Big Rapids, Michigan, USA

“Big Rapids” is a small city located in the central region of Michigan, about 50 miles north of Grand Rapids. The city has a population of approximately 10,000 people and serves as the county seat of Mecosta County.

The area where Big Rapids is located was first settled in the mid-19th century, and the city was officially incorporated in 1869. The town grew rapidly during the late 1800s and early 1900s as a result of the lumber and railroad industries.

Today, Big Rapids is known for its charming downtown area, which is filled with historic buildings and unique shops and restaurants. The city is also home to Ferris State University, a large public university that was founded in 1884 and is a major contributor to the local economy. Continue reading

New Vehicle Sales Continue Downward Slide in April, Edmunds Forecasts

SANTA MONICA, Calif.April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The car shopping experts at Edmunds say that April will be a record down month for the auto industry due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, forecasting that 633,260 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. for an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 7.7 million. This reflects a 52.5% decrease in sales from April 2019, and a 36.6% decrease from March 2020. Edmunds analysts note that this is the lowest-volume sales month dating back to at least 1990; the second worst month for sales in the past 30 years was January of 2009, when 655,000 vehicles were sold. Continue reading

Paycheck Protection Program

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan designed by the US Govt, and implemented by the SBA, to provide a direct and immediate incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll, and thus avoid large scale job losses, because the SMBs create over 50% of the total jobs across America.

SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks, and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

You can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender, or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans once they are approved and enrolled in the program.

Lenders may begin processing loan applications as soon as April 3, 2020.
The Paycheck Protection Program will be available through June 30, 2020.
Please check with your local lender whether it’s participating in the program.

Who Can Apply
The following entities affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19) may be eligible:

  • Any small business concern that meets SBA’s size standards (either the industry based sized standard or the alternative size standard)
  • Any business, 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization, 501(c)(19) Veterans organization, or Tribal business concern (sec. 31(b)(2)(C) of the Small Business Act) with the greater of: 500 employees, or that meets the SBA industry size standard if more than 500.
  • Any business with a NAICS Code that begins with 72 (Accommodations and Food Services) with more than one physical location, and employs less than 500 per location
  • Sole proprietors, Independent Contractors, and Self-employed persons.

Please see this page to learn more details. Thanks.
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp