Entrepreneur: Latest from Dennis Romero

Major Business Lender Against Ropes

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:16:45 PDT

CIT, a major lender to small- and medium-sized businesses today sought federal help to avoid a potential collapse.The institution's woes could hurt already struggling businesses that rely on CIT for cash flow lines of credit that allow them to keep inventory at proper levels. As a result, some experts are speculating that consumers could see less va

Can Chrome Find a Home With Entrepreneurs?

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:45:39 PDT

The buzz in the geek world last week surrounded Google's announcement that it will roll out a computer operating system, Chrome, to compete with Microsoft's Windows franchise. The software isn't slated to hit the market until the middle of next year, but already a storm is brewing about which one of these tech titans will come out ahead.Everyday business owners will be able to vote with their pocketbooks, too. Will they stay with

Study: Social Networking Ads Work

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:25:00 PDT

An eye-tracking study of 25 people said to represent the average social-networking site users found that a majority of them approved of seeing advertisements and even engaged with ads while searching for products and reviews on their favorite social portals, according a report released this week. The study, titled "Seeing Search Go Social," by search mar

Is Obama Anti-Entrepreneurial?

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:44:08 PDT

There seems to be a growing drumbeat among some small business owners against President Obama and his stance, perceived or otherwise, regarding entrepreneurship.Rarely a week goes by that, during our interviews with entrepreneurs on unrelated topics, Obama's policies towards business creation come into question. He gets it from all sides, too: Liberals seem to fault his Small Business Administration for allegedly being pro-big-business

Jackson Industry Can't Get Enough

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:02:05 PDT

In the shadow of Michael Jackson's public memorial in Los Angeles, the value of Jackson's legacy seems to be growing.Already, t-shirt and memorabilia entrepreneurs are on the move outside the venue where the memorial is taking place. Jimmy Jam of Jimmy's Jam T-Shirts in South Los Angeles says he's received orders from across the country for custom silkscreen designs in the king of pop's honor. Most of the customers want to turn around and s

Entrepreneurial Confidence Rises Slightly

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:04:35 PDT

The latest Discover Small Business Watch of entrepreneurs reports that economic confidence among the Main Street business class has risen slightly in June, with its index rising to 80.9 from 78.1 last month.The main culprit for the increase is cash flow, according to the data. The number of business owners who said they experienced temporary cash flow problems decreased from nearly half last month to 42 percent in June.

Billy Mays Dies of Heart Disease

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:02:53 PDT

Television pitchman and entrepreneur Billy Mays died Sunday, likely from heart disease, according to reports. An autopsy found that he suffered from hypertensive heart disease, and there was no sign head trauma from a head bump he reported following a rough flight to his hometown of Tampa, Florida.The 50-year-old's complaints of being hit in the head, possibly with baggage, during the landing of that flight over the weekend led to speculation t

Employers' Health Care Costs Have Nearly Doubled

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:20:37 PDT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today released a report about the rising cost of health care. Among its conclusions: "Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000."That increase in health care costs grew three times as fast as wage growth and cost employers' $12,680 for the average family plan -- nearly the same as a minimu

Are Gen Y Workers Good for Business?

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:46:05 PDT

In his new book The Future Arrived Yesterday: The Rise of the Protean Corporation and What It Means for You (Crown Business), business and technology journalist Michael S. Malone argues that a new generation of young Americans entering the workforce -- Generation Y -- isn't the best choice if you want loyal, hard-working, long-hour employees on

Plastic Increasingly Inflexible for Entrepreneurs

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:35:55 PDT

This spring a bigger problem than the bank-loan freeze has emerged for entrepreneurs: Credit card companies are slashing their limits, and small business owners are suffering because a majority of them rely on plastic to bolster cash flow and sustain operations.The pullbacks are especially tough because more and more entrepreneurs are depending on the cards as their main source of credit. According to the National Small Busin

IRS Eyes Mobile Phones

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:25:30 PDT

If you assign mobile phones to employees, they might be liable for a quarter of the applicable taxes if new IRS rules under consideration go into effect.The idea is to take some of the burden off business owners' backs. Already, a notice issued this week allows employers to forgo "minute-by-minute" documentation of employees' company phone use.

Homelessness, Hair Care and 12,000 Bottles of Tequila

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

How John Paul DeJoria became a billionaire

Homelessness, Hair Care and 12,000 Bottles of Tequila

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

How John Paul DeJoria became a billionaire

Business Loans Still Sluggish

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:05:59 PDT

The House Committee on Small Business today held a hearing on the state of credit for the small business community. Chairwoman Nydia M. VelÃÂ¡zquez, a congressional Democrat from New York, stated that despite stimulus funds and loosened rules for U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loans, credit for Main Street business is still moving slow."From the start-up in Silicon Valley to the mom and pop restaurant on Main Street, small businesses ever

Surfing's Next Safari

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Firewire shapes a new generation of surfers.

Surfing's Next Safari

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Firewire shapes a new generation of surfers.

New iPhone Unveiled; Current Model Goes for $99

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:51:00 PDT

The big news at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference, as expected, was the unveiling of a new iPhone. This one's called the 3G S and, among its more advanced features, it has the ability to record video. The 3G S is also said to be twice as fast for data as the current 3G model, which Apple is putting on sale for as low as $99. The 3G S will start at

Apple's Apps Continue to Inspire Entrepreneurs

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:39:00 PDT

The buzz at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference in San Francisco continues to be apps, apps and more apps - for the iPhone of course. Those little programs that do everything from find friends to provide a virtual mug of beer are the hottest topic at the confab. The New York Times is live-blo

Top Tech Cities Revealed

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:53:57 PDT

The Milken Institute, nonpartisan think tank based in Santa Monica, Calif., recently unveiled its annual list of top metropolitan areas for "high-tech industry." California dominated the list, with the Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County and San Francisco making the top 10."Silicon Valley's unique ecosystem of collaborating agents has an unmatched ability to spawn ent

Bill Would Bolster Federal Contracts For Entrepreneurs

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:15:41 PDT

Congressman Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, is proposing new legislation that he says will close loopholes that allow federal contracts intended for small business to go to large corporations. H.R. 2568 would update the definition of a small business in the Small Business Act by barring publicly traded companies. It would also allow individuals to file complai

Entrepreneurial Confidence Slides

Tue, 26 May 2009 12:19:52 PDT

Discover Small Business Watch's monthly survey of small business owners finds that, after a few months of rising expectations, their economic confidence is facing a dimmer reality.Cash-flow concerns and lower business development spending contributed to a 10-point drop in the Discover Small Business Watch index, which fell to 78.1 for the month of May.

Congressman Proposes Entrepreneurial Tax Break

Wed, 20 May 2009 12:21:12 PDT

Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) today introduced a bill that would allow small business owners to embark on a onetime deferral of income taxes in order to reinvest in their enterprises.The Generating Reinvestment Opportunities With (GROW) America's Small Businesses Act of 2009 would allow the deferral to go unpaid for up to two years, with taxes due optionally spread out over installments if needed. The representative's office describe

Reality Show Seeds Entrepreneurs

Mon, 18 May 2009 16:53:43 PDT

Banks aren't lending like they used to. Credit card companies are reeling in their lines. Even the in-laws are tapped. But there's still one outfit that's offering a lifeline to the startup hopeful: Shark Tank, a forthcoming reality show on ABC, is looking for entrepreneurs with original business concepts and exceptional drive. Participants will be competing for serious

Credit A Moving Target

Mon, 11 May 2009 16:19:35 PDT

As the U.S. Senate considers legislation that would allow credit card users, including countless entrepreneurs, to return to their previously lower rates after six months on-time payments, a recent

SBA Expands Loan Eligibility

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:54:32 PDT

The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced that it's loosening eligibility for the most-popular line of loans it backs, making the cash available to auto dealers, car-parts suppliers and other businesses deemed too large for the credit lines in the past.The expansion of the SBA's "7(a)" program starts next week and lasts until Sept. 30, 2010. The SBA states that 70,000 small business will be newly eligible f

Congress Works on Booster Shots for Entrepreneurs

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:29:39 PDT

House committees and subcommittees that deal with entrepreneurship today green-lighted a package of bills that promise to create jobs and help business owners. "These programs offer resources and expertise that can help existing businesses expand and new enterprises get off the ground," states Congressman Heath Shuler (D-N.C.). "The legislation we are passing today will strengthen these programs, providing small businesses with better acces

Consumers More Confident

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:25:10 PDT

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index reached its highest level in 2009 in April, gaining 12 points from 26.9 in March.The spike was "driven primarily by a significant improvement in the short-term outlook," states Lynn Franco, Director of the Conference Board Consumer Research Center. Its "Present Situation Index" also posted a

Main Street Gets Social

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:22:40 PDT

According to the Discover Small Business Watch monthly report, 38 percent of entrepreneurs surveyed said they used Facebook, Linked-In, My Space or Twitter, up from 22 percent in October of 2007.A little less than half of those people, however, said they used their social-networking accounts to promote their businesses.

Entrepreneurs Try Rose-Tinted Glasses

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:51:45 PDT

Discover Small Business Watch today unveiled the results of its monthly survey of business owners and found that economic confidence is on the rebound on Main Street.Its "economic confidence" indicator was up 10 points, reaching its highest level, at 88.5, in 14 months. It's the third month the indicator rose.

Capitalists Not Venturing Far

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:09:56 PDT

Venture Capital investment has shrunk to its lowest amount since 1998, falling 50 percent compared to the same time last year, according to a report in today's Los Angeles Times.The news cites data from Dow Jones VentureS