<ul class="summary-list"><li>US <keyword id="9373310" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="small-business-optimism">small business optimism</keyword> fell in July as new <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> cases spiked, according to a report released <a href="https://www.nfib.com/surveys/small-business-economic-trends/">Tuesday</a> by the <keyword id="184657" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-Federation-of-Independent-Business">National Federation of Independent Business</keyword>. </li><li>The <keyword id="1509609" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="NFIB">NFIB</keyword>'s <keyword id="6359222" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Small-Business">small business</keyword> sentiment index fell to 98.8 in July after increasing over the last two months. The median economist forecast was for a reading of 100.5, according to Bloomberg data. </li><li>"Small business represents nearly half of the GDP and this month we saw a dip in optimism," said Bill Dunkelberg, NFIB chief economist. "There is still plenty of work to be done to get businesses back to pre-crisis numbers."</li></ul>US small business optimism reversed in July and fell as new coronavirus cases spiked, threatening to derail the economic recovery from the pandemic recession, according to a <a href="https://www.nfib.com/surveys/small-business-economic-trends/">Tuesday report</a> from the National Federation of Independent Business. The NFIB's small business optimism index fell to 98.8 in July, missing the median economist estimate of 100.5, according to Bloomberg data. The slump in sentiment comes after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-small-business-optimism-june-sales-expectations-jumps-reopening-economy-2020-7">two months of improvement</a> at the strong start of the economic recovery. "This summer has been challenging for many small business owners who are working hard to keep their doors open and remain in business," said NFIB's chief economist Bill Dunkelberg <a href="https://www.nfib.com/surveys/small-business-economic-trends/">in a statement.</a>"Small business represents nearly half of the GDP and this month we saw a dip in optimism," he said. "There is still plenty of work to be done to get businesses back to pre-crisis numbers."In July, the recovery slowed as some states were forced to pause or roll back their reopening plans when new coronavirus cases spiked to record highs. While <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/july-jobs-report-economy-adds-million-jobs-unemployment-declines-2020-8">overall unemployment ticked down in the month</a>, the pace of the recovery became more muted. In addition, businesses have taken a hit — Yelp data showed that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/permanent-business-closures-increased-march-coronavirus-pandemic-yelp-2020-7">more than half of all business closures due to the pandemic are permanent. </a>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-picks-to-buy-cheap-small-mid-cap-companies-jpmorgan-2020-8">JPMorgan says buy these 19 'diamond in the rough' stocks that have plunged from yearly highs, but are spring-loaded for huge gains ahead</a>Of the 1o subindexes included in the NFIB's small-business optimism index, five decreased in July. Real sales expectations for the next three months fell eight points to 5%, and the share of owners who think it's a good idea to expand fell two points to 11%. Earnings trends over the past three months improved slightly, but are still a net negative 32%, and job creation plans increased two points to net 18%. Beyond small-business sentiment, the NFIB's uncertainty index increased seven points to 88 in July, while expectations of better business conditions in the next six months fell 14 points to 25%.

US small business sentiment slumped in July as coronavirus cases climbed

<ul class="summary-list"><li>As many as 14% of small businesses anticipate having to lay off workers when their <keyword id="6361580" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="ppp">PPP</keyword> loans are exhausted, according to a survey released <a href="https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/small-business-sales-volume-up-as-states-ease-business-restrictions-and-stay-at-home-orders/">Tuesday by the National Federation of Independent Business.</a></li><li>Economic conditions have improved as US states reopen their economies. Still, "those businesses hardest hit by the crisis will likely need additional help," NFIB analysts wrote in the survey.</li><li>As many as 56% of <keyword id="6359222" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Small-Business">small business</keyword> owners said they will need less than $50,000 to support operations in the near-term, while one in four anticipates needing more than $100,000, according to the survey. </li></ul>A group of businesses that have received loans through the Small Business Administration's <keyword id="9074781" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="paycheck-protection-program">Paycheck Protection Program</keyword> said they may have to lay off workers after using the loan, <a href="https://assets.nfib.com/nfibcom/Covid-19-8-Write-up-and-Questionnaire-6-16-2020-FINAL.pdf">according to a new survey.</a>As many as 14% of PPP loan borrowers anticipate having to lay off employees after the funds run out, according to <a href="https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/small-business-sales-volume-up-as-states-ease-business-restrictions-and-stay-at-home-orders/">Tuesday survey from the National Federation of Independent Business. </a>Of those that may reduce their workforce, about half expect to lay off one or two employees, according to the report. About 12% said they will likely lay off 10 or more employees. The survey findings suggest that more fiscal support may be needed to keep small businesses going as the <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> recovers from the shock of the coronavirus pandemic. The PPP loans were designed to encourage owners to keep their staff on payroll — the loan is forgivable if a majority is used to pay workers. While economic conditions have improved as states have eased up on business restrictions and lifted stay-at-home orders, "those businesses hardest hit by the crisis will likely need additional help," NFIB analysts wrote in the survey.For some small businesses, the end of their PPP funds may be swiftly arriving — 41% are using the money in the original eight-week window, instead of the expanded 24-week period, according to the survey. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-crash-30-year-investing-vet-explains-imminent-pop-2020-6">A 30-year market veteran explains why we're in 'one of the nutsiest bubbles in the history of bubbledom' — and warns of an 'underwater' economy for the next several years</a>There have been some recent signs that the economy is improving and that small businesses are faring better than they were a month ago.About 40% of small businesses said current sales volume is 75% or more of pre-crisis levels, up from 28% reporting the same volume a month earlier, the survey showed. And, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-retail-sales-may-record-double-estimates-economy-vshaped-recovery-2020-6">retail sales rebounded in May</a> following two months of record declines, signaling a recovery underway. Still, there's uncertainty ahead for small businesses. Weak consumer spending and some restrictions on business operations will likely impact firms through the end of the year, NFIB said.Nearly half of all businesses that've applied for a loan through PPP, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or both said they anticipate needing additional fiscal support in some form over the next 12 months, the survey showed.As many as 56% of small business owners said they will need less than $50,000 to support operations in the near-term, while one in four anticipates needing more than $100,000, according to the survey.

As many as 14% of small businesses may lay off workers when their PPP loans run out

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="9373310" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="small-business-optimism">small business optimism</keyword> index rose to 94.4 in May from 90.9 in April, the <a href="https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/small-business-optimism-index-rebounds-from-april-earnings-trends-decline/">National Federation of Independent Business survey released Tuesday showed.</a></li><li>The survey's uncertainty index jumped seven points to 82, but expected conditions in the next six months also ticked up five points to a net 34%, according to the survey. </li><li>"It's still uncertain when consumers will feel comfortable returning to small businesses and begin spending again, but owners are taking the necessary precautions to reopen safely," said <keyword id="1509609" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="NFIB">NFIB</keyword>'s Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg.</li></ul>Small businesses are feeling more optimistic about the future and expect any recession to be "short-lived" as the US <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> reopens from coronavirus-induced lockdowns. Small business optimism rose 3.5 points to 94.4 in May, the <keyword id="184657" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-Federation-of-Independent-Business">National Federation of Independent Business</keyword>' <a href="https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/small-business-optimism-index-rebounds-from-april-earnings-trends-decline/">survey released Tuesday showed</a>. It's the indexes biggest jump since 2017. The gain was larger than economists had forecast, but still falls below the pre-coronavirus level of 104.5 reached in February. The index plunged in March by the most-ever as the coronavirus pandemic hit the US economy. The measure also fell in April, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/small-businesses-expect-sales-slump-but-economy-rebound-coronavirus-nfib-2020-5">but not by as much as economists expected</a>. "As states begin to reopen, small businesses continue to navigate the economic landscape rocked by COVID-19 and new government policies," said NFIB's chief economist Bill Dunkelberg <a href="https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/small-business-optimism-index-rebounds-from-april-earnings-trends-decline/">in a statement.</a> "It's still uncertain when consumers will feel comfortable returning to small businesses and begin spending again, but owners are taking the necessary precautions to reopen safely."There is some fear of the unknown as owners reopen shop and begin to call back their employees — the survey's uncertainty index increased seven points to 82 in May. Still, expected business conditions in the next six months jumped five points to net 34%, after a 24-point leap in April. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-picks-to-buy-11-companies-3-month-outperformance-ms-2020-6">MORGAN STANLEY: Buy these 11 stocks right now to reap the strongest possible market-beating returns over the next 3 months</a>Owners are "optimistic about future business conditions and expect the recession to be short-lived," according to NFIB. On Monday, the official arbiter of recession start dates said the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/us-recession-economy-february-coronavirus-nber-official-data-2020-6-1029289987?utm_campaign=browser_notification&amp;utm_source=desktopktop">US officially fell into a recession in February.</a>Sales expectations also recovered from a record slump in the previous month. In May, the measure increased 18 points to net negative 24%, from a low of negative 42% reached in April. More companies said in May that they plan to invest and hire, but in small numbers. A seasonally adjusted 8% of small business owners also said that they plan to create new jobs in May. This new job creation is driven in part by the Paycheck Protection Program, which forgives loans to businesses if they're mostly used for paying employees, according to NFIB.

Small business owners are becoming more optimistic and expect a 'short-lived' recession, survey shows

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="6359222" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Small-Business">Small Business</keyword> Administration said Friday that it will disclose the names of <keyword id="6361580" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="ppp">PPP</keyword> borrowers for loans larger than $150,000.</li><li>Specific loan amounts won't be disclosed, but company information will be provided in groups broken out based on loan size ranges.</li><li>Only 14% of PPP borrowers accessed loans above $150,000 but they account for nearly 75% of loans issued through the program.</li><li>Treasury Secretary <keyword id="3357303" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Steven-Mnuchin">Steven Mnuchin</keyword> had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-government-wont-disclose-small-businesses-received-paycheck-bailout-loans-2020-6">previously expressed concerns about disclosing specific loan data due to privacy</a>.</li></ul>The Small Business Administration will disclose the names of borrowers that received PPP loans for more than $150,000. The decision was announced Friday amid pressure from the Senate Small Business Committee to increase transparency into the $670 billion federal program.The SBA says it will disclose company names, addresses, business type, demographic data, number of jobs supported, and other details. But specific loan amounts per company won't be disclosed. Instead, the SBA will break out the borrowers based on loan amount ranges, the lowest being $150,000-$300,000 and highest being $5-$10 million.The decision comes after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-government-wont-disclose-small-businesses-received-paycheck-bailout-loans-2020-6">previously expressed concerns about disclosing specific loan data due to privacy</a> given PPP loan amounts are based on historical payroll information. The SBA did not say when the data will be released. While only 14% of PPP borrowers accessed loans above $150,000, they account for nearly 75% of total loans issued, <a href="https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/PPP_Report_20200612-508.pdf">according to data released by the SBA</a>."We are striking the appropriate balance of providing public transparency, while protecting the payroll and personal income information of small businesses, sole proprietors, and independent contractors," Mnuchin said in a statement.Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida who serves as chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee supported the decision. "The American people deserve to know how effective the PPP was in protecting our nation's small businesses and the tens of millions of Americans they employ. That is the standard by which we must measure the success of the PPP: how many paychecks were protected," Rubio said in a statement on Friday. Acknowledging business owners' concerns around disclosing proprietary information, Rubio said the agreement "strikes a balance between those concerns and the need for transparency."The PPP program has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ppp-small-business-loan-changes-treasury-mnuchin-announced-big-unused-2020-6">undergone a number of changes</a> since its initial roll-out in April. In order to secure loan forgiveness, borrowers now have 24 weeks to spend the money (originally 8 weeks), and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sba-loosening-payroll-restrictions-ppp-partial-loan-forgiveness-mnuchin-2020-6">60% must go toward payroll, down from the initial 75% requirement</a>.

Small Business Administration announces it will disclose the names of PPP borrowers who accessed more than $150,000 in major reversal

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Small Business Administration's watchdog said widespread instances of possible fraud were discovered in the agency's Paycheck Protection Program. </li><li>The <keyword id="82806" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inspector-General">inspector general</keyword> found about $300 million that went to ineligible recipients or was double disbursed.</li><li>The agency says its internal controls caught most of the nefarious applications and is working to augment those tools. </li><li><keyword id="6361580" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="ppp">PPP</keyword> funding remains available for small businesses, and many may soon be able to take a second loan as the first round dries up amid ever-growing <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> cases. </li></ul>The Small Business Administration's Inspector General said Tuesday the office found likely examples of pervasive fraud in the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided more than $500 billion in mostly forgivable loans to small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.The watchdog office <a href="https://www.sba.gov/document/report-20-16-serious-concerns-potential-fraud-eidl-program-pertaining-response-covid-19">said its preliminary review</a> found "strong indicators of widespread fraud." Specifically, its investigation into hundreds of hotline complaints found $250 million in loans and grants to "potentially ineligible recipients" and another $45.6 million in potential double payments. In total, the potential wrongdoing totals less than 1% of the program's total $520 billion in loans provided to about 5.03 million businesses since March.Among those cases include a Florida man accused of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-man-buys-lamborghini-charged-coronavirus-covid-ppp-funds-huracan-2020-7">spending part of a $3.9 million PPP loan on a $318,000 Lamborghini Huracan</a> supercar."Swift management action could reduce or prevent additional losses to the taxpayer, because the associated economic injury loan applications may still be unapproved or undisbursed," the report suggests to the <keyword id="162115" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="SBA">SBA</keyword>. "Management should engage financial institutions immediately to identify disbursements that may have been obtained fraudulently and recover disbursed funds."In response to the findings, the SBA's administrator, Jovita Carranza, acknowledged the small number of potentially fraudulent applications and said the agency was working on technology to augment its internal controls."Because of the EIDL Program's robust internal controls, the concerns raised by OIG in the Draft Management Alert were unexpected," Carranza said, adding that the inspector general had rejected agency requests for more details of the investigation ahead of its response."SBA has imposed rigorous system rules and controls to mitigate the risk of fraud," it continued. "Despite the lowered guardrails required by Congress with respect to fraud prevention (e.g., applicant self-certification of eligibility), and contrary to OIG's assertions, SBA's efforts have in fact saved taxpayers billions of dollars."Here's a breakdown of the suspected fraud the SBA says it caught before disbursement:<div type="image" title="Screen Shot 2020 07 29 at 3.30.07 PM" height="582" width="1268" msid="77265707" hostid="261"></div>In July, following pressure from republicans in Congress, the SBA released some data on loan recipients who received funding above $150,000.Some of same conservatives who championed the transparency praised the inspector general report."The purpose of COVID-19 EIDL loans and advances are to aid eligible, legitimate American small entities with both a quick injection of capital and long-term financing for working capital needs brought on by the pandemic,"<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/28/scathing-sba-watchdog-report-details-pervasive-fraud-coronavirus-disaster-loan-program/"> Sen. Marco Rubio said in a statement, according to the Washington Post</a>."I'm proud to have worked to secure language in the CARES Act to ensure the federal government has the tools to identify and go after fraudulent activity while protecting taxpayer dollars."Republican senators' proposed "Heals Act," another economic relief measure to follow on those passed in the Spring, many of which are expiring this month, includes provisions for a second round of loans to embattled businesses, many of which have said they will have to lay off staff when funds dry up.

Government watchdog finds 'strong indicators of widespread fraud' in the $60 billion small business bailout program

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US government declined to share which small businesses have received loans under the Payroll Protection Program. </li><li>Treasury Secretary Mnuchin told lawmakers that the information was considered proprietary and confidential. </li><li>Usually, the Small Business Administration discloses loans it provides to companies. </li></ul>US taxpayers have shelled out more than half a trillion dollars in loans to businesses under the <keyword id="9074781" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="paycheck-protection-program">Paycheck Protection Program</keyword>, but those same taxpayers haven't yet been able to find out which companies received the money.Some 438 publicly traded companies have disclosed about $1.38 billion worth of loans in regulatory filings, according to FactSquared, which has been checking thousands of filings. In some cases, large companies returned the money (just under $1 billion worth) after public backlash forced the Treasury Department to tighten its rules for the program and more closely review applications.But for the other $529 billion of loans that have been doled out, there is no current plan for public accountability. (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ppp-small-business-loan-changes-treasury-mnuchin-announced-big-unused-2020-6">Some $130 billion is still available.</a>)"We believe that that's proprietary information, and in many cases for sole proprietors and small businesses, it is confidential information," Treasury Secretary <keyword id="3357303" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Steven-Mnuchin">Steven Mnuchin</keyword> told lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Usually, the Small Business Administration — which has overseen the <keyword id="6361580" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="ppp">PPP</keyword> — discloses recipients of its loans.<a href="https://www.axios.com/treasury-small-businesses-paycheck-protection-program-b9f97115-6e39-4f3c-8fe2-22bf7423d8a4.html">Axios note</a>s that someone could theoretically deduce individual salaries from the loan disclosures, but a competitor would need to know how many employees that company has to even calculate average compensation, much less individual paychecks. What's more, PPP loans are based on past pay, which can obviously fluctuate, and don't include specifics above $100,000.Some Democratic lawmakers disagree with this logic."How can we know which businesses still need help if we do not know which businesses have received help?" asked Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland.The move to shield loan recipients from public eyes comes after the government on Thursday<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ppp-small-business-loan-changes-treasury-mnuchin-announced-big-unused-2020-6"> lowered the percentage of payroll protection funds that must go toward payroll.</a> Now, 60% of the amount eventually forgiven should go toward payroll, the SBA said, meaning that if a business was provided $20,000 through a loan, for example, and $6,000 went to cover payrolls, then it could be eligible for $10,000 in loan forgiveness.Employment data released for the month of May could be a sign that the PPP was a success. That's something Mnuchin told lawmakers this week, and experts agree.The unexpected and dramatic rise in employment "is clearly linked to the effectiveness of the PPP and other federally-funded re-payrolling initiatives," Dan Alpert, co-creator of the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/may-jobs-report-sign-government-payroll-protection-program-working-unemployment-2020-6">told Business Insider.</a>

The US Government is refusing to say which businesses received over $500 billion in coronavirus bailout loans

<ul><li><keyword id="1860048" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Federal-Reserve">The Federal Reserve</keyword>'s <keyword id="9407379" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="main-street-lending-program">Main Street Lending Program</keyword> opened on <a href="https://www.bostonfed.org/news-and-events/press-releases/2020/federal-reserves-main-street-lending-program-opens-for-lender-registration.aspx">Monday</a> to lender registration, meaning that banks can now sign up to make loans through the program. </li><li>The Boston Federal Reserve, which is administering the program, said Monday that it will soon begin purchasing 95% of loans made through the three lending facilities. </li><li>The lending program was first announced in March as part of <keyword id="3024189" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-fed">the Fed</keyword>'s sweeping emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Read more on Business Insider.</a> </li></ul>The Federal Reserve's <keyword id="362762" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Main-Street">Main Street</keyword> Lending program is open and ready for lender registration, the <keyword id="1177955" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Federal-Reserve-Bank-of-Boston">Federal Reserve Bank of Boston</keyword> <a href="https://www.bostonfed.org/news-and-events/press-releases/2020/federal-reserves-main-street-lending-program-opens-for-lender-registration.aspx">announced on Monday</a>.Banks looking to lend to small and medium businesses are now able to register with the <keyword id="342188" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boston-Fed">Boston Fed</keyword>, which is the administrator for the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/main-street-lending-program-federal-reserve-start-initiatives-by-june-2020-5-1029216582">$600 billion program</a> with three separate lending facilities. "Lenders can find the necessary registration documents on the program site and are encouraged to begin making Main Street program loans immediately," the Boston Fed said.The Boston Fed intends to purchase 95% of each eligible loan submitted to the program, the regional central bank said Monday. It added that it will begin this purchasing of eligible loans "soon."The <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/main-street-lending-program-federal-reserve-start-initiatives-by-june-2020-5-1029216582">Main Street Lending Program</a> was announced in March as part of the Federal Reserve's <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/economic-relief-programs-federal-reserve-stimulus-coronavirus-recession-policy-response-2020-6-1029280679">sweeping emergency response</a> to aid the US economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. It's the first time that the central bank will give direct support to Main Street businesses. The program is backed by funds that are part of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-economic-stimulus-senate-bill-allocations-direct-payments-business-loans-2020-3">CARES Act for coronavirus relief</a>.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-picks-to-buy-cheap-value-for-big-gains-bernstein-2020-6">Bernstein says buy these 7 stocks that are unfairly beaten-down and built for explosive gains in the future</a>The three facilities established in the program will make different loans to businesses with up to 15,000 employees, or $5 billion in revenue last year. The loans will range from $250,000 to $300 million. The Fed program is intended to reach businesses that may not be eligible for the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, which gives loans to firms that have fewer than 500 employees.

You Searched For "small business adminisration" and got 7 results

US small business sentiment slumped in July as coronavirus cases climbed

Carmen Reinicke

As many as 14% of small businesses may lay off workers when their PPP loans run out

Carmen Reinicke

Small business owners are becoming more optimistic and expect a 'short-lived' recession, survey shows

Carmen Reinicke

Small Business Administration announces it will disclose the names of PPP borrowers who accessed more than $150,000 in major reversal

Shannen Balogh

Government watchdog finds 'strong indicators of widespread fraud' in the $60 billion small business bailout program

Graham Rapier

The US Government is refusing to say which businesses received over $500 billion in coronavirus bailout loans

Graham Rapier

The Fed's Main Street Lending Program is now open and encouraging banks to start making loans

Carmen Reinicke