Affordable Care Act Enrollment Reopened
The Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment period has reopened (Feb 15 – May 15th)
By Bob Smith, GABB Affiliate and Licensed Health & Life Insurance Agent
It has been almost 12 months since we began experiencing challenges brought to bear by the COVID-19 virus. The challenges have been on multiple fronts leaving few people unscathed. Due to no fault of their own, many individuals have been impacted by business closures creating an unenviable reality of lost employer sponsored group health insurance. Being able to afford monthly premiums with the loss of income can make shopping for health insurance devastating. This at a time when being without health coverage can cause a family a medical and financial crisis.
The Federal Government recently addressed this potentially dire situation by reopening of the Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment period. Effective February 15 thru May 15 individuals have an opportunity to select health insurance on the Federal Marketplace at healthcare.gov. Subsidies based upon estimated 2021 income can lower monthly premiums making the health plans affordable during this difficult time.
No one can anticipate the unexpected and being without health insurance creates a vulnerable situation. In order to avoid the medical and financial consequences of an illness, accident or injury it’s important to be proactive before the window of opportunity closes.
Selecting coverage that addresses a family budget can present pitfalls while there are resources to help avoid making a mistake in the plan selection process. The process can be confusing when considering provider networks, copays, deductibles and out of pocket maximums, etc. With this in mind consider utilizing the services of a licensed Georgia Insurance Agent who also has been certified by the Federal Government to represent the insurance companies on the Marketplace. In most cases the services provided by agents is at no cost to individuals as they are compensated by the insurance companies.
The Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment will end on May 15 for plans issued June 1, and applications submitted in March will be issued in May. The time to be proactive to secure health insurance is now.
Bob Smith, Licensed Health & Life Insurance Agent
Bob@BobCaresForYou.com
www.BobCaresForyou.com
404-593-9663
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Buying and Selling Businesses in a Pandemic: GABB Feb. 23
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic in 2020, many Georgia business brokers continued to sell more than a million dollars worth of businesses. GABB board member Tanya Nebo and six members of the GABB Million Dollar Club offered a wide variety of advice on Tuesday, Feb. 23, during a panel discussion of how to buy and sell businesses during a pandemic.
To view their comments on how they prospered in 2020, watch this video posted on GABB’s new YouTube channel.
Among the 2020 members of the GABB’s Million Dollar Club who will be on hand on Feb. 23 are Jefffery Merry, senior business analyst at the BUSINESS HOUSE, inc.; J. Snypp, Vice President of Preferred Business Brokers, Inc.; Matt Wochele, founder of Preferred Business Brokers, Inc.; Rob Margeton, an M&A Intermediary with Ryco Advisors, LLC; Brian Judson, a business broker with Best Business Brokers; and Jon Roman, business intermediary, franchise consultant and developer at Transworld Business Advisors.
Ms. Nebo is both a business broker and an attorney. Her law practice, real estate agent and business brokerage services focus on commercial real estate, franchising and general business matters (including joint ventures and equity participation models). She is a graduate of Columbia University in New York and the University of Virginia School of Law.
The GABB is the state’s premier association of professionals who help in the purchase and sale of businesses. GABB is committed to promoting professionalism, education and high ethical standards in the profession of business brokering.
For more information, contact GABB President Judy Mims at 404-842-1997 or judy@childcare.properties, or Ms. Loupe at diane.loupe@gabb.org or 770-744-3639.
Read MoreSBA Reaches $200 Billion in EIDL Loans to Small Businesses, Non-Profits
SBA Reaches $200 Billion Milestone in Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program to Small Businesses and Non-Profits
WASHINGTON –Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration reached a milestone in the success of the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which has provided U.S. small businesses, non-profits, and agricultural businesses a total of $200 billion in emergency funding.
“Following the enactment of COVID-19 emergency legislation, the SBA has now provided more than 3.7 million small businesses employing more than 20 million people with $200 billion through the unprecedented COVID-19 EIDL loan program,” Acting Administrator Tami Perriello said. “SBA remains committed to helping small businesses recover from the unprecedented economic effects of COVID-19.”
SBA is still accepting COVID-19 EIDL loan applications as the deadline to apply has been extended to Dec. 31, 2021. EIDL funding is used to pay fixed debts, payroll and expenses, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. This financial resource has allowed millions of small business owners across America to retain employees, continue operating and support their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Georgia Association of Business Brokers has a number of bankers who have expertise in handling SBA loans. Locate one of GABB’s loan experts at our professional directory.
SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans are just one piece of the expanded focus of the federal government’s coordinated response. The SBA is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer-focused programs possible.
As a reminder, the loan portion of the COVID-19 EIDL program continues to have funds available at very affordable and flexible terms, with an automatic deferment of one year before monthly payments begin. Every eligible small business and non-profit is encouraged to visit sba.gov/coronavirusrelief to get more information about applying for EIDL and other economic recovery programs.
The Georgia Association of Business Brokers has a number of bankers who have expertise in handling SBA loans.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Read MoreIntroduction to Business Brokering: Feb. 9
Learn the basics of business brokering from one of the most successful business brokers in Georgia.
C. David Chambless, who was the top business broker in the GABB’s Million Dollar Club, will teach a three hour “Introduction to Business Brokering” on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 9 a.m.-12 noon. Due to the pandemic, the class will be held online.
This class qualifies for three hours of continuing education credit from the Georgia Real Estate Commission.
This class is designed to familiarize someone who is new to the profession of buying and selling businesses with the basic concepts and terms used in business brokerage. Attendees will learn the basic concepts and terms used in business brokerage, including developing your business broker brand, marketing, confidentiality, documenting your work, finding buyers and ethical considerations.
This class, GREC #72820, qualifies towards the GABB’s Board-Certified Broker program, a new certification designed by the GABB. The BCB program is the state’s only certification program for professional business brokers. The GABB operates a Real Estate School, license #8074 from the Georgia Real Estate Commission, specializing in training business brokers.
The class will be $49 for GABB members, and $75 for non-GABB members. If you want to register for the GABB’s Board-Certified Broker program, the class and BCB registration will be a total of $225, which includes the $195 BCB registration fee.
GABB BCBB Classes
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INSTRUCTOR: C. David Chambless, president of Abraxas Business Services, was the top-selling broker in the Georgia Association of Business Brokers’s 2020 Million Dollar Club. Chambless’ company provides integrated services to sellers (and buyers) of businesses with revenues of $5-to-$30 million, with a focus on businesses in the manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, technology, and services industries. He has been president of GABB twice, is a lifetime multi-million-dollar member of the Million Dollar Club, and has earned the prestigious GABB Phoenix award for a decade of reaching the Multi-Million Dollar Club. Prior to Abraxas, he held various positions in sales, marketing, and executive roles in technology firms; as CFO for Aaron Rents as well as for private companies; and as a management consultant. Mr. Chambless has a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Industrial and Systems Engineering degree from Georgia Tech. He is an inactive certified public accountant. Prior to graduate school, Mr. Chambless commanded components of a U.S. Army Pershing Missile unit in West Germany. Mr. Chambless is very active in his communities. He is a member of Business Executives for National Security (BENS), the Association for Corporate Growth, and a longtime member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). He serves on a fundraising committee of the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and on the board of the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. In his involvement with the Technology Association of Georgia, he served as a member of the TAG board of directors and its executive committee as well as the chairman of TAG’s Leadership Council; he was a founder and the chairman of TAG-FinTech; he chaired TAG-Finance for seven years.
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SBA Approves Nearly $350 Million in PPP Loans in Georgia in January
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved nearly $530 Million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in Georgia in the round of funding that re-opened in January.
The SBA re-opened the PPP Jan. 11 with $284 billion appropriated through the Economic Aid Act. So far in this round of funding, 7,706 PPP loans valued at nearly $530 million have been approved by the SBA in Georgia. As part of ongoing transparency of economic aid programs, the SBA recently released data summarizing loan approvals made through Jan. 24, 2021.
In the SBA Southeast Region – which serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee – more than 53,000 PPP loans valued at more than $1.7 billion have been approved.
Nationally, more than 400,000 loans valued at more than $35 billion have been approved this round. Overall, the average loan size is $87,000. Accumulatively, all PPP loans approved in 2020 combined with this round include more than 5.5 million PPP loans totaling $557.8 billion.
“This current round of PPP was designed to ensure increased access to funds for minority, underserved, veteran, and women-owned small businesses,” said Terri Denison, SBA Georgia District Director. “To address potential access to capital barriers, PPP access was initially granted exclusively to community financial institutions (CFIs) that typically serve these concerns. The SBA remains committed to assisting entrepreneurs in areas that may not have had an opportunity to utilize the program during round one of PPP as well as business owners that are prepared to apply for a second draw PPP loan to continue their recovery.”
The full Jan. 24, 2021 PPP Report includes national information on lender types, loan sizes, industries, and borrower demographics.
The data released in the report is a snapshot of the PPP loan portfolio as of Jan. 24, 2021. Any loan changes or cancellations made after this date will be not reflected in the report.
Approximately 4,500 lenders nationwide are participating in the PPP this round. PPP loans are made by lending institutions and then guaranteed by the SBA.
To best serve underserved communities – including minority-, women- and veteran-owned small businesses – the SBA has provided dedicated access to community financial institutions (CFIs) that specialize in serving these communities. At least $15 billion is set aside for PPP lending by CFIs which include Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), Certified Development Companies (CDCs) and Microloan Intermediaries. The CFIs may be located (as well as all PPP lenders) by utilizing Lender Match.
While the PPP loan application expressly requests demographic information of borrowers so that the agency can better understand which small businesses are benefiting from PPP loans, the data reflects the information submitted by lenders to the SBA.
The SBA Georgia District continues to work in close partnership with the local SBA Resource Partner Network and expand on multilingual access and outreach about the PPP.
The deadline to apply for a PPP loan is March 31, 2021 or until appropriated funding runs out.
Updated PPP information – including forms, guidance, resources, lender information and data– is at www.sba.gov/ppp.
Information about all SBA coronavirus relief funding is available at www.sba.gov/coronavirusrelief.
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