Why Small-Business Owners Raid the College Fund

Last month, new life was breathed into an effort to bring back some popular small business lending provisions that expired shortly before the 2012 presidential election. These expired programs enabled a record number of small businesses to refinance commercial mortgages. The renewed push to reinstate the programs, along with some additional policy changes, can go a long way toward aiding Main Street’s recovery. President Obama has done a number of positive things to help the small business sector. Business startups are up 8 percent from 2009 to 2011, and U.S.

Unveiled in January 2013, Launcher offers new business owners aged 18-30 a package of support that bundles the government’s Startup Loan with free access to an extensive training programme, boot camps as well as the School for Startups’ online community, online library, and 24-hour support. Young entrepreneurs will now also benefit from the support of mentors who have been selected and trained by Lloyds, and are on hand to offer their guidance to further increase the survival rates of startups that come through the Launcher programme.

The report, entitled Stimulating Small Business Growth, charts the rise of the first 250 businesses to have completed the intensive 4 month Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme. Data collected independently from programme alumni, produced by Saïd Business School, Aston Business School, Leeds University Business School, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School and UCL, published in the progress report, indicates that the intervention is helping participants grow jobs and turnover.

Business owners Lawrence Tomlinson and Rekha Mehr are to become the entrepreneurs in residence at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) after fighting off competition from over 200 other applicants. Experienced Leeds-based entrepreneur Lawrence Tomlinson has run businesses in a number sectors including construction, software, chemicals, cars, and care homes.

Harry Reid says the Senate will consider the Bush tax cuts in September. What will they do about them? Hard to say. The options seem to be to extend most of them or all of them. Few seem to be thinking of substantially changing them, scrapping them or embedding them in a larger tax reform package. So it goes, I guess. One of the reasons Democrats are so afraid to touch the tax cuts, even for the rich, is their purported effect on small business. Cue Howard Gleckman:

It’s no secret that entrepreneurs and small business owners — who, incidentally, vote in droves — are unhappy with Washington. We’re told small business is a priority, but partisan gridlock has sidelined the issues we hold most dear. If President Obama and our Congressional leaders are really ready to work together to reboot the economy over the next four years, there’s some low-hanging fruit they can get to work on tomorrow.

It’s no secret that entrepreneurs and small business owners — who, incidentally, vote in droves — are unhappy with Washington. We’re told small business is a priority, but partisan gridlock has sidelined the issues we hold most dear. If President Obama and our Congressional leaders are really ready to work together to reboot the economy over the next four years, there’s some low-hanging fruit they can get to work on tomorrow.