The US Small Business Administration has announced that low-interest federal disaster loans are available to California small businesses that have suffered financial losses due to the closure of the April 10 through Sept. 30, 2010, California salmon fishery season.

SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said in a press release that declaring a disaster makes low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans available immediately to help meet financial needs caused by the closure of the 2010 salmon fishery season.

SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following a March 25 request from Gov. Jerry Browns designated representative, Mike Dayton, acting secretary of California Emergency...

A new program targeting small businesses in Canada allows entrepreneurs to build their own websites with a little help from the worlds largest search engine.

Google Inc. said Tuesday its Canada Get Your Business Online initiative will offer free websites, web hosting, web addresses and a coupon for advertising with Googles online ad network AdWords to Canadian companies.

We work with tens of thousands of small businesses, and the one thing we found is that those who have a website have an easier time of attracting customers, said Chris ONeill, country director for Google Canada.

Google estimates that fewer than half of the 2.2 million or so small businesses in Canada have...

This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

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Rhode Island Business Plan Competition 2011
Enter by April 4, 2011

The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition, open to everyone, seeks to promote entrepreneurship and development of startup and early stage companies. Winners and finalists in the 2010 Competition shared more than $195,000 in prizes.

Make Mine a Million $ Business
Register by April 4, 2011

M3 1000 Denver gives women entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their businesses for a chance...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.

The longtime director of an Alabama small business organization was charged with defrauding the state of more than $7 million in a federal indictment unsealed Friday that accused him of using taxpayer money on clothes, vehicles, food, housing expenses and expensive gifts for women he called the Little Sisters.

Maurice William Bill Campbell Jr., 59, was accused of using his former position as director of the Alabama Small Business Development Consortium to obtain about $7.3 million from the state, prosecutors said. The organization, composed of four-year universities, is supposed to provide businesses with assistance for economic development, training and management.

Campbell,...

Small Business Administration and White House officials were on hand Friday at the SBA Small Business Jobs Act Tour to let small business owners know that Uncle Sam wants them — to grow, that is.

Among these officials were Michael Blake, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; Steve Smits, associate administrator for the Office of Capital Access at the Small Business Administration; and Yolanda Garcia Olivarez, regional administrator for the SBA’s Region VI.

The event was used to help small business owners find out how to get the loans and government contracts they need to grow and create jobs highlighting new tools and resources being developed...

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After experiencing increased sales and fewer layoffs in 2010, more Los Angeles County small business owners report an improved outlook on profits, hiring and capital expenditures in 2011. However, business owners are balancing their increased optimism with conservative measures to protect their business, according to Union Bank’s 11th Annual Small Business Economic Survey released yesterday.

The survey–the largest to date with nearly 3,000 participants statewide–found a full 61 percent of small business owners believe 2011 will be a better year in terms of profitability, a 10 percent increase...

April 2, 2011 6:50 pm |(0) Comments

Although the parent companies of Wisconsins two biggest banks are preparing to exit the controversial Troubled Asset Relief Program, its likely to be awhile before most of the other state banks with TARP money shed it.

Community bankers say its generally tougher for them to raise capital – something regulators have been requiring of banks that want to repay TARP – than it is for big, publicly traded banks.

Those that have trouble raising capital or dont want to because of its side effect – reducing the value of existing shares – need to set aside a portion of profits to repay TARP. That may be difficult for some...