Aloha, Friend.

Our nation’s small businesses have been especially hard hit by our COVID-19 crisis. This is particularly true in our Hawai’i because our small businesses are a much greater part of our economy and because so many depend one way or another on travel and tourism.

The $8.3 billion emergency supplemental funding measure that Congress passed and the President signed on March 5^th includes billions in assistance to our small businesses affected by COVID-19 through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). For Hawai’i small businesses to qualify, the Governor needs to make an SBA-required economic injury declaration.

I have been working with the Governor and our local SBA to get that declaration made and accepted by the SBA as soon as possible so our affected small businesses can start applying for and getting desperately-needed assistance. We need Hawai’i small businesses’ help to complete and back up the declaration.

Please see this notice from the State and the SBA, which states that “we need Hawai’i small business concerns that have suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the COVID-19 disaster to submit the estimated economic impact on their businesses by completing this worksheet and then emailing it to dbedt.cbed@hawaii.gov."

If you are an affected Hawai’i small business, can you do that? If you know someone who is part of an affected Hawai’i small business, can you forward this email to them?

IMPORTANT: THE DEADLINE TO RETURN THE FORM IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18^TH, 4PM.

As always, please contact me here or at (808) 650-6688 with questions or needs on this or any other matter.

Mahalo, and be well.