small businesses news stories on Newser

Occupy Side Effect: 21 Cafe Workers Lose Jobs

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:36:05 CDT

Is Occupy Wall Street inadvertently hurting the little guy? That’s what Marc Epstein, owner of Wall Street’s Milk Street Cafe, claims. Thanks to the protests—and the resulting police barricades that line Wall Street, which he says somewhat hide his eatery and make it difficult for people to enter—sales...

Tea Partier's Protest Plan: No More Hiring

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:59:46 CDT

Well, here’s one idea for small businesses to help get us out of this economic mess we’re in: Stop hiring people! That’s the proposal from Tea Party Nation member Melissa Brookstone in a manifesto picked up (and derided) by Gawker and Wonkette . Brookstone’s post accuses the Obama administration, the “progressive...

AOL Co-Founder to Head 'Startup America'

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:03:14 CST

President Obama's entrepreneurship campaign is getting a helping hand from the tech industry. AOL co-founder Steve Case will lead the "Startup America Partnership," a drive to increase investments in startups and small businesses, Bloomberg reports. The initiative already has the backing of a number of tech giants: Intel says it...

Senate Clears $30B Small-Business Measure

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:10:56 CDT

The Senate passed long-delayed legislation today designed to open up credit to small businesses and award them with other incentives to expand and hire new workers. Democrats won a 61-38 vote to pass the legislation, joined by two Republicans (George Voinovich and George LeMieux). The measure would establish a $30...

Democrats Break Filibuster on Small-Business Bill

Kevin Spak — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:09:42 CDT

Republicans George Voinovich and George LeMieux crossed the aisle to help Senate Democrats break a Republican filibuster on their small-business aid bill. The bill will create a $30 billion credit fund to help banks lend to small businesses, and provide a variety of tax cuts, the AP reports. Republicans have...

Bailouts May Be Offered to Small Businesses

Kevin Spak — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:13:11 CDT

The Obama administration is working on a plan that would take money from the TARP—the $700 billion fund intended to rescue banks—and lend it to small businesses, the Washington Post reports. The money would come with few restrictions, and the government would pick up as much as 90%...

Tax Hike Raises Ire of Small Manufacturers

Kevin Spak — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:00:00 CDT

Small-business owners aren’t big fans of President Obama’s plan to let the Bush tax cuts expire in 2011, and they’re making themselves heard on Capitol Hill, Politico reports. Many small businesses file taxes as individuals, and they fall well beyond the $250,000 income threshold. The White House says the...

McCain's Final Strokes Paint Obama With Lefty Brush

Nick McMaster — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:19:01 CDT

John McCain criticized Barack Obama’s economic plans yesterday as the Republican focuses on portraying his opponent as a tax-and-spend liberal with a socialist vision for America, the Los Angeles Times reports. McCain had hoped to iconic plumber Joe on his tour of central Florida, but Joe Wurzelbacher refused. Instead, McCain...

Mortgage Meltdown Hits Small Builders

Rob Quinn — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 03:00:00 CDT

The housing market collapse that's sending homeowners into foreclosure is starting to hit small- and medium-size builders left with developments they're unable to sell, the Wall Street Journal reports. Buyers are canceling contracts and builders are missing mortgage payments on often highly leveraged projects. Small regional banks, in turn, could...