Small Business Roundtable May 18, 2020, Convening

During the course of the conference call we will be referring to documents and links on this page and the JEDE COVID-19 Resource Page.

The May 18, 2020, agenda is included within this PowerPoint.  The primary topics are related to the California's response to the coronavirus and COVID-19 epidemic.  These issues include:

1. Strategies for Economic Recovery

2. Significant Issues Facing Small Businesses

3. Service and Program Delivery Challenges in Meeting Small Business Needs  

4. May Revise and Pending COVID-19 Legislation

The five top program challenges that have emerged from discussions include:

1. While necessary, reopening guidelines are placing new financial and management challenges on an already stressed business community.  Accessing sufficient PPE to meet necessary health and safety standards is a barrier to re-opening.

2. Small businesses, especially minority- and women-owned, are still finding it difficult to access low-cost financial resources.   State funding structures have resulted in too high of fees being placed on disaster loans and guarantees.

3. While the Federal Reserve has addressed liquidity issues for mainstream banks, smaller nontraditional lenders are still experiencing significant liquidity issues.

4. State program requirements impede program delivery and should be adjusted to better serve small businesses to meet the coronavirus challenge.

5. The lack of clarity about the post-coronavirus economy.  It is clear, however, that prior economic disparities will have even greater impacts.