Small Business

April 2, 2014 

U.S. small businesses will gain improved access to two major government-guaranteed loan programs once a final rule to that effect issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration becomes effective April 21, 2014.

April 1, 2014 

The Blackbaud Index showed an overall increase in charitable giving to nonprofits of 0.7 percent, while online giving increased 13.8 percent for the three months ending February 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013.

Isaac M. O'Bannon

March 31, 2014 

Construction failures have recently gotten a lot of attention. #Sochiproblems and a twitter account dedicated to collecting all disasters have jokingly reported a variety of problems that contractors have left in the Olympic town.

March 28, 2014 

The first quarter of 2014 is looking strong for small businesses, according to the March 2014 Small Business Scorecard, a monthly survey conducted by payroll and human resources technology provider SurePayroll. According to the survey, 87 percent of business respondents expect a strong or steady end to the first quarter.

Isaac M. O'Bannon

March 28, 2014 

Some brands are iconic, like Coca Cola, Disney, Microsoft and Google. Others are just as well-known, but perhaps less respected, like some fast food or alcohol and tobacco companies. While others have an even lower impression... think Enron? But which brands do small businesses trust the most?

Isaac M. O'Bannon

March 28, 2014 

New research shows that cloud computing is viewed by 80 percent of U.S. small businesses as a solution that contributes to business growth. Conducted by Techaisle, the SMB Cloud Computing Adoption Trend survey shows a significant departure in the views of small businesses from previous years, when reducing cost used to be the overarching objective.

Isaac M. O'Bannon

March 26, 2014 

If you have clients who are franchisees, did they experience the same strong growth as seen across the franchise sector in 2013? According to a new report, last year was a banner year, with industry outpacing the overall U.S. economy in business formation and job growth, creating an estimated 11,000 new establishments and 10 percent…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

March 26, 2014 

A component of Governor Paul LePage's plan to attract manufacturers to Maine would violate federal law, labor unions told lawmakers Monday.

March 26, 2014 

Minority-owned small businesses are less likely to borrow money from traditional lenders and less likely to have their loans approved. Access to financing is crucial for new businesses, and in Berks County, PA, there are more options available for entrepreneurs to borrow money, including a new program for Reading business owners from National Penn Bank.

March 25, 2014 

First, a bit of good news for the millions of Americans who work for small businesses: Employee safety at work is a top concern for small business owners, according to a survey sponsored by EMPLOYERS a provider of small business workers' compensation insurance.

March 24, 2014 

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is reporting a possible data security breach in its credit card processing services but said it had not yet found evidence that its computer system had been hacked.

March 24, 2014 

The Obama Administration has proposed that the U.S. Department of Commerce give up its control over the Internet, in order to resolve questions about the National Security Agency spying on Internet traffic.

Dave McClure