Small Business Trends

Small businesses are top priority and enthusiasm runs high for their prospects in an economy still reeling from downturns. But what small businesses need to grow is another matter and, while we here at Small Business Trends feel strongly small business owners and entrepreneurs must take responsibility for their own success, there certainly are things that improve the environment for small businesses to thrive. Here is a look at that environment with all of its good and bad at a time we believe small business is poised for growth. Get ready. Success is just around the corner!

Trends

Small business optimism is on the rise. Who cares what the experts say? Small business owners themselves are stoked says a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, a widely accepted gauge for small business owners’ outlooks toward the current state of their own businesses. The index showed a surge of optimism for November, in particular. How do you feel about your business? Gallup

Giving employees incentives can help small businesses grow. It may seem like common sense. If small business success is made by your employees can clearly finding the best ways to motivate them is the key. This post looks at how incentives for employees can be the missing ingredient to a really successful business that is truly poised for growth. gaebler.com

Policy

UK businesses poised to go global. Small businesses in the United Kingdom able to expand beyond a purely local reach, particularly using technology, could soon take over the world in their individual niches…and boost the nation’s economy considerably. But small businesses still need access to more affordable financing and the opportunity to bid on public contracts more easily. BBC News

Leaders find small business is a priority with everyone. Creating policy that improves the climate for small businesses and the job creation they bring is still a priority with voters. In fact, one future state governor found out just how important during a fact finding tour of her state when voters showed up at a town meeting armed with suggestions on  how to make improvements. What do you think? GlobeGazette.com

Finance

Did you get your small business loans. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. says it offered more than $10 billion in small business loans in 2010 to more than 250,000 small businesses. This staggering figure increases the bank’s overall small business lending by 40 percent since the previous year. Let’s see if there will be more where this came from and whether it may shift the way lenders look at small businesses in the future. Forbes.com

Don’t take small biz grants for granted. You’ve probably seen the ads. Government grants could be available to help your small business get started ot grow. But are these things for real? This article separates the fact from the fiction and looks at the realities of the funding available to small businesses. Could your business qualify? Entrepreneur

SBA

New SBA tool aids small businesses online. A new tool developed by the Small Business Administration as a feature of its new Website upgrade, is another resource available to small businesses on the Web. The Internet offers small business owners many great free resources to help educate on a variety of topics involving small business. When starting a small business, it’s a good idea to get all the information you can. San Diego Union Tribune

New loans target underserved entrepreneurs. Two new lending programs announced recently by the Small Business Administration target under-served groups when it comes to small business loans including women, minorities and people in rural areas, a representative for the SBA said during the announcement. Will these loan programs really assist small business owners in these under-served areas? gaebler.com

SBA loans may not be the answer. In fact, Scott Shane, Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at Case Western Reserve University, suggests that the lower personal net worth of many minority entrepreneurs make loans problematic and equity investments a far better answer. Read the full post for more on his prescription for change. Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Online

Will an FCC policy on so-called “net neutrality” really effect your business? A recent policy decision by the Federal Communications Commission has angered advocates of so-called “net neutrality” who argue thhat the federal policy favors large corporate interests, namely Internet access providers, to the detrimate of smaller Internet users including small business owners. Given the increasing importance of online presence to small business owners, do you think the “net neutrality” issue will impact your business negatively? Tell us what you think. Reclaim the Media