Back in the '90s when I was a moderator for a major national daily, I evoked the ire of an official of the SBA. (Don't remember why; probably in response to something stupid they got caught doing) In the conversation that followed, the official continually tried to sell me on why I should have been taking advantage of their services for my small business, and was befuddled by my resistance to the idea.
Sure, access to easy sources of cash would have made certain projects I was involved with much easier, and life more comfortable. But would that have been a good thing?
“The Morning Briefing” is SmartPlanet’s daily roundup of must-reads from the web. This morning we’re reading news concerning small businesses.
1.) Small business bill bogs down in Senate. Senate Republicans on Tuesday thwarted a Democratic attempt to add investor protections to legislation aimed at helping small businesses, leaving Democrats scrambling to find their next course of action. The effort to cement a link in the small business bill to the extension and expansion of the Export-Import Bank also failed.
2.) Should the Small Business Administration be abolished? How vital is the role of the federal government in promoting the role of small business in America, and how vital is the Small Business Administration in that promotion? The SBA’s supporters argue that it is crucial, but critics say the agency’s loans do more harm than good.
3.) Post office reaches out to small businesses. The U.S. Postal service initiated a soft product launch last year to attract small business by providing a cost-effective mail product. Every Door Direct Mail is a business-friendly offering that eliminates the need for special mailing permits, registration fees and marketing lists. Is the program is gaining ground?
4.) Scheduling tool launched by Groupon for small businesses. Groupon has recently launched a scheduling tool in beta stage aimed at smaller firms and startups. The Groupon scheduler will allow customers to buy the deal of the day and book an appointment with that business at the same time. This is to help Groupon with their long-term goal of encouraging small businesses to run more deals through the company.
5.) Budget 2012: what business leaders want. The 2012 UK budget will be released this week — but what would businesses want? Most say they want tax breaks, such as VAT holidays in order to revive a dull economy. However, is there even any money to invest?
Bonus: PayPal’s small business solution under the microscope
Bonus: Small business loans just got a lot simpler
Image credit: Ken Teegardin
