PPP applications reopen for small businesses

A second round of Paycheck Protection Program funds is helping small businesses remain open and keep their employees on board.

WEBSITE OR OUR FREEMOBILE APP.WITH THE PANDEMIC STILLRAGING -- AND COVIDRESTRICTIONS STILL INPLACE --INITIAL UNEMPLOYMENTCLAIMS ARE INCREASINGACROSS THE COUNTRY -WITH NEARLY 1-MILLIONPEOPLE FILING LASTWEEK.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER NICK STARLINGSHOWS US HOW SMALLBUSINESSES ARE TRYINGTO KEEP THEIREMPLOYEES ON STAFFDURING THE PANDEMIC.IT'S NOT AS BUSY AROUNBERGAMOT AND IVYDESIGN - A FLOWERARRANGEMENT SHOP IKC.Sarah Sahli, co-owner ofBergamotIvy DesignWe didn't have of course aof the big parties the eventsthat people have normally.AND WITH THIS VIRUSSTILL AROUNDCO-OWNER SARAH SAHLIWONDERS WHEN BIGWEDDINGS AND MASSGATHERINGS WILL BE HELDTHIS YEARSarah Sahli, co-owner ofBergamot +Ivy DesignIt's still very uncertain andwe're heading into Springwhich normally is a bigwedding season for us and abig event season and there'sjust not anything on the bookslike there normally is.ONE SAVING GRACE SAHLISAYS WAS RECEIVING APAYCHECK PROTECTIONPROGRAM LOAN LASTSPRING"KEEPING HER 5WORKERS EMPLOYEDSarah Sahli, co-owner ofBergamot +Ivy DesignIt allowed us to keep everyoneon the pay roll which is a bigdeal and I think it helped usretain employees that wemight have losACCORDING TO THE SMALLBUSINESSADMINISTRATIONTHEFIRST ROUND OF PPPWENT TO OVER 5 MILLIONBUSINESSESKEEPING 51MILLION AMERICANSEMPLOYED"THAT'S THEHOPE WITH THIS SECONDROUND OF PPP--TO KEEPTHESE SMALL BUSINESSJOBS.Judy Mills, Owner of MillsRecordCompany and Wiseblood BookI was able to bring peopleback and I wouldn't have beenable to in terms of the amountof revenue that we weretaking in.Gretchen Miller, owner DoggyStyleBowtiqIt helped me tremendouslybecause I was able to keeppaying my employees whoalso lost their jobs for that 8weeks and they didn't haveanything and neither did I so ithelped everybody it was verynice.SAHLI SAYS SHE'S STILLCONSIDERING HEROPTIONS ON APPLYINGFOR A SECOND TIMEBUT WANTS TO MAKE SURESHE CAN KEEP ALL HEREMPLOYEES ON PAYROLL.Sarah Sahli, co-owner ofBergamot +Ivy DesignThat's definitely something wedefinitely don't want to have todo is let people go.REPORTING IN KANSASCITYNICK STARLING