This week, more money got pumped into the federally funded Paycheck Protection Program so business owners who missed out on the first round, are getting a second chance.
On a beautiful spring day such as this one, Greenwood Nursery and Landscaping near Wilkes-Barre would typically be full of plants and people.
Right now, though, it's light on both, but owner Jim Ide is optimistic that brighter days are ahead for his business in Plains Township.
While he waits for the green light from the governor to reopen, a loan will help tide him over. His application for the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program was approved.
The program ran out of money earlier this month. Ide had to wait for Congress to approve a second round of funding.
"I applied immediately when it went up. It was just the chaos from every direction, so you can't blame anybody. So we didn't make the first cut," Ide said.
His lender, Dunmore-based FNCB Bank, never stopped accepting applications during that gap in funding.
"I got text messages and phone calls from folks. And some folks got to the point where they, they really were not counting on being able to get funded. So when they did hear that they were able to get funding, it was a big relief for them," said FNCB Bank president Jerry Champi.
The whole point of the Paycheck Protection Program is to allow business owners to maintain their payroll.
The hope at Greenwood Nursery is that soon enough, this place will be not only brimming with customers, but with all 10 of its former employees, and maybe even more.
"We're in that seasonal business where we're used to this shutdown and start-up, but they're all ready to be back. They're tired of being at home, and unemployment doesn't pay as good as what your job does.
FNCB Bank tells us it anticipates that this will be the final round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, although there may be another type of incentive program for small businesses somewhere down the road.