The 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. - New York Times read more ...

Remarkably, even in dire economic times such as these, the desire to own a small business doesn't diminish. Annual business creation in the U.S. has remained consistent for nearly 30 years, even during downturns, according to a new study from the entrepreneurship-focused group Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. - USA Today read more ...

Newtek relies on this financing primarily to support its continued growth in U.S. Small Business Administration lending. All of the basic terms of the arrangement have been agreed between Newtek and Capital One, N.A., and the unsigned documents have been submitted to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for their required approval. - CNNMoney read more ...

A tax credit for U.S. small businesses proposed in President Barack Obama’s $3.8 trillion fiscal 2011 budget may not cover the set-up costs of a mandatory retirement savings plan, a Washington-based trade group said. - Business Week read more ...

Bartering allows businesses to exchange goods and services without hurting cash flow, which can be especially tight in today's economy. Business-to-business barter transactions generate $12 billion annually, according to the International Reciprocal Trade Association. Last year, more than 250,000 businesses engaged in bartering to help boost revenue. - Fox Business  read more ...

For most businesses, the highest expense after salaries "is tax liability," Smouse says. "To legally not pay as much in taxes, there aren't many avenues. [With a cash balance plan], the money you're not giving to the federal government will be put into your own pocket when you retire. It will be taxed then, but hopefully we'll be in a lower tax bracket then." - CNNMoney read more ...

Female small business owners are expected to create millions of U.S. jobs while transforming the workplace environment. - Forbes  read more ...

Small-business owners grew even more pessimistic in the final month of 2009, capping off what was a trying year for their businesses. The Small Business Optimism Index decreased 0.3 point to 88.0 last month from November, reported the National Federation of Independent Business in a press release Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal  read more ...

When you're a small-business owner, issues like whether you can afford to give your assistant manager a raise or whether your dinner bread will be delivered on time loom larger than the trade deficit and crop results. Yet, the nation's employment outlook factors into your hiring decisions and the truck that delivers your bread runs on gas — so keeping an eye on the bigger picture can help you avoid cost surprises. "If [you know] consumers are spending more in October, that might give you a bit more confidence if you're a retailer going into the Christmas season," says Chad Moutray, the Small Business Administration's chief economist. - The Wall Street Journal read more ...

A program to revive the secondary market for Small Business Administration 504 loans could unlock credit for companies trying to expand - BusinessWeek read more ...

To be sure, the stimulus provisions – which lured hundreds of banks back to the small-business lending arena – could survive past late November or December, when funding is expected to be depleted. On Thursday, the House voted to continue the measures until September 2011. The Senate has yet to consider the legislation. - The Wall Street Journal read more ...

What's warm, fuzzy and the perfect recession-era pitchman for everything from iPhones to laptops to credit cards? If you ask some of the country's big advertisers, the answer would be: the entrepreneur. read more ...

The economic downturn has dimmed many entrepreneurs' hopes of opening a small business, as sources of funding have dwindled or dried up completely. And while many hope 2010 will be better, the outlook continues to be bleak. - The Wall Street Journal read more ...

With all eyes in Washington on the recovery, the sector is getting attention because research indicates small companies -- especially the newest ones -- are the biggest job creators. - Chicago Tribune read more ...

Small businesses are still struggling to find financing, but for those seeking government-backed loans, the worst may be over. The Small Business Administration's flagship lending program backed 37% more loans in its latest quarter than it did a year ago, at the height of the financial crisis. - CNNMoney read more ...

Certainly this was true last year when I listed, to no one's great surprise, the economy as the top trend of the year, and sadly, it didn't disappoint. I am sure I speak for many of us when I say we are happy to say goodbye to 2009. This year, the top trend is also related to the economy, but is thankfully it is not bad news. In fact, it offers fantastic opportunities for the savvy entrepreneur. .. but I am getting ahead myself. That will need to wait until next week. read more ...

Small-business owners across the country have voiced similar frustrations, complaining that -- despite billions of taxpayer dollars in relief funds and exhortations from lawmakers to help Main Street -- banks are still holding back on loans. - CNNMoney read more ...

"Small businesses have been left in limbo since the funding ran out," said Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of the senators who requested the extension, in a statement. "[The legislation] will provide a lifeline to small businesses in need of credit." - Wall Street Journal read more ...

Under the president's latest plan, small businesses would receive an extension of various tax incentives, which were authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA. The plan also extends the suspension of fees and the promise of larger guarantees for Small Business Administration loans. Currently, the SBA provides a sweetened 90% guarantee on certain loans, up from 75% or 85%. - The Wall Street Journal  read more ...

President Obama and Congress are ending the year as they began it, at work on an economic stimulus package of tax cuts and spending, with the latest effort likely to raise the total cost of antirecession measures to the $1 trillion level that some economists had urged last winter, The New York Times’s Jackie Calmes reported. - The New York Times read more ...

uying insurance can be intimidating, and it’s difficult to know who is trying to take advantage of you and who is giving honest advice. That’s why you should start by asking other entrepreneurs in your industry what kinds of insurance they carry and who they bought it from. There are three types of vendors who can help you pick insurance: independent agents, captive agents, and risk consultants. - The New York Times read more ...

Calling small business the “backbone” of Chicago’s economy, Mayor Daley unveiled plans Tuesday to give Ma-and-Pa companies the capital and regulatory relief he says they need to survive the prolonged recession. - Chicago Suntimes read more ...

In Indiana, elsewhere, cashless exchange is helping business and individuals survive...But bartering is alive and well today, as businesses starving for customers and perhaps short on capital are trading everything from "pizzas to buildings," according to Barbara Martin, a regional vice president for one of several bartering agencies operating in Indiana, International Monetary Systems. - IndyStar read more ...

The Treasury Department is planning on asking Congress for legislation to relax rules governing the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. This new legislation would be used to help small business get loans from smaller banks. The Treasury wants to be able to use about $30 billion to $40 billion of the TARP for small business lending and it may be part of a new jobs package next year. - My Bank Tracker read more ...

But thaw in pay freezes, incentives for top workers could be in offing... But there is hope for employees who saw hours and benefits slashed, or who took on extra responsibilities as companies attempt to hold on to the talent that kept them afloat in tough times. Chicago Tribune read more ...

Now that the Senate has approved its health care reform bill, the real work begins on compromise legislation with the House. Meanwhile, small-business owners are anxiously waiting to see how they'll be affected. Mitchell Hartman reports. - Marketplace read more ...

The U.S. Senate approved President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare overhaul on Thursday, backing sweeping changes in the medical insurance market and new coverage for tens of millions of uninsured Americans. - Reuters read more ...

From President Obama on down, government officials have been gently stepping up pressure on banks to increase lending, saying that higher lending is needed to sustain the economic recovery. - Biz Journal read more ...

Obstinacy can push an entrepreneur to persevere when any sane person would quit. But obstinacy can also kill your business if it keeps you in denial. - CNNMoney read more ...

The financing, arranged through U.S. Bank and a mind-numbingly complex public-private sector loan program known as the New Market Tax Credit, essentially retired $1.7 million of construction debt, shaving about $20,000 off the project’s monthly loan payments. For Mitchell Properties, it was probably the difference between surviving the recession relatively unscathed and contributing to the growing list of belly-up real estate projects. - The New York Times read more ...

WASHINGTON — Sounding a friendly tone to the nation's community bankers, President Barack Obama on Tuesday said the White House will seek to cut bureaucratic restrictions so that local lenders can help businesses seize "enormous opportunities" for growth after bleak times. - AP read more ...

Non-entrepreneurial-minded families also may advocate the stability and benefits that often come with a corporate job's health coverage, pension plans and 401(k) matches. Nearly three-quarters of company founders cited family or financial pressures to keep a traditional, steady job as issues that may prevent others from starting their own businesses, according to a November Kauffman report. - USA Today read more ...