Small Business

“When we got the order we were non-essential, that was the day we cleared house,” said Suzanna Cameron, 30, the owner of Stems, a flower shop in Brooklyn, New York. After her store was forced to close in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the single mom said she tried to pivot with virtual flower arranging

Cafe Meow Parlour in New York City. Sarah Whitten | CNBC Nestled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan is a shop with a unique table in the window. A simple wood ledge is balanced on four big white letters that spell out the word “MEOW.” On a typical day, New Yorkers walking the streets

Jetta Productions | Iconica | Getty Images As the economy craters, small businesses are among the hardest hit. When unemployment claims began to jump nationwide in March, layoffs among small business spiked 1,021% compared to the month before, according to exclusive data compiled by human resource provider Gusto, based on more than 100,000 small businesses nationwide.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs H.R. 748, the CARES Act in the Oval Office of the White House on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. Erin Schaff | Getty Images  Jesse Norris, 50, normally spends his time flying around the globe to do process auditing for aerospace industry clients at his one-man business, Norris Consulting.

Some small business owners waiting for a lifeline in the form of Paycheck Protection Loans under the $2.2 trillion stimulus package have held out hope that a second and smaller form of aid might keep them afloat in the meantime. But as demand spikes for federal funds, new guidance and stalled payouts from the Small