Dear Booksellers,

Here's all the important information you need this week:

What to Do:

March 9, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET: Coffee Break (watch your email for an invite a few hours before the event)

March 9: Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. ET for a first or second Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. Find a participating PPP lender through the SBA Lender Match tool.

March 10, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET: Board Coffee Break (watch your email for an invite a few hours before the event)

March 10: Deadline for IndieLite stores to sign up for the IndieLite seminar at the IndieCommerce Institute (the IndieCommerce seminar is sold out)

March 11, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET: Technology Meetup on Canva tips and tricks (sign up at the bottom of the Meetups page to receive the event link)

March 11, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET: Operational workflow education session on returns

March 11, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET: BIPOC Coffee Break (sign up at the bottom of the Meetups page to receive event links)

What to Know:

The Washington AG’s office announced today that Seattle-based ticketing company Brown Paper Tickets must fully refund all consumers who purchased tickets to canceled events, and pay all money it owes to organizers of past events. Bookstores owed money by Brown Paper Tickets may contact Valerie at Blue Willow about sharing relevant information.

Booksellers now have until Monday, March 15, to renew their dues. Fill out the form now to ensure you don’t lose ABA benefits. Questions? Email the membership team.

On Wednesday, March 24, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET, join representatives from several POS vendors for an informal conversation, whether you are looking to speak with your store’s vendor or talk with other vendors to learn more about their services. Register here. 

The Small Business Administration (SBA) released updated PPP guidance allowing sole proprietors and other self-employed individuals applying for new PPP loans to calculate their loan amounts based on gross income instead of net profit. If this benefits your store, reach out to a lender and apply before the program ends on March 31, 2021.

ABA is here for all of you. Please reach out if there is anything we can help with. Members can contact me directly or email the Membership, Advocacy, or IndieCommerce teams.

Best,
Allison