Banks to Get $30 Billion for Small Business Loans

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January 27, 2011
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NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY Banks to Get $30 Billion for Small Business Loans Treasury says its new fund, an idea in the 2010 State of the Union address, will soon start pumping capital into community banks

Inside: This Week in SmallBiz During his State of the Union one year ago, President Obama trumpeted a new $30 billion fund designed to boost small business lending. Now the money from the Small Business Lending Fund is about to start flowing to community banks, with investments expected to be made in the first quarter. Take a look how the program works, and hear from industry insiders on its prospects. Also on tap: Learn about so-called gamification techniques, which companies are using to goose website traffic. Meet the founders behind green startups in Rome, Silicon Valley, and the West Bank. Finally, catch opinion pieces about the decline in bank credit to small businesses, and the problems big companies create when they're slow to pay. Enjoy. --Nick Leiber SEND FEEDBACK  |  E-MAIL A FRIEND  |  GET RSS  |  NEWSLETTERS

MORE SMALLBIZ NEWS Ex-Treasury Aide's Small-Bank Lending Venture Lee Sachs, a former aide to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and banker John Delaney have formed a company that aims to help smaller banks lend to a wider range of borrowers E-COMMERCE 'Gamification': A Growing Business to Invigorate Stale Websites A new breed of consultants, working for the likes of NBC and Playboy, promises to boost business by adding game elements to humdrum sites FOCUS ON GREEN BUSINESS Energy Lessons from Ancient Rome An Italian startup generates electricity along aqueducts AGRICULTURE Green Business: From the West Bank, Fair-Trade Olives A Palestinian entrepreneur boosted the price paid for organic olives and has grown to become the West Banks biggest exporter of olive oil FINANCE Bloom Energy's Fuel Cell Breakthrough The Silicon Valley green startup is selling power by the watt, with no up-front cost Deadbeat Companies Deserve an Obama Wakeup Call Big businesses are forcing small businesses to act as their banks by not paying their bills on time, says Jonathan Alter   SMALLBIZ SLIDE SHOWS Most and Least Profitable Business Types Using the 2010 profit margins of thousands of private companies in 97 industries, we ranked the winners and losers America's Most Promising Startups Meet new companies from across the country that embody the creativity and resilience common among today's entrepreneurs   SMALLBIZ SPECIAL REPORTS ENTERPRISE Focus On Entrepreneurs, January 2011 From Bloomberg Businessweek, a roundup of news, trends, and ideas for business owners SMALLBIZ  BUSINESS DIRECTORY Need Help? Find experts in your area in: Accounting Advertising and Marketing E-Mail Marketing Legal Services Public Relations Search Engine Marketing Web Design Web Marketing Web Hosting  BW MALL  SPONSORED LINKS Buy a link now! This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2009-2010 by BLOOMBERG L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Terms of Use | Privacy Notice

SMART ANSWERS KAREN E. KLEIN >> When a Distributor Sets Prices An entrepreneur wishing to sell to unions as well as to large retailers needs to understand the markets and then develop separate pricing strategies, experts say SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO KAREN >   VIEWPOINT SCOTT SHANE >> The Big Problem in Small Business Bank Credit Until it is addressed, the severe drop in loans and credit lines will hamper economic growth and job creation for years View all articles for Scott Shane   Today's Tip Finance At one point or another, every business that uses a vendor will need to renegotiate the contract or service agreement. Done properly, renegotiation can be an easy process that will enable both parties to feel like they got a good deal. T. Craig Bott, President and CEO, Grow Utah Ventures READ MORE >