Find Resources For Your Business

All businesses with a physical location in Volusia County are required to have a current Volusia County business tax receipt (BTR) unless exempt per Section 114-1(b) Tax Schedule of the Volusia County Code of Ordinances (click here for the list of exempt classifications).

The tax year is from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 of the following year. Bills for each year are mailed July 1. A new receipt is issued for each year the tax is paid.

Business Tax FAQs (click to read all).   Below are just a few examples.

Q. Who is required to apply for a Volusia County business tax receipt and pay a fee?

A.  Any business with a physical base of operation within the County of Volusia that is not exempt per F.S. 205 is required to apply.  Businesses that are physically located outside of Volusia County are required to obtain a local business tax receipt from the city and/or county in which they are based.  The only exceptions are businesses located outside of Volusia County who place vending machines within Volusia County.

Note: A business operating within the limits of any of the cities in Volusia County may be required to register with those cities. Please see our External Links page for the contact information of the cities located in Volusia County.

Q. Do I need a Volusia County business tax receipt if my business is based out of my home?

A.  Yes.  Most businesses in Volusia County are required to have a current Volusia County business tax receipt regardless of whether they are home based or commercial.

Learn more about license and permit requirements in Volusia County.

Your business may be required to obtain other permits and licenses before you begin operating your business. Here are some of the most common permits you may need:

• Alarm Permit
• Building or Remodeling Permit
• Health Deparment Permit
• Occupational Permit
• Emissions or Chemical use Permit
• Sign Permit
• Film Permit

Though Florida has no personal income tax, businesses do have several areas of tax liability that each must navigate. For business startups and those new to the State of Florida there’s a New Business Startup Kit available to help. For established business that are looking at specific taxes there are several resources available to help your team or your accounting partner.

• Corporate/Franchise Income Tax
• Corporate Income Tax Incentives
• Sales and Use Tax
• Sales Tax Incentives
• Re-employment Tax
• Tangible Property Tax
• Tourist and Convention Development Tax

The Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD), a specialized team within the Division of State Purchasing, is available to help improve business opportunities for Florida-based woman-, veteran- and minority-owned small businesses. The agency works with eligible business owners to process and grant their certification as well as to ensure they are informed of the benefits of certification. OSD advocates for continued growth and success of these enterprises and provides educational and other resources to state government procurement professionals to help increase the use of these businesses in state and local government procurement contracts.

In 1998, the Amber Grant Foundation was founded by WomensNet to honor the memory of a young woman, Amber Wigdahl, who passed away at a young age before realizing her business dreams. WomensNet offers a business specific category grant of $10,000 Amber Grant each month in addition to other grant opportunities. By applying just once for the $10,000 monthly Amber Grant, you automatically become eligible for that month’s $10,000 business specific grant and you do not have to apply again as your single application makes you eligible for the other grants offered by WomensNet. The application process is easy, short and could potentially inject funds into a women-owned business. Note, there is a one-time application processing fee.

Learn more about the business specific grant and how to apply.

The “Love, Tito’s Small Business Grant Program” will provide 10 grants of $25,000 each to small business owners who best demonstrate in their application:

• A meaningful connection to their community
• A clear and compelling vision for their business
• The Tito’s Handmade Vodka values of grit, love, kindness, family, meaning and purpose
• Applications will be accepted from June 1, 2022 8am ET to June 30, 2022 8pm ET

Ingredients for Success is a grant and mentorship program awarding a total of $150,000 to three entrepreneurs ($50,000 each). Famous Amos launched the initiative in honor of the brand’s founder Wally Amos to create pathways for black business owners to thrive.

• Along with the monetary award, winners will receive resources and tools provided by the National Black Chamber of Commerce to drive sustainable growth and success.
• Businesses must be at minimum 90% black-owned to be considered for the program.
• Note a video pitch will be required. 
• Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST June 26.

The Main Street Lending Program is administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, which has established a special purpose vehicle to purchase loan participations from eligible lenders across the U.S.

• The program is designed to help credit flow to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations that were in sound financial condition before the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, but now need loans to help maintain their operations until they have recovered from, or adapted to, the impacts of the pandemic.
• Main Street loans are not grants and cannot be forgiven.

Kiva is a non-profit that expands access to capital for entrepreneurs around the world. More than 2.5 million people have raised over $1 billion on Kiva. Loans are up to $15,000 and are 0% interest with no fees. 

SBA offers debt relief to existing SBA loan borrowers whose businesses have been impacted by COVID-19.

Get up-to-date information on COVID-19 tax and filing requirements and benefits.

Q. If governments use Fund payments as described in the Fund Guidance to establish a grant program to support businesses, would those funds be considered gross income taxable to a business receiving the grant under the Internal Revenue Code (Code)?

Q. If governments use Fund payments as described in the Fund Guidance to establish a loan program to support business, would those funds be considered gross income taxable to a business receiving the loan under the Code?

The IRS has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers, businesses and others affected by the coronavirus. This page will be updated as new information is available.

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit available to employers for hiring individuals from certain targeted groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. WOTC joins other workforce programs that incentivize workplace diversity and facilitate access to good jobs for American workers. Employers can hire eligible employees from the following target groups: qualified IV-A recipient, qualified veteran, ex-felon, designated community resident, vocation rehabilitation referral, summer youth employee, supplemental nutrition assistance program recipient, supplemental security income recipient, long-term family assistance recipient or a qualified long-term unemployment recipient.

USDA Rural Development has taken a number of immediate actions to help rural residents, businesses and communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Rural Development will keep our customers, partners, and stakeholders continuously updated as more actions are taken to better serve rural America.

Enterprise Florida offers grants for Virtual Business Matchmaking to help Florida companies expand overseas and keep their business growing. As market disruptions bring forth new ways of doing business,  the Virtual Business Matchmaking program is one way Enterprise Florida is helping the state’s small and medium-sized companies.

Virtual Business Matchmaking includes virtual introductions via teleconference or videoconference with up to five interested agents, distributors, or partners in various given target markets who have been pre-screened and pre-qualified.

Each year the City of Daytona Beach allocates funding from different grant programs for small business property owners to help them make investments in their properties. Locations where grants are available include Ballough Road, Downtown, Main Street, Midtown and South Atlantic areas, which are designated Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs). Available grants include business façade, commercial façade, landscape improvement, leasehold improvement and lease subsidy. While each grant has its own criteria, they are all available year round. It takes about 10 business days to process submitted applications. Learn more about grants, eligibility and how to apply. For more information, call 386-671-8188.

The City of DeLand, through the MainStreet Deland Association, is accepting applications for the Downtown DeLand Grant Program. The grants are designed to encourage building improvements within the downtown redevelopment area. Matching grants are available for the following improvements: lighting, new residential unit development, retail, upper floor, façade and under-utilized buildings. In addition to these grants, the Gateway grant program is available to property owners who renovate commercial properties in DeLand’s Gateway districts. Complete details for grants and eligible projects, as well as applications for each, can be found on the City of DeLand’s website.

The City of Holly Hill Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is to encourage private investment to improve the appearance and functionality of existing buildings in the CRA District Area. The program provides 50% reimbursement of the total eligible project cost up to a maximum of $10,000 to pay for the design and implementation of improvements within the CRA District. Funds are appropriated annually in the CRA Area budget, and funding is available on a first come-first served basis. The program is subject to the availability of allocated funds in the CRA budget.

For more grant program details, please click on the
link below:

The City of New Smyrna Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), in partnership withVolusiaCounty, is accepting applications for (3) new CRA Commercial Facade/Property Improvement Grants:

• Adaptive Reuse Opportunity Grant (up to $250,000/ per approved applicant)
• Small Scale Commercial Facade/Property Improvement Grant (up to $25,000 per approved applicant)
• Large Scale Commercial Facade/Property Improvement Grant (up to $100,000 per approved applicant

For more grant program details, please click on the
link below:

Proposed projects within the City of Orange City Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) area are eligible to receive a one-to-one dollar match for structural improvements made to the exterior façade of the building.

The city's Development Services Department (DSD) can receive grant applications throughout the year from property owners for properties located within the CRA area.

The DSD will review all applications, request additional information if necessary, and draft a report for CRA Board ranking. The CRA Board meets quarterly and will consider any complete application made within 14 days of the meeting date.

The CRA Board may approve the grant application as submitted, approve the grant with conditions, approve a portion of the grant request, or deny funding based on the eligibility criteria noted herein.

Eligibility is limited to:

• Private property owners or tenants (if the property owner is not the applicant) of commercial buildings that are open to the public located within the CRA, including national corporations and tax-exempt buildings.  Residential dwellings listed on the National Register of Historic Places are also eligible.

For more details about the grant program and the complete listing of eligibility requirements, click on the link below:

The City of Ormond Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Building Improvement Grant program is available to:

• Downtown property owners or tenants (if the property owner is the applicant) of commercial buildings or mixed-use ones involving an upper floor within the Downtown CRA.
• Improvements designed to support the 2007 Downtown Master Plan and the Downtown CRA.
• A building or buildings on a parcel.
• Tax-exempt buildings, regardless of ownership, provided the use of the property is for the arts, social events, and/or cultural and historic assets to enhance the downtown as a destination point. (Schools and Houses of Worship are not eligible.)
• Site improvements directly related to building improvements. The grant will only provide assistance to site improvements with building improvements.
• Buildings with less than 50,000 square feet of gross leasable area and single tenant space less than 7,500 square feet. (National Corporations are not eligible).

Earlier this year, NerdWallet reported that nearly 4.5 million new business were started in 2020, a 23.4% increase over the previous year. When combined with the fact that the gig economy is now seeing explosive growth, it becomes evident that many owners and entrepreneurs will be facing multi-business/multi-income tax demands for the first time. If you’ve added a new “gig” or business in recent months, you may want to develop a multi-business strategy to reduce 2021’s tax burden. Get started by reading tips from author Sara Gelsheimer in her Entrepreneur Magazine article, “The 3 Best Ways to Save on Taxes When You Have Multiple Business Ventures.”

Managing your business finances is a critical part of running your company. Fortunately there are many smart apps available that make a variety of these tasks easier, from accounting and accepting payments to creating expense reports and handling payroll tax filings.

Update: 6/1/2021

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has closed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as of May 31, 2021.  PPP provided nearly $800 billion to small businesses and nonprofits across the nation, keeping employees employed and helping businesses come back stronger than ever.

Update 7/29/21

The SBA announced the opening of the Paycheck Protection Program Direct Forgiveness Portal. The new portal will streamline applications for loans $150K or less. 

The new platform will begin accepting applications from borrowers on Aug 4, 2021. In addition to the technology platform, the SBA will provide a PPP customer service team to answer questions and directly assist borrowers with their forgiveness applications. Borrowers that need assistance or have questions should call (877) 552-2692, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. EST.

For PPP loans above $150K: 

• Borrowers need to apply for PPP loan forgiveness through their lender.
• A borrower can apply for forgiveness once all loan proceeds for which the borrower is requesting forgiveness have been used.
• Borrowers can apply for forgiveness any time up to the maturity date of the loan. If borrowers do not apply for forgiveness within 10 months after the last day of the covered period, then PPP loan payments are no longer deferred, and borrowers will begin making loan payments to their PPP lender.

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners and non-profit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories are able to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).  EIDL is designed to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation to health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments.

This loan provides economic relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The purpose is to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred.

Update 3/15/2022:

Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman directed the Agency to provide additional deferment of principal and interest payments for existing COVID EIDL program borrowers for a total of 30 months deferment from inception on all approved COVID EIDL loans. The extended deferment period will provide additional flexibility to small business owners impacted by the pandemic, especially those in hard-hit sectors managing disruption with recent variants, as well as recent supply chain and inflation challenges amid a growing economic recovery. 

Update 11/29/2021:

The SBA recently announced updated guidance for COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program applicants to better serve small business owners in need while funding remains available:

• EIDL and Targeted Advance applications will be accepted until Dec. 31 and will continue to be processed after this date until funds are exhausted.
• Supplemental Targeted Advance applications will be accepted until Dec. 31, however, the SBA may be unable to process some applications submitted near the Dec. 31 deadline due to legal requirements. The SBA cannot continue to process Supplemental Targeted Advance applications after Dec. 31 and strongly encourages eligible small businesses to apply by Dec. 10 to ensure adequate processing time.
• Borrowers can request increases up to their maximum eligible loan amount for up to two years after their loan origination date, or until the funds are exhausted, whichever is soonest.
• The SBA will accept and review reconsideration and appeal requests for COVID EIDL applications received on or before Dec. 31 if the reconsideration/appeal is received within the timeframes in the regulation. This means six months from the date of decline for reconsiderations and 30 days from the date of reconsideration decline for appeals – unless funding is no longer available.

The COVID EIDL and EIDL Advance programs still have billions of dollars available to help small businesses hard hit by the pandemic. Learn more about the programs and to apply.

As of September 8, 2021, new COVID EIDL policy changes have taken effect that entail the below updates to the program:

• Maximum loan cap increased from $500,000 to $2 million
• Use of funds was expanded to include pre-payment of business commercial debt incurred at any time (past or future) and payment of federal debt
• Extend the deferment period to 24 months from origination for all loans (existing loans with a less than 24-month deferment will be adjusted)
• Affiliation requirements simplified to an affiliate is a business that you control or in which you have 50% of more ownership
• Developed additional path to meet program size standards for businesses assigned a NAICS code beginning with 61, 71, 72, 213, 3121, 315, 448, 451, 481, 485, 487, 511, 512, 515, 532, or 812
• Exclusivity Period: From September 8, 2021 to October 8, 2021, the above policy changes will be applicable to applications for <$500K while applications for >$500K will not be approved and therefore receive the policy changes until October 8, 2021

See more details on the COVID-19 September 8, 2021 Policy Changes.

Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

The COVID-19 Targeted EIDL Advance was signed into law on December 27, 2020, as part of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act. The Targeted EIDL Advance provides businesses in low-income communities with additional funds to ensure small business continuity, adaptation, and resiliency.

Advance funds of up to $10,000 will be available to applicants in low-income communities who previously received an EIDL Advance for less than $10,000, or those who applied but received no funds due to lack of available program funding.

Applicants do not need to take any action.
SBA is reaching out to those who qualify.

Applicants may qualify if they:

• Are in a low-income community
• Can demonstrate more than 30% reduction in revenue

The Supplemental Targeted Advance provides the smallest and hardest hit eligible businesses with a supplemental payment of $5,000 that does not have to be repaid. Even if you have previously received the original EIDL Advance in the full amount of $10,000, you may be eligible for the Supplemental Targeted Advance if you meet eligibility criteria. The combined amount of the Supplemental Targeted Advance ($5,000) with any previously received EIDL Advance or Targeted EIDL Advance ($10,000) will not exceed $15,000.

Completing the Targeted EIDL Advance application is a requirement to be considered for the Supplemental Targeted Advance. The SBA is reaching out directly to those who may qualify.

Before applying, make sure your small business meets all the following eligibility criteria:

• Is located in a low-income community
• Can prove more than a 50% economic loss
• Has 10 or fewer employees

Updated 7/2/21

U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabel Guzman announced the closure of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) program, signed into law by President Joe Biden as part of the American Rescue Plan.

As of June 30, 2021, the RRF program received more than 278,000 submitted eligible applications representing over $72.2 billion in requested funds, and approximately 101,000 applicants have been approved to restaurants, bars and other restaurant-type businesses. Underserved populations received approximately $18 billion in grant awards including :

• Women-Owned businesses ~ $7.5 billion
• Veteran-Owned businesses ~ $1 billion
• Social and economically disadvantaged-Owned businesses ~ $6.7 billion
• Businesses Owned by Representatives of Multiple Underserved Populations ~ $2.8 billion

The remainder of the $28.6 billion was awarded to eligible applicants not identified as part of an underserved group.

Update: 8/13/2021

On August 11, 2021, the SBA announced updates to the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, including:

• New applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. PT on Friday, August 20, 2021:  https://www.svograntportal.sba.gov/s/
• The SBA will open the program for supplemental SVOGs for 50% of the original award amount, capped at a total of $10 million (initial and supplemental combined) later this month. Details will be announced at a later date.
• The SBA is currently accepting, by invitation, applications for reconsideration of award amounts and appeals. This rare opportunity gives applicants a chance to prove their eligibility and reverse a prior decision.

The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program, administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. For the first 59 days of opening the grants, the SBA will reserve no less than $2 billion of program funding for grants to entities that have no more than 50 employees.

**Important: All potential SVOG applicants will need to be registered in the federal government’s System for Awards Management to apply.

With the increasing frequency of cybersecurity attacks, it’s more important than ever to stay knowledgeable about ways to protect your small business. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Small Business Cybersecurity Corner is a go-to source for learning how to keep your data safe. You’ll find information on cybersecurity basics, training for you and your employees, a NIST Cybersecurity Framework quick start guide and more, all specifically geared toward small businesses. It also has up-to-date guidance for teleworking security as it becomes a more common practice in small businesses everywhere.

A free weekly meeting to connect entrepreneurs. Everyone is welcome. You do not have to own a business to attend. No pressure environment.

Startup Grind is a global ecosystem of more than 1,000,000 entrepreneurs, powered by Google for Entrepreneurs. The Ormond Beach chapter is here to educate, inspire and connect innovators, trailblazers and professionals. The chapter hosts an interactive event series with featured guests who share their journey of building great companies. 

Sign up to receive Volusia County Economic Development's Economic Scene e-newsletter.

Topics include business news, industry updates, webinars, workforce updates, grants & funding, housing and real estate, economic reports, supply chain, infrastructure, award programs, and disaster preparedness.

SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals.

SCORE provides a wide range of services to established and budding business owners alike, including free confidential business mentoring, free online workshops on topics ranging from startup strategies to marketing and finance. Businesses can benefit from SCORE's extensive collection of eguides, templates, checklists, blogs, videos, infographics and more.

SCORE Mentors (Volusia/Flagler) provides a variety of informative and timely webinars and workshops on relevant topics for businesses.

Search for upcoming or recorded webinars.

The SBA has a COVID-19 devoted page that includes guidance for businesses and employers, government contracting, other products and access to capital loan resources.

Learn about federal programs that help veteran-owned small businesses access federal contract awards and surplus personal property.

• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business program
  The federal government aims to award at least three percent of all federal contracting dollars to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses each year.
• Surplus Personal Property for Veteran-Owned Small Business programs
  Veteran-owned small businesses (VOSB) can access federally owned personal property no longer in use through the General Services Administration's (GSA) Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Program.

Update 4/20/2022: 

The Small Business Administration (SBA) published an updated list of eligible industries for federal contracting set-asides for the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program (WOSB)

. A recent study analyzing industry gaps for women-owned businesses, commissioned by the SBA, showed that WOSBs are underrepresented or substantially underrepresented in the federal marketplace across hundreds more North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries. The updated list will support agencies in allocating set-asides for WOSBs, potentially resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in additional set-aside opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Based on the results of the commissioned study,  the SBA will increase the number of WOSB program eligible industries from 444 to 759, which represents a 70% increase. Participating in the SBA’s WOSB program helps women-owned businesses become eligible to compete for federal contracting set-asides while still allowing them to compete for contracts under other socioeconomic programs if they are eligible.

To help provide a level playing field for female business owners, the federal government limits competition for certain contracts to businesses that participate in the Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) Contracting Program. Joining the WOSB Federal Contracting Program makes a business eligible to compete for federal contracts set aside for the program. Firms can still compete for contract awards under other socioeconomic programs they qualify for.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined is a 6-month intensive training program that helps CEOs and Executives get unstuck and take their business to the next level. Accelerate your leadership skills, learn an MBA-level curriculum, receive tailored business coaching, and build relationships with a community of business owners, advisors, and experts. Apply today to become a 2022 T.H.R.I.V.E. participant. 

Ascent is a first-of-its-kind digital online learning platform geared to help women-owned small businesses grow and scale their existing business.

With Ascent, female entrepreneurs will be able to utilize this platform that brings a modern, e-learning experience specifically targeted for women business owners.

Ascent is divided into major topics called Journeys, developed by experts in women's entrepreneurship. Choose any journey to start, skip the ones you already know.

Within each Journey, you'll find Excursions with the tools you need to master a topic. Each excursion includes a time estimate for completion. You're the boss of when and how to apply these tools to your business.

Veterans Florida is a non-profit created by the State of Florida to help military veterans transition to civilian life and to promote Florida’s status as the nation’s most veteran-friendly state. Veterans Florida provides powerful tools for veterans to take advantage of the benefits of living and working in the Sunshine State.

Program areas include Careers, Entrepreneurship, Employers and Veteran Resources

Would you like to draw more meeting and convention attendees to your business? The Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has announced a new “Show Your Badge” special offers program with discounts only available to meeting, convention and event attendees. The CVB will provide information to those attendees about the program and point of purchase materials to participating businesses. Signing up is FREE and easy. Just create a unique and compelling deal, discount or added-value offer that will attract meeting attendees to your business. Complete the required form and email to Connor Rand or Amber White. For questions, call 386-255-0415, ext. 117.

Protecting intellectual property (IP) is critical to a company’s ability to grow, compete, innovate and protect its brand reputation.

If you have a registered IP right in the U.S., these protections do not extend to foreign countries. Therefore, you’ll need to file for protection in the countries in which you currently do business, or are certain to do business in the future.

The U.S. Commercial Service has compiled several tools and resources to help you take the necessary steps to protect your valuable IP and guard against the damaging effects of counterfeiting and piracy.

Stopfakes.gov is a one-stop shop for U.S. government tools and resources on intellectual property rights (IPR).  You will find business guides, country toolkits, upcoming training events, and more on the site.

Connex Florida is a supply chain database tool for the manufacturing industry in Florida made possible through a partnership between the Associated Industries of Florida, Space Florida and FloridaMakes.

Access the FloridaMakes network online to review a checklist of current or suspected future supply chain disruptions considerations.

Local manufacturers provide some best practices that may be able to be implemented in other business environments.

This is the State of Florida's eProcurement system designed to streamline interactions between vendors and state government entities that purchase goods and services, and provides a user-friendly Internet portal where vendors can register, receive information on upcoming bids, post information on products and services, and receive purchase orders electronically.

There’s a common misconception that growth is the main metric of success, but in reality, scalability is just as crucial for any company. “Scaling” refers to the systems and procedures you put in place to prepare for your long-lasting, ambitious trajectory. Tools to scale your business automate some of the time-consuming and resource-intensive processes that can hold your business back from growth. From your internal communications to your presence online and customer experience, these tools provide the scalability necessary for sustainable success. Explore tools in this U.S. Chamber of Commerce article covering topics such as workforce onboarding, communications, customer relations, marketing and building a scalable web presence.

One of the lessons of the global pandemic is that you can never predict how external events are going to impact your business. No one saw worldwide lockdowns coming. Nothing like it had ever happened in the modern business age. So how do you prepare for a crisis like that? When the next crisis hits, will your company find a way to survive and thrive?]

Learn what you can do now to make sure your business is crisis-proof from this Inc. article.

Data from a recent Zapier survey of 1,000 remote knowledge workers from small businesses across the United States showed that much of their time is spent on tasks that aren’t core to their job function, drastically reducing their ability to do impactful work. In fact, 18% of remote workers surveyed spend just one hour a day working on core job tasks. Eighty-three percent of people working from home spend one to three hours a day fixing errors, while 81% spend less than three hours a day on creative work. Though there are tangible benefits to providing a remote work option, employers should consider the growing data on remote work effectiveness like the Zapier study.

The Center for Business & Industry offers short-term training, workshops, seminars and courses to better prepare organizations and workers to compete and thrive in a global economy. 

Upskilling is a definitive comment on a company’s belief in and commitment to a better future. Seeing an economic downturn for the opportunities it affords is difficult. But choosing to find those opportunities is a winning strategy for businesses and their workforces.

• Look ahead. Evaluate your organization’s current state and reaffirm (or rethink) future plans. Define the workforce skills, knowledge, mindset, and other traits needed to realize those future plans.
• Prepare. Lack of time for training is a top reason companies experience skills deficits. Use the slowdown to upskill—help your workers develop those future abilities your organization will need.
• Embrace agility. Upskilling should be flexible. Workers may need to add only a skill or two to take on additional duties successfully. Think about the work to be done and how it can be accomplished differently.
• Emphasize the positive. Lead by example—talk about the opportunities available to your organization and its employees. Underscore the benefits of upskilling and communicate often about career paths and learning options.

To learn more on how CBI can help, contact Frank Mercer at Frank.Mercer@DaytonaState.edu or call 386-506-4461.

For job seekers and employers , discover great jobs in Florida by visiting EmployFlorida.com.

Florida business owners are reminded that Florida’s minimum wage increased to $8.65 an hour on Jan. 1 (an increase of 1.04%). For tipped employees, the minimum wage is now $5.63 per hour. Florida law requires the Department of Economic Opportunity to calculate a minimum wage rate each year. The annual calculation is based on the percentage increase in the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in the South Region for the 12-month period prior to Sept. 1, 2020. In 2004, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment that increases the minimum wage each year based on inflation.

After a 60% voter approved constitutional amendment, the state's minimum wage will increase from $8.65 an hour to $10 on Sept. 30 ($6.98 for tipped workers). Under the constitutional amendment, the rate will increase incrementally each year until reaching $15 an hour ($11.98 for tipped workers) on Sept. 30, 2026.

The DEO Reemployment Assistance Application Guide page includes links to apply for benefits, videos, and FAQs.

Updates: 

• Governor Ron DeSantis has directed DEO to continue waiving the work search and work registration requirements for claimants for an additional 90 days. These requirements will continue to be waived through December 5, 2020

• Additionally, the waiting week requirement will continue to be waived through December 5, 2020

• The Department is working diligently to implement the necessary technology changes to ensure eligible Floridians receive the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program benefits as quickly as possible. The LWA program will allow Florida to offer an additional $300 per week to eligible Reemployment Assistance claimants. To be eligible for this benefit, claimants must have a weekly benefit amount of at least $100 in an approved Reemployment Assistance program and must certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19. Payments will be retroactive to the week ending August 1, 2020.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Florida National Guard, the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs and participating Florida employers are partnering with CareerSource Florida’s 24 local workforce development boards to connect veterans with great careers in their communities.

Update 6/26/2021: Florida has ended its participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program effective June 26, 2021, as part of DEO’s ‘Return to Work’ initiative.

State Reemployment Assistance Claims Dashboard

The State Reemployment Assistance Claims Dashboard is updated daily to reflect the following information:

• Claims paid
• Claims processed
• Claims verifications
• Claims received

The dashboard now includes claimant filings by county and industry sector. 

The State of Florida has opted to participate in a new unemployment benefits program for displaced workers who were self-employed. The program is part of the recently approved COVID-19 federal relief legislation. If wages were received through a 1099 rather than a W-2, self-employed persons most likely did not qualify for unemployment benefits.  In response to this concern, the federal government initiated a new program, the Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation.  In addition to the $300 they receive through the extension of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), those who qualify will also receive $100 extra per week (not exceed the maximum benefit amount of $275). The program, similar to PUA, ends March 13, 2021. To qualify, you must be self-employed or a gig worker who made at least $5,000 in net income for the most recent tax year, receiving wages through both 1099 and W-2.

As part of the state’s Reemployment Assistance programs,the Short-Time Compensation program for employers pays partial benefits to groups of employees working reduced hours. Employers may elect to participate in this program to retain valued employees by reducing hours for an entire group of employees instead of resorting to temporary layoffs.

The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service launched the Employee Retention Credit, which is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50% of up to $10,000 in qualifying wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19. The credit is available to all employers, including tax-exempt organizations, regardless of size.

On Nov. 4, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the emergency temporary standard (ETS) that will require private sector employers with 100 or more workers to ensure that employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4, 2022. Under this standard, covered employers must develop, implement and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, unless they adopt a policy requiring employees to choose to either be vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work.

The emergency temporary standard covers employers with 100 or more employees – firm or company-wide – and provides options for compliance. The ETS also requires employers to provide paid time to workers to get vaccinated and to allow for paid leave to recover from any side effects.

The ETS also requires employers to do the following:

• Determine the vaccination status of each employee, obtain acceptable proof of vaccination status from vaccinated employees and maintain records and a roster of each employee's vaccination status.
• Require employees to provide prompt notice when they test positive for COVID-19 or receive a COVID-19 diagnosis. Employers must then remove the employee from the workplace, regardless of vaccination status; employers must not allow them to return to work until they meet required criteria.

• Ensure each worker who is not fully vaccinated is tested for COVID-19 at least weekly (if the worker is in the workplace at least once a week) or within 7 days before returning to work (if the worker is away from the workplace for a week or longer).
• Ensure that, in most circumstances, each employee who has not been fully vaccinated wears a face covering when indoors or when occupying a vehicle with another person for work purposes.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) allows small and midsize employers, and certain governmental employers, to claim refundable tax credits that reimburse them for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave to their employees due to COVID-19, including leave taken by employees to receive or recover from COVID-19 vaccinations. The ARP tax credits are available to eligible employers that pay sick and family leave for leave from April 1 through September 30, 2021.

Visit the IRS website to review eligible employers, types of paid sick and family leave the credits can be claimed for, as well as calculation of and how to claim the credit.

Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.