small business

Virginia Department of Business Assistance Fiscal Year 2003 Report

According to the report, during fiscal year 2003, nearly $59 million in financing was enabled for the direct benefit of 168 Virginia businesses through the programs of the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority. The report also reviews workforce services, existing business services, the small business incubator program, and other agency activities.

Public Policy and Small and Medium Enterprise Development

The authors review the policy arguments in favour of assisting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in various areas of their operations. The review suggests that many of the arguments put forward for subsidising SME activities are not economically justified. The authors then study the possibilities offered by networks in helping SMEs deal with the
disadvantages they experience.

Experts’ Advice for Small Businesses Seeking Foreign Patents

The report by the U.S. General Accounting Office recommends that small businesses consider a wide and complex range of factors before investing in foreign patents. The report identifies factors small businesses should consider when deciding whether to obtain patent protection abroad and the steps they should take to improve their patent efforts.

Small Business: Big Challenge — A Survey of Small Firms in Upstate New York

The Buffalo Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York report indicates small businesses bearing a critical role to the regional economies of upstate New York must overcome several barriers to growth if they are to enjoy future success. The report identifies the chief barriers to growth of more than 4,000 small businesses in western and central New York State.