The IRS has created the ERC to help cover those businesses that either did not qualify or were unable to obtain a PPP loan. “The ERC is a refundable payroll credit of up to 50% of “eligible wages” paid between March 12, 2020, and December 31, 2020. The credit is capped at $5,000 per employee ($10,000 of eligible wages).”

Follow along with the WHO as they monitor and give updated information.…

Congress Reaches Agreement On A Coronavirus Relief Package: Tax Aspects Of The CARES Act (US).…

The following is via the Boise Metro Chamber is highlighting what small business owners can expect in the CARES Act.…

A nation desperate for any reason for optimism got just that on Wednesday evening…

Update on the U.S. Relief Bill via the NSBA.

IBPSA recently surveyed our members about how their facilities have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We heard from 108 individual facilities in the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Malaysia, impacting close to 1600 employees.

Of those facilities who responded, most have either temporarily closed their facility, or are operating at about 10% capacity or less. The majority have either laid-off or furloughed employees. With rare exceptions, all boarding has been cancelled. In some areas, facilities have been getting by with offering grooming services, unless a shutdown declares them to be non-essential. Daycares are seeing fewer and fewer dogs, and some have even temporarily relaxed admission standards and temperament testing.

For those facilities who remain open, they have all implemented strict social distancing protocols, such as curbside pickup/drop-off, online payments, or utilization gated areas for no-contact transfers. Some facilities are also offering shuttle services or pickup/drop off by appointment only.

Cleaning protocols have also been enhanced to include personal protective equipment (gloves, masks, etc), contact-less payments, and utilization of facility slip leads/leashes only.

But even through the uncertainty, and the unsettling decisions that are having to be made, there is some wonderful creativity happening! We hope that you can gain some inspiration from your fellow pet care providers, and maybe one of these ideas will help you as well:

• Gift Certificates or pre-paid packages for future visits
• Curbside services
• Shuttle services
• Help out your local shelter by taking in overflow
• Online training classes for your clients and their pets
• Delivery of enrichment packages to clients’ homes
• Sponsorship programs to pay for care of first responder/front line workers’ pets
• Birthday parties
• Free daycare trials
• Facebook live enrichment activity of the day
• Obedience challenges for clients to do at home with their pet
• Daily social media engagement
• Online retail stores
• Door to door drop off of retail purchases
• Discounts for essential workers
• One-on-one training
• If you have fenced land, offer a private dog park
• Stay in communication with your clients
• Have employees participate in online training and certifications

There is also a lot of optimism. Being shut down, or even at greatly reduced capacity is giving many facilities the chance to tackle some projects that have been on the back burner:

• Deep cleaning (many facility owners are cleaning out storage closets)
• Landscaping
• Painting
• Install security cameras
• Fence repairs
• Update marketing materials/create marketing plan
• Policy manual updates
• Update software
• Update website
• Reading business management books
• Update financials for SBA loans, or other federal assistance that may be forthcoming
• And finally, a reminder to turn off the tv and get outside if you can; take time for self care