Small businesses everywhere have been affected by COVID-19, forcing many to rapidly adopt remote work, close their facilities to the public, and in some cases, lay off workers until the end of the pandemic. While small businesses feel the pressure, a number of technology companies have risen to the occasion to provide some assistance to affected businesses and their employees.

Companies like Zoho have implemented a number of emergency assistance programs to help small business employees work from home without sacrificing productivity or quality of work. Zoho has done this by offering the Small Business Emergency Subscription Assistance Program (ESAP).

The Small Business Emergency Subscription Assistance Program

Zoho’s newly announced subscription assistance program will see them offering free access for three months to up to 20,000 small business Zoho customers, allowing organizations to continue using their favourite Zoho apps. The ESAP applies to small businesses with 25 or fewer employees who have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, letting companies focus on what matters most without losing access to critical tools used by employees.

Based on the severity of organizational interruption, sector, and other factors, Zoho will grant waivers to Zoho admins to pay for three months of Zoho subscriptions. Customers can only apply for ESAP once, and applications may not be modified after they’ve been submitted – this makes it extremely important to get details correct the first time. Should Zoho discover that a business has misrepresented their situation in their ESAP application, Zoho reserves the right to remove customers from the program.

Who qualifies for ESAP?

Zoho’s Emergency Subscription Assistance Program is open to small businesses who have had active Zoho subscriptions for at least one year (ending February 2020), hosting up to 25 employees across their organization. Priority is given to small businesses that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Wallet credits are awarded to company Zoho admin users after a business has been approved.

Once your business has been approved, wallet credits will be awarded for three months, covering the monthly subscription paid by the business in February 2020. Credits can be used for new Zoho product purchases, cover existing subscription costs, and to add additional user licenses before the expiry period.

Businesses can apply for ESAP here.

Other COVID-19 assistance programs offered by Zoho

In addition to the Emergency Subscription Assistance Program, Zoho has created a number of programs to assist those in need during these difficult times. One of the steps Zoho has taken in the wake of COVID-19 is to offer Zoho Remotely free of charge until July 1st, 2020. Remotely features eleven web and mobile apps that allow businesses to run their operations remotely, working to increase productivity and enhance communication and collaboration. By taking advantage of this great offer, companies can continue to run their operations smoothly, offering employees the tools needed to succeed while working from home. Zoho Remotely comes with 100 user licences, with additional licences available for businesses who contact Zoho support.

Zoho has also taken initiative to keep people informed about COVID-19, launching the Coronavirus COVID-19 Dashboard. The Dashboard features real-time information about the number of cases around the world, with statistics about recoveries, recovery rates, daily trends, test performed, and much more. Zoho’s Dashboard can be used by anybody to track the ongoing global effort to flatten the curve and to observe the progress of nations worldwide.

On top of the assistance programs and the COVID-19 Dashboard, Zoho has launched a wide variety of other initiatives, all of which can be found on their COVID-19 Resources page.

Businesses in need can apply for the Small Business Emergency Subscription Assistance Program now.