The Zheng family, owners of Wok House Jax, are speaking out after losing more than $60,000 when their DoorDash merchant account was hacked. They hope their story will help other small businesses avoid similar financial losses.

As the holiday shopping season kicks off, local businesses in Duval County want the community to remember the mom and pops when shopping this holiday season.

It all comes at you so quickly: One minute, you’re making grocery lists and setting the menu for Thanksgiving, and then, in the blink of an eye, the holiday has arrived, only to be followed by Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday -- and then your tree goes up and Christmas morning is here.

As Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday approach, Florida leaders shared tips on how to keep your data secure and save money when shopping for deals online.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Given the number of businesses owners who have been forced to close this year because of the pandemic, there’s a big push to shop locally this year to support the small businesses that have been able to stay open. And now that the country is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases, small retailers have no idea what to expect this holiday shopping season. “We keep everything clean.”But supporting small business is about more than just minimizing the spread of COVID-19. “It’s giving back to local children and it’s definitely full circle.”Khanna told News4Jax that supporting small businesses this holiday season greatly impacts the local economy. So to me, shopping small business is everything.

City apologizes for delay caused by technical issue with softwareIf you need help with WJXT’s or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville is giving up to $2,000 to small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. “The actions we took as a city to flatten the curve of COVID-19 were successful, but also placed a heavy burden on small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout our community,” Mayor Lenny Curry said. While the application period does not open until Monday, small businesses are encouraged to create a MyJax business account before then. That website will be the same location where business owners can find applications for the relief program. Once on the site, follow the link for the “Small Business Relief Grant Program.”Eligible businesses can apply beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 8.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Starting Wednesday, small businesses located within St. Johns County can apply for grant money to help them get back on their feet amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Beautiful and filled with small businesses. Starting Wednesday, those businesses impacted by COVID-19 closures can apply for up to $5,000 in relief money. For instance, the business must be located in St. Johns County, open for at least one year, and have between five and 20 employees. Overall, Rebeca Newmann has high hopes for other small businesses throughout St. Johns County.

Tuesday, City Councilwoman LeAnna Cumber is introducing a plan that would set aside $9,000,000 to help companies that have lost business during the pandemic. But since the pandemic, the company’s vice president Anothy Swick said, the business has taken a hit. When the pandemic hit, cancellations increased, and now, the number of people working inside is down because of distancing and low sales volume. Applicants must have fewer than 100 employees,Must show at least a 25% drop in revenue since the start of the pandemic. The bill will be introduced Tuesday, but likely won’t come up for debate until next week.

While all small businesses are free to apply and can get grants, the organization is especially interested in funding women- and minority-owned businesses as well as small businesses operating in low-income and rural areas, said CEO Maurice Jones. Besides financing grants, donations are also used to support community-based nonprofits that provide free business, legal and accounting services to small businesses. Free legal consultationsThe Lawyers for Good Government Foundation, working in conjunction with local small business nonprofits, has begun offering pro bono legal consultations for small business owners in cities and states across the country. A campaign to get clients to pay small businesses fasterSmall businesses need money right now to keep their doors open. That's why Fundbox and other companies serving small businesses launched a campaign called #paytoday to encourage big companies and government agencies to accelerate their payments to small business vendors.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If your business was one of millions of small businesses not covered by the Paycheck Protection Program, the $483 billion coronavirus relief bill could provide so much-needed relief. Included in the bill is $251 billion intended to refill the Paycheck Protection Program, which has already run out of nearly $350 billion intended to provide forgivable loans of up to $10 million for small businesses. RELATED: Highlights of the nearly $500B coronavirus relief billLike so many others, small business owner Allan Devault did not receive a loan through the PPP. If you’ve already applied for a PPP loan, just sit tight. But if you haven’t yet applied for a loan through the PPP, get your information and application squared away.

Small business owners desperate for help told to be patientPublished: April 13, 2020, 5:59 pmDesperate small business owners who hoped for a quick government lifeline to help them survive the coronavirus crisis are still without funds, instead are battling red tape, wary banks and swamped computer systems.

But with small businesses, things are happening on a case-by-case basis. Though owner Bryanetta Humphrey is concerned about the virus, she feels like she doesn’t have a choice but to stay open. “We have to stay open until they say no more,” Humphrey told News4Jax. But since small businesses don’t have that luxury, they’re getting crafty. Ron DeSantis said he plans to turn on the Small Business Administration loan program, which would open up $50 million in bridge loans to help small businesses.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Experts say social distancing will help prevent the spread of coronavirus, but it’s also taking a toll on Jacksonville’s small businesses, which have seen foot traffic slow to a trickle. Now, businesses throughout the nation are contemplating wage cuts and staffing cutbacks to stay afloat, while some are considering closing their doors entirely — possibly for good. Every Saturday, small business owners camp out under the Fuller Warren Bridge to sell their wares to passersby. In response to the spread of coronavirus, they’re extending their farmstead hours and offering free delivery for orders of $25 or more. “Small businesses are the heart of our economics in our community and in our nation, so keep them in mind,” Jones said.

The widow of Justin Dignam, one of the 34 people who died in the fire, has filed a lawsuit against the boat's owners, making it the first claim from one of the 34 victims' families. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa, File)LOS ANGELES, CA – The widow of a passenger who died in a fiery dive boat disaster that killed 34 people in the waters off California sued the vessel's owners Monday. Christine Dignam, whose husband, Justin Dignam, died when the Conception caught fire Sept. 2 off the Santa Barbara coast, claimed that the boat was unsafe. The lawsuit against Santa Barbara-based Truth Aquatics Inc. is the first from a relative of the victims who died. Dignam's case is a counterclaim to a lawsuit filed pre-emptively by the boat owners to protect them from liability under a quirk of pre-Civil War maritime law.

NEW YORK, NY – The market for small businesses cooled further during the third quarter as fallout from trade wars made companies look less appealing to buyers. That's the finding of a quarterly report analyzing small business sales released by BizBuySell.com, an online marketplace for companies. BizBuySell.com counted 2,454 small businesses sold during July-September, down 8.6% from 2,685 sold in the same period last year. Some owners who were considering selling are now holding off because they're concerned they may not get a good sales price for their companies. Some small business owners are reluctant to put their companies on the market, while others are thinking more seriously than in the past about what they need to do to make their companies more likely to sell.

NEW YORK, NY – Many small companies tied to the housing market are seeing a slowdown in business, one that's forecast to continue well into 2020. Reports on home sales, the home remodeling market and sales of furniture and home furnishings show the spreading fallout from rising prices for houses and apartments. While sales are up nearly 4% from a year ago, an increase due to falling mortgage rates, would-be buyers are being turned away by housing prices that keep rising. But with sales fluctuating, there's less remodeling going on and so contractors, many of whom are small businesses, are getting less work. The Commerce Department figures don't break out sales at small or independent retailers versus large chain stores.