Small Business

Kevin O’Leary told CNBC on Thursday that he does not believe Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would impair the stock market if the former vice president were to defeat President Donald Trump in November.  “I don’t think Biden is going to hurt the markets at all if he gets elected. His hands are tied,” the

A convoy of emergency vehicles drives along an emptied Interstate 80 during the LNU Lighting Complex Fire on the outskirts of Vacaville, California, U.S., August 19, 2020. Stephen Lam | Reuters Kena Hudson’s 7-year-old son Clarence has asthma that’s sometimes landed him in the hospital. Typically, when wildfire season starts in Northern California, he’ll stay

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Chesnot | Getty Images Facebook announced Wednesday that it is launching initiatives to support Black entrepreneurs. It’s dedicating $40 million from its $100 million small business grant program to 10,000 Black-owned businesses in the U.S. Grants include $2,500 in cash and a $1,500 Facebook ad credit. The company is

Rob Frohwein, CEO of Kabbage Adam Jeffery | CNBC As small businesses continue to feel the pressure from Covid-19-related restrictions, American Express announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire small business lender Kabbage, ranked No. 24 on this year’s CNBC Disruptor 50 list. Kabbage, headquartered in Atlanta, is a data and technology company providing

Entrepreneurs who received up to $10,000 in federal grants and took a forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan as well are in for a surprise: They won’t be getting the full loan forgiveness they had hoped for. The CARES Act offered small businesses a couple of lifelines this spring. First, it established an emergency grant program,

As the U.S. and Chinese governments battle over the fate of TikTok, with tech giants including Microsoft vying to acquire the popular social media app, advertising guru Gary Vaynerchuk says small business owners also have a big TikTok opportunity to exploit.   “It’s really hard to go on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook right now and

The Small Business Administration opened the forgiveness portal for its Paycheck Protection Program loans this week, but companies may want to think twice before rushing in. The CARES Act made these PPP loans available to cash-strapped small businesses starting on April 3. Since then, more than 5 million loans have been approved, accounting for $525

Investor Kevin O’Leary believes in tough love, especially now when entrepreneurs on Main Street are trying to figure out whether it’s time to hang onto their business — or shut down. “This is the time to stay focused and positive,” O’Leary said, speaking at CNBC’s Small Business Playbook virtual summit on Wednesday. “Entrepreneurs are creative by

A security guard wearing a protective mask gives a shopper hand sanitizer at a store in San Francisco, California, during a phase of reopening in June. Michael Short | Bloomberg | Getty Images After 102 days with no community spread of Covid-19, New Zealand on Tuesday announced four new cases that were transmitted locally, causing

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook speaks onstage during ‘Putting a Best Facebook Forward’ at Vanity Fair’s 6th Annual New Establishment Summit. Matt Winkelmeyer | Getty Images Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg on Wednesday said the social media company needs to work with whoever wins the 2020 U.S. election to address their concerns about Big Tech. “We

Somerville’s Main Street on June 2. A sign posted to the lamp post from the Downtown Somerville Alliance advertises curbside pickup and takeout. Downtown Somerville Alliance The pandemic is still raging on in the U.S., yet 64% of small business owners on Main Street are confident that they can survive for more than a year

Virginia Ali, co-owner of Ben’s Chili Bowl, one of the many Black-owned businesses on Avenue U in Washington D.C., sits near photos of her and her husband Ben, on June 15, 2020. Numerous studies have shown that African-American entrepreneurs, particularly in the service sector such as restaurants, have suffered most severely from the economic and

US President Donald Trump signs executive orders extending coronavirus economic relief, during a news conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 8, 2020. JIM WATSON | AFP | Getty Images Self-employed people shouldn’t count on the payroll tax break President Donald Trump has issued via an executive order — at least not yet, tax experts

Only 4.3% of America’s 22.2 million business owners are Black, according to numbers reported in February by the Brookings Institute. And Black-owned businesses launch with about “a third less capital than their white peers and have difficulties raising private investments from mainstream investment systems,” reported Brookings. While 7% of white business owners get a loan

Popular summer vacation spot Provincetown, Massachusetts, is taking Covid-19 seriously, mandating mask-wearing and limiting the number of customers in stores, but consumers are still out. (Photo by Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto | NurPhoto | Getty Images Small businesses are feeling somewhat more optimistic, adapting operations to the new economic and public health

In the days following the death of George Floyd, Brooklyn-based entrepreneur Aurora James was skeptical of the deluge of corporate support for the Black community. “As a Black woman, and also as a business owner, I was reading it, but I wasn’t necessarily feeling it to be true,” said James, who runs Brother Vellies, a company

Agatha Kulaga, co-founder and CEO of Ovenly Source: Agatha Kulaga The past few months certainly haven’t been easy for small businesses. Many had to shut their doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. While some may never reopen, others are ramping up their business — and hoping they don’t have to shut down again. Retail and

Spencer Platt | Getty Images Desy’s is one of the last bars left standing in Morrisville, North Carolina.  Owner Desislava Nikolova made her American dream come true by opening Desy’s and another bar in nearby Cary after immigrating to America from Bulgaria 11 years ago. While the coronavirus pandemic forced the majority of her counterparts in the local

A pool under construction in Washington, DC. Pat Pugliese | CNBC There is a lot of activity in Justin Sullivan’s backyard, as workers hammer out his new deck, and jackhammers pound through the basement. Concrete for the new pool has already been poured. The Sullivans had planned a renovation before the pandemic hit, but then

US President Donald Trump answers question during a press conference in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 5, 2020. Olivie Douliery | AFP | Getty Images Even if President Donald Trump were to push out a payroll tax holiday via executive order, there’s no guarantee workers will pocket