Questions Small Businesses Are Asking

The Oklahoma City Council approved a $5.5 million relief package for small businesses Tuesday.

The City hopes to start taking applications next Monday.

Meanwhile, as more businesses continue to lose money, many are reaching out to state leaders with three main questions.

“The number one question right now has to do with the executive orders,” said Brent Kisling, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Executive Director.

Kisling is directing business owners to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce's website for an answer to that question.

“We take you through a series of steps if you own a company in Oklahoma and you are wondering if you are still eligible to be open,” said Kisling.  “As part of the executive order, we don't require that you have a posted or any kind of documentation in the window your employees don't need something to carry with them.”

The second most asked questions-- How do I sign up for help?

Kisling listed two federal programs.  The U.S. Small Business Administration and Economic Injury Disaster Loan.

“You can sign up for that now. We are suggesting that folks do that late into the evening or early in the morning because it's a very popular site,” Kisling said.

And there's more help with that second program.

“Payroll protection program just passed in the Care Act last week. That will be delivered through your local bank. They have not released the rules on that yet,” Kisling said.

“There's a lot of people unemployed, but there's also a lot of companies who are hiring right now,” he said.

The state department of commerce believes Oklahoma is in a better shape to help its people.

“We have this close working relationship between Robin at the Employment Securities Commission and Don Morris who is our State Workforce Director. They are interacting multiple times a day making sure that our unemployed are connected to okjobmatch.com which is where the available jobs are,” said Kinsling.

The Department of Commerce is also working with the SBA on teleconferences for businesses.

There is one on Thursday and two next week.

The meetings are free and you can sign up online. Click here to register.