CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — As the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down events, it's also dried up work for small businesses like Communications Concepts Inc. in Cape Canaveral.
The video production company is helping other hard-hit organizations even as it works to keep its own employees on the job.
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“When we had 9-11, there was no help available after that for small business, none,” said Jim Lewis, with Communications Concepts Inc. “After the 2007-2008 crash, too big to fail, but not small businesses they could just go out of business and no one seemed to care.”
Lewis' 40-year-old video production company has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. And CCI sought out a Paycheck Protection Program loan almost as soon as the $349 billion Small Business Administration program was announced.
“We had a major event, the Apollo 13 reunion, it was canceled,” Lewis said. “We had a trade show coming up where we did a lot of work the maintenance, repair, and overhaul show for the aircraft industry and that's been canceled.”
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But, as CCI's loan was being processed, the PPP ran out of funding.
Lewis' bank, Wells Fargo, sent an email saying it continues to process applications in the hope that Congress will approve additional funding.
In the meantime, Lewis' company has produced free PSA's to help nonprofits like Meals on Wheels and the Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation.
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Lewis is optimistic that next month, the first manned launch from U.S. soil in nearly a decade, may bring work.
“I've got to be hopeful, that's how small business works,” Lewis said. “The thing I’d like to communicate to people is that small businesses need the money now.”
A Wells Fargo spokesperson said the bank will continue to process PPP applications in its existing pipeline, and will submit them to the SBA when funds become available.
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