American freelancers and small business owners--PPP application deadline extended to Aug. 8. I got a PPP. Ask me anything

If you had trouble applying for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, missed the deadline, or got rejected the first time around, try again. The deadline’s been extended to August 8.

The PPP is called a loan, but it’s forgivable. Many people who get PPP money aren’t going to pay back a cent. People who do pay back part or all of their loans pay only 1% interest. If you haven’t applied because you’re afraid of debt and interest payments, you might want to reconsider.

A lot of people think they’re ineligible because they’re not US citizens, their accounting is unorthodox, their spouse is drawing the additional unemployment benefits, etc. That might be worth revisiting. I strongly suspect that a lot of people who could, in fact, get PPP money think they’re ineligible.

I’m not an expert on the PPP, but I’d like to help you however I can. I managed to get one of those loans, and the money was a lifesaver for me. I had help from others and want to pay that forward, so AMA.

Here’s an intro to the PPP program: what it is, how much money you might get, and how the PPP works.

Here’s the Small Business Administration (SBA) guide to the PPP program. They have a helpful FAQ.

Here’s an intro to the PPP for the self-employed.

Argh. I waited too long to edit my post, so I’m putting some of what I missed in this reply.

There were two subreddits that were helpful throughout the process: r/smallbusiness and r/EIDPLPPP.

Anyway–AMA. I’ll answer as many questions as I can. If I don’t know the answer to a question, I’ll do my best to suggest another source of info.