As a portrait photographer, I put my business right in there with salons and other personal service businesses. So I stopped accepting appointments a few days before Governor Whitmer closed nonessential business.

Now what? We wear many hats as a small business owner or freelancer, but maintaining a business during a pandemic is not something anyone would’ve considered even a few months ago.

This post summarizes the actions I’ve taken in response to COVID-19 as a small business owner, based on the recently passed CARES Act.

As the situation quickly took a turn for the worse, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce was particularly aggressive in setting up a page of COVID-19 business resources. And they were also one of the first organizations I follow to organize conference calls with representatives from every level of government. In one week, I heard my congresswoman, Elissa Slotkin, on two separate calls discuss her efforts to help citizens and businesses.

While I’m happy to share my plan, it’s important that you make the right decisions for your business. No one can do that except for you. So please don’t take this as a cookie cutter solution, but more as an outlines of options.

Review Non Essential Spending

If you haven’t already, pause any big spending on your business until there’s more certainty. Think simple expenditures for out sourcing, for example. While I’m normally a fan of outsourcing, it may make sense to handle the tasks yourself. I found that some post production services I use closed as well, so I had no choice.

The Michigan SBDC hosted a few conference calls on these topics.

SBA Loans & Local Grants

On one of the Chamber calls, the SBA loan option was recognized as an option for most businesses to consider. It is a loan, not a grant, but it could be a lifesaver for fixed overhead expenses like rent. Since I applied, Congress passed the CARES Act, which further streamlined the process and reduced some underwriting hurdles. Check out the SBA site for all the specifics. If offered a loan, I’m not sure what I’ll do just yet, but I figured it was better to submit an application sooner rather than later.

You can always call the SBA. I called on a weekend and waited maybe 15 minutes but the person I spoke to was the nicest customer service person I’ve talked to in a long time.

Your community may also be offering local grants or loans. Check your local chambers of commerce, county or state resources to find them.

Unemployment Coverage for Self Employed

The CARES act also extended unemployment benefits to the self employed workforce (small businesses, gig workers and freelancers). Unemployment is a state level program, so you’ll want to find the specifics in your state. As of the this writing, Michigan’s website says they’re working tirelessly to update the site & system to accommodate the new rules. My suggestion at this point is to get familiar with your state’s site and keep an eye out for updates. Have everything ready to go with the proper application is ready.

The traffic on these sites has been crushing. So if possible, try visit them outside regular business hours.

Stay Informed

Keep an eye on sources from all levels of government. Follow your state or county health department for updates on public health. These updates are critical for your health and safety as well as those of your business and customers or clients.

Follow your state’s elected officials and executive orders. And follow your member of congress for federal updates.

Take care not to overwhelm yourself by following everything. There’s a firehose of information out there. Hopefully now that the big federal stimulus has passed, most of these sites will have a target. But my advice is to pick a few sources and follow those. Work in some mental breaks as well!

Take Action

Finally, act. As long as you’re acting safely within the law and current restrictions, do what makes sense for your business and your situation. I see businesses scrambling to try all sorts of things — a pivot to online sales, pickup only, online consulting, gift card promotions, discounts, and some are simply running business as usual. There’s no one right answer, just remember that you know your business best. As I tell people all the time, the greatest thing about running my own business is that I set the agenda. And the hardest part about running my own business is that I set the agenda.

I wish you the best and stay safe!

How to Navigate the CARES Act as a Freelancer or Small Business