The question everyone has been asking this week is “Am I essential?”  Or, put another way, “Is my small business essential?”  Earlier this week, Oklahoma Governor Stitt issued an Executive Order closing all non-essential businesses.  This is because of the State of Emergency which was declared due to the coronavirus.  Every business owner and employee, though, is asking the questions, “Am I essential?  Is my business essential.”  There were so many questions asked, Governor Stitt issued a memorandum outlining categories of businesses which are essential.  So, in this week's Freedom Friday blog, we are going to address the question: Is Your Small Business Essential?

The starting place to answering this question is the list that the federal government has provided of 16 critical industries to maintain essential infrastructure; but this list is advisory and is only there to provide guidance.  Many businesses, large and small alike, found that list to be too vague.  So, the next step in determining if your small business is “essential” is to look at the extensive memorandum that Governor Stitt released adding all sorts of businesses to the “essential” list.  This list includes several broad categories, including health care, public safety, transportation, hotels, grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, golf courses, hardware stores, construction, professional services (e.g. lawyers and accountants), day cares, plumbers, electricians, dry cleaning services, and financial institutions like banks and credit unions.  A full list can be found at this link: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6819166-Amended-Executive-Memorandum.html?fbclid=IwAR2rls_SH8v76AvB3P_z94jkoBlg6lBmKz26dXyfzLxfU1lEQILhOVqGSww

Further, it may be easier to look at what businesses are considered explicitly as non-essential, including bars, gyms, movie theaters, barber shops, hair salons, tattoo parlors, etc.

If you have any questions whether your small business is “essential” or not, its always best to consult with a lawyer who can help your small business navigate and succeed in this time of uncertainty and constant change.  At Liberty Legal Solutions, LLC, we are offering several packages and services to help your small business during this time of crisis due to the coronavirus.  One of the services we are offering is the “Virtual Small Business Checkup.”  For $497, you can have your operating agreement or bylaws reviewed, together with your key contracts and documents.

If you are an “essential” business, this is also the time to make sure your policies and procedures are updated.  If you don't have a Policies and Procedures Manual for your small business, contact us at Liberty Legal Solutions, LLC, and we can create one for you.  We are currently offering this service for $397.  Also, if you already have a Policies and Procedures Manual, but it does not include a “Key Man Business Succession Plan” or a “Business Continuity Emergency Plan,” we can update your Policies and Procedures Manual for $197 for each new policy and/or procedure which needs to be added.

To get started on any of these services, or learn more about our outside general counsel services for your small business, please contact me at [email protected] to schedule a free discovery call. 

For more information about Liberty Legal Solutions, LLC, please visit our website at http://www.libertylegalok.com/