Monday September 8, 2008
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From WSJ.com/Small-Business
Credit Crunch, Costs Tip More To Bankruptcy
By Jacqueline Palank
The high cost of fuel and difficulty accessing credit continue to batter both businesses and individuals.
Where Candidates Stand With Small Businesses
Winning the support of small business owners will be a daunting task for Barack Obama and John McCain.
A Photobucket Bonanza, for Insiders
When the photo-sharing Web site was acquired last year, executives at New York-based venture-capital firm Insight Venture Partners made a small fortune.
Control Your Cash Flow
Here are 5 ways to reduce your vulnerability during the credit crunch.
Business Credit Cards Simplify Record Keeping
Here are 5 ways to save time and money in your business.
How HotOrNot Bootstrapped Its Way to Profit, Sale
A resourceful attitude is what is necessary for an entrepreneur to survive and succeed.
Businesses Find Cheap Capital in SBA Mortgages
A little-known SBA loan called the 504 can help you buy commercial space.
Starting Up: Entrepreneurs Turn to Moonlighting
Cash-strapped entrepreneurs take on second jobs to make ends meet.
Four Sources of Alternative Funds
Can't get a bank loan? Cash-strapped entrepreneurs can tap into these sources instead.
What's My Company Worth?
The art and science behind early-stage company valuation.
Venture-Capital IPOs Grind to Standstill
Q2 of this year is to be the first in more than 30 years without a venture-capital-backed initial public offering in the U.S.
Venture Investors Find Comfort in Health Care
After years languishing in the shadows of Internet start-ups, deals involving health-care and medical companies are coming back.
Optimism Knows No Slowdown
Small business owners say they're too busy thriving on Main Street to worry about the gloom and doom on Wall Street.
NetSpend Funds Aid Start-Ups
A $100 million fund is being launched to invest in start-ups providing financial services to people without bank accounts or credit cards
Starting Up: Funding Your Social Venture
It's tough for any business to find funding. But social ventures can tap unique sources.
Pick the Right Credit Card for Your Business
Credit cards offer tremendous value for small business. The challenge is picking the right one.
Is a Peer-to-Peer Loan Right for You?
Business owners seeking cash from peer-to-peer lenders need to consider the risks first.
Avoiding Cash Crunches
A company's cash flow is its lifeblood. Follow these tips to keep a steady stream flowing in and out, maintaining good credit and keeping the business growing.
A Gamble That Went Bust
An Arkansas bank's collapse resulting from real-estate losses is ominous for small and midsize lenders.
Private Eye to the VCs Does 'Human Due Diligence'
Venture capitalists are looking at entrepreneurs from more angles than they used to. Meet their private eye.
Credit Crunch Benefiting Some Start-Ups
The credit crunch is providing an unexpected uptick in business opportunities for some portfolio companies.
Latest Groans: Small-Business Loans
The turbulent economy is exposing yet another type of credit where bankers let their guard down: small-business loans.
How to Qualify for Franchise Loans Even with Bad Credit
Having bad credit makes it harder to qualify for a franchise loan, but it's not impossible.
Small Biz Economy Woes
Why this downturn is hitting small business harder than past economic jolts.
Briggs Helps Clients Cut Event Costs
When clients are hesitant to spend as lavishly as in the past, it's an opportune time for a small company to leverage its small size and personal attention.
Venture Capitalists Shut Wallets
Facing an uncertain economic environment, venture capitalists showed restraint with their wallets in the first quarter.
Small-Business Optimism Plunges
Small-business owners' confidence in the economy is plummeting, prompting cutbacks in hiring and expansion plans, a new survey shows.
Starting Up: Business-Plan Contests
Universities are raising the stakes to make their programs stand out.
Business Loans Get Personal
As credit tightens, entrepreneurs are seeking alternative funding methods through social lending.
Auction-Rate Freeze Hurts Start-Ups
Silicon Valley start-ups are suffering as many are holding the same illiquid auction-rate securities that are hurting large public companies.
Where Either a Borrower or a Lender Can Be
Small-business owners turn to online networks for funds as banks tighten credit.
Startup Financing During the Credit Crunch
Creativity goes a long way when it comes to financing your startup during tough economic times.
Start-Ups Begin Hitting the Brakes
As Silicon Valley stares down the barrel of a possible recession, start-up companies and their investors are beginning to tighten their belts.
When Your Small Business Is Your Nest Egg
Entrepreneurs who bank on selling the business to fund retirement need to recession-proof their plan.
Q&A: Franchise Funding in Credit Crunch
A loan broker offers tips on how to increase the odds of securing a loan.
Getting Out of a Franchise
When it comes to breaking a franchise contract, the law usually swings in favor of the franchisor.
Starting Up: How Much Money Do I Need?
It's critical to figure out start-up costs before you open your doors. Here's how.
Should I Use a Local or National Bank for My Business?
Only one will be advantageous to your business — which one that is will depend on your own specific needs.
Starting Up: University Incubators
Want to start a business from your dorm room? Some colleges offer a guiding hand.
Quick Tips: How to Recession-Proof Your Business
In troubled economic times, small businesses can take steps to protect themselves.
Speaking From Experience
Women navigating the VC process reveal their errors and offer advice for procuring investment dollars.
Selling a Professional Practice
Strategies for pricing a professional practice and advertising it.
Sites Link Firms With Investors
As the venture world has recovered from the tech bubble bust, a number of web sites offer the ability to connect entrepreneurs with investors.
Venture Capital's New Green Machine
Clean tech is favored; investments reach their highest levels since 2001.
What Is Vendor Leasing?
Vendor leasing helps build vendor-customer relationships while improving vendor sales volume. Read on to learn more.
A Look Ahead
If you made it through 2007, you'll make it through 2008 — or so say economic forecasters asked to describe the near-term environment for entrepreneurs.
VC's New Math: Does Less = More?
How one successful venture capitalist seeks to change old habits by investing small on start-ups.
The Family Plan
Here are some tips to avoid conflict and heartache when tapping friends and family for business capital.
Dare to Venture
Need a cash infusion? Try Venture merchant bank financing to get your business back on track.
Business-Plan Contests in Real World
Business-plan competitions can help would-be entrepreneurs raise cash while honing their business strategy.
Entrepreneur Schilling's 'Unfair Advantage'
Celebrity beat experience when two start-ups competed for the spotlight at a recent Silicon Valley conference.
10 Critical Cash Flow Rules
Protect your business from a common cause of failure by following these cash management tips.
Online Lending Gets Easier and Safer
The U.K.'s Zopa is starting operations in the U.S. where it will be a player in the person-to-person online lending market.
Selling Your Business Online
Of course you can sell your product on the internet. But you can sell your business there, too.
Starting Up: Budgeting for Small-Biz Travel
Need to put in face time with out-of-town clients? Here's how to pay for it.
Angel Groups Spread Their Wings Beyond Tech
Angel groups are now funding later stages of growth and competing with venture capitalists on deals of $1 million or more.
Starting Up: How to Avoid the Credit Crunch
Thanks to the subprime mess, it's harder for business owners to get credit. Here are alternatives.
Verizon Rate Ruling May Hit Small Businesses
Small business customers could face an increase of 20% to 30% in the rates they pay for phone and Internet service.
Financing Your Business with Home Equity
Before turning to your home equity to fund your business, consider the potential drawbacks.
Helping Startups Win Investors
A Los Angeles firm acts as a matchmaker and a coach for entrepreneurs looking for venture funding.
Starting Up: Entrepreneurs Try Virtual Focus Groups
Want to test your idea before you spend your life savings pursuing it? Here's how.
Family Business: To Sell or Not to Sell?
It is a question that can tear families apart. But, if done right, it doesn't have to.
Mistakes to Avoid as a New Franchisee
Learning from those who've gone before you can be a great money-saving tactic.
Guardian Angels
A growing number of well-to-do investors get their kicks funding and coaching local startup companies.
Collecting Bills? Put Your People Skills to Work
Collecting overdue bills while maintaining good relationships with customers often requires keen people skills.
Automated Billing Saves Ticket Broker Time, Money
Here's how an electronic bill-collection system helped one small business keep up with sales.
Three Approaches to Reining in Customer Debts
Here's a look at the steps three small companies took to turn around their lackluster collections.
The Six Best Places to Find Funding for Small Businesses
We show you six avenues to get the capital you need to start and fund your small business.
Help! My Business Is Failing
Sales for my business have been slow and we can't pay our bills. What are our options?
Debt-Turnaround Firms Are Focusing on Small-Business Owners
More corporate restructuring firms are focusing on the small-business market.
Picking the Right Small Business Credit Card
Small-business owners get lots of credit offers. Here's what to look for in a card.
What to Do With a Pile of Money
I have $100,000 in my small-business savings account. Could I do something better with it?
Is Venture Capital Right for You?
Entrepreneurs clamor for it, but it can involve major sacrifices. We'll help you decide.
Do's and Don'ts for Wooing Angel Investors
Here is advice on what a small-business owner should - and shouldn't - do when searching for angel funding.
Banks Turn Attention to African-American Entrepreneurs
Black-owned businesses are booming, with more services being offered to help them succeed.
Making the Most of Online Matchmaking for Small Firms
Wil Schroter talks about what works and what doesn't for business owners using a matchmaking service.
Balancing Act
Excess inventory can eat up your cash, so ditch the superfluous stock and use better management practices to keep your business booming.
Funding Capital-Intensive Companies
Reducing your company's pre-money valuation can make it more attractive to potential investors. Here's how to do it.
Deadly Legal Mistakes
When raising early-stage investment capital, avoid these errors that could lead to the death of your company.
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