The California Reinvestment Coalition’s (CRC) 2010 economic development report documented a dramatic two-thirds plunge in critical bank lending to California small businesses between 2007 and 2009; businesses that are universally seen as the engine of economic recovery. This report unveils the appalling continuing reality that today’s bank lending to small businesses shows only the barest improvement since 2009.
Archives: Resources
Micro-Businesses: America’s Growth Engine
This report examines growth trends for small and micro businesses in recent years, the sector’s need for liability protection to increase revenue and retain customers, and the role insurance advisors can play in facilitating micro business growth.
2013 California Economic Summit
As it did in 2012, the Summit is tapping into California’s most vital resource—its people—to identify shared problems and to develop a shared agenda that will lay the foundation for a future of well-paying jobs, a sustainable environment, and equal opportunities for every Californian.
Etsy: Redefining Entrepreneurship
Etsy is an online marketplace where artists and collectors sell their handmade goods, vintage items and craft supplies. Founded in June 2005, Etsy now includes more than 20 million products and over one million sellers worldwide. In the last year alone, they generated over $895 million in sales. A survey of 5,500 U.S. sellers reveals a unique population of Internet-enabled entrepreneurs who are building businesses on their own terms — prioritizing flexibility and independence over rapid growth, and using Etsy income to build resilience in the face of declining job security.
Growth of Women-Owned Businesses
The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) initiated this research to understand the reasons behind the general lag of women-owned business growth in terms of business size and receipts, as compared to firms owned by men. Other studies have indicated that, on the whole, women and men approach entrepreneurship differently. In order to assist women, and the nation, to advance economically, the NWBC looked to the research to provide insights on key considerations when reaching out to women entrepreneurs to encourage maximum growth of their businesses. The research centered on questions about three key attitudinal areas associated with business ownership and growth: risk tolerance, motivations, and expectations. The research team also listened for instances where culture could be influencing behaviors or experiences.
Bundled Service Delivery for Entrepreneurs
This case study is a detailed analysis of one community-based organization’s approach to creating a bundled service delivery model, with a particular focus on the set of services and systems targeted at entrepreneurs. This case study is intended to be a resource that captures and shares many of the lessons from CFED’s partnership with MEDA that convey the most efficient ways to deliver bundled services to entrepreneurs. This study is designed for anyone interested in establishing an integrated approach for serving entrepreneurs with a range of services in an intentional and coordinated way, including community-based organizations, community leaders and practitioners, financial institutions, municipal or state agencies, microenterprise development organizations and other organizations that serve entrepreneurs and their families.
Entrepreneurship in Rural America
Community affairs offices at the Board and Reserve Banks engage in a wide variety of activities to help financial institutions, community-based organizations, government entities, and the public understand and address financial services issues that affect low- and moderate-income people and geographic regions.
2013 Survey of Small Businesses
The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland sponsored an online survey of small
businesses, which was conducted from July 1 through August 15, 2013. The survey
included questions about business conditions, financing, and workforce needs.
Business Ownership and Local Economic Well-Being
Anil Rupasingha, PhD Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Local entrepreneurship matters for local economic performance and smaller local businesses are more important than larger local businesses for local economic performance.
How Much Does Credit Matter?
Cesare Fracassi and Shimon Kogan, UT Austin; Mark Garmaise, UCLA Anderson; Gabriel Natividad, NYU Stern
A team of researchers digs into five years worth of lending data from Accion Texas and reports that startup small businesses that receive a microloan are dramatically more likely to survive, enjoy higher revenues and create more jobs.