THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES:
- First Quarter 2011 Economic Report Card
- Global Economic Monitor
- Events of Interest
- May 18, 2011: International Trade Outlook
Tag: sbdc
Weekly Economic Update | LAEDC
THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES:
- March State/Local Area Employment Reports
- California’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 12.0%
- SoCal Home Sales and Prices Take a Hit in March
- February U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows as Both Imports and Exports Fall
- California Exports Continue to Fall
- February California Imports
- March Port Figures – Sixteen Consecutive Months of Growth
- Consumer Prices in March
- March PPI Climbs on Steep Rise in Wholesale Energy Prices
Small Business Issues Survey Results | Small Business California
Small Business California states that is it is a non-partisan advocacy group concerned with issues facing small business in California. Each year, the organization compiles a survey of small business regarding the issues facing them. The 2011 survey was just released. 1,341 business owners or managers participated in the survey. Among the results:
- 70% believe California is going in the wrong direction
- 79% believe the business climate is poor to very poor
- 79% saw flat or declining revenues over the last 12 months
- 73% don’t plan to hire in the next 12 months
The top three issues for the respondents were:
- The economy
- The quality of public education
- The cost and availability of health care
Stimulus News Digest, Issue 14 | Office of the Small Business Advocate
This reports highlights:
- Earthquake Early Warning System Could Soon Be Feasible; Stimulus Funds Used
- Stimulus Funds to Pump More Water
- Recovery Act Funds 10,000th Highway Project
- Small Business Digs into $1 Billion Doyle Drive Project
- Helping Hand for Small Businesses
- Stimulus Money to Help State with Medicaid Records
- Grants Fund Training for Green Jobs
Report to the President – SBA Small Business Financing Forum
The opening remarks of this report contains the following brilliant observation:
With financial institutions tightening lending standards in this recent economic crisis, the small businesses that depend on them for credit have been hit particularly hard.
Ya think? Without the ability to sell stock or bonds to raise capital, small businesses have to turn to banks. Banks are required to meet tough new standards and for the most part, keep the loans they write on their balance sheets. To maintain their required ratios, most banks have withdrawn credit from those least able to survive it, small business. A perfect storm.
Continue reading “Report to the President – SBA Small Business Financing Forum”
Statewide Small Business Stimulus Program Heads to L.A. | SBA
Business Matchmaking and SBDC team to help entrepreneurs access contracts.
LOS ANGELES — On Sept. 2 Los Angeles will be the fourth stop in a 15-city, California tour aimed at increasing small business readiness to access stimulus-funded contracts through President Obama’s Economic Recovery Plan.
The program, Stimulus Opportunities for Small Business, is free for participants and will be presented by California Small Business Development Centers and Los Angeles-based nonprofit Business Matchmaking, in cooperation with the Small Business Advocate in the governor’s office.
Continue reading “Statewide Small Business Stimulus Program Heads to L.A. | SBA”
How To Choose Business Plan Assistance
How To Choose Business Plan Assistance – Peter Mehit, WhiteBoard Partners
We have rewritten many business plans that were purchased from companies, real world and internet, that didn’t do what the buyer wanted causing them aggravation, wasted time and money. While some of the providers were unscrupulous, the majority of the time the problem was caused by a difference in expectations. To avoid this, you need to understand exactly what you’re buying.
Why are you writing a business plan?
If you’re writing a business plan as an exercise, then any method will probably produce acceptable results. But if you’re drafting a business plan because you want to have a map to success that details both the risks and rewards as well as exposing your blind spots, the process you use to make the plan is as important as the plan itself.
Dispatches From The Front 