Small businesses will feel the greatest impact if sequestration stretches into 2014, the Pentagon's top acquisition official told a Navy industry forum on Monday. Speaking the 2013 Navy Opportuni...
About 75 small business owners met Thursday with city, county and state officials to learn how to use tax incentives and other local resources to grow their business. Montgomery Mayor Todd Strang...
The U.S. Small Business Administration has joined forces with Experian, the leading global information services provider, to launch BusinessIQ ExpressSM, an online cash flow management tool, for ...
While it may be nothing more than a bad dream, small business owners should seriously consider whether they are prepared for an audit in case the day ever arrives. Here are a few practical steps ...
Small businesses hurt by natural disasters should get federal aid faster so they can help jump-start recovery efforts, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said Thursday. "Our small businesses are the econ...
The South Region Minority Supplier Development Council (SRMSDC) is joining with the U.S. Small Business Administration Alabama District Office to offer a comprehensive orientation experience to n...
Small business owners were more optimistic about their prospects in February, but their overall confidence in the economy remained low, according to a leading private barometer. The Small Busines...
The top tax law writer in the House of Representatives will pitch a plan to revamp the taxation of many small businesses, and some large ones, on Tuesday in his latest bid to rewrite the tax code...
Small business employment edged up in February, adding to signs of an improvement in labor market conditions. The National Federation of Independent Business said on Thursday the net change in em...
Today, nearly 96 percent of consumers and over two-thirds of the world's purchasing power reside outside the United States. Here at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), we know that thes...
Winter snows are sometimes followed by floods. Severe storms—sometimes in the form of deadly tornadoes or massive rainfall—can wreak havoc across the U.S. during spring. There are many low-co...
A panel of judges today heard pitches from a dozen potential start-ups competing in the Alabama Launchpad competition and narrowed the field of contenders to seven. The competition continues thro...
Small businesses across the country can expect to feel some pain from the $85 billion in federal budget cuts that went into effect Friday. Many companies are already being affected by the cuts, p...
The so-called "skills gap" has turned hiring into an increasingly tough challenge. But according to a PayScale survey, businesses aren't interested in one of the biggest solutions on the table. A...
Although the across-the-board federal spending cuts known as the "sequester" don't take effect until Friday, they are already hurting small businesses around the nation. Karen Mills, outgoing hea...
Borrowers and lenders of loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration will have greater access to capital and less paperwork as a result of a proposed regulation aimed at streamlining t...
Do you sell bowling balls to Bangladesh? Or dish towels to Delhi? Maybe you send laser technology to Lisbon? If you export your goods or services around the world and have used a federal governme...
Challenges abound for the next leader of the U.S. Small Business Administration: imminent federal spending cuts, diminished bank lending to small businesses, and frustration from employers that w...
Agreements Signed at A.G. Gaston Conference to Strengthen Entrepreneurship among Alabama Youth and Minorities
Of the 1.9 million African-American owned businesses in the country, about 1.8 million have no employees but the owner. In all likelihood that's not a real business, Julianne Malveaux told attend...
In spite of the slow economy and associated high unemployment rate, 53% of U.S. small-business owners in January reported finding it very (23%) or somewhat difficult (30%) to find the qualified e...
The U.S. Small Business Administration next week will sign a Strategic Alliance Memorandum with Miles College and Lawson State Community College. The memorandum, to be signed at the A.G. Gaston C...
The number of small employers in Alabama -- that is, businesses with between 1 and 499 employees -- fell 5.7 percent between 2000 and 2010. The total fell from 77,597 entities to 73,163, a loss o...
Small businesses significantly impact Alabama’s economy, employing 768,302 workers in 2010 with most of the employment coming from firms with 20 – 499 employees, according to a new state-by-s...
In a formal partnership with state government, Regions Bank (NYSE: RF) has earmarked $1 billion in loans for the specific purpose of lending to companies and businesses that are adding jobs in Al...
Small-business owner confidence continues to drag, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Optimism Index. The Index gained 0.9 points, rising to 88.9, ...
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration today announced a $400,000 grant to help Birmingham area businesses hurt in the April 2011 tornadoes. The grant will go to Op...
The federal Small Business Administration says March 11 is the deadline for disaster loan applications from people and businesses in 10 Alabama counties and three Mississippi counties affected by...
Businesswomen from Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama Power and more spoke to the crowd of professionals and students at the annual Women 2 Women conference insi...
A major revision in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) Program more than triples the eligible contract amount, from $2 million to $6.5 million, the Agency will...
Borrowing by small U.S. businesses rose marginally in December, eking out a tiny gain for the year and suggesting headwinds for economic growth for the first few months of 2013, a report on Monda...
Two Mobile-based teams are among 13 selected statewide to vie for their potential share of $100,000 in seed funding as part of the 2013 Alabama Launchpad Start-Up Competition. Team leader Christi...
A trucking software consultancy and a firm that makes custom software will be representing Huntsville in the 2013 Alabama Launchpad Startup Competition. The competition, sponsored by the Economic...
Mobile’s Michael Chambers, president and chief executive officer of Swift Biotechnology, was one of five new board members elected recently by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama Fo...
(Reuters) - Private-sector employers added 192,000 jobs in January, more than economists were expecting, in a sign of growth in the labor market, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednes...
In a win for small business, the Internal Revenue Service has announced a simplified option for small businesses to calculate the home office deduction. The new option allows a deduction of up to...
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today launched a new web page and blog dedicated to educating small business owners about the Affordable Care Act. The new tools will serve as a gatew...
President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law has spawned its own jargon. With the law finally about to take full effect, consumers might want to get familiar with some of the terms:
Small businesses, agriculture co-ops and nonprofits in Shelby County and 21 other Alabama counties may be eligible for U.S. Small Business Administration loans as a result of the drought, the SBA...
U.S. Small Business Administration officials will be in Troy through Saturday to assist those affected by the Christmas tornadoes. The representatives are in the city to assist residents in obtai...
The Small Business Administration started an online marketplace for government projects, attempting to streamline the search and bidding process for small federal contracts. The site — called �...
Peer-to-peer lending most immediately brings to mind the largely feel-good act of extending small-time money to small businesses and individuals with quirky projects—a curiosity at best and no ...
Women-owned small businesses will have greater access to federal contracting opportunities as a result of changes included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) to the U.S. Sma...
Will Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) soon be selling health insurance to small businesses? A report published Friday in the Orlando Business Journal quoted a Wal-Mart vice president saying the world’s la...
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in ...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has created a new loan program to help operators of small farms, including those who want to take advantage of growing consumer interest in locally produced foo...
A Huntsville organization created to help small businesses get regional and national technology contracts has won a federal grant totaling nearly $2 million to continue and expand its work as one...
Ten counties in Alabama are eligible for low-interest rate loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to a news release issued by Gov. Robert Bentley's office. The counties were...
A new award has been added by the U.S. Small Business Administration in celebration of National Small Business Week 2013. The Small Business Exporter of the Year award will recognize a small busi...
A new report by the U.S. Treasury Department shows Alabama banks have now lent $566 million to small businesses through the Treasury's Small Business Lending Fund. The national program is open to...
Small business sentiment clawed back from a 2-1/2 year-low in December, but owners' assessment of the labor market remained downbeat, a survey showed on Tuesday. The National Federation of Indepe...
Small-business job growth showed signs of strain in December, while overall job growth was roughly inline with prior months, according to two reports released this week. The ADP report on small b...
Later this month, Huntsville will host some of the beginning talks for a $1 billion manufacturing network that President Barack Obama hopes will connect new technologies, manufacturers and start-...
Many Small Entities or Firms May Face Higher Taxes This Year After the Deal.
Borrowing by small U.S. businesses rose marginally in November, indicating they were essentially on hold in terms of growing their enterprises in the face of economic and government fiscal uncert...
For much of this year, business managers have blamed uncertainties over the looming “fiscal cliff” for their reluctance to pick up the pace of new hiring. As the budget deadline nears with no...
Paychex, Inc. released its list of the top 13 potential regulatory changes that could possibly affect small businesses in the upcoming year.
The Gulf Coast Angel Network, in partnership with the statewide Angel Investor Management Group, is actively seeking funding applications from promising early-stage companies hindered only by the...
New regulations and muted economic growth are keeping banks from growing their loan portfolios in Alabama. That trend was made evident by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s latest State Profil...
Five Essentials for Small Business in 2013. The Small Business Authority, on a daily basis will report on the five essential things independent business owners will need to consider to position t...
President Barack Obama signed legislation today that aims to approve appliance energy efficiency standards. The bill -- sponsored by U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville -- amends the Energy I...
A new group of food-based startups are applying tricks learned from the technology industry to grow a new wave of businesses to cash in on the growing "foodie" movement across the U.S. Like tech ...
The U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Small Business Administration today jointly announced a new website to support state workforce and unemployment agencies in implementing or enhancing Sel...
Alabama is the nation's seventh-best state for entrepreneurship, a nonprofit that advocates for small business found in a ranking released today. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council ran...
Scott Schroeder needs financing for his small electronics assembly business to hire more workers amid a recent surge in demand for its services. His bank recently refused to increase the Oregon c...
The U.S. trade deficit widened in October as exports suffered the biggest drop in nearly four years, indicating slowing global demand was spilling over into the already struggling U.S. economy. T...
Registration opens this week for the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama's annual Alabama Launchpad Start-Up Competition. Teams interested in the proof-of-concept competition can register...
In an era of budget slashing and belt tightening, the U.S. Small Business Administration has efficiently harnessed a public-private partnership through its Small Business Investment Company (SBIC...
The Small Business Administration (SBA) will sign a Strategic Alliance Memorandum (SAM) with the South Region Minority Supplier Development Council (SRMSDC) on Monday, December 10, 2012 as a part...
Americans are so big on small business that large companies are launching pro-small-business marketing campaigns in hopes of squeezing their way into the spotlight. The latest small-business cham...
Conventional wisdom holds that 85 to 90 percent of new businesses fail. Don't believe it, said Dale Callahan, director of the Information Engineering and Management program at UAB. Callahan, auth...
Borrowing by small businesses rose in October, a report on Monday showed, as the central bank launched its latest round of monetary stimulus to encourage borrowing and spending.
As National American Indian Heritage Month draws to a close, attention is being focused on the increasing role American Indians and Alaska Natives play in the country's economy. Businesses owned ...
The slow improvement in the economy gave a huge boost to entrepreneurship in the U.S. last year, according to a study released Thursday. More than 29 million people were starting or running new b...
President Obama has launched a series of campaign-style events intended to gather input from small businesses and middle-class Americans regarding looming tax increases and budget cuts. And while...
What could be more exciting for a small business than knowing your product is in the hands of delighted customers around the globe? At the same time, if you have no idea how to crack the exportin...
Consumers preferred big-box stores on Black Friday. But, according to retailers--and social media--Small Business Saturday is actually gaining traction.
The streets of downtown Athens weren't as packed Saturday as malls and big-box stores, but a steady stream of shoppers was out supporting Small Business Saturday, a day designated to help mom-and...
This week, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, the Delta Regional Authority reflects on how thankful we are for our Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs, especially during National Entrepreneurship Month...
A new online portal has been launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration to accept nominations for its 2013 National Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person ...
Saturday, November 24, 2012 is Small Business Saturday® – a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. Please join the SBA and organizations across th...
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) today announced the launch of a new Business Credit Center, offering small business owners a free online resource to learn about credit, from developing a strong appli...
Small banks are approving more small-business loans than they reject, according to a monthly analysis of 1,000 loan applications on Biz2credit.com. Small-bank lending approvals jumped from 47.6 p...
Lockheed Martin and Huntsville-based IERUS Technologies Inc. have signed a 3-year agreement under the Department of Defense's Mentor-Protégé Program. The program is designed to allow larger con...
Small-business lending continued to inch downward in the second quarter of 2012, but there are some indications that the longstanding credit crunch could be easing. "We're still stuck in a little...
As the nation marks Veterans Day 2012, the U.S. Small Business Administration continues to build on its successful programs for America’s military veterans, helping tens of thousands of veteran...
President Barack Obama’s successful re-election to a second term is sinking in. No matter who small business owners voted for, the election takes away some of the uncertainty that small busines...
A search for an office with an energetic vibe led Livefyre, a company that provides software for posting comments on websites, to undergo a rite of passage for new Silicon Valley businesses. It j...
Small business owners are feeling some holiday cheer, as expectations ahead of the gift-giving season are brighter this year. The National Retail Federation is predicting a slight increase of 4.1...
More than a dozen women investors huddled around a table recently, listening raptly to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, a seminal figure in the tech world. The brief, impromptu speech was off the re...
Small businesses continued to add jobs in October, but the question remains whether this will be a sustainable trend given growing uncertainty about the economy and looming fiscal issues. Employm...
More than half of America's small businesses (53 percent) say it is important for new hires to possess a strong proficiency in basic computer skills as it relates to the online safety and securit...
The city of Tuscaloosa is considering extending the application window for the first round of its $2.5 million commercial revolving loan program after receiving four applications by deadline Tues...
Alabama’s economy is continuing a slow recovery and its performance for the year will be an improvement over 2011, according to a fourth quarter forecast from the Center for Business and Econom...
Aspiring entrepreneurs often hope to convince wealthy individuals to buy stakes in their nascent ventures. With angel investors putting $9.2 billion in U.S. companies during the first half of 201...
SCORE – www.score.org – mentors to America's small businesses, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Paychex, a recognized leader in the payroll, human resource, and benefits outsourc...
The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, is conducting its 13th annual Small Business Forum, 9 a.m.-noon, Nov. 9, at the University of Alabama, Huntsville’s University Center. ...
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) debenture program provided a record $2.95 billion to small businesses in fiscal year 2012, a 14 percent increas...
SBA-backed loans to exporters continued to grow in FY2012, reaching more than $923 million, which supported $1.7 billion in small business exports.
SecondMarket investors can now create a portfolio of early-stage companies with individual stakes as small as $5,000.
Failures Among Green Products Manufacturers Spur a Business-Plan Migration to Businesses With More Reliable Revenue
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s loan volume in the 2012 fiscal year was its second highest ever, second only to that of the 2011 fiscal year. The SBA supported $30.25 billion in loans ...
The new “green” business incubator at Wallace State in Hanceville is still in its infancy, but officials hope a new $200,000 state grant can help the economic engine reach the next gear. The ...
The Alabama Small Business Development Center Network announced the appointment of a new advisory board for the purpose of developing strategies to assist the Network with creating and growing sm...
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) in Alabama that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligib...
New small business owners will soon have access to better advice and education on operating their businesses through Gadsden State Community College’s new entrepreneurship program. The college ...
Small business owners may be pessimistic about the economy and their own companies right now, but they're getting optimistic about the future. A survey released Tuesday by the National Federation...
With loan volume steadily increasing for the past six quarters, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s loan programs posted the second largest dollar volume ever in FY 2012, supporting $30.25...
Friday's monthly jobs report changed the picture of the U.S. economy in more ways than one, showing the unemployment rate fell to the lowest level in more than three years and hiring was stronger...
When it comes to emergency planning, the mindset of many business owners often falls between being proactive or reactive. Taking the first step – determining your risks – is a good start towa...
Peter Goodman, the executive business editor for The Huffington Post, is scheduled to kick off day two of a business innovation conference at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover this morning. Goodman, au...
Hiring among small businesses headquartered in the Southern U.S. is up 1.3 percent over the year -- the only region tracked by SurePayroll to see an increase, according to the group's August Smal...
As Administrator of the SBA, I have the opportunity to travel around the country meeting with small business owners and entrepreneurs. Our goal at the SBA, and across the Administration, is makin...
A $2.5 million commercial revolving loan program aimed at spurring economic development in Tuscaloosa's tornado recovery zone will begin accepting applications next week, officials said. The prog...
The U.S. economy grew at a sluggish 1.3 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, held back by the severe drought that reduced farm production in the Midwest. The growth rate was lowered fro...
Gov. Robert Bentley today urged Alabama retailers to lobby the state's congressional delegation for their support of federal legislation that would allow states to compel online retailers to coll...
Forty-seven states, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia will receive $30 million total from the U.S. Small Business Administration in a second ...
The Small Business Administration has formalized a program that allows contracting officers to set aside procurements for woman-owned small businesses, but the move to award more contracts is lik...
Numerous large and small business prime contractors, subcontractors and civil-service teams were honored Sept. 20 during the 2012 Industry & Advocates Awards ceremony hosted by NASA's Marshall Sp...
With so much talk about the need to revive U.S. manufacturing and create jobs, more companies are touting their American-made roots in order to lure customers. But before a company can use the ic...
A government program that allowed small businesses to refinance their commercial real estate mortgages is coming to an end. The two-year program allowed businesses that owned their own real estat...
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in ...
The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking comment on two proposed rules published this week in the Federal Register that would revise the small business size definitions for businesses in...
Penney and his wife, Dayna, purchased a Menchie's franchise, offering self-serve frozen yogurt, in Bellingham, Washington, in July 2011. They expect the business, open since April, to be profitab...
Small business owners are losing confidence as they see the economy weaken, according to a survey released Wednesday that is at odds with another just-released look at owners' sentiments. The sur...
Small business owners and start-ups across the country can now take advantage of a new business tool to help them compete and grow. The free tool, called SizeUp, helps businesses identify new cus...
Featuring one of the nation's top business owners, a presentation by Microsoft and more than 50 exhibitors expected, the 17th annual Business and Economic Opportunity Expo is a must-attend for ar...
Microlending, well-established in developing countries like Bangladesh and Mexico, is growing in the U.S.
Officials unveiled a new business incubator in downtown Tuscaloosa Thursday afternoon that will serve as a working space for entrepreneurs and University of Alabama students. The Edge Center for ...
Lending to small U.S. businesses edged up in July, but the size of the increase was too modest to signal that there was much momentum to the economy, a report showed on Tuesday. The Thomson Reute...
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in ...
Shannon Drake, the Small Business Administration's program director at the Women's Business Center of North Alabama, has a passion for owning a variety of businesses. She currently owns and opera...
Steven Hill, the president and CEO of AEgis Technologies, received the Russell Brown Executive Leadership Award tonight at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County's Small Business Aw...
The tough economy has made franchises attractive to the unemployed, workers who don’t want to wait to get knocked off the corporate ladder, and others. But first-time franchise buyers are findi...
The U.S. economy grew at a tepid 1.7 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, suggesting growth will stay weak in the second half of the year. Slightly stronger consumer spending and greate...
A new survey by Wells Fargo on small business optimism across the United States indicates that less than half of owners expect revenue gains over the next 12 months, and only six in 10 expect to ...
Everyone has a story, and now the U.S. Small Business Administration is giving entrepreneurs a new online platform to share their stories and showcase their successful and thriving businesses. SB...
PlaidJack, a new venture between a Birmingham web development company and an advertising agency, aims to give small businesses a website within their price range. PlaidJack, a new startup based i...
What regulatory changes are needed to encourage U.S. business investment and what does this mean for Alabama businesses? Those questions and more will be answered at the Mobile Area Chamber of Co...
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in ...
This summer millions of business across the country were forced to close their doors in the aftermath of power outages, approaching wildfires, and flooding caused by tropical storms. Business int...
For decades, mainstream perception held small businesses opposed raising the federal minimum wage. That's changing, as advocates back proposed legislation.
The SRMSDC annual conference began Tuesday with a golf tournament at Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham, featuring minority firms, big firms and government agencies that partner with the organization. T...
The nation’s smallest businesses—those with no employees other than their owners—failed to regain the ground they lost during the Great Recession in the first full year of recovery, Census ...
Small business owners' optimism sank again in July as they expected sales to weaken in the coming months, according to a survey released Tuesday. The National Federation of Independent Business s...
Johnny Witherspoon knew his trade well when he opened a barbershop 20 years ago. But he admits he didn't know much about running a business and said he never anticipated the challenges and stumbl...
According to Google, about 97 percent of all Americans look online for local products and services, but fewer than half of Alabama’s small businesses have any online presence. A lack of resourc...
“Van sales offer an insight into corporate economic sentiment, given their high penetration into small businesses and commercial fleets,” writes analyst Kevin Tynan. He estimates that well ov...
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in ...
The Federal Reserve said on Monday banks continued to ease lending standards for larger firms in the last three months but small businesses are still having a hard time accessing credit. The resu...
Alabama's economy is finally beginning to create jobs again, but there is a big problem, according to labor experts from Georgetown University and across the state. It's simply creating the wrong...
The 29th Annual Business Connections Conference & Expo, sponsored by Motion Industries, will bring hundreds of minority entrepreneurs, corporate purchasing professionals and corporate executives ...
Study: Small business lending slid in June as owners remained uncertain about the economy.
More than 2,300 Alabama businesses are using special electric rates that a state regulatory board approved last year to encourage an economic recovery. Participation started slowly when the speci...
The National Business Incubator Association has added Innovation Depot to a small list of incubators from around the world verified for helping international entrepreneurs and companies navigate ...
Auburn University's Small Business Development Center, or SBDC, is co-sponsoring an all-day awareness fair and business-to-business opportunity Thursday, Aug. 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Grea...
For Zero RPM president Lance Self, the formal announcement for his new tech company ended up a lot bigger than expected — much like the company itself in recent months. What started as a cool i...
The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne NASA Mentor-Protégé agreement with Alabama A&M has been called historic by officials with the aerospace company and the university. As part of the two-year agreem...
After decades roaming the world in search of lower costs, U.S. manufacturers are finding that factories at home can compete with China, India, Mexico and other low-cost countries. As manufacturer...
Just as the government expands its disaster loan program for businesses hurt by the drought, a new report shows the agency that distributes the loans is letting millions of dollars go unpaid. As ...
The Office of Advocacy’s latest small business lending report is a valuable small business tool because it tells you who is making small business loans in all 50 states, the District of Columbi...
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in ...
A $40,000 grant, announced by Gov. Robert Bentley, will help the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center keep cooking up recipes for success. Funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission will enable th...
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in ...
The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking comment on three proposed rules published today in The Federal Register that would revise the size definitions for small businesses in the Utilit...
The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all siz...
Small businesses in central and north Alabama will receive assistance in selling their products abroad thanks to a $129,755 grant, Gov. Robert Bentley announced.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has joined with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) to launch a training program for transitioning service mem...
SBA Alabama District Director, Tom Todt presented the award for Prime Contractor of the Year to Sigmatech, Inc. at a ceremony at the Redstone Summit Club at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville yesterd...
According to a new survey from the National Small Business Association (NSBA), cash flow issues continue to plague a significant number of small businesses in the U.S., with 43% saying that at ti...
Survey: Small business owners grow more pessimistic in June as they expect slower sales growth.
Small manufacturers are partnering with high schools to train future employees. A recent survey of 1,600 manufacturing companies in the U.S. shows that nearly half have openings for line workers,...
Small businesses in June reported cuts to their staff for the first time this year, the National Federation of Independent Business said on Thursday in the latest sign the economy has lost a step...
For the sixth year in a row, the government has missed its goal to award 23% of all federal contract dollars to small businesses. On Tuesday, the Small Business Administration reported that feder...
Just in time for summer, lenders are warming up to small businesses again. The overall volume of loans to small companies rose 12 percentage points in May, marking the largest month-to-month incr...
Lending to small businesses is recovering after a four-month decline. A study released Monday by PayNet, a research firm that tracks loans to small business, shows that lending rose 12 percent in...
The Supreme Court decision Thursday upholds the Affordable Care Act. But as a small-business owner, you may wonder what that means for you. Most of the law's key provisions are set to take effect...
For small businesses who want to get into the "export game," there is an organization out there. The Southern United States Trade Association is a partially government-funded nonprofit organizati...
The number of U.S. businesses with paid employees fell for a third straight year in 2010, but the rate of decrease slowed, the Census Bureau said on Tuesday.
Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to losses caused by natural disaster, cyberattacks, and – on a smaller scale – structural failure due to random events like faulty sprinkler syste...
Many small businesses expect to seek a bank loan this year although signs still point to a weak lending climate. In a survey of nearly 6,000 businesses by Pepperdine University and Dun & Bradstre...
A Birmingham-based biotechnology company has won a $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health as the company develops a machine to help pharmaceutical companies in part of the drug d...
For many small business owners, oversea expansion usually comes after domestic success and sustained growth. But a group of Chinese tech entrepreneurs have taken the opposite approach-to avoid co...
A new policy to stop deporting some undocumented aliens lets businesses off the hook for the job of policing immigrant workers, small-business groups say.
Applying for disaster recovery assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration just got easier thanks to revisions made to its electronic loan application, significantly reducing the numbe...
SBA Administrator Karen Mills and American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern will host a press call to discuss emergency preparedness and disaster assistance on Monday, June 18, 2012 at 1...
Rural America will "lead the charge" as the country builds its way back from economic crisis. That's what President Barack Obama believes. In a new report, released on Monday, the White House pin...
Two members of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship have introduced a bill that would require the Small Business Administration to help small companies export their goods a...
Any inventor who applies for a patent runs the risk—admittedly small—that the federal government will snatch the idea away and lock it up in a vault, never to be seen again. That’s what hap...
Many Large Companies Are Hoarding Cash, Squeezing Small Businesses That Have Fewer Resources and Less Access to Loans.
The SBA Alabama District Office presented the SBA Region IV Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award to the Auburn University Small Business Development Center on June 1.
The U.S. Small Business Administration serves as the federal government's gate-keeper for small business access to federal contracts. Small business owners who want sell to Uncle Sam must ask thr...
The unusual disaster events that occurred in 2011 demanded cool-headed and fast action from those in leadership positions. When earthquakes, wildfires and hurricanes struck, millions of business ...
Lending to small businesses is shrinking as company owners grow more pessimistic about the economy. A study released Friday by PayNet, a research firm that tracks loans to small business, shows t...
Organization, accuracy, and a plan in place. For any business just starting up, these are the three keys to obtaining government funding.
Small business revenues and employment are slowly growing but more growth is needed to reach prerecession levels. These are among the results for the monthly Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq:INTU) Small Busin...
The Obama Administration today announced a $26 million multi-agency Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge to foster innovation-fueled job creation through public-privat...
A tax credit meant to help millions of small businesses afford health coverage for their employees was claimed by only 170,300 last year, a government watchdog has found. The tax credit, enacted ...
When Karen Mills became head of the Small Business Administration in April 2009, the U.S. was in a recession and a credit crisis. It was hard, if not impossible, for many to borrow money. The SBA...
The U.S. Small Business Administration and AARP are launching a strategic alliance to provide counseling and training to entrepreneurs over the age of 50 who want to start or grow a small busines...
The U.S. Small Business Administration Alabama District Office announced the Alabama Small Businesses of the Year as part of National Small Business Week. The awards are presented annually to sma...
Paychex, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of payroll services to small businesses, today released its list of the top five issues of great importance to small business owners and entrepreneu...
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, in coordination with National Small Business Week, declared May 20-26, 2012 Small Business Week in Alabama. In the proclamation, the Governor recognized the coura...
In a bid to retake the initiative on small-business policy, President Obama Wednesday is expected to propose a 10 percent tax credit tied to new hiring. Under the White House proposal, which the ...
On a broad bipartisan vote of 78 to 20, the Senate voted Tuesday to extend the life of the U.S. Export-Import Bank and expand its authority to make loans to U.S. exporters.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all siz...
It's the fifth anniversary of Innovation Depot, an incubator at 1500 Second Ave. North downtown created from the merger of the Entrepreneurial Center, an incubator Matlock founded over a decade a...
There are 7,175 farmers markets in the country—twice the number in the mid-2000s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While a growing breed of consumer hungry for locally sourced f...
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday that many businesses and consumers are finding it easier to borrow as banks shore up their balance sheets. "Notwithstanding the various headwin...
A three-time "Most Valuable Employee" led the way as the city's top employees and "Best Places to Work" were honored at the fifth annual Best Places to Work awards luncheon. The program, held Tue...
An index of confidence at small U.S. businesses rose in April to its highest in over a year as companies stepped up plans for hiring and investing, a survey released on Tuesday showed.
The Missile Defense Agency will outline opportunities for smaller companies and discuss how they can pursue them during a Small Business Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Von Braun Cente...
Hiring by small businesses slowed in April, but there was an increase in the number of employers planning to create new jobs and those reporting they could not find qualified workers to fill job ...
Hiring through the rest of 2012 will lag the brisk pace set early this year. But it will be strong enough to push the unemployment rate below 8 percent by Election Day. That's the view that emerg...
The U.S. Small Business Administration will host a business matchmaking event allowing small businesses to discuss procurement opportunities with major corporations and federal agencies during Na...
Lending to small business is slowing, a sign that companies are losing confidence in the economy. A study released Tuesday by PayNet, a research firm that tracks loans to small business, shows th...
Small business lending could take a major hit if a federal program that insures small business accounts ends later this year. The program, run by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, provid...
The Alabama House of Representatives today took action to improve access to capital for small companies, passing a bill to create the Alabama Small Business Financing Authority.
The Shoals Industrial Development Committee today approved providing $75,000 toward an incentive program for manufacturers that add one to five employees. The Employment Growth Program offers $1,...
More than 100 start-up founders and aspiring entrepreneurs attended the inaugural Startup Summit at WorkPlay Theatre on Tuesday with hopes of learning more about building innovative Birmingham bu...
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and U.S. Small Business Administration today announced new resources to support small businesses across the nation. Money Smart for Small Business provid...
The House Small Business Committee held a hearing Wednesday entitled “The Tax Outlook for Small Businesses: What’s On the Horizon?” to acknowledge some of the obstacles small business owner...
Karen Mills, the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, on Wednesday toured Tec-Masters, one of the Huntsville companies that's benefited from the federal agency's programs. Tho...
Karen Mills, the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, will tour on Wednesday Huntsville-based Tec-Masters, a small business the agency calls a "champion" of government contrac...
The Intermediary Lending Pilot Program (ILP), which provides long-term loans to eligible non-profit intermediary lenders to finance their lending to small businesses, has opened a second competit...
More than a quarter of all jobs in the U.S. are with companies that rely on patents, copyrights and trademarks to protect products from competition and promote investment, the Commerce Department...
The outlook for U.S. economic growth is looking slightly better. American businesses sold a record number of goods and services in Europe, China and other foreign markets in February, while impor...
Governor Robert Bentley on Tuesday praised Senate approval of a measure that eliminates red tape for business tax filings in Alabama. Under existing law, businesses with locations in more than on...
The Small Business Administration Alabama District Office announced the winners of its Alabama Lender Awards for fiscal year 2011 at its third annual Lenders Conference held recently in Prattvill...
The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all siz...
Small businesses created the most jobs in March in about a year, a survey showed on Thursday, bolstering expectations of a fourth straight month of solid gains in nonfarm employment.
America’s veterans own 9 percent of all U.S. firms, according to an Advocacy report, Veteran-owned Businesses and their Owners—Data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners, relea...
The pace of lending to small businesses appears to be at a standstill. A study released Tuesday by PayNet, a financial research firm, shows that lending was virtually unchanged in March for the s...
Today is the deadline for Alabama businesses to be registered with the E-Verify program under the state's immigration law. The system, which compares data from each employee's Form I-9 with vario...
The Supreme Court on Wednesday wrapped up three days of arguments over President Obama's landmark health care law, and Vintage Vinyl co-owner Lew Prince is scared -- that the legal challenge will...
Despite warnings that less government oversight might mean more investment scams, Congress on Tuesday sent President Barack Obama legislation he endorsed making it easier for startups to raise ca...
The U.S. Small Business Administration is inviting states and U.S. territories to apply for $30 million in grants that can be used in a variety of ways to help increase exporting by small busines...
The U. S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $3 million in Disaster Assistance Loans for residents and business owners in Alabama affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, winds...
Small suppliers looking to get online face time with big companies are getting a little help, thanks to a website launched by IBM (IBM, Fortune 500) Thursday. Supplier Connection is a website tha...
In a year when it launched a $1 million expansion and was named the nation's best technology incubator, Innovation Depot's real success stories were those of its 84 tenant companies. "We had our ...
The Alabama Senate gave final approval to a bill Tuesday that provides a tax credit of $1,000 for a business that hires an unemployed veteran who was deployed overseas and is now within two years...
When Robin Gregorius walks into the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the nation's capital May 20, she plans on representing more than her Country Gables Assisted Living home in Grand Bay. Gregorius was...
The United States’ entrepreneurship machine slowed last year but continues to chug along faster than in the years leading up to the recession, according to new data from the Kauffman Foundation...
A top regulator on Friday slammed a House bill to boost small business growth, adding to the chorus of critics who appear poised to derail passage of a rare bi-partisan bid to spur growth in an e...
It might seem a recipe for success: Legislation to help small businesses raise capital passed the House last week with 95 percent of lawmakers voting for it and President Barack Obama's support. ...
The U.S. Small Business Administration's March live web chat offers advice for women-owned small businesses. Ana Harvey, the assistant administrator of the SBA's Office of Women's Business Owners...
The Senate is set to come out with its version of legislation to help small businesses raise capital, paralleling a measure that cleared the House in a somewhat different form last week by a larg...
Small business confidence rose to a one year high in February as more owners reported plans to rebuild stocks after 56 months of inventory liquidation, hinting at a pick-up in domestic demand. Th...
It turns out, staying open after hours has its benefits. Retailers selling their wares at the Urban Emporium on Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile discovered that for themselves Thursday evening a...
A modest package of proposals aimed at expanding small business' access to capital is approved on a 390-23 vote. But the Senate is in no rush to approve the measure.
A growing number of nonprofits squeezed by the combination of less funding and greater demand for their services are merging or forging partnerships, the head of an organization that helps nonpro...
The U.S. Small Business Administration Alabama District Office announced recently that Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley will speak at the Alabama Lenders Conference opening reception April 4 at the Ma...
From sugary treats and dental implants to clay-dyed T-shirts and organic cotton socks, Alabama products are making an impression around the world. Last year, the value of state exports reached $1...
Hiring at small U.S. businesses edged higher in February as the number of firms laying off workers fell to its lowest since 2007, although companies scaled back plans to hire workers, a poll show...
Borrowing by U.S. small businesses rose in January, another sign that recent stronger economic data may be more durable than thought.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of all size...
The White House Urban Economic Forum is coming to Birmingham on Monday, March 5th for an all-day summit that will include discussions, workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions to address the n...
Callis Communications, a leading provider of cloud communications services for business markets across the Southeast, has been awarded by the University of Alabama as one of the top elite entrepr...
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved over $1 million in Disaster Assistance Loans for residents and business owners in Alabama affected by severe storms, tornadoes, high winds and ...
The Obama administration's new corporate tax proposal is generating criticism from small-business advocacy groups that say it will do more harm than good for the nation's estimated 27 million sma...
In an effort to boost access to federal contracts and financial assistance, the Small Business Administration recently changed its definition of "small business" in a variety of industries for th...
Entrepreneurship Week 2012 starts today at the University of Alabama and will feature four days of activities. It will culminate with an awards banquet Thursday that recognizes entrepreneurs in v...
Donald C. "Chip" Cherry Jr.'s first job with a chamber of commerce was serving as an intern while attending North Carolina Wesleyan College. In introducing Cherry at a news conference in November...
Confidence among small U.S. business owners rose for the fifth straight month in January and many are having trouble filling vacant positions, according to a survey released on Tuesday that added...
Small businesses in New York and around the country may soon have additional tools to market their products abroad if Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY) has her way. As the Ranking Member of the Hous...
Federal and state officials have opened a disaster assistance center in Perry County to assist residents and business owners who were affected by storms and tornadoes that hit Alabama Jan. 22-23....
U.S. small businesses that initially rushed to Chinese factories to get their products made are now dumping them for American manufacturers. And the shift is gaining traction, said industry exper...
The U.S. Small Business Administration today increased some of the size definitions of small busineses in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services and Other Services categories. The re...
The U.S. Small Business Administration's February web chat will offer business start-up advice for entrepreneurs. If you are considering starting a business in 2012, SBA can be valuable resource ...
The Angel Investor Management (AIM) Group announced today the formation of the Central Alabama Angel Network (CANN) to serve the capital needs of entrepreneurs and investors in a seven-county reg...
An Obama administration lending program set up to funnel cash to small banks was expected to cost taxpayers $1.3 billion. Instead, it will turn a profit of $80 million.
A recent U.S. Small Business Administration study cites SCORE's reputation as a trusted, FREE, small business resource as the #1 reason entrepreneurs seek out business counseling. The study, SBA ...
Three disaster recovery centers are open in Jefferson County, and two in Chilton County, to serve those affected by tornadoes on Jan. 23.
U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Karen G. Mills issued the following statement after the announcement of the Presidential disaster declaration for several counties in Alabama that...
House Republicans plan legislation granting small businesses - and potentially nearly every company in the country - a 20 percent income tax deduction, a GOP leader said Wednesday as the party st...
Seeking cooperation in a polarized climate, President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Congress to act quickly on bipartisan measures that would extend tax breaks for small businesses and help start...
Several federal and state small business organizations will co-host the Alabama Micro Enterprise Network Forum on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hote...
The U.S. needs to ease restrictions on immigrants who plan to open businesses, and create a separate visa for potential entrepreneurs, according to a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Curre...
"Small businesses are the foundation of our nation's economic growth," said Dr. Winslow Sargeant, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. "By supporting policies that promote innovation and entrepreneurship,...
President Obama's State of the Union Address Tuesday night touched on deficit reduction, tax and regulatory reform, exporting, and other issues of interest to small business owners. The president...
Leaders of three Alabama business incubators say continued investment in their facilities and the companies they house is a key driver of economic growth in the state. "I don't think there is a b...
For area small businesses, the Women's Business Center of North Alabama has proven to be a good source of information, training and other help - including mentoring. The center though, doesn't li...
The Small Business Authority, Contributor: We were focused on the business entity in our article. We have 1000s of conversations with small business owners and protecting their business assets an...
Republican members of the Morgan County House delegation on Thursday predicted that a package of initiatives designed to create jobs and recruit industry could begin improving Alabama’s economy...
Lenders are courting small-business owners like you with growing numbers of new credit cards and generous rewards programs. And it's easy to see why. About 42% of small-business owners carry a cr...
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s national network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) plays an essential role in the economic development of their states and local communities...
President Barack Obama said Friday that he will exercise his executive authority to elevate the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration to a cabinet-level position. The announcement came a...
Franchise consultants say they are seeing more corporations offering potential investors an array of business models, at different price points. In an era where credit is tight and investors are ...
Construction will begin soon on some downtown Dothan property that could be the birth place of several new businesses. Contractors will soon build and renovate space at 131 N. Foster St. as part ...
Small businesses grew more confident in the economy's future in December, marking a fourth straight month of improvement on a more optimistic outlook for business conditions and real estate gains...
This week will bring the long-awaited opening up of a new realm of Web addresses in which just about any word—such as dot-furniture or dot-arcticvacations—can serve as a domain name. And to s...
The Business Council of Alabama's Small Business Committee has nominated Turner Medical Inc. of Athens for the 2012 Dream Big Small Business of the Year award. The Dream Big award is presented to...
Small businesses are in a hiring sort of mood. As the job market slowly gets back on track, much of that hiring is coming from small businesses that have weathered the storm of the past four year...
Last week, President Obama signed a bill reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for another six years. This long-term r...
Small businesses created 55,000 jobs in December and increased working hours for employees, further evidence the labor market was strengthening. In addition, workers at small businesses saw a ris...
The Alabama Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify service for businesses with 25 or fewer employees is available. Starting Jan. 1, all businesses that conduct business with the state of Alab...
The IRS wants to remind all taxpayers that with the New Year fast approaching, there is still time for you to take steps that can lower your 2011 taxes. However, you usually need to take action n...
SOME people who toil discontentedly in corporate cubicles regard entrepreneurship as the cure for all workplace ills. Only when they’ve experienced running a business personally do they find th...
The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking nominations for awards honoring the critical economic role small businesses play in federally funded research and development through SBA's Small...
Cash mobs are one of many buy-local campaigns that recently have spread to communities across the country. One in four business owners say poor sales is their top business problem, ahead of any o...