Heading into next week, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, I’m reminded of Dr. King’s lessons on hope and justice and this poem by Richard Blanco for President Obama’s inauguration. Hope seems like a good place to end the week.
Independent Bookstore Season Begins Today!
PPP Reopens to Small Lenders Today and to All Lenders on Tuesday, January 19. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) reopens to approximately 5,000 small lenders (credit unions, community banks, etc.) today, Friday, January 15. PPP will fully reopen to all lenders on Tuesday, January 19. If you have not yet received a PPP loan, you may be eligible for a first draw loan. If you have already received a PPP loan, you may be eligible for a second draw loan if you: Employ 300 or fewer employees; Have exhausted your first PPP loan; and Demonstrate at least a 25 percent reduction in gross receipts in any quarter in 2020 compared to the same quarter in 2019.
For more information about PPP first and second draw loans, including beneficial changes made to the program in the recently passed relief bill, see this breakdown of the relief package.
Last Chance to Help ABA with the Financial Snapshot Survey! ABA’s financial data survey is due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, January 18. Help us gain insight into how stores are doing, what you need, and how we can help so we can better support you. You don’t need to have closed your books or have your finalized financials. We just need an idea of how you’re doing. The results will inform our talking points when meeting with publishers and the media. We plan to share the results with the membership. All responses are 100% confidential.
Last Chance to Nominate Booksellers to the DEIC! Nominations or self-nominations are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 20, for ABA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee (DEIC), which serves as a sounding board and advisory council on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, representation, and access facing the bookselling community and ABA. We’re looking for individuals who represent different diverse identities; learn more here and nominate yourself or a colleague now.
Coffee Break: Tuesday, January 19, 3:00 p.m. ET Join ABA’s weekly Coffee Break, where booksellers can talk with one another and ABA’s membership team about any bookselling-related topic. If you’ve never attended this event before, it’s a great way to hear what’s working well at other stores and crowdsource solutions to any challenges you’re facing at your store. These sessions are an open forum, though booksellers are welcome to send questions or topics ahead of time to be discussed during the call. Booksellers who do not have the Zoom meeting ID and password can email info@bookweb.org to get details.
ABA is here for all of you. Please reach out if there is anything we can help with. Members can contact me directly or email the Membership, Advocacy, or IndieCommerce teams. Best,
Allison |
