HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Business is picking up again in the area as retailers are opening back up and even extending hours to accommodate shoppers. Most are also working on their reimbursements under the Paycheck Protection Program that was put in place to help small businesses affected by the pandemic. Debra Teufel with the Chamber says the program is undergoing some changes.
“There continue to be some changes at the federal level,” Teufel said. “So what I would recommend our members do is continue to stay in touch with your lender and continue to document all of your expenses.”
Teufel says, in some cases, you may simply get your PPP loan waived.
“I think there will be, one, some additional time to meet that business threshold, and two, there may be a certain dollar threshold or below which you may have your PPP loan forgiven.”
Teufel says that local businesses they talked to during a meeting Wednesday reported strong numbers as they open back up.
“Some of the businesses that were here this morning that we talked to said they started opening with limited hours and were so busy they decided to extend their hours,” Teufel said. “It’s great to see the pent up demand and people coming back to shop local.”
Teufel says there is still one area of concern for local businesses.
“The other concern expressed by many of our members is that they are trying to hire currently and they are having a hard time finding people to fill jobs,” Teufel said. “So if you are in need of jobs . . . reach out to the Kansas Workforce Center, but also really pay attention to those job boards.”
Teufel says that jobs are available in nearly every business sector.