The SBA has released its 2011 Small Business Profiles for the States and Territories. Despite the name, its most recent data is from 2009 and 2010. Some interesting data for Massachusetts: Total number of small employers (under 500 employees) in 2009 was 135,404, down from 138,846 in 2008. The number of large employers is also [...]
“We should support everyone who’s willing to work and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs… After all, innovation is what America has always been about. Most new jobs are created in startups and small businesses, so let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed.”
So said Mr. Obama in his [...]
Ask any small business owner about the biggest challenges they face on a daily basis, and most will have something to say about employment laws. It’s not that they don’t want to comply with their legal obligations, they say; it’s that there are so MANY laws with which to comply, and it’s just confusing, time-consuming, [...]
This article summarizes the Department of Labor’s priorities for 2010, broken down by department. Generally it appears the DOL plans to be a more active voice on behalf of employees and unions.
Of particular interest to small business owners will be the renewed focus on transparency in and enforcement of wage and hour and overtime rules [...]
SBA-guaranteed lending was significantly higher in the last quarter of 2009 when compared to the last quarter of 2008. As reported by the L.A. Times:
“A total of $3.8 billion in 12,393 SBA-backed loans was distributed throughout the U.S. from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 of last year, up from $1.9 billion by way of 9,070 [...]