Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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This holiday season, pitching in to support a small business may be easier than you think. Many small towns are proud to feature a vibrant main street, and rightfully so. Busy storefronts are a sign of activity and growth. They also indicate strong community support. But not every small business gets it start in a brick-and-mortar location. With the popularity of online shopping, more small entrepreneurs are learning that their dream of selling locally-produced food, artwork and handmade items...
JESSICA CAMPOS Women’s Business Center director Center for Rural Affairs During the first quarter of 2022, 85% of small business owners said their business was affected by inflation, and 67% were forced to raise prices, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Inflation can be catastrophic for small businesses and many owners are worried. However, small businesses can be more flexible and responsive to shifts in markets and in demand than their larger counterparts. Here are some steps to t...
JESSICA CAMPOS Center for Rural Affairs Women’s Business Center director Many small business owners wonder how cybersecurity pertains to their business or think they could never fall victim to cybercriminals. But, according to the Small Business Administration, cyber-attacks are a growing threat for entrepreneurs and the U.S. economy. In 2020 alone, the FBI reported that the cost of cybercrimes reached $2.7 billion. While some small businesses have little to no financial resources to devote t...
Earlier this month, the Small Business Administration announced major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to support small businesses. Changes to the program include: • Increasing the COVID EIDL cap. The SBA will lift the COVID EIDL cap from $500,000 to $2 million. Loan funds can be used for any normal operating expenses and working capital, including payroll, purchasing equipment and paying debt. • Implementation of a def...
Small business development is important in rural areas of our nation, where access to employment opportunities are limited and where jobs pay less. Microbusinesses (businesses with 10 or fewer employees) provide all or most of the income for many rural households. In our home state of Nebraska, self-employment provides up to 90% of all jobs in most rural counties. For others, it is part of a patching strategy to make ends meet. However, access to capital is a challenge for many rural business...
