business
From the ashes a new sense of purpose on Lake Street
On May 29, KB Balla was working a shift as a firefighter in Brooklyn Center when a friend called with news: He’d just driven down East Lake Street in Minneapolis. That’s where Balla had recently opened his sports bar called Scores. “He called me like, ‘Man, if you can make it out here, come check […]
Here’s all 13,718 Minnesota businesses that got PPP loans
More than 13,000 Minnesota employers received at least $150,000 in loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, according to data released this week — including a handful of firms owned by state legislators. Four state legislators have ownership stake in companies that received PPP loans, while another nine work for organizations that received loans, a Reformer […]
Minnesota private schools, restaurants among businesses that got federal loans, new records show
The federal government issued more than 98,000 loans to Minnesota businesses and nonprofits through the Paycheck Protection Program, including pricey private schools and a conservative think tank, according to data released Monday. Nonprofits, restaurant corporations, construction companies and churches were among the 13,700 organizations that received loans of at least $150,000. Here are some of […]
Amid allegations of favoritism to red states, Minnesota firms did well in scramble for federal money
More than 46,000 Minnesota businesses received a total of $9 billion in loans during the first round of federal small business coronavirus relief, a larger sum than most states. The Paycheck Protection Program loans have been critical in helping businesses in Minnesota and across the country avoid layoffs during the COVID-19 crisis. But the program […]
Analysis: Data show the crippling effects of the pandemic on small business
We know small businesses are getting hit hardest by the economic fallout from COVID-19. How bad is it? We’re still a little in the dark because so many of these small companies have simply vanished. They are not responding to surveys as they usually would from governments, chambers of commerce and trade associations. But from […]
Minnesota-based Sleep Number will furlough employees
Nearly 40% of employees at Minneapolis-based company Sleep Number will be furloughed, according to an internal email obtained by Minnesota Reformer. Another 30% of employees are working reduced hours. The furloughs are a result of the “financial and operational impact” of the COVID-19 pandemic, the email says. It doesn’t specify how long furloughs will last, […]
You’ll miss those small businesses when they’re gone, so help them now
After a disaster, when the feds have left town and insurance payments have been made and residents attempt to put their lives back together, we still live with constant reminders of what was lost. Sometimes — like after 9/11 in New York City — structures and people and a (perhaps false) sense of security vanish. […]
Progressive to fellow progressives: Learn these simple truths about business
I’m a lawyer who represents small businesses that do all sorts of things, from operating restaurants to landscaping to things that I don’t totally understand. Like me, many of the folks who run these businesses have progressive goals for our cities, state and country — but they’re also passionate about running a restaurant or landscaping […]