This blog is crossposted from a resource list that Vibe member Madeline Pratt of Fearless In Training first posted on LinkedIn on March 18. She is continuing to update the list there, so be sure to head over to her original post for the most updated info.
COVID19 has officially thrown all of our worlds off-kilter. Whether you’ve got kids at home for the foreseeable future, whether your income has been affected, or whether you’re unable to get basic supplies you need (ahem, toilet paper), we’re all facing a new normal and feeling its impacts.
As we ride out the news cycle and shift towards accepting this new normal, how can we cope in the days, weeks and maybe even months ahead?
Here on the Fearless In Training team, we’re all about action and one of the biggest things we express to our clients is that whenever and wherever possible, is that we are Here To Help.
In that spirit, the team and I have begun compiling a list of resources for people, and particularly small businesses that are feeling the weight and anxiety that Coronavirus has suddenly imposed on all of our lives.
On a personal note, we have been blown away by the generosity & kind-hearted connections being forged by our own community in the past few days. Many of the folks we know are all “doers” with a shared value around acts of service, and many of the companies on this list are made up of our friends, clients, and comrades in the industry who are out in the world offering up their services and expertise for free or deeply discounted to others in this time of need. We could not be more honored to know these folks and spread the word about the work they’re doing.
Here are the resources we have compiled so far:
Becoming A Conscious Advisor:
In this time or turmoil, business owners need empathetic advisors more than ever. Our friends Robina Bennion & Amber Setter are sharing their stories and advice on this free session designed to elevate your advisor skill set to be able to offer clients the tools, understanding, and resources they need. You can learn more & register here.
COVID-19 Guide For Restaurants & Breweries:
The coronavirus has impacted all industries, but restaurants and breweries have been hit especially hard. Nick Swedberg, CPA is a partner with Boyum Barenscheer and he created this video to address some of the most critical issues facing these business owners and offers advice on how to navigate the SBA Loan landscape and discussing deferment options with lenders and vendors. You can watch the video here.
Entrepreneur Magazine Webinar:
Entrepreneur Magazine is hosting a webinar this Thursday to support small business owners feeling the impact of COVID19. It is being hosted by Mark Kohler who is both a CPA & attorney and will offer strategies around handling cashflow and updates on tax deadline extensions, filing for SBA loans, and more. You can learn more & register here.
F-Bomb Community:
F-Bomb is a group for female founders that usually meets once a month in Seattle has put together online resources along with funding resources for small businesses. The list includes information about Unemployment, Paid Sick Leave, Paid FMLA, L&I, Legal Assistance, and more. Review their grid of SMB resources here.
Facebook Small Business Grant:
Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits to help during this challenging time. That’s the equivalent of $3,333 for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where the social network conglomerate operates. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply here.
Fearless In Training Courses:
Because we know so many people are being forced to explore new streams of income during this tumultuous time, we’re offering 50% off all of our online courses for anyone that wants to invest in personal & business development in the weeks ahead. This includes all three of our cornerstone courses that focus on marketing, branding, and sales. You can learn more here and use the coupon code INVEST to get 50% off at checkout.
Government Small Business Loans:
State & national governments have passed funding to be able to offer SBA loans to business owners directly impacted by the impact of COVID19. These loans can be used to pay off fixed debts, pay payroll, and cover other bills that otherwise cannot be paid because of the economic impact of the virus. For more details on these loans and the application process, click here.
Guide for Restaurant Owners:
Our friends over at Prix Fixe Accounting only work with clients in the hospitality space, and they’ve got a lot of clients in crisis mode right now. Because they are doers & helpers, they’ve crafted this free guide for restaurant owners to help them navigate in the weeks ahead. You can read it & share it using this link.
Heroes Group Coronavirus Resource Center:
Heroes Group is a firm made up of tax experts with a huge passion for helping others, and they’ve got a phenomenal resource center for tax and accounting updates during this time. You can check it out & subscribe to get updates as new information unfolds here.
Hosting Virtual Meetings Guide:
Most of us that are set up to work from home are now in the midst of a new normal where we’re sitting on way too many virtual meetings. How do you ensure that these meetings are essential, efficient, and well structured? Our Director of Communications was kind enough to put together a quick guide for our readers. You can check it out here.
Ignite Spot’s Business Owner’s Guide To Surviving COVID-19:
As a scaling firm that focuses specifically on serving small businesses, Ignite Spot knows the stresses that folks are facing during this time. They have been regularly updating this page with the latest info in terms of logistics like government relief, business & cash flow strategies, and mental health resources. You can access the guide here.
Learning Lab:
If you have realized now is really the time to up your game online and improve your web presence, consider joining us in the Learning Lab. I made the decision this month to offer the first month of membership for free for anyone impacted by Coronavirus (aka everyone). This week we’re holding a session where everyone will walk away with customized feedback on how to improve their website. Join us here and use the code INVEST at checkout to claim the discount.
Loomly’s Brand Quarantine Guide:
Loomly has put together one of our favorite comprehensive guides for brands navigating how to adjust their social and communications strategies during this crisis. It includes tactical advice and a great series of examples of what some brands are doing right to stand out and connect with clients in a genuine and empathetic way during this time. You can check it out here.
New York City Employee Retention Grants:
The city of New York has put together a fund to help small businesses that are experiencing revenue decreases to retain employees. This fund is specifically for businesses that employ 1-4 employees across their business operation and have been operating for at least six months. You can learn more and apply here.
Overcoming The Impact of COVID-19 On Manufacturing & Distribution:
Many industries are already feeling the devastating effects of the coronavirus outbreak. Across the country manufacturers and distributors are working to keep their teams and communities safe and healthy while also fighting the full range of effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, like the declining economy, disrupted supply chains, halted operations, and more. Our friends over at Squar Milner have compiled a comprehensive guide for folks in these industry sectors. You can read it here.
QuickBooks & GoFundMe Offer Help For Small Businesses:
QuickBooks has teamed up with GoFundMe to launch the Small Business Relief Initiative and is committing up to $1 million through a fund and employee-directed contributions while also seeking donations from other large partners. Business Owners can create a GoFundMe campaign, then share with their social community via Twitter and Facebook using the @IntuitAccountants & #SmallBizRelief tag to get further support for their fund. You can read more about this initiative here.
Restaurant Webinar:
If you or someone you know is in the restaurant space and freaking the f*ck out right now, this webinar is something worth sharing. Four of our dear friends & experts in the restaurant space have banded together to offer this free session to help restaurant owners navigate the current climate of financial uncertainty. You can learn more and register here.
The Riveter Virtual Community:
Our friends over at The Riveter recently launched their virtual community and they are offering tons of events to support folks to connect and collaborate virtually. They’ll be offering free webinars, daily work from home solidarity sessions, resources for families working with kids at home, and much more. You can check out the community and sign up here.
Slack Channel For Craft Brewers:
If you or someone you know is in the craft brewing business and needs someone to connect with & collaborate on strategies to minimize the effect of COVID19 on their operation, tell them to join the Slack channel that our friends at Lance CPA have set up for their clients & friends in this industry. You can use and share this link to sign up.
Support During Tough Times:
Our friends over at the Profitable Firm share our Here To Help philosophy, and they’ve been working diligently to put together as many free resources as possible to help firms better communicate with their clients during these tough times. They continue to update these resources regularly, so make sure to check them out here,
Uber Eats Free Delivery:
This one might seem a little non-essential but for folks that are unable to get to a grocery store or don’t want to risk exposure, this is actually a big deal. It also means you can still support local restaurants without the added expense of the delivery costs. For the foreseeable future, Uber Eats will be waving their delivery fee so that you can eat delicious carryout while being quarantined.
Virtual Yoga:
Seeing as how the studios I teach at are closed for the foreseeable future, I’ve decided to take my practice online and share it with students virtually for free. You can register to join me for a 45 minute class on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays at 4 pm PST here.
Womxn Talk Money Community:
Every other Friday, we’re hosting a community call dedicated to connecting womxn to each other and providing them with much-needed strategies and sounding boards for their firms to face this moment head-on. If you are a female financial professional looking for connection, the first call is free for anyone that is new to the community and wants to join. If you’d like to be added to the invite, email me and my team at hello@fearlessintraining.com.
Zapier Assistance Program:
Zapier announced last week that they’re creating a $1 Million Dollar Assistance Program in order to benefit their most impacted customers. Additionally, they’re giving new customers the ability to apply for credit to get up and running on Zapier. You can read more about the announcement here.
We know that these are just a handful of the help that is being offered to small businesses, and we plan to continue to keep adding to this list as opportunities for support cross our path.
If you have something to share or add to this list, whether it be your own work or the work of others, we would encourage you to share it in the comments below so that we can continue to update this list in the weeks ahead.
Additionally, if you personally need help that isn’t being explicitly offered or have an idea of how to offer expertise but need assistance structuring your offer and want to brainstorm ways for you and other folks to get the resources you need, please email me personally at madeline@fearlessintraining.com.
I truly believe in moments like this we are all being called to our highest abilities, and I would be honored to work with you get and give the help that is so needed in these tumultuous times.
ABOUT MADELINE PRATT
Madeline is the Founder and CEO of Fearless In Training. She built her career at the unique intersection between technology, sales enablement, and channel development. As a business development leader, she has worked with companies from startups to Fortune 500s that were aiming to offer innovative products, partner programs, and marketing to their target consumers.
As Madeline expanded her knowledge and skill set in the space, she was continuously crossing paths with people that were looking to truly understand how to thrive by taking advantage of technology, but didn’t know where to start. As she continued to be approached by friends, clients, industry partners, and founders for her expertise as a trainer and educator, she decided to launched Fearless In Training to help people build better businesses through technology.
Fearless In Training is a creative consulting company that focuses on working with female founders, technology innovators, and progressive accounting practices to help them start, grow, and scale their businesses by aligning with their true market potential. The company is powered by a team of female creatives with passion and expertise in the realms of marketing, branding, business development, technology, and sales to offer curated consulting & educational resources to clients from around the globe. Madeline created Fearless In Training to be able to work with companies at a much deeper level to empower them to build businesses that truly thrive.
Madeline joined as a member of Vibe Coworks in October 2018.