April 23-24, 2021 Convention and Trade Show

Essential Workers Vaccine Eligible on March 8

Essential employees working in person, anyone 55 and over and people with certain underlying health problems in South Carolina will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines beginning March 8.

The announcement March 2 by Gov. Henry McMaster adds an estimated 2.7 million people to the eligibility list, greatly expanding what the state’s public health agency had listed for inclusion in Phase 1B. Read more ... 

PPP Update

The Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration are taking steps with the Paycheck Protection Program to further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses. 

The SBA will:

• Immediately implement (starting Wednesday, February 24) a 14-day, exclusive PPP loan application period for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees.
• Allow sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the PPP’s funding formula for these categories of applicants.
• Eliminate an exclusionary restriction on PPP access for small business owners with prior non-fraud felony convictions, consistent with a bipartisan congressional proposal.
• Eliminate PPP access restrictions on small business owners who have struggled to make federal student loan payments by eliminating federal student loan debt delinquency and default as disqualifiers to participating in the PPP; and
• Ensure access for non-citizen small business owners who are lawful U.S. residents by clarifying that they may use Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for the PPP.
• Addressing waste, fraud, and abuse across all federal programs. Unlike the previous round of the PPP, loan guaranty approval is now contingent on passing SBA fraud checks, Treasury's Do Not Pay database, and public records.
• Promoting transparency and accountability by improving the PPP loan application.
• Improving the Emergency Relief Digital Front Door.
• Continuing to conduct extensive stakeholder outreach to learn more about challenges and opportunities in the implementation of current emergency relief programs.
• Enhancing the current lender engagement model. 

Borrowers can apply for the Paycheck Protection Program by downloading the First Draw PPP loan application or Second Draw PPP loan application and working with a participating PPP lender through the SBA Lender Match tool.

Read the Press Release to learn more.

Today is SC Women in Licensed Trades Day!

Honor the Women Who Work in our Industry

"Always show appreciation. What's taken for granted will eventually be taken away. Then you end up missing most what you least appreciated."

South Carolina Association of Licensed Trades has designated today, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, as a day to acknowledge and honor the women who are in your employ. Take a moment and ponder what your operation would be without them! Don't they deserve a special day?

Following are suggestions on ways to honor the women in your workforce.

• Flowers
• Gift certificate for dinner for two at a special restaurant
• Gift certificate for manicure/pedicure/spa day
• Special luncheon
• Gift certificate from stores such as Dillard’s, Belk, Ulta or Amazon
• Visa gift card 
• Extra day's or week's pay

Help make this day special for these women to let them know how much you and your firm appreciate their amazing work, diligence and self-motivation. Let them know that in the hustle and bustle of the day, you may not show your appreciation as effectively as you might wish to.

Senate Passes COVID Liability Protection Bill 

A bill that would prevent lawsuits against businesses and other groups by people who contract COVID-19 as long as federal and state health guidelines were being followed passed the South Carolina Senate last Thursday, February 25. The bill, which was one of the top priorities of business leaders this session, passed 40-3 and now goes to the S.C. House of Representatives.

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