How can small businesses keep employees busy and qualify for the PPP?

​If you are a non-essential service your business is most likely closed and in order to qualify for the small business stimulus economic relief package (specifically the Paycheck Protection Program) you have to keep your employees working, even though you cannot be open selling your products or services. Here are some things to keep them busy and productive during this unusual time of social distancing due to Covid-19. 

1. Clean the store or office (with masks and gloves of course): 
   One of the last things on our list while we are busy operating our businesses is Spring cleaning at work. Use this down time and social distancing to cleanse! Throw out things you don’t need, deep clean, organize paperwork and make a list of supplies you need. Rearrange furniture and get rid of pieces you don’t need. If you have a storefront where customers come to purchase things, paint the walls, dust the shelves, re-organize the inventory and do research on consumer behavior in brick and mortar businesses. Learn where to put things in your store to increase sales. Cleanse!
2. Inventory!!!: 
   ​Many companies choose a week once a year to shut down half their operations to accommodate an inventory count. Do it now so you don’t have to lose revenue later when business starts ramping up again. 
3. Train your employees
   This is a great time to get on Zoom with your employees and train them on best practices for your business. If you don’t have SOPs or best practices written down, create them now! Get your employees involved and have them write the first drafts of what they think the best practices are for their area of expertise. Then get the whole team on Zoom and share the document so you can all make edits and create a perfect SOP. This will help with turn-over in the future and keep things consistent for your operations.

Here is a fantastic webinar with updates on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other opportunities for small businesses to qualify for the stimulus package money. https://readytalk.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1300032&tp_key=55b0a7338f