It’s estimated that some 30 million US small businesses may fall victim to the coronavirus through closures, cancellations and other revenue losses. With no clear end in sight, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering eligible businesses low-interest disaster relief loans to cover operating expenses.
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. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%. In order to keep payments affordable, they are offering long-term repayments, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.
On Saturday, March 21, 2020, Missouri was approved as an eligible area for SBA disaster loans. If this is a program that could benefit your business, we encourage you to begin the application process by gathering the information outlined on the SBA website and completing the necessary forms.
For more information on areas currently eligible for SBA disaster relief and to apply for a loan, visit the SBA website at https://www.sba.gov/disaster-assistance/coronavirus-covid-19 or call the SBA disaster assistance customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Resources: SBA Disaster Assistance in Response to the Coronavirus.
