The percentage of small-business owners citing an increasingly uncertain economic outlook rose sharply in July, while overall optimism remains near historic lows, according to data released last week by the National Federation of Independent Business.
Paul Dytmire and Andy Klotz are learning it requires patience and money to develop and sell a product that helps cornhole players answer an often-heard question: “What’s the score?”
Indiana is being allocated $99.1 million as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative, established in 2010 and reauthorized under the American Rescue Plan to support state programs that help small businesses access capital as they emerge from the pandemic.
The drink, flavored water infused with vodka, debuted just 16 months ago. The company operates out of Ferdinand, 15 miles south of Jasper, and the product is manufactured in Indianapolis.
Elevate Ventures’ annual pitch competition takes place Aug. 5 in Fishers, and this year for the first time the event is free and open to the public.
Christopher Day, the CEO and cofounder of Indianapolis-based marketing tech firm DemandJump, will take over as CEO of the Indianapolis-based organization on July 18.
Consumers likely have a lot of pent-up demand after more than two years of the pandemic. But they’re also facing some significant financial headwinds because of the highest inflation in decades. And COVID-19 remains a looming presence.
Data from payrolls processing firm ADP show a widening gap in hiring between businesses with 500 or more employees and businesses with less than 50 staffers. Those smaller businesses have lost jobs in three of the past four months.
Only about 30% of businesses that applied for financing last year got the full amount that they asked for, down from about half in 2019.
Tax season can be complicated for everyone, but as the April 18 filing deadline looms, small-business owners, contractors, entrepreneurs and others face a raft of ever-changing rules and regulations.
Kirk’s Hardware, owned by Bill and Carrie Prater since 2002, is set to close at the end of the month. The 133-year-old, six-floor building that houses the business at 848 Logan St. has always had a hardware store as a ground-floor occupant.
Online gatherings are here to stay, but after two years of Zooming, people are looking for something more than the standard videoconferencing sites can offer.
The moves are part of a larger effort to help the city’s core recover from the pandemic, and they’re getting help from a not-for-profit that has emerged as a local leader in diversity initiatives.
IBE President and CEO Tanya Mckinzie said the initiative grew out of the organization’s pandemic work with local Black business owners and a survey of nearly 1,000 such businesses.
Restaurant owners want Congress to replenish the fund, and they want Indiana’s senators to sign on to a proposal that would provide cash to original applicants who were left high and dry.
Stores based on the concepts of selfie culture, miniature skateboards and intravenous nutrient therapy have either opened recently or are on the way.
The unpredictability of shipping, labor and the coronavirus itself have created an environment where owners are often left guessing about when products might arrive and how much they’ll cost.
Monument Microcap Partners has also added three partners and two other employees, plus a branch office in the metro Detroit area.
As state director, Robinson will be the primary advocate in the Indiana Legislature and guide member engagement and political involvement throughout the state.
But the pure randomness of shipping problems and the unpredictability of consumer demand make it difficult to predict exactly what will be in short supply.
