(WXYZ) — Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and former Lt. Gov. Brian Calley are teaming up for a new coalition to support small businesses amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Calley, who is the president of the Small Business Association of Michigan, worked with Gilchrist and Bob Doyle, the president and CEO of the Michigan Association of CPAs, to launch a new website to help businesses with the Paycheck Protection Program application from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The website, MIpaycheckprotection.com, will help the application and loan process to help people get federal funding.
“All across Michigan, small businesses and families are doing their part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, but this unprecedented time has, understandably, created uncertainty for many employers,” Gilchrist said. “That’s why we are working to make it as easy as possible for even the smallest businesses to apply for additional funding with the launch of the Michigan Paycheck Protection Program website. The Paycheck Protection Program offers much-needed financial support for our small businesses and their workers to help them get through this tough time.”
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and the Paycheck Protection Program is a lifeline,” said Calley. “These loans, much of which may be forgivable, are just what we need to get Michigan’s economy rolling as long as businesses apply.”
Michigan small businesses (per SBA size standards [lnks.gd]) – including hospitality and food industry businesses and sole proprietorships, independent contractors and self-employed persons – are eligible to apply for loans to help ensure employees continue receiving paychecks. The Paycheck Protection Program loans are designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll and may be forgiven if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.
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