Relief measures and opportunities for small businesses

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on businesses, but especially small-to-midsized companies. A number of resources are available to help small to mid-sized businesses during these trying times.

Tech solutions for new SMB business models

Business are starting to pivot quickly and adopt “contactless” business models that allow them to operate, collaborate, and reach their customers while adhering to new social distancing rules. In other words, they are shifting to ecommerce and other transactions conducted with little to no direct human contact, and they are also supporting remote employees who are working from home.

For some restaurants and retailers, this has meant expanding delivery services, adding retail curbside pick-up, and streamlining food takeout capabilities. Many restaurants and retailers have overhauled their ordering platforms and added mobile tools and applications to accommodate these new service models.

Other small to mid-sized businesses have enhanced their ecommerce strategies by developing new or improved websites with tools that make ordering easier for customers, now that more people are shopping online. And with teams working from home, cloud collaboration tools and video conferencing platforms are more crucial than ever.

We have educational and informational resources available to small businesses who want to learn more about technology. Additionally, we have designed offers for small to mid-sized businesses to help keep workforces connected and business running.

Government websites and additional resources

Government agencies and non-profits are providing helpful resources and advice for small businesses to address the uncertainty and potential financial impacts of the pandemic.  The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (also known as The CARES Act) is a law meant to address the economic fallout of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., but there may also be other actions your business can take. See below for some helpful links. (The SBA is a governmental agency. AT&T is not affiliated with SBA. Please check their site for ongoing updates regarding application acceptance and/or funding appropriations.)

• Guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury can be found here

• See the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Paycheck Protection Program

• Additional guidance from the SBA can be found here

We are here for you

With an increased number of people working from home, we believe that staying connected to your colleagues, customers, and family members has never been more important than it is now.

To the extent we are allowed by local, state, and national orders regarding COVID-19, we are keeping our public Wi-Fi® hotspots open for Americans who need to use them.

Additionally, we’ve committed to the spirit of the Keep Americans Connected pledge for 60 days. This means, we will waive:

• Late payment fees for postpaid wireless, broadband, or DIRECTV for small business customers.
• Domestic postpaid wireless plan overage charges for data, voice, or text for small business customers.

For more details, visit our COVID-19 Response page.