Self employed business owners want to know – Should I apply for the SBA loan/grant program? Is it really free money? Will I be approved? What will it cost to get my application approved? What’s the maximum benefit I can receive? If I apply, does that disqualify me for other financial assistance? Could it be […]
This blog post is meant as an introductory primer for community planners and local small business owners. Investors are encouraged to seek their own professional counsel. The Cumberland County Improvement Authority has a program planned for bankers and Realtors on May 3 that will discuss the local Opportunity Zones. Following the passage of the federal […]
It is not possible to analyze a massive 2,232 page $1.3 Trillion dollar federal law within a matter of hours after its passage. (This is a terrible way to handle major legislation, but that shame on Ryan and crew is a whole different topic). Yet this new federal spending bill is likely to have more […]
The fundamental economics of the US agricultural industry are about to change. Few outside the industry seem to have noticed. Farmers, trade groups and business publications like Forbes and others are following the developing story with an increasing level of anxiety. The United States appears ready to move away from a trade agreement known as […]
I am responding to a telephone caller who presumed that my trademarked business name Freedom Benefits was associated with a credit card program apparently offered by Chase Bank. Over the years I’ve received a number of calls from consumers and even one from the FBI years ago investigating consumer reports of someone using the name in an […]
Wharton Professor Ethan Mollick explored the impact of Kickstarter through a large email survey designed to document the impact of Kickstarter crowdfunded projects. Kickstarter has received some bad publicity lately in stories that allege that 1 in 3 of the platform’s backers never receive the benefit promised by successful project sponsors. Since its launch, Kickstarter has […]
I’ve written often that the world of crowdfunding is evolving at a rapid pace. references to other recent news is built into my new crowdfunding bibliography published yesterday. This month that evolution continued as the U.S House of Representatives passed two bills designed to make it easier for businesses to raise money through crowdfunding. I feel […]
Are you a small business owner thinking about crowdfunding? Crowdfunding issues have become an increasingly frequent part of my day-to-day discussions with small businesses – both for profit and nonprofit – and the investors who finance them. Many of my recent blog posts reflect this trend. Most of these blog posts focus on very basic concepts of […]
Yesterday I met with a owner of a web site design business who told a story about a person who came to him recently asking for services at no up-front cost simply because he had a good business idea that he felt was sure to be successful. I get some of this same attitude coming from those […]
When Bernie Sanders made big bank regulation the focus of his campaign platform, this point became the sharpest distinction between him and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Clinton has a long history of big bank support despite the strong evidence that these powerful special interests are hurting innovation, job growth and small businesses across America, We […]