FastUpFront Small Business Blog

As the economy continues to sputter along, the sources of traditional small business financing have been quickly drying up. Collectively, banks and commercial lenders are requiring more collateral while simultaneously approving smaller loan amounts. And this is coming as other personal financing products, such as home equity loans, are getting harder to come by. As [...]

In the midst of all the outrage surrounding AIG’s infamous bailout bonus packages, a surprising detail has emerged. The so-called “retention” bonuses were paid to 52 people who have packed up and left the company. Though one could perhaps argue that the people who left technically could afford to leave, and anyway they weren’t doing [...]

In several of my previous posts, I mentioned that hard economic times are known to be the harbinger of innovation and business opportunity. So I thought I would give you a few examples of some famous companies that got their start in the harshest of economic conditions: General Electric (GE). GE got its start in [...]

As the unemployment rate surges across the nation, a diverse group of people of various ages and backgrounds are suddenly being faced with the question: What next? History attests to the fact that economic difficulty often spurs innovation and creativity, and our current economic crisis should be no different. In a recent post, I noted [...]

Do you know that you may be paying too much for many of your overhead expenses? Here are 12 simple ways that small businesses can save a significant amount of money on some of the most common operating costs: 1. Cell phones and business credit cards Cell phone plans and credit card options can vary [...]

After all the politicking, President Obama finally signed into law last week the $787 billion recovery package designed to give a much needed boost to the U.S economy. Contained in the hundreds of provisions and over 1,000 pages of this bill are many opportunities for small businesses. You just need a little patience to sift through it [...]

In the midst of this chilly recession that doesn’t look like it is going anywhere any time soon, there has been a lot of talk about how difficult it is to start, operate and grow a small business. But even the darkest clouds can come with their silver lining. Much emphasis could be made on [...]

All the pomp and circumstance surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama as U.S. President underscores a new flurry of business activity that shines like a small ray of hope in our dismal economy. The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that numerous entrepreneurs and small business have rushed to capitalize on Obama’s rise to the presidency. [...]

Whether you’re the kind of person who likes to see the glass as half full or you prefer to see it as half empty, there is no denying that for most American small businesses the new year will bring a mixed bag of opportunity and adversity, hope and anxiety. There are many reasons for the [...]

I recently came across this article in the English Observer that put words to a new cultural and economic reality that is taking shape here in the U.S.: …The era of individualistic consumption that swept aside the Great Society of the 1960s has come to an end. For three decades, American culture has celebrated the [...]