SBA Eases Disaster Loan Requirements
Oct. 17, 2005 --The U.S. Small Business Administration is relaxing certain requirements to speed up the application process for emergency ... Read story
Angus Loten
Prices Shot Up In September
Oct. 14, 2005 --Inflation surged in September by the sharpest rise in 25 years, as back-to-back storms and high energy costs continued to ... Read story
Prices Shot Up In September
Oct. 14, 2005 --Inflation surged in September by the sharpest rise in 25 years, as back-to-back storms and high energy costs continued to ... Read story
Cold Front Lifts Retail Sales
Oct. 11, 2005 --A major cold front following weeks of summer-like weather nudged flat retail chain store sales up 0.2% last week, the Inte... Read story
Feds Slow With Disaster Loans, Business Owners Say
Oct. 10, 2005 --Rae Anne Ryan credits the Small Business Administration with saving her travel agency after Sept. 11, 2001. Yet last week,... Read story
Jobs Down Less Than Expected After Storms
Oct. 7, 2005 --Fewer jobs were lost last month than expected in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, though unemployment reached its highes... Read story
Chain Stores Struggling After Storms
Oct. 6, 2005 --Big chain stores nationwide increased sales last month by slashing prices in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita, a sign that... Read story
Sarbox No Picnic For Teddy Bear Maker
Oct. 5, 2005 --Vermont Teddy Bear Company CEO Elisabeth Robert feels the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders. "I'm in the... Read story
Factory Orders, Construction Spending Up in August
Oct. 4, 2005 --Increased demand for a variety of goods in August, along with a renewed boom in housing and record-high construction spendi... Read story
New GM Cost-Cutting Scheme Worries Suppliers
Sept. 29, 2005 --Amid strained buyer-supplier relations, small and mid-sized auto parts manufacturers are remaining guarded about a new $8... Read story
Jobless Claims Down as Growth Remains Steady
Sept. 29, 2005 --Jobless claims fell last week after a surge in hurricane-related applications, the Department of Labor reported Thursday,... Read story
Personal Income Up in Second Quarter
Sept. 28, 2005 --Strong earnings in real estate, professional services, and other entrepreneurial sectors helped jumpstart personal income... Read story
Consumer Mood Shattered
Sept. 27, 2005 --Despite a sharp decline in consumer sentiment this month, resilient small business owners aren't sharing the mood, econom... Read story
Consumer Mood Shattered
As storms, gas prices and fewer jobs come to bear on consumer sentiment, small businesses stay upbeat. Read story
Where the Best Benefits Are
Sept. 26, 2005 --Don't let anyone tell you there isn't a free lunch, says Jim Wallace, CEO of GuideOne Insurance. While rising cost... Read story
Housing Sales Up In August
Sept. 26, 2005 --Low interest rates and continued job growth pushed existing home prices to all-time highs last month, with total sales re... Read story
Small Companies Get Sarbox Reprieve
Sept. 22, 2005 --Small businesses have an extra year to meet strict anti-fraud regulations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act following a unanimous... Read story
Smells Like Teen Entrepreneurial Spirit
September 21, 2005 --Responding to a growing interest in Read story
Businesses Prepare for Another Big Storm
September 20, 2005 --Even before Florida Governor Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency, Desmond Falla had already made the decision to s... Read story
Senate Offers Aid to Gulf Coast Businesses
September 19, 2005 --Hoping to jumpstart the regional economy, the U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a package of emergency federal aid for s... Read story
Consumer Confidence Plunges In September
September 16, 2005 --Consumer confidence plummeted this month as Hurricane Katrina kept record-high energy costs soaring, a survey showed ... Read story
Resilient ISP Kept New Orleans Connected
September 16, 2005 --They worked around the clock or slept on the floor, ate a stash of food, and watched the streets break out into chaos... Read story
Producer Price Index Inches Upward
September 14, 2005 --High energy costs pushed overall producer prices up by 0.6% last month, a slower rise in inflation than analysts fear... Read story
Retail Sales Down for August
September 15, 2005 --Retail sales plummeted by 2.1% last month, dragged down by slumping auto sales, the Commerce Department reported Wedn... Read story
Extended Parental Leave Irks Co-workers
September 12, 2005 --Executive moms and dads risk workplace resentment for taking time off to raise their kids, a recent survey showed.Read story
Flooded, Abandoned Properties Draw Speculators
September 12, 2005 --As residents fleeing New Orleans consider settling down elsewhere, their now empty homes and offices are drawing the ... Read story
Spending and Confidence Up, Joint Study Shows
September 9, 2005 --Consumer and business spending continued to climb this year, giving small businesses reason to be optimistic, a recent... Read story
Senate Delays Estate Tax Vote
September 8, 2005 --The U.S. Senate will delay voting on the future of the estate tax in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Senate Majority Le... Read story
SBA, Others Gear Up For Relief Effort
September 8, 2005 --With local business development agencies turning to relief efforts, the U.S. Small Business Administration is expectin... Read story
Service Sector Growing, Poll Shows
September 7, 2005 --Service sector gains in production, new orders and employment continued in the weeks before Hurricane Katrina despite ... Read story
Caught in the Storm's Path
September 6, 2005 --David Gross sums up the impact of Hurricane Katrina on his Gulfport, Miss.-based laundry business with a blunt assessm... Read story
Owners Urged To Seek Patents
September 6, 2005 --Already swamped by applications, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has launched an outreach program to encourage mo... Read story
Attempts To Help Amid The Chaos
September 1, 2005 --Sounding haggard, Jim Brown is still waiting to hear from a shrimp farmer in Bayou La Batre, Ala. When Read story
Feds To Help Businesses Hit By Hurricane
August 31, 2005 --With Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi still reeling from the impact of Read story
Consumer Confidence Up, Conference Board Figures Show
August 30, 2005 --Consumer confidence levels rebounded in August and will continue to grow despite a steady rise in gas prices, according ... Read story
Fed Releases Contracting Figures
August 29, 2005 --Surpassing its statutory requirements, the federal government awarded a record-high $69.23 billion in contracts to small... Read story
Bankruptcy Deadline Prompting Filings
August 26, 2005 --Upcoming changes to the bankruptcy code are expected to create a surge in the number of small businesses filing for bank... Read story
Consumer Confidence Falls, Small Business Rises
August 26, 2005 --Despite reports of sagging consumer confidence in a national survey released today, small business owners and operators ... Read story
Slow Back-to-School Sales Expected for Small Retailers
August 24, 2004 --Back-to-school now means 'back -to-college' to most retailers, although smaller retailers are expected to have a harder ... Read story
AARP Survey Reveals Support for Social Security
August 12, 2005 --The recent debate over the role of private investment in Social Security reform has strengthened public confidence in th... Read story