Hello all

I got Nimer's permission to post the following. Please do not respond to this on list, as it is entirely OT, and the topic will be locked.

I know a lot of us have small businesses of one kind or another, or are
self-employed (income reflected on form 1099).

I don't want any of my fellow blind business owners, especially those who have been effected by COVID-19, to miss out on this potentially business-saving support.

If you are in the united States, and you have a business, the Small Business Administration's EIDL program is back open.
EIDL stands for Economic Injury Disaster Loan, although in this case I'm talking about the grant component.

The last time this was open, it was only open for a very! short time (less than two weeks).

The intent of the program is to provide low interest 30 year loans. However whether or not you qualify for or want a loan, before the loan, they provide what they call an "advance".
This is a grant (I.E. you do not have to pay it back), of between $1,000 and $10,000.

If you have a business, even a soul proprietorship that you alone work for, you are considered an employee of that business, and you likely qualify for at least the $1,000 per employee, if not the entire $10,000 that Congress ordered the SBA to give.

The online form doesn't take long, and is entirely accessible with NVDA or the screenreader of your choice.

Note! When filling out the form, you absolutely must be sure you check the box to request the $10,000 advance. It's on the third page of the form, I believe. Do not hit the final submit without checking that box.

There is no obligation to accept the loan even if they offer one, and if you do be very careful of the terms. That is beyond the scope of this message; just be aware that you don't have to, and may not want to, accept the loan. But the advance (the grant) comes with no obligation.

The form to fill out is at:
https://covid19relief.sba.gov

A (sighted) couple who makes videos on Youtube has made a walkthrough, which you might find useful and/or informative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1J86A33DYQ

I hope this message helps someone who didn't otherwise know about this; good luck!

In case I need to say it: this message does not constitute legal or financial advice. If you need any of that, consult someone licenced to give it.

Luke