Archives: October 2011

Another Government Website for Small Business

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 28

Earlier this year, the wonks at the Government Accountability Office looked at how much different government agencies replicate similar efforts. For example, the federal government has 80 programs that deal...

The Best Young Entrepreneurs of 2011: Readers' Picks

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 27

Each year we ask readers to send us suggestions for a roundup of America's best young entrepreneurs. We narrow the nominations to 25 promising companies run by individuals age 25...

Easing Student Loan Burdens for Entrepreneurs

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 26

With student debt loads haunting college grads and jobless joining street protests, President Obama yesterday announced plans to ease student loan burdens by capping payments at 10 percent of what...

Where Job Growth Comes From

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 25

Reuters blogger Felix Salmon explains in a post yesterday why small businesses are not the drivers of new jobs or productivity that politicians often say they are. Riffing off two...

Small Business Confidence Remains Low

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 24

Small business owners' outlook hasn't changed much since three months ago, and business owners express about the same level of confidence as they did at the end of the recession...

Health Reform Won't Dismantle Employer Coverage, Report Says

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 21

Health reform won't lead most companies to drop insurance benefits, according to an analysis out today from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute. Some critics of the...

Small Business Least Satisfied with Biggest Banks: J.D. Power

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 20

The four biggest consumer banks in the U.S. got the worst ratings for satisfaction from small businesses, according to a report by J.D. Power and Associates published today. The top...

Closing the Tech Startup Gender Gap

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 19

Women 2.0, a company devoted to helping women entrepreneurs launch tech startups, says half of the women responding to an audience survey are actual company founders, compared to one quarter...

Coffee Fix: Starbucks Pushes Small Business Loans

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 18

New York Times columnist Joe Nocera today lauds Starbucks for supporting community development financial institutions, the nonprofit lenders serving small businesses and affordable housing in low-income communities. The coffee chain...

How Many Jobs Do Small Businesses Create? Depends What 'Small' Means

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 17

We frequently hear that small businesses create most new jobs in the U.S.: 65 percent is the familiar stat. Less often discussed is what's meant by "small business." Carl Bialik...

Small Business Lending Drops in Second Quarter, SBA Says

Posted by: John Tozzi on October 14

Loans outstanding to small businesses dropped in the second quarter by .4 percent, according to the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy. The drop is the slowest decline since 2008....

Asking Entrepreneurs for Help Improving the U.S. Visa Process

Posted by: Nick Leiber on October 11

Business schools and venture capital firms have long organized entrepreneur-in-residence programs, tapping seasoned founders for a year or two to mentor students or evaluate potential investments. Now U.S. Citizenship and...

Vote for America's Best Young Entrepreneurs (a Reminder)

Posted by: Nick Leiber on October 11

Lesley Silverthorn designs solar powered lights and cell phone chargers for individuals living off the grid. Alex White is selling bands a tool to get more out of their social...