In fairness, it was largely the banks that fucked over small businesses.

Ours certainly did. We had a "wait for our signal - don't call us, we'll call you - as soon as we're live we're going to send out an email have all your documentation ready" discussion with our bank, and then they chose not to send out notifications until the easy shit was out of the way. there's a NYTimes article outlining exactly this, I'm just too lazy to look it up.

2nd time around has actually been hella better. All the little scrapper firms that sprung up to milk that commission know what to do this time and they will jump at the chance to find you money. If you applied last time you have to be an idiot not to get it this time. Last time? I applied eleven times and ended up getting approved by two. This time? I'm preapproved by a new firm every day.

This time it's also means-tested. If you can't show a 25% reduction in revenue quarter-to-quarter (Q2 2019 to Q2 2020, for example) you aren't eligible. We weathered the hell out of the storm so I've had to let my pre-approved, pre-filled-out PPPMk.II paperwork lapse three times because while my lender is oh-so-eager to guide me through that door again, I can't walk through it without committing fraud.

It's worth noting that $350b went in weeks last time. This time, the means-tested time, $130b is still left a month later. That is why they're saying "only small businesses" - everyone with half a chance has already gotten their money. 'cuz if you're a sole proprietor you aren't going to get anything anyway - you can't demonstrate salary. You pay yourself with draws? Yeah you're not an employee. You laid anybody off? Yeah you can't count 'em. This particular pocket of money goes to people who are somehow too incompetent to apply at all last time but successful enough to have experienced a 25% draw-down in revenue without laying off any of your more-than-1, fewer-than-20 employees who somehow hasn't taken up the 4 offers per day in their inbox up until now.