The internet has become a go-to place for just about anything.  Whether you need to find the answer to a random question, buy a rare clothing item, locate an old grade school friend or search for a recipe for the night’s dinner, you’ll very likely be able to find exactly what you need, simply by typing a keyword or two into a search engine. The internet is also home to various sites where small business [...]

During this Great Recession, many small businesses have come to an end, some after decades of operation.  Both consumer spending and bank lending have been low and unemployment rates have been high.  Still, many new businesses have been born out of the recession.  According to Challenger Gray & Christmas’ quarterly Job Market Index, “8.7 percent of job seekers gained employment by starting their own businesses in second quarter 2009,” wrote Jennifer Wang for Entrepreneur. As [...]

Last year’s gloomy holiday sales have caused business owners to be concerned about what’s in store for their businesses this holiday season. 2008 was a rough year for small businesses.  According to a report released by the Small Business Association, approximately 627, 200 small businesses were opened in the United States in 2008.  This is the smallest number of new businesses to open in a year since 2003.  In the same year, approximately 595,600 businesses [...]

Despite constant efforts to increase small business access to bank funds, small business lending has continued to decline, according to CNN Money. “The 22 banks that got the most help from the Treasury’s bailout programs cut their small business loan balances by a collective $10.5 billion over the past six months,” wrote Catherine Clifford.  Also according to the article, Wells Fargo saw the biggest lending drop. So what do all of these statistics, numbers and [...]

In honor of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Merchant Resources International is launching its 1st Annual Business Story Contest. For over six years, MRI has been providing small business owners in the United States with an alternative to the traditional bank loan and the opportunity to receive up to $500,000 in business funds and we have recently extended our services to include merchants in Canada. As Global Entrepreneurship Week continues and entrepreneurs across the globe offer mentoring, [...]