Occupy Wall Street

Small business owners have long panned practices like bailing out giant companies and paying inordinate sums to Wall Street bankers. But now, they're doing something about it.

While some block sidewalks on Wall Street and elsewhere, other unemployed citizens are going in a more productive direction: They're starting businesses.

Area businesses call protestors camping in a lower Manhattan park a menace. Lost sales are only the half of it.

Entrepreneurs may want to consider whether these gatherings are business signals about present or future customers, employees and economic policies.