Entrepreneurs Look at the Bright Side

The bright side is pretty bleak according to the most recent numbers from the National Federation of Independent Business. The October Small Business Economic Trends Report from NFIB says that hiring among small business owners is down, sales are down and credit is tightening but entrepreneurs remain optimistic but Small Business Optimism is up two tenths of a point from August. A survey sponsored by Citibank finds that small business owners say there is a silver lining to this recession. 

·         32% say the availability of high quality talent for hire has improved

·         24 % say their share of business versus the competition has improved, with gains most common among companies with 20 to 99 employees (34%)

In addition to these benefits small business owners are also reporting an improved work ethic and commitment among employees.  

Robin Jolivette is opening her frozen yogurt shop during the recession in an area of California that some say is the hardest hit by the housing meltdown. She says that the benefits of opening the shop far outweigh the obstacles. Scrumdillyuptious is in a prime location, which prior to the recession Robin would not have been able to afford the rent and she has been able to buy used equipment at a significantly reduced cost as well.

This Could Be Yours Contest Gives Entrepreneurs a FREE Store!

Have you been waiting to start your own business but been unable to get the ball rolling for various reasons? Well TCBY or The Country’s Best Yogurt, frozen yogurt franchise, is offering a chance to win a free location to one aspiring entrepreneur through their This Could Be Yours Contest. To enter you need to complete an application (located on their website: www.tcby.com) and submit it with a short two-minute video telling why you should win a TCBY store by the November 30, 2009 deadline.