If you are a small business owner, you were probably overjoyed to hear about the government’s plan to help you out. This was announced some time ago, in the form of the stimulus package, which included shelling out money in loans. However, it seems that things are not going the way they were expected to. The news is that the money is not reaching the intended recipients.
The Orlando Sentinel recently ran a feature on this issue:
The parts of the federal government’s stimulus program aimed at small-business owners aren’t working as they should, say local owners and small-business experts who are trying to figure out what to do about the problem.
Claudia Menezes said there’s a barrier between the government aid allotted for small businesses and companies like hers, Pegasus Transportation, which runs tours for international travelers. And she isn’t alone in that opinion.
“We can’t get a loan out of anybody to help these people,” said Rich Jaeckle, chairman of the Orlando chapter of Score, a business-counseling group. Entrepreneurs approach the nonprofit organization for help, he said, but it can’t provide it. “They’re good ideas and they can’t go anywhere.”
What is happening? According to experts, there are certain regulations in place that are preventing the release of money. As a result, the involved authorities are getting together to see what can be done. In the meantime, small business owners have to be content with what they can get. Not very encouraging news right now, I know.
Originally posted on April 16, 2009 @ 3:18 pm