Economic Trends

The Current State of Small Business Lending

By Rieva Lesonsky - Aug 1, 2012 - 5 Comments

How did small business lending fare last year? The SBA’s Office of Advocacy recently released its annual report on small business lending, Small Business Lending in the United States 2010-2011. As might be expected, the report found that both small business borrowers and lenders were less … Read More

Bright Spot in the Small Business Credit Sector

By Tom Gazaway - Jul 19, 2012 - 5 Comments

Yes, I've read them. The stories are everywhere. The economy is struggling and so are small businesses. Perhaps The Great Recession is over but the economy is soft to say the least. Bank loans are tough to come by. Non-bank finance lending is way down - actually they are at their lowest … Read More

Women Owned Small Businesses Enduring The Recession

By Rieva Lesonsky - Jul 4, 2012 - 4 Comments

What strategies did women owned small business owners use to ride out the recession and how are they recovering in its aftermath? Cutting costs was the major focus for most, reports Small Business: Lessons of the Recession, a new study by the NFIB, Chase Bank and the Center for Women’s Business … Read More

Credit Union Small Business Lending Act Would Help Small Businesses Find Capital

By Rohit Arora - Jun 27, 2012 - 5 Comments

The Credit Union Small Business Lending Act (H.R. 4191) is bipartisan legislation introduced by Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), that would make it easier for credit unions to participate in the SBA small business loan programs. SBA lending has been critical to helping the … Read More

Trouble Again in the Small Business Sector?

By Scott Shane - Jun 11, 2012 - 5 Comments

Several recent indicators suggest that the small business sector may be weakening again. • Revenue growth has flattened. The Intuit Small Business Revenue Index, which uses data from users of QuickBooks Online to measure small company sales, increased by only 0.01 percent in April, a … Read More

Are Banks Finally Getting Ready to Lend?

By Rieva Lesonsky - May 2, 2012 - 10 Comments

If you’ve been on the fence about seeking a small business loan, the results of the 2012 Banking Trends Outlook Survey by Omega Performance suggest now might be the time to stop dithering and start applying for the financing your business needs. The global survey of bankers has good news for … Read More

Small Business No Longer Plagued By Recession Pessimism

By Scott Shane - Apr 30, 2012 - 5 Comments

According to the spring 2012 release of the twice-a-year PNC Economic Outlook Survey, small business owners are no longer as pessimistic about the economy as they were during the economic downturn and the early part of the recovery. However, they aren’t exactly back to their pre-recession … Read More

The Great Recession’s Effect on Small Loans to Business

By Scott Shane - Apr 23, 2012 - 15 Comments

Small loans to businesses continue to shrink, falling to $613 billion dollars at the end of 2011, the Small Business Administration (SBA) reports. The dollar value of small loans is down substantially since the start of the financial crisis and Great Recession. SBA data reveals that the … Read More

Obama’s Budget Offers Mixed News for Small Business Owners

By Rohit Arora - Feb 28, 2012 - 4 Comments

President Obama's proposed 2013 budget seeks to reduce the federal deficit to $901 billion. He seeks to achieve this goal by increasing taxes on "the wealthy" -- households making more than $250,000. The goal is to alleviate the deficit over the next ten years by bringing an additional $1.5 … Read More

2012 Small Business Outlook: Partly Cloudy

By Barry Moltz - Feb 27, 2012 - 12 Comments

The Shafran Moltz Group conducted an annual small business survey of 5,000 business owners this past month. The outlook continues to be uncertain. Forty five percent of respondents thought the economy was finally steady and do not believe there will be a double dip recession. However, over one … Read More

Solving the Small Business Credit Mess

By Barry Moltz - Feb 10, 2012 - 32 Comments

The U.S. federal government said the Great Recession was over in June 2009. Unfortunately, it’s at least year three and counting of a very difficult economic climate for many people . It’s not just the protesters at Occupy Wall Street or in your local community; it’s every darn small business … Read More

Consumer Confidence: It’s a Bit Murky Out There

By Rieva Lesonsky - Jan 25, 2012 - 3 Comments

As small business owners in a recession, we eagerly await any news that consumer confidence is rebounding to normal levels. But looking at consumers as one undifferentiated mass is a big mistake. As the latest BIG Research Consumer Intentions & Actions survey uncovered, consumer optimism may be … Read More