Archives: May 2009

Why Small Businesses Need Credit Card Reform

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 26

A reader named Karen just left this comment on a post about credit card rates rising: Today (5/26/09) I got an email from Advanta that they are closing ALL of...

How to Find an Intern

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 26

Students are streaming out of colleges for the summer and many still may not have summer jobs or internships lined up. But connecting with potential internship candidates is challenging for...

More of America’s Longest Running Restaurants

Posted by: Stacy Perman on May 20

Last week we ran a story and accompanying slide show looking at some of this country’s longest running eateries – the oldest being New York City’s Fraunces Tavern, which was...

SBA To Offer More Loan Help

Posted by: Stacy Perman on May 19

As of next week, more small businesses will be eligible for Small Business Administration-backed loans. Such financial help is the result of the SBA’s temporary change in the standard size...

Bridge Loans from the SBA

Posted by: Jeremy Quittner on May 14

Get ready for the Small Business Administration to announce the availability of $35,000 bridge loans for distressed small businesses. John Miller, director of marketing for the SBA's New York District...

Advanta Cuts Off Small Business Customers

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 12

Small business credit card issuer Advanta is shutting down all customer accounts on June 10 in an effort to shore up its finances amid steep losses, the company announced yesterday....

Small Business Credit Card Rates On The Rise

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 11

Has your credit card company raised your rates, cut your limit, or both? If so, you're not alone. Nearly two thirds of small business owners reported seeing their rates go...

Would Stress Test Assumptions Hold Up For A Startup?

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 08

Entrepreneurs are sometimes accused of seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses. They're too optimistic -- naive, even -- about how quickly they'll be profitable and how fast their companies will...

iPhone Apps As A Business Model

Posted by: Colleen Debaise on May 07

I attended an event the other night at Soho House in Manhattan, and it wasn't just for the Cinco de Mayo margaritas (although please note, this could become a dangerous...

Taking an Axe to the Heart

Posted by: Amy Choi on May 07

We recently took a look at just how to get those maybe not-so-enthused members of your family in on your family business. Our tips: promise total autonomy, let them run...

Your Goals? Forget Them.

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 06

Should you trash your goals? This piece from the Boston Globe (via 37 Signals) outlines the risk of relying too much on goals. GM set a goal to regain 29%...

Your Comments on Small Business and Health Care Reform

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 06

BusinessWeek readers have been sharing great comments on health care and small business, and I want to round up a few of them here. An idea I didn't hit on...

Health Reform Fit For Small Business

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 05

A bi-partisan group of senators introduced a health reform bill designed to meet the needs of small business called the Small Business Health Options Program (which they call SHOP--should really...

10 Straight Quarters of Tightening Credit for Small Business

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 04

Banks are still tightening credit standards for small businesses, but not to the degree they did at the end of last year. That's according to the Fed's quarterly survey of...

A New Model for Startup Incubators

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 04

Check out this post from Steve King about an effort to build a new model for startup incubators called The Founder Institute. It's being launched by The Funded, Adeo Ressi's...

Credit Card Reform: Are You a Business, Consumer, or Both?

Posted by: John Tozzi on May 01

We got some great comments on our post yesterday about how credit card protections passed in the House won't help small business cardholders. There's a bigger theme here worth noting:...

Social Networking 101 For Businesses

Posted by: Colleen Debaise on May 01

I went to an interesting event last night -- and it wasn't just for the "Tweetinis" (blood-orange infused vanilla vodka martinis). This was a pow-wow on "Social Networking 101," sponsored...