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The billions of dollars in coronavirus relief targeted at small businesses may not prevent many of them from ending up in bankruptcy court. Business filings under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy law rose sharply in March, and attorneys who work with struggling companies are seeing signs that more owners are contemplating the possibility of bankruptcy. Companies forced to close ...

Desperate small business owners who hoped for a quick government lifeline to help them survive the coronavirus crisis are still without funds, instead battling red tape, wary banks and swamped computer systems. Thousands of owners who applied for loans under the government’s Paycheck Protection Program are in their second week of waiting for their money. And thousands who sought relief ...

Speed is of the essence if a federal relief program for small businesses is going to be effective in combating the damage wrought by the coronavirus lockdowns.

Small business owners hoping for quick help from the government’s emergency $349 billion lending program were still waiting Tuesday amid reports of computer problems at the Small Business Administration. The SBA’s loan processing system stopped working Monday, making it impossible for loans to be approved and funds distributed, according to a trade group for community bankers and the CEO of ...

Here are answers about financial help available through the government and other sources.

When will the money arrive? That’s the urgent question for small business owners who have been devastated by the coronavirus outbreak. They’re awaiting help from the $2 trillion rescue package signed into law Friday. But with bills fast coming due, no end to business closings and an economy that’s all but shut down, owners are worried about survival. Millions of ...

When hospitals need to prep a room for the next coronavirus test, when jetliners discharge their passengers at the gate, when suburbanites start to take sanitary precautions more seriously, the call goes out: Send in the cleaners. These largely unsung workers are often the first line of defense against the global COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning and disinfecting homes, offices, medical facilities ...

Renee and Michael Brown planned to open a third location for their coffee company — and put their plans on hold when the coronavirus hit. Sales at the Browns’ San Francisco coffee shop, Weaver’s Coffee & Tea, are down about 4%; while that’s not drastic, the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. is still in its early stages and the Browns ...

Although businesses are increasingly at risk for cyberattacks on their mobile devices, many aren’t taking steps to protect smartphones and tablets. That’s one of the conclusions of a report on mobile security released last week by Verizon, which found that nearly 40% of companies had their mobile security compromised, up from 33% in 2019. But many companies don’t prioritize mobile ...

Every month, the 30 staffers at Chris Boehlke’s public relations firm each get $100 to pay for anything that contributes to their wellness. And not just for typical expenditures like gym memberships or yoga classes. “You can get nails done, anything you feel is helping your overall well being,” says Boehlke, co-owner of San Francisco-based Bospar. The company also has ...