Small Business Finance

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The questions about how much federal government contracting money is actually being spent with real small businesses continue. Much of it is going to large businesses that shouldn't actually be eligible for the SBA's help.

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Small business lending dropped dramatically last year, as a consequence of the banking crisis. Not surprisingly, many small businesses are turning to plastic to ride things out until credit is flowing again. But before you sign up for a card, Peter Pham, CEO of BillShrink.com (which just launched BillShrink for Business to help small companies save money), has some tips to keep in mind.

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On the surface, that sounds like a good idea, but after casting a wide net, soliciting opinions from the business community, the consensus -- and this is strictly anecdotal and not at all a scientific survey -- is that it's a well meaning gesture, but not a very helpful one.

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As many Americans hoped -- and expected -- President Obama made job growth the centerpiece of his first State of the Union address Wednesday: "Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010." He called for a host of tax breaks and incentives to stimulate jobs growth, especially for small businesses.

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Sean "Diddy" Combs ended 2009 by slamming the landlord of his Sean John store in New York City with a $2.5 million lawsuit and demanding he be released from his lease. The problem? The building's ugly (and allegedly customer-deterring) scaffolding, installed in 2006, has marred the entrance to his 3,500-square-foot upscale shopping destination, causing an extreme -- near 50 percent -- drop in sales. So when you and your landlord don't see eye to eye, is suing your only option?

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Venture-capital fundraising endured a tumultuous 2009, but the news isn't all bad: According to VentureSource, startups in Silicon Valley secured a significant share of the VC dollars available in Q3 2009 -- $2.2 billion. That counts for approximately 45% of the total investment made by venture capitalists in U.S.-based companies during that time period.

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Even if you've been following the health care hubbub in Congress, you may have easily missed the news that a 10% tax on indoor tanning services is being considered. Unless you're a regular indoor tanning customer or someone who works in the industry, the tax was probably an afterthought. But for small business owners in the industry, it's anything but an afterthought.

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Many small business owners are still finding that financing is hard to come by, even in an economy that is supposedly recovering slowly but surely. However, according to CNN Money, they will start to see relief when it comes to government-backed loans.