SBA changes win over Bay Area early critics of small business stimulus efforts

Bay Area business leaders with strong ties to the Small Business Administration had initial concerns about the agency’s ability to meet the needs of small businesses in the midst of the coronavirus economic crisis, but now say they’re now more confident.

They said that the SBA’s new $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, part of the latest stimulus law or CARES Act, and changes it has made to an earlier disaster-recovery loan program, make it more likely that much-needed cash will reach Main Street businesses.