In the NewsU.S. to Help Banks in Distressed AreasThe Treasury Department will invest up to $1 billion from the federal bank bailout fund in small banks and credit unions that make loans to small businesses in some of the communities most ravaged by the economic downturn, officials announced on Wednesday. NYtimes.com
Management & Operations How To Develop Your Global Leadership Pipeline To stay competitive in your industry and accomplish your goals, it is important to have strong leadership. This stems from executives, managers, and even entry-level employees, as they develop skills for improving the...
By Cheryl Sowa · March 02 2010
small business brief, marketing, small business, credit card
There is a lot of talk about small business and the need it has for credit to survive the recession. We hear that small businesses are having trouble, yet we also get news of small businesses successfully finding the credit they need. Which is it?
As part of a new report from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy called Small Business in Focus: Finance, we finally have some answers to the question of who gets credit. The study, “Who Needs Credit and Who Gets Credit? Evidence from the Surveys of Small Business Finances” (pages 94 – 133), by Rebel A. Cole of Krähenbühl Global Consulting, divides businesses into four distinct categories, each with its own characteristics:
Non-borrowers . Those that do not need credit.
Discouraged borrowers . Those that do not apply for credit believing that...
By Charles M Cooper · August 03 2009
small business, credit, financing
Government, Politics and the Economy
How Should Government Encourage Small Business Innovation?
Within Congress, there are two visions of how the government should harness the power of small firms to innovate that need to be reconciled, visions that pit bootstrapped companies against venture-backed companies. NYTimes.com
Consumer Sentiment Posts First Drop Since February
Confidence among American consumers dropped in July, the first time in five months, as mounting unemployment and depressed wages battered households. Bloomberg.com
By Charles M Cooper · July 24 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Government, Politics and the Economy
Stimulus Plan: Where are the Jobs?
That is the $787 billion question: Where is all that government stimulus money, and why hasn't it stemmed the rising tide of US unemployment? BusinessWeek.com
Second Stimulus: Democrats Split
Democrats in Congress are divided over whether to push for more deficit spending to end the recession and stem job losses, complicating the possibility of a second stimulus bill. Bloomberg.com
Management and Operations
By Charles M Cooper · July 08 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
The Small Business Administration is accepting loan applications for a temporary new program called America’s Recovery Capital. These “ARC” loans, which go up to $35,000, are designed to provide a “bridge” for viable small businesses with immediate financial hardship – to keep their doors open until they get back on track. “These ARC loans are another tool in the SBA toolkit which will provide critical support to small businesses struggling to make it through these tough economic times,” said Administrator Karen G. Mills.
ARC loans are deferred-payment loans made by commercial lenders to established, viable, for-profit small businesses that need short-term help to make their principal and interest payments on existing and qualifying business debt. While the ARC loans are not made by the SBA directly, they are 100% guaranteed by the SBA and have no SBA fees associated with them.
These loans will be disbursed over a period of up to six month...
By Charles M Cooper · June 17 2009
small business, sba, financing, arc loans
Government and Economy
Small Business Cries Foul on Tax Hikes
Small business owners and their Washington advocates are coming out against President Obama’s plan to raise income tax rates for America’s wealthiest in 2011, calling it is an ill-timed attack on small businesses that will stymie job growth. Politico.com
Card Check Far From Decided
Both sides argue it’s a matter of fairness. According to Labor, the secret-ballot system invites employer intimidation. For the employers, an open card check system means more union pressure on their employees. Both sides are gearing up for a fight. Bloomberg.com
...
By Charles M Cooper · March 11 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
