(MURFREESBORO) Many small business owners across the state are unclear of how to apply for emergency assistance from the federal government. The Tennessee Small Business Development Centers at MTSU offers free counseling to those entrepreneurs.

They have professional counselors in offices across Tennessee who are available to help owners access programs such as the Payroll Protection Program as well as economic injury and and Small Business Administration relief loans implemented as part of the federal government's Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The organization has been increasing its workforce to better handle an uptick in requests for assistance. Some small businesses do not have close relationships with local banks, lenders or accounting firms that help them tap into available relief.

State Executive Director and MTSU Management Professor Pat Geho said, "Those are the people who are profoundly impacted right now."

The network of Tennessee Small Business Development Centers have operated at MTSU for more than three decades and are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, participating universities and community colleges, and regional support partners.

As part of the COVID-19 relief aid, the Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. The Small Business Administration will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

But the June 30, 2020, application deadline is fast approaching for the PPP program. The deadline for Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 31, 2020.

Visit www.tsbdc.org for more details or to request counseling.