Author: Patricia Orsini

A new survey from Bank of America shows that small business owners are more confident in their local economies than the national economy. And they’re looking for signs of growth in their local economies before they grow their business.   Read More

One retailer's experience raises a question that many small businesspeople are asking in times of tighter credit and uneven profits: Are bigger banks willing to deal with the risk of a smaller business in tough times?    Read More

A pickup in hiring heading into the summer months could bode well for jobs creation in the second half of 2012, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com.    Read More

Nearly a third of online shoppers surveyed purchase gifts in the week leading up to Mother's Day; another 18 percent wait until the last minute. So local merchants, expect Saturday to be busy.   Read More

Small business owners were more optimistic in April, but compared to a year ago they haven’t really moved the needle forward on feeling more confident about the economy.   Read More

Uncertainty surrounding the economy, combined with a lack of qualified workers and improved efficiencies with current operations are among the reasons cited in two separate surveys as reasons why job growth in the U.S. has stalled.    Read More

Business-for-sale market conditions have improved in the first quarter of 2012, a recent survey found, spurring business owners that had been on the sidelines to think about selling now.   Read More

The Brewing the American Dream program, the brainchild of Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch, began four years ago as a way to help New England area start ups access financing. It's rolling out nationally this week, with an additional $1 million in lending capital from microfinance lender and partner Accion.   Read More

Things may be looking up for the Class of 2012. A Harris Interactive poll for CareerBuilder shows that employers plan to hire recent college graduates this year.    Read More

No one expects Rep. Eric Cantor’s proposed 20 percent tax cut for small business owners to get any farther than the House. But that's not the point. This is purely a "he-said, she-said" moment where both parties take every opportunity to point out how the other side doesn't support small business.    Read More