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TwitterWith lending from banks getting tougher for many small businesses, some entrepreneurs are turning to less traditional sources for financing.The March 31 Wall Street Journal has an interesting article focused on microlenders, who are traditionally nonprofits that focus on boosting small businesses, particularly women and minority entrepreneurs in poorer communities and developing nations. But they are attracting more small business borrowers these days.The Journal’s report highlights four developments. First, microlenders are lending more.
Archive for March, 2009
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Card Check and the U.S. Constitution
March 30th, 2009 
admin The Employee Free Choice Act – or card check bill – clearly is an unfair sop to labor union bosses.But is it unconstitutional?In the March 30 Wall Street Journal, David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey make the case in an op-ed titled “Why Card Check Is Unconstitutional.”The entire piece warrants reading. But two points are worth noting here:• The Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech, along with the Fifth and 14th Amendment due process clauses, to protect a variety of expressive and associational rights.
Tips On How To “Go Green” For A Start-Up Company
March 30th, 2009 admin The following is a strategy to employ for being green and saving money in a startup, which would apply for small business as well …..1. Create user accounts in google. Once you have user accounts for your employees, you can create team calendars with user name and pass word. You can IM, and share presentations online – cuts down on any server hosting.2. Use DIMDIM software for meetings, sharing presentations.
Stimulus Rumor: Grants for Small Businesses
March 28th, 2009 admin At the Small Business Development Center, we have been getting a lot of inquiries about free money for people who want to start a business or are in small business debt. Take our word for it, there are no small business grants (and there never have been).There is a pervasive rumor being spread nation-wide that the economic stimulus program (actually known as ARRA: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) includes handouts to small businesses in the form of grants.
Success Spotlight: MaidPro Jacksonville
March 27th, 2009 admin Brian Dunmore was looking for change. He had an extensive professional and organizational background, but was seeking independence. This quest led him to the Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida where he met with CBA Kevin Monahan.Kevin agreed after talking to Brian that either a franchise or an acquisition would be a good route for him to explore. A franchise would make available a turn-key system he could follow with branding, manuals and procedures all in place.
Tax Cuts For Business …. The Right Thing To Do
March 27th, 2009 admin Historically business has reacted positively every time across the board tax cuts have been implemented, under Kennedy, Reagan, and Bush 43. This would seem to hold true so long as we are below levels of full employment. As rates are cut, investment money is loosened up, and jobs are created via these new investments. So long as there are workers available to fill those jobs, the tax base increases, more than offsetting the tax rate decrease.
Still More Taxes?
March 26th, 2009 admin The Obama budget plan includes various tax hikes that will hurt entrepreneurs, investors, business and the economy. Those include higher personal income, capital gains and dividend tax rates on upper income individuals; keeping the death tax around; and imposing a cap-and-trade regulatory/tax scheme.But that apparently is not enough. The March 25 Wall Street Journal reported the following:The White House said it would launch a search for new tax revenues, as Congressional leaders moved to scale back proposed spending increases and tax cuts in President Barack Obama’s ambitious budget.
Cost Savings Plus Waste Reduction
March 26th, 2009 admin CoGen Media announced today that in addition to a growing group of individual users, their ecoPrint2 software is now available in a Network Edition that has been put to use in large organizations including Manulife Financial Corporation and the Chicago School District.
Says Manulife Financial Corporation Pacific Regional Director Winston Chan “I’m surprised there wasn’t a product like this years ago. Printing large documents is a necessity in our industry, but we’ve never had with something like this that allow us to cut ink costs and reduce the amount of paper we use.” Companies that use ecoPrint2 Network Edition typically set up an internal print driver that allows users to print their documents using dramatically less ink or toner, as well as dramatically less paper through printing two pages per sheet from any software application.
