April 24, 2020
Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP
President, Chen Moore and Associates
Last week: This past week I’ve heard from friends who received funds for their business from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and I’ve heard from friends that were shut out and they are hoping for a second round of funding. A few things have jumped out at me, though. There are accusations of large banks prioritizing larger clients and making billions off of loans. I know the processes varied from bank to bank, requiring different levels of documentation and yielding different results. Loaning small business money saves more jobs than corporate donations or individual stimulus checks. I hope they get this right.
Looking ahead: The next great debate is when to “reopen”. Whether it be a beach or a business is where the suggestions vary. Let’s be clear, the potential for exposure to COVID-19 exists regardless of when these various places reopen. There will be more infections. We need to continue to be cautious and prepared. Our business is considered essential, but we sent most of our employees to work remotely before the mandatory closures and we’ll keep them working remotely after things reopen. If things reopen, will you consider staying in an extra day, week or month? It just might benefit you.
