Florida’s office of the National Federation of Independent Business issued its recommendations to ensure local businesses survive COVID-19 closures and can return to normal operations as soon as possible.
“Small business is critical to our economy,” NFIB State Executive Director Bill Herrle said in a news release. “Small businesses employee 3.4 million in Florida, or about 42% of the state’s workforce. As the Re-Open Florida Task Force concludes its work and the Governor weighs his important decision to re-open the state, these are the principles and recommendations that will help minimize business failures and job losses.
The “Plan for The Survival of Florida’s Small Businesses” includes 10 suggestions to “help Florida’s small businesses get through this and let them know that the state’s leaders are on their side,” Herrle said.
1. Do not differentiate between small and large businesses in the re-open timeline and process.
2. Do not differentiate between “essential” and “non-essential” businesses; no job is “non-essential.”
3. Make any commerce restrictions temporary, objective, and clear-cut. Conduct an agency “look-back” review.
4. Encourage, foster, and protect home-based business models.
5. Provide liability protection from pandemic-related lawsuits and workers’ compensation claims.
6. Allow Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan forgiveness for non-PPP recipients.
7. Create a Sales and Bed Tax Holiday exclusively for small businesses and suspend Estimated Sales Tax Payments.
8. Extend continuing education deadlines for all professional licenses.
9. Dedicate Visit Florida funding to an in-state public campaign to boost shopping at small businesses.
10. Pass a cabinet declaration of the right to own and operate a business in Florida.
The NFIB advocates on behalf of small and independent businesses in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 states.