Today, we’re celebrating another win for business owners battling the stigma of past convictions as of June 2020. This win comes in the form of the SBA’s agreement to change the regulations surrounding the application for loans to no longer discriminate against those with past convictions.
This change in law is due to the bravery and strength of Troy Parker, a Cincinnati, Ohio native with past convictions. Parker was released from jail in 2015, and immediately began the process of starting a new business aimed at helping those like him. Parker created Innovative Labor and Cleaning Service in an effort to employ those in lower-income communities who suffer from mental health issues, past convictions, or addictions, who are still capable of being a part of the workforce.
In the few years that Parker has owned this business he has seen tremendous growth in the business itself and the amount of people it has positively affected. However, the COVID-19 pandemic’s arrival in March of 2020 took Parker (as well as the rest of the world) by surprise. As the financial and economic effects of the pandemic hit Parker, he began applying for PPP and EIDL loans offered for small businesses. Parker was met with rejection almost immediately per the SBA’s PPP rules which disqualified anyone convicted of a felony in the last five years from receiving financial help.
Parker did not take this news lightly. He immediately began reaching out to other business owners with criminal records and became connected to Ohio Senator Rob Portman, who agreed to write a letter to President Trump’s staff and the SBA calling for an end to these regulations. As Parker’s case gained notoriety, his inquiry gained traction, and soon other bipartisan advocacy groups and politicians began voicing their opposition to the SBA’s discrimination against small business owners with criminal records.
Fortunately, this pushback became successful, and a week before the June 30th PPP deadline, the SBA finally agreed to amend the rules. They abolished the disqualification of loan eligibility for those on parole and probation. While there are still a number of roadblocks and hoops to successfully obtaining a loan, this is a large step towards allowing people with past convictions to enter the workforce without the stigma of their past actions.
Parker’s endurance and perseverance in the face of the challenges he experienced due to his past convictions has allowed many other small business owners with past convictions to live out their aspirations. Parker has been included in the list of 137 inspirational entrepreneurs in Entrepreneur’s July/August cover for his work.
If you suffer from obstacles due to a past conviction, give Easy Expunctions a call or visit our website to see how you can get your life back on track.