Good morning everyone,

As we enter our 5th week of shelter in place, the JCBD will continue to keep you posted on important information for our Japantown small businesses. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask during our check-ins or you can contact us at info@jtowncbd.org.

Please stay safe!

Salesforce to issue $10 grants to hundreds of small businesses
Salesforce plans to distribute 500 COVID-19 recovery grants to small businesses across the U.S, with each grant offering $10,000 in support to cover such costs as salaries and replenishing materials.

Applications for the Salesforce Care Small Business Grants will become available in the next week or two and represent a total commitment of $5 million from Salesforce.

More Mentoring Help -  Fatigued by all the decisions and documents? Check out the Pacific Ventures. Pacific Community Ventures invests in people and communities. Small business advice is free. Get advice here.

Square for Shop and Retail Owners - Ready to do pick-up or delivery for your retail shop? Thanks to Stephen Jordan of Sakura Sakura for this. Check out Square if you are on their POS or service. Read the article here.

The Paycheck Protection Program(PPP) update...

For Union Bank Customers in the community: As of last Thursday, Greg spoke with Jerry Ono and he said they over 30 applications manually till their on-line system is ready to go. Please go to our Union Bank branch(10a-4p) to submit your application for PPP loan. Remember, only so many people are allowed in the bank at one time, so waiting times may be longer than usual. As of 1a, PPP online links were not available on the Union Bank website.

For CB&T Customers in the community: California Bank & Trust's preparation checklist for the Paycheck Protection Act. It is a bit more detailed than Union Bank's list. Check it out. As of yesterday afternoon, they are accepting applications. Here is the link to where you can apply.

COVID-19 Impact Survey for Japantown Small Businesses 
& Non Profit Organizations 
Please do not forget to take part in the survey so that we can assess the business conditions in Japantown since thee shelter in place order took into effect. Deadlline to submit your response is this Wednesday, April 16, 5:00pm.
Survey is available in English / 日本語 / 한국어

Giving Appreciation
The JCBD in partnership with the Japantown Merchants Association, Japan Center Malls and SF Rec and Park erected “Thank You” banner today in appreciation of all the Healthcare Workers, First Responders and Essential Workers.

Crime in Japantown During Shelter in Place
Super Mira was broken into early Easter morning. They have since boarded up their storefront to deter break-ins. The JCBD is in the process of looking at ways to make the plywood boards less stark by possibly painting it and adding graphics to let visitors know Super Mira is still open for business.

Promoting the Essential Businesses on Social Media
We are trying to help the small businesses that are open during the shelter in place by creating social media posts to promote a product or special menu item. Please email us a high resolution photo along with your business logo, product/menu item price.

Please notethe changes in operating hours for the Japan Center Garage. Please share this information with your staff and customers.