COVID-19 Updates

EKOGA is here for our members during the chaos of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. We will be posting links for information important to your business during this worldwide pandemic. If you have any questions about things that may affect your business, please call us at the EKOGA office and we will find the answer for you. We are all in this together.

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Link to all the executive orders signed by Governor Laura Kelly https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/executive-orders/  These include limiting gatherings to 10 people or less, extension of tax filing deadlines, establishing the essential function framework, and more. 

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Workforce information

Guidance on preparing your workplace https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

DOL Wage and Hour Division- Families First Coronavirus Response Act: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic

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Payroll Protection Act and Loan Guidance

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Letter for Businesses Applying for PPP   NEW! 

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Kansas Department of Health and Environment updates: 

https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus

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CDC Updates: 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

SBA To Provide Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19) Up to $2 Million in Disaster Assistance Loans
 

WASHINGTON – SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza issued the following statement today in response to the President’s address to the nation:
“The President took bold, decisive action to make our 30 million small businesses more resilient to Coronavirus-related economic disruptions. Small businesses are vital economic engines in every community and state, and they have helped make our economy the strongest in the world. Our Agency will work directly with state Governors to provide targeted, low-interest disaster recovery loans to small businesses that have been severely impacted by the situation. Additionally, the SBA continues to assist small businesses with counseling and navigating their own preparedness plans through our network of 68 District Offices and numerous Resource Partners located around the country. The SBA will continue to provide every small business with the most effective and customer-focused response possible during these times of uncertainty.”
Process for Accessing SBA’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disaster Relief Lending

• The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Upon a request received from a state’s or territory’s Governor, SBA will issue under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan declaration.

• Any such Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance declaration issued by the SBA makes loans available to small businesses and private, non-profit organizations in designated areas of a state or territory to help alleviate economic injury caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

• SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance will coordinate with the state’s or territory’s Governor to submit the request for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance.

• Once a declaration is made for designated areas within a state, the information on the application process for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance will be made available to all affected communities.

• SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance and can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.

• These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.

• SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.

• SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans are just one piece of the expanded focus of the federal government’s coordinated response, and the SBA is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer-focused response possible.

For additional information, please contact the SBA disaster assistance customer service
center. Call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail
disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
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Membership Update

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This year the EKOGA Board of Directors made some changes to the member dues structure. Over the last two years the EKOGA staff has encountered a lot of confusion from members on what category they fall under, how many of their employees were included in the base dues, and other items. The Board of Directors voted at their December meeting to change membership to one price for all types of members. They also eliminated the employee/individual category. Ultimately, the thought was every member receives the same benefits so the dues should be the same price. Your dues are now $250 and that includes all your employees.

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Included in your Membership Renewal Packet are the invoice for your 2020 dues, a list of accomplishments for the 2019 year,  and a contact update form. It is imperative that you fill out the contact update form for the staff of EKOGA. Included this year, is an option to NOT receive the quarterly newsletter by mail. We will be posting the EKOGA Newsletter in the Members Only sections of the website, and we will email you that link when the newsletter goes out. Every member will receive ONE copy of the quarterly newsletter to the main address, unless you indicate otherwise. If you have employees that do not wish for the Newsletter to come via email, EKOGA will mail up to 5 copies to employee locations indicated on your contact update form.

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While we don’t like to pass on a dues increase to our members, our organization is getting stronger everyday and we have achieved some great things. We plan on offering more benefits each year. This year one of the newly added benefits is a member directory. Please indicate on the contact update form if you would like your company name and contact information included in the new directory. We plan to distribute the new directory by July 1, 2020.

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We are constantly looking to increase the value of your membership to EKOGA as EKOGA is only successful as one large group working together.

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