Category Archives: County & Community News

Attention Restaurant Members:  Vital SBA Information from the National Restaurant Association

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Sean Kennedy of the National Restaurant Association provided the Chamber with vital information for our members who operate restaurants or bars and might be eligible for the Small Business Administration’s new Restaurant Revitalization Fund which begins the application process Monday, May 3.
This program targets relief to restaurants and bars adversely impacted by Covid-19.  To qualify a place of business has to be primarily a restaurant or bar.  Venues, where food or beverages are incidental to the primary mission, will not qualify.  The Small Business Administration has details of the program on their website.  The SBA also has a document explaining the program available as a download.  Click Here to access that document.

You can apply through SBA-recognized Point of Sale (POS) vendors or directly with the SBA.  Participating POS providers include Square, Toast, Clover, NCR Corporation (Aloha). If you are working with Square or Toast, you do not need to register on the SBA application portal.

CLICK HERE to access the application portal that goes live this Monday, May 3, at 12:00 EST.  There is a 21-day priority period for some applications.  Even if you do not qualify for the 21-day priority period, you should submit your grant application as early as possible.

For more information, you can access the National Restaurant Association’s website at www.restaurant.org.  You can also access their frequently asked questions page by clicking this link.

How to apply for Small Business Loans from the SBA due to COVID-19

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The HEB Chamber previously sent out detailed information about the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) and the different options to get financial help to keep your employees and cover some of your business expenses during this challenging time. Senator John Cornyn tells us that we should get more information and dates when programs are available towards the end of this week.   

The SBA held a virtual meeting to go over the different programs in the CARES Act that can provide financial assistance for businesses on Thursday, April 2, at 11:00 a.m. for several area chambers of commerce.    The recording has been uploaded to YouTube and the PowerPoint slides used in the presentation are included in the link below.

SBA-Loan-Programs-Power Point Slides April-2-2020Download

What you and your business need to know about COVID-19

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Article updated: 04-06-2020

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) continues to increase as a global and local concern. Although we do not know of any active cases in our area, the HEB Chamber of Commerce will continue to monitor the situation. All HEB Chamber events have been canceled through April 30. The Chamber staff will be answering phones and emails.

In addition, we want to offer you information and resources in order that you and your company can continue to operate as efficiently and as safely as possible.

Our COVID-19 LINKS page includes key resources we believe you will find useful.

Many of our members are going to be hard hit through this crisis and as a community, we will look to help each other as much as possible. There has been a lot of political talk about help to come for businesses affected by the economic shutdown. While that situation continues to develop, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has a Disaster Assistance Program in place where the SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters. Here is a link to the program!

For information on COVID-19, you can access Texas Health’s website or you can call the Texas Health Coronavirus Hotline at 682-236-7601 to speak with a nurse 24/7.

We’re working to provide accurate and up-to-date materials to our members and will continue to update our website with additional resources.

Please let us know how the HEB Chamber of Commerce can be a resource to you and your business.

Wash your hands – don’t touch your face – stay home if you are sick!

10 Questions, 10 Minutes, Every 10 Years . . .

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Every 10 years, the U. S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency, counts every person living in the United States, no matter what their citizenship status.  The count is mandated by the U. S. Constitution.  The answers provided by households are used to produce statistics about states, counties, cities and census tracts.  The Census Bureau is required by law to keep individual information confidential and not share it with any other government agency. 

Between March 12 and 20, every home will receive a postcard explaining how to participate in the 2020 Census.  The household can respond online, by phone or by mail.   If a household does not receive a postcard, they can go online to my2020census.gov to complete the Census.  Households who have not responded by April 30 will be visited by a Census employer.  Census employees will have identification and the interviewer can be verified by calling 972/510-1800.  You will not receive an email to ask for your Census information, nor will you be asked for your social security number, bank information, citizenship, passwords or for monetary donations.

More people counted in our community means more money can be allotted for programs and projects in our community.  Census data affects more than $675 billion of funding for more than 100 programs, including school lunches, career, and technical education, business and industry loans, homeland security grants, Head Start, grants for mental health services, SNAP, highway construction, Community Development Block Grants, crime victim’s assistance and more.  In Texas, a one-percent undercount could cost our state $300 million annually in federal funding.  Businesses rely on Census data for market research, economic development and where to expand locations.  Additionally, the Census is used for apportionment – deciding how many representatives an area/state has in the U. S. Congress and redrawing legislative districts and voting precincts.

Please share this information with your friends, associates, and employees.  A complete count is an important initiative for us all!  For more information go to 2020Census.gov.   #CountMeInHEB

US Census Bureau Begins Recruiting Efforts

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The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting thousands of people across the country to assist with the 2020 Census count.

Jobs include census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff, and supervisory staff. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number, and be a U.S. citizen.

Candidates must complete an online job application. The application includes assessment questions about your education, work, and other experience.

More details are included in the linked documents below which are available in Spanish and English:

Join the Census

Become a Census Worker

Become an Address Canvasser