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Northwest Arkansas Leadership Pledge

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Blue Star Business Services is proud to be a signatory of the Northwest Arkansas Leadership Pledge to address systemic racism and promote a more equitable and inclusive region. Read the pledge and add your organization to the list here.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS LEADERSHIP PLEDGE

Diversity and inclusion are vital to the well-being and success of our employees, communities, and businesses.  We stand committed to fostering and expanding a more just, equitable and inclusive region for all by purposefully addressing systemic racism in the  communities in which we operate.

In pursuit of the objective of a diverse and inclusive community, we are committed to the following guiding principles:

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Supporting educational initiatives designed to provide a deeper understanding of the historical underpinnings of systemic racism and help identify and eliminate unconscious bias.  We will continue to make our workplaces safe environments for such education by fostering open, frank and respectful discussions about these complex issues.

COMMUNITY & WORKPLACE

Working to ensure that our workplace environments are free of discrimination and that we advance the hiring, development, retention and promotion of diverse talent and invest in initiatives designed to reduce the effects of prejudices in our communities at the local, regional and national level. 

PUBLIC POLICY

Supporting administrative and legislative measures that advance equality and justice and further the acceptance and advancement of all individuals, regardless of personal demographics including race, gender, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. 

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Engaging thoughtfully on the issues by listening to and learning from each other, promoting transparency by sharing practices that have worked and failed, and helping keep each other accountable by encouraging the continued enhancement and evolution of policies and strategies to help overcome challenges and improve well-being for all.

Your Small Business or Nonprofit May Qualify for a Forgivable SBA Loan

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Does your small business or nonprofit qualify for the new Coronavirus-related forgivable SBA loans? The answer may be yes. And it doesn’t matter how small your organization is. Even sole proprietorships, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals are covered in many cases.

Here at Blue Star Business Services, we’re getting the word out to our clients about the various programs available to help small businesses and nonprofits affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are two main federal SBA loans enacted by Congress: the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). There are some key differences between the two programs. But most small businesses and nonprofits may be eligible to apply for both. 

We also have information below on a variety of other funding sources available through state government, nonprofits, and corporations. We’ve also included info on how to strengthen your digital marketing at a time when millions of people are conducting many more aspects of life online!

SBA Loans

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan

The EIDL was the first of the two programs put in place by Congress to help small businesses and nonprofits weather the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) opened the program to businesses with 500 or fewer employees, private nonprofits with 500 or fewer employees, sole proprietorships, independent contractors, and several other types of businesses.

Importantly, the EIDL includes a grant of up to $10,000 that businesses can apply for, which does not need to be paid back. Make sure you check the box on the form for this option. Businesses that are approved will receive the grant within three days of approval by the SBA (note that this is not the same thing as three days after submitting the application - we're hearing reports that the loans are taking three weeks to process in many cases). This is the fastest way for businesses to obtain relief at this point. Organizations that apply for an EIDL loan can still receive the grant money even if they aren’t approved for the full loan.

The rest of the EIDL loan, which caps out at $2 million, is not forgivable but can be more flexible than PPP in the types of expenses it covers. It can be used for rent and mortgage payments, salaries (or net income if you are self-employed), workers’ paid leave, and the business’s operational needs.

You can apply for the EIDL directly on the SBA website at this link. You will need two main numbers from your bookkeeping - your gross revenue, and your costs of goods sold (or cost of services, if you are a service provider).

The Paycheck Protection Program

You can apply for the Paycheck Protection Program through a bank or other participating financial institution, but not through the SBA directly. The PPP provides SBA loans of up to $10 million to small businesses, nonprofits, sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals. Most importantly, these loans may be forgiven if you maintain your payroll during the Coronavirus crisis or restore your payrolls afterward. For sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals, our understanding at this time is that you determine your payroll based on your net profit using Line 31 on your Schedule C form.  For more on that, read this guide to Self-Employment and the PPP, and consult with your CPA and financial institution.

The PPP provides funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs (or net profit for the self-employed) including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. This is a narrower set of uses than the EIDL. The funds are provided in the form of loans that will be fully forgiven when used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. But at least 75% of the forgiven amount must be used for payroll. For any amount that is not forgiven, the loan repayments will be deferred for six months.

There are some other important stipulations to have the loan be completely forgiven: the business must not lay off workers or must rehire already laid-off workers by June 30, 2020. If a business lays off workers and does not rehire them, a portion of the loan will not be forgiven. If a business reduces the wages it pays out to a worker by more than 25 percent during the time that it is using the loan, part of the loan will not be forgiven.

Small businesses and sole proprietors were allowed to begin applying for the PPP on Friday, April 3. Independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply beginning on Friday, April 10. No collateral or personal guarantees are required. There are no fees associated with the loans. The program is open until June 30, 2020, but the government is advising borrowers to apply as soon as possible before the program’s funding runs out.

The SBA has a search tool to help you find a bank that offers PPP loans. Or contact the bank where you do business - many financial institutions are giving priority to their existing customers.

For more information, the US Chamber of Commerce has a guide to the PPP.

Can I Apply for Both the EIDL and the PPP?

Yes, you can apply for both programs. But you are not allowed to “double-dip” - you cannot claim the same expenses for both loans. However, you can use them together - for example, using one source for 6 weeks of payroll, and the other source for the remaining 2 weeks of payroll.

What If I Have More Than One Business?

You can apply for relief separately for each business you own, as long as the businesses have different EIN numbers and independent bookkeeping. If you are self-employed and use your social security number, you may want to check with the SBA or a financial institution for expert guidance.

Other Sources of Help

There are a variety of other state and federal programs that offer help, in some cases for specific types of businesses. 

For our Arkansas clients, there are two additional programs:

Arkansas Quick Action Loan Program – Funds from the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund have been earmarked for loans to small and medium-sized companies that are in the supply chain of essential goods and services. This includes healthcare, food manufacturing, and logistics. Eligible companies may apply for a loan or loan guaranty of up to $250,000. For more information, contact the Arkansas Economic Development Commission by email, COVID19.businessinfo@arkansasedc.com, or phone, 501.682.1121 or 1.800.ARKANSAS (toll-free).

Women-Owned Businesses - the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas has established a fund to provide grants up to $5,000 to women-owned small businesses experiencing hardship due to COVID-19. Apply by April 13 to be considered for the first round of funding.

You can find out more about state programs in Arkansas at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission website.

Facebook Grants

As the pandemic has forced people into social distancing, more people than ever are shopping and spending time online. As a result, Digital Marketing is more important than ever.

Facebook is offering a Small Business Grant Program in certain areas, including for our San Francisco Bay Area clients. The program includes cash grants and ad credits. The grants can be used to connect with customers, keep your workforce going strong, help with your rent costs, and cover operational costs.

To qualify, you must:

  • have between 2 and 50 employees
  • have been in business for over a year
  • Have experienced challenges from COVID-19
  • Be in or near a location where Facebook operates

You can find a list of all eligible locations on Facebook’s website.

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Strengthen Your Digital Marketing!

We’re pleased to provide you with this list of resources to help you and your organization navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital marketing is more important than ever in this changing environment. Please reach out to us here at Blue Star Business Services if you need assistance with:

  • taking parts of your business online
  • ramping up your presence in Google Search (SEO), or social media marketing
  • bringing your events and fundraisers to a live-streaming online audience
  • email marketing, direct mail, and more!

We’re here to help you grow and succeed!

All the best,
Evelyn Rios Stafford and Bob Stafford
Blue Star Business Services
479-879-2068

Your Coronavirus Communications Plan

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In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, your organization may need to take extra measures to communicate with the public about changes to your operations. Your office hours, your ways of doing business, or your event schedules may be changing, and you need to let people know in the most effective way possible.
We want to let you know that we are available to help you with these efforts - please reach out to Evelyn Rios Stafford or Bob Stafford, and we’ll be happy to discuss your needs.
This can include email blasts to your audience, social media posts, changes to your website, social media advertising, mailers, or other methods of communication. We can work with you to write, distribute, promote your messages. Many of you are on our monthly service plans and your available hours can be used for these efforts.
Again, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help.

Evelyn Rios Stafford
Blue Star Business Services
479-879-2068
info@bluestarbiz.com
facebook.com/bluestarbiz
twitter.com/bluestarbiz

New SC Logistics Website

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Here at Blue Star Business Services, we’re proud to have recently worked with SC Logisitics Services LLC on launching a new website, creating a logo, and designing their business cards, letterhead, tri-folds and other promotional materials.  SC Logistics Services is a new interstate contract carrier based in Fayetteville, Arkansas and operated by Ted Wade and Scott Finley of Stone Consulting. Here are some of the highlights of their new website at sclogs.com:

Logo

The SC Logistics logo was created by our Art Department and fine tuned to the specifications of the client. We like to point out the details in this logo, such as the road design on each side of the circle signifying the roads the trucks drive on. The arrows pointing in both directions around the circle indicate that SC Logistics ships to and from virtually anywhere in the continental U.S. This logo clearly shows the company name, indicates what the company does, and will be used for years to come. The company has already used it on the large awning above the front door of their new offices.

Web Design

To make this site really stand out, we put a lot of work and creativity into the design. We customized each aspect of the site, from changing colors of icons as you scroll over them, to creating a unified color scheme. This makes the website easily navigable.

Responsive Design

One of the most important steps to take when creating a website is to make sure it functions well and looks good on both mobile and desktop. We use responsive design to achieve this, where the page layouts are fluid depending on the screen size. We made sure every aspect of this website was readable and easy to look at on both mobile and desktop. As you switch from desktop to mobile some icons are stacked as opposed to side by side, text will get bigger or smaller to easily fit into the space.

Custom Images

The Homepage is arranged so that the first thing that draws the eye is the large image of a truck, which our artists photoshopped the SC Logistics logo onto. At a glance, the site visually communicates to visitors what the company does along with a recognizable logo.

Icons

All the icons on the Homepage and the Services page were created from scratch by one of our artists. The icons are simple and uniform, yet descriptive, making it easy to navigate through the website to find what you need.

Call to Action

An important part of any website are the call to action buttons. We created two very visible call to action buttons on the SC Logistics website. One button is the phone number on the top of each page. This allows an easy way for any customer to reach the company. Another call to action clickable button is the ‘Request A Quote’ at the bottom of each page. This button turns red as you scroll over it. These buttons invite visitors to click and take action while on the website. We also made the contact information visible and easy to find at the bottom of every page of the website.

SC Logistics Request a Quote

Services page

Services are the main part of this company website. We created a service page that was simple yet interactive for customers. Each icon shows a simple picture making it easy to find what you are looking for. The icons are interactive, meaning you can click on the plus sign to the right of the icon and a drop-down will appear with a description of the service. Each description was written with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in mind. This is part of an ongoing effort to ensure specific keywords related to the logistics and trucking industry show up in Google search results, along with the SC Logistics name brand.

Our Team Page

Great businesses always have a great team behind them. In SC Logistics’ case, they have an amazing team, and we wanted to highlight that. Ted Wade and Scott Finley, partners of SC Logistics, have held leadership positions at Wal-Mart, J.B. Hunt, Red Rock Oil Field Hauling and more.  We emphasised this on both the home page and the team page. The team page shows everyone who works at the company, while individual pages for the founders outline their careers and showcase their significant accomplishments.

Social Media & Search

It’s important for today’s businesses to have a presence on social media and Google. This helps SEO and provides more avenues for you business to be found. For SC Logistics it made sense to have a Facebook, LinkedIn and a “Google My Business” Listing. Our team created each of these pages for SC Logistics, with custom images and copy, so they can keep customers up to date and reach potential new customers.

Conclusion

We enjoyed working with SC Logistics on creating their website, logo, and custom printed materials. We believe the design and technical aspects of the website we created will provide desired results for years to come.

If you operate a business, we’d love to help you too! Contact Blue Star Business Services today for help updating or maintaining your website. In addition, Blue Star can help you with social media, branding, logos, direct mail, and a variety of other services. Check out our Services for more!

New Fayetteville Public Education Foundation Website

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Here at Blue Star Business Services, we love supporting great community organizations! One of the Northwest Arkansas nonprofits we're proud to have recently worked with is the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation. The foundation raises private funds for special resources, programs and opportunities that are not normally available to Fayetteville Public School students through the district's normal operating budget. In the past, FPEF grants have funded cool things like rocket ships, terrariums, and sewing machines - things that help teachers enhance their students' learning experience.

Going Mobile

Recently, we helped the foundation launch a new mobile-friendly website at www.fayedfoundation.org.  Although the foundation already had an existing website, it had been built years ago on older technology that was not designed for use on the mobile web. Readability and ease of use had become an issue on the wide variety of mobile devices that a majority of people now use to access the web every day. In short, it was time for an update.

Responsive Design

The new site uses responsive design, allowing it to look good and function well, no matter the size or dimensions of the device you're viewing it on. For example, the main menu now shrinks down to an expandable icon on mobile sized screens. Side-by-side columns on desktop become vertically stacked columns on mobile devices. The site was built using the WordPress platform, so this process involved swapping out software behind the scenes and in some cases rebuilding entire pages on the new site, all while the old site continued to serve the public. While we were at it, we also made several other design improvements.

Behind the Scenes

Staffers at smaller nonprofits often need to wear many hats, and many do not have their own IT departments. In some cases, they need to be able to make quick changes to their own websites and social media accounts, without lengthy delays dealing with external vendors. For the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation, we made a few improvements behind the scenes so that they now have the full ability to alter every element of the site themselves if they so choose. In this case, we installed the Beaver Builder drag-and-drop visual page design system, and trained staffers how to use it.

SEO

Another big consideration for any site is Search Engine Optimization. We installed the popular Yoast SEO plugin. This allows staffers to optimize new content so that it ranks highly on Google and other search engines. Having the ability to use search engines to your advantage - essentially promoting your message for free - is a big plus for smaller organizations.

Social Media

We also installed and activated a feature called Jetpack's Publicize, so that new blog posts get automatically posted to the foundation's social media accounts.

Call to Action Buttons

One of the most important aspects of any website is getting your site visitors to take an action you want them to take. That could be buying your product, signing up for your newsletter, or contacting you. For nonprofits, getting people to donate can be crucial for the health of the organization. In all of these cases, it's important to design the site in terms of layout, color and other factors, so that visitors are psychologically encouraged to take action. For the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation, we changed the call-to-action buttons so that they visually "pop" on both the Home page and the Donations page. One design improvement we made was to change the color - making these buttons a complementary blue, opposite on to color wheel from the site's predominant "yellow pencil"  color scheme.

Other Design Changes

  • Also on the Home page, we put the foundation's Corporate Leadership Circle Sponsors into a pair of rotating sliders, in order to dynamically showcase these generous corporate donors.
  • Widget areas allow the foundation to create their own slideshow of featured announcements of any length.
  • We added second column of blog posts to showcase a "Donor Spotlights" section. Both columns are now filtered by category, so the right posts always show up in the right place.
  • A new call-to-action box allows visitors to subscribe to the foundation's e-newsletter.
  • On the site's interior pages, a new sidebar contains a gallery of images of children who've been helped by the program.
  • The Endowments page now has informational popovers about the different endowments:

Conclusions

We're happy to have worked with the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation on this project, helping to support the great work they do to advance the education of public school children. We believe the many technical and design changes we've made to their website will serve the organization well for many years into the future.

If you operate a nonprofit or small business, we'd love to help you too! Contact Blue Star Business Services today for help updating or maintaining your website. We also do training. In addition, Blue Star can help you with social media, branding, logos, direct mail, and a variety of other services. Check out our Services pages for more!