tax filings. People who receive Social Security benefits but don’t file tax return are still eligible, too. They don’t need to file taxes; their checks will be based on information provided by the Social Security Administration.
  • Tax returns: Some people have not filed their 2019 tax returns, but that’s OK. The filing deadline has been extended to July 15. The IRS also says that people who have filed or plan to can still expect to receive a refund if they are owed one.

Unemployment benefits

  • This bill adds $600 per week from the federal government on top of whatever base amount a worker receives from the state. That boosted payment will last for four months.
  • The legislation also adds 13 weeks of unemployment insurance. People nearing the maximum number of weeks allowed by their state would get an extension. New filers would also be allowed to collect the benefits for the longer period.
  • Gig workers and freelancers: Typically, self-employed people, freelancers and contractors can’t apply for unemployment. This bill creates a new, temporary Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program through the end of this year to help people who lose work as a direct result of the public health emergency.

You can find more details about what the CARES Act provides on our website. More detailed information about how to apply for these benefits will be forthcoming from the Federal government in the near future.

Make Sure You’re Counted!

Census 2020 logo

We’re urging residents to fill out their Census form NOW – this is one of the most critical things we can do as a community to ensure Seattle gets the resources we need. The #2020Census will shape our City’s access to hard-earned federal benefits and political representation. If there’s an undercount, our communities’ lives could be impacted for an entire decade.

Please take a few minutes to complete the Census and say, “We’re here, and we count.” If you haven’t already, head to https://2020census.gov/ to fill out your Census form and help our region access critical federal resources. It is your right to complete the Census and your privacy and confidentiality is protected by law. #2020Census #WeCount.

Neighborhood business districts webinar March 26, 2020

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Thank you to those that were able to join us last week for the webinar. The presentations and recording are available on here on our blog. I know you all are working incredibly hard to support your businesses through this crisis. We are here to support in any way we can, and will continue to pass along relevant resources and information.

Below is additional information to follow up on some specific supports we discussed.

  • SBA disaster loans – OED is providing assistance to businesses to access SBA disaster loans. We are also tracking additional programs that will come through SBA from the federal CARE Act. Information and an intake form is on OED’s website.
  • Community liaison support – We are working with DON to activate a group of community liaisons that have worked on OIS projects. They are focusing their work in key equity districts in partnership with the business district leads. For other neighborhoods, if you encounter language needs in your business outreach and support efforts related to COVID, please reach out to your OIS contact.
  • Small Business Stabilization Fund – The first round closed 3/25 and awardees will be announced this week, along with details about additional rounds of funding. To qualify for a grant this first round: Business owners had to be low-moderate income (household income of 80% area median income or below), Microbusinesses (5 employees or less), and have a physical establishment in Seattle. Given the high number of qualified applications received, a lottery was conducted to select awardees. Awardees were selected from across the city with a higher proportion awarded to high displacement risk neighborhoods.
View high risk of displacement map

Webinar recording 03-26-2020 here

Slides from 03-26-2020 webinar
Workforce resources for workers and employers from SJI

Small Business COVID-19 Weekly Webinar: March 18

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The City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development is committed to responding to and supporting our small businesses to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. As this is a rapidly developing issue, we will be holding weekly calls to share new developments, hear about the impacts you are experiencing, and answer your questions. Please join us every Wednesday, from 11:00am- 12:00pm. Register for the webinars here. 

A recording of the webinar will automatically be sent to those who registered. OED will post notes and a link to the recording on our Bottom Line blog shortly after (https://bottomline.seattle.gov/).

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this stressful time. Please continue to monitor the Bottom Line blog for evolving information from the Office of Economic Development.

Register for Weekly Webinars

March 18 Webinar Recording

March 18 Webinar Notes
March 18 Webinar-Slides