A $200-million dollar fund recently announced by Citi will help finance loan funds for small businesses in low-income communities.

Citi has announced important financial news for entrepreneurs who work in developing areas. The company has launched a $200-million fund to jump-start small business lending in low-wealth and low-income communities around the United States.

The Communities at Work Fund will finance nonprofit and for-profit Community Development Financial Institution Loan Funds. Those funds will in turn lend to local businesses in low-income communities.

“We recognize that too many small businesses, microenterprises, charter schools and community service institutions simply do not have access to credit, yet they are engines for economic growth,” said Citi CEO Vikram Pandit.

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Administaff’s Business Confidence Survey shows small business owners are regaining a positive outlook.

The recent Business Confidence Survey released by human resources provider Administaff indicates that small businesses are regaining their confidence as the economy begins to pull out of the recession.

More than 39 percent of small business owners said they expect the economy to turn around this year, and 44 percent believe this turnaround will take place in 2011.

The survey of CFOs, CEOs and other executives at Administaff’s small and midsized clients was conducted late last month. When asked about their biggest short-term concerns, the economy was still the dominant worry for 71 percent of small business owners.

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The IRS is sending postcards to millions of small businesses to tell them about the healthcare tax credit.

Important news for entrepreneurs is on its way. The IRS has begun mailing postcards to make small businesses aware of the benefits of the recently enacted healthcare tax credit. More than four million small firms and tax-exempt organizations will receive the mailing.

The credit, which was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act approved by Congress and signed by the president, is among the first of the reform provisions to go into effect.

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A new program from the White House will support markets which finance SBA loans.

The White House has launched a new program to aid small businesses, the Washington Post reports.

The program, implemented last month, is a dramatically reduced version of the White House’s initial plan to use $15 billion to aid Small Business Administration loan markets.

Because those markets recovered on their own, the new program uses only $21 million, and is in place as a backup in case SBA lending falls again.

According to the paper, administration officials say that helping small businesses get credit is still a top priority and a major component of the strategy to address high unemployment around the country.

Another proposal, introduced in January, could mean good news for entrepreneurs.

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Vendor Credit Lines

Qualifying for a bank loan or other traditional sources of business financing can seem like an impossible task if you’re like most small business owners that haven’t even begun to establish credit in the name of your business let alone have any type of business credit scores.

You probably believe that you have no other choice but to use your personal credit but let me share with you a viable alternative before you slap down your plastic.

Vendor credit lines also known as trade credit is when a company extends credit to your company in order to allow you to buy its products and services upfront but defer the payment for a later date.

After you purchase a product they will issue an invoice which must be paid according to the terms of your agreement. If y

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New small business entrepreneurs don’t always have a mentor or expert in their corner to help them wade through the rough road of starting a new business. However, you could get the help from financial investment giant Goldman Sachs through their 10,000 Small Business initiative.

The initiative is a $500 million program that is intended to help the American economy by aiding small business growth and job creation in disadvantaged communities. Small business owners can get education, advice, and even capital through the program. Goldman Sachs says it realizes that small business growth is a key factor in the American economic growth and stability, and they are committed to address the key barriers for small business growth.

How Goldman Plans to Help

Here is a look at the program highlights:

• Education – Entrepreneurs can get business savvy through educational programs at community colleges, universities, and other educational institutions. Bus

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When it comes to ideas for improving profits at a startup or other small business, it’s hard to beat the experience of SCORE. This non-profit small business counseling and mentoring service has helped more than eight million entrepreneurs succeed.

And when it comes to getting ahead in business, it’s all about making the right moves at the right times, says Ken Yancey, CEO of SCORE.  Here are five ways to prepare your business for improved profitability:

1. Create new offerings to grow your customer base. Start by better understanding your customer demographics and why they buy your products and services. Then think of ways to win clients over with new and diversified products. Many

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We have written about how bleak the economy looks for finance and small business. While there are definitely some dark clouds hovering over small business loan opportunities, there are some bright spots in terms of small business grants. Small business grants afford you the opportunity to grow your business with funding that you don’t have to pay back. It is typically given by the federal government, state governments, and by private corporations.

So what exactly do you need to do in order to make sure that your small business can get a grant? Keep reading for places to look for grants and for tips on how to land a grant that could help your small business.

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As more and more small businesses are growing, so are the number of small businesses using computers and workplace emails. If you are one of the small businesses that are providing their employees with computers and work emails, be aware that you should have an explicit email internet policy with your employees available.

There are several important reasons for this. The first is that employees may claim an expectation of privacy with their emails if you don’t explicitly say that you may be monitoring their emails from work issued computers. The Wall Street Journal reports that courts are increasingly ruling that if companies have not explicitly told employees that they are monitoring employee emails, then they don’t have the legal right to do it. And the scary part? Th

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