The oddsmakers and forecasters are already at work calculating how much we'll spend on Black Friday--the day after Thanksgiving--and Cyber Monday, the Monday following the holiday weekend. In our internet age, these two days form the official opening the Christmas shopping season and usually are a strong predictor of how much shoppers will buy for the holidays generally. This season there's a few new wrinkles--aside from the economy--so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.  read more...

Yesterday, President Barack Obama held a small-business financing forum to discuss what more should be done to help break the lending logjam small business owners have experienced the past two years. Before it even began, Obama was being criticized for keeping the guest list under wraps. Interested parties such as the American Small Business League issued a press release about their displeasure with not getting an invite. Others, including the International Franchise Association president/CEO Matthew Shay and Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation executive Jean Wojtowicz, got a ticket to the ball.

But while many squabbled about the timing, the format, and the lineup of speakers, the bigger question is: With Goldman Sachs, Warren Buffett, and JP Morgan Chase stepping up lending to small businesses, does small business still need this help? read more...

Small businesses have been crying for help getting loans for two years now. And finally, help arrives from an unexpected quarter: global investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs is teaming with savvy American investor-icon Warren Buffett to offer $300 million in financial aid to small businesses, coupled with $200 million more for college-level training for entrepreneurs. read more...

The whole healthcare-reform debate hit home for me this week. I've been ignoring a large envelope that came from my health insurance agent about a month ago. They left me a sort of ominous-sounding phone message about it, too, but I hadn't had a chance to call back. You know how sometimes when you can smell something bad's up, you just want to avoid it? I was in that mode.

Then I started reading news stories about how small-business healthcare plans were all having their rates jacked up to the sky...and I finally got up the nerve to open the envelope. Then I about fell over. read more...

If you had told me a decade ago that I could pay $40 a month for all the phone calls I could make coast to coast, I wouldn't have believed it. I used to routinely have $250 phone bills. But now, as a reporter who frequently needs to call all over the country, I am a prime beneficiary of the new all-you-can-eat calling plans.

What if credit cards could work the same way for small businesses--a flat fee per month for all you can charge? In a thought-provoking article on the retail-tech/e-commerce site Storefront Backtalk, Focus Brands vice president of information technology Todd Michaud opines that there could be. The credit-transaction business, he argues, is ripe for a disruptive new model that would radically lower costs for merchants. read more...

For those who don't read the fine print on the Small Business Administration's website, the agency has proposed increasing the size definitions for small businesses in 71 business sectors, mostly within retail industries. It's the first proposed rule change on qualifying size since 1984.

Why should you care? It means bigger businesses would still qualify for SBA loans and other federal assistance to small business.

Now, is that a good thing or a bad thing? I'm of two minds. read more...

With the filing of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization petition late last week, the parent company of giant small-business lender CIT is hoping for a speedy trip through bankruptcy court. Small businesses that need loans, however, face a more uncertain future. read more...

If you're hoping to connect with venture capital firms to pitch your company story, a new contest may help--but you'll need to be ready to catch a plane to Seattle.

This year at Northwest Entrepreneur Network's signature networking event, Entrepreneur University, six lucky companies will get to make their pitch before a media panel and conference attendees. How do you qualify? A Twitter contest. read more...

Entrepreneurs typically have a passion for the business they've created. With the economy down, many business owners are facing tough decisions about how to keep their business afloat until sales improve. What would you be willing to do? For instance, would you liquidate personal assets to keep your business alive?

A recent study shows more small-business owners are contemplating doing just that -- dipping into their own funds to keep their business going. The Discover Small Business Watch survey of 750 small-business owners found nearly two-thirds--61 percent--of owners thought it likely they would tap into personal assets to stay afloat within the next year. read more...

Most of us believe there's no way to prepare for Murphy's Law but wouldn't it be nice if you could? Enter The Worst-Case Scenario Business Survival Guide, a guide for surviving the most dangerous business situations.

This isn't some thick theory heavy business text. Instead, the authors David Borgenicht and Mark Joyner have teamed up to provide a step-by-step guide for dealing with five core business emergencies: finance, HR, productivity, sales and marketing and executive. read more...