In the News: How will the Biden Administration Affect You as an Employer?
With just under a month under its belt, the Biden administration is implementing policies that will affect your small business. Becoming aware of how these policies will affect you is one way to avoid some of the pitfalls that might come your way. In this week’s roundup, What Workplace Changes Can Employers Expect Under the Biden Administration? one of the articles that looks at the coming changes.
According to David Barron, a labor and employment attorney with the national firm of Cozen O’Connor, who was contacted by Small Business Trends, provided some valuable insights. Key amongst them is the push to pass the $15 an hour minimum wage, an issue affecting the vast majority of small business owners. In the article, Barron also addresses equal employment, paid family leaves, retirement plans, employee protections, and marijuana.
The policies of the new administration is just one of the articles covering issues affecting small businesses. In this week’s roundup, you will also find out the hundreds of millions of dollars in PPP fraud, ways to update your small business tools and strategies for this year with expert tips, which small business will thrive in 2021, whether your small business is on the wrong side of the digital divide, and much more.
Small Business News Roundup – February 12, 2021
Here are some of the headlines making news for small businesses this week.
$341 Million in PPP Fraud So Far, and Counting
The PPP program helped millions of small businesses, but not everyone applying for the loans was legit. So far, the attempted fraud has added up to a staggering $341 million. Money small business owners could have used to keep their company running during these hard times. Make sure to also take a look at the PPP Fraud Infographic for a quick summary of the alleged crimes.
GoTab and CORE Partner to Support Restaurant Employee Families
Restaurant commerce platform GoTab has announced it is partnering with Core: Children of Restaurant Employees. CORE is a non-profit that serves restaurant employees with children with financial relief when facing a health crisis, injury, or death. GoTab will donate 5 cents to CORE for every transaction processed for participating venues through its platform.
More than 2 in 5 Americans Prefer DIY Service Calls, Even After Pandemic
Customers remain uncomfortable about letting technical support technicians into their home. Consequently, they would prefer to use more DIY options for the likes of tech repair and setting up equipment. This was the finding of research carried out by TechSee, an AI-driven visual tech assistance company. The study analyzed customer interaction with in-home technicians during the pandemic.
Vistaprint and PayPal Offering Touchless QR Code Payment Option for Small Business
Vistaprint, marketing and design partners to small businesses, have partnered with PayPal to offer touch-free payment solutions to small businesses in the US. The touch-free payments enable small business owners to process payments without relying on cash or credit cards.
Facebook and Instagram Launch #BuyBlack Shop Collections
In helping celebrate Black History Month, Facebook along with its other brands, Instagram and Messenger, are using the platforms to raise black voices and businesses. Throughout February, Facebook is creating these experiences including #BuyBlack Shop Collections. This will allow consumers to easily find and buy from black-owned businesses directly.
SBA Ignite Seeks to Connect Small Business Owners with SBA Loans
Navigating through the SBA’s loan requirements can be confusing. Now there’s help. SBA Ignite is a new initiative. Small Business Trends contacted Ami Kassar, Chief Executive Officer, MultiFunding LLC, to find out more about SBA Ignite. “It’s a learning initiative, platform and combination of courses created by MultiFunding,” he says.
Is Your Small Business on the Wrong Side of the Digital Divide?
Has your small business crossed the digital divide yet? While there’s been a focus on enterprise businesses digitally transforming, not all small businesses kept pace. Taking a slower evolutionary approach to going digital may have sufficed two or so years ago. But 2020 changed everything.
Which Small Businesses Will Thrive in 2021
Is there a common thread that all small businesses have executed to survive and thrive in the pandemic? On The Small Business Radio Show this week, Rhonda Abrams, USA Today columnist, has helped millions launch and grow successful businesses.
Image: Depositphotos
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