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The author discusses aspects of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) worker-classification rules in the U.S. He mentions the need for Congress to stop the increased audits of the agency on small employers who are suspected of misclassifying employees as independent contractors until it clarifies its regulations. He also notes claims over the increased application of such contractors by business owners for avoiding payment of Social Security and Medicare taxes.

The author reflects on the stand of President Barack Obama and Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the U.S. He explains Obama's overall tax policy that would only raise taxes three percent on small business owners and to everyone subject to Social Security taxes. The author also recognizes Romney's silence about the issue, which could mean that he also plans to let the payroll tax cut to expire and return the Social Security taxes to historical levels.

The author comments on getting small business owners in the U.S. to pay all the taxes. He says that abstaining from making a single dollar of spending cuts is a way for the U.S. Congress to lower the federal budget deficit to less than 1 trillion dollars. It has been estimated that 179 billion dollars annually in unpaid federal taxes in the country comes from individuals underreporting business income on their personal returns.

The article reports that rising costs of health insurance is a problem for small employers. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses pay 18 percent more premiums than their larger counterparts. It states that small businesses don't have enough employees to balance the risk, as a few of them will be costly for insurers. It mentions that small business owners change their insurance plans often as they search for more affordable insurance.

The article discusses the challenges facing the owners of medical marijuana dispensaries in getting bank loans. It is said that banks are reluctant to do business with legal dealers due to anti-money laundering statutes intended to stop illegal drug dealers. Democratic congressmen, Jared Polis of Colorado and Pete Stark of California, introduced bills to change the apathy of U.S. federal government against the medical marijuana industry.

In this article the author presents his views on a legislative bill introduced by Nita Lowey, Democrat of New York, which would impose the same protections on business credit cards as those required for consumers under the CARD Act of 2009. As per the author, the bill would restrain credit-card issuers from using pricing structures or imposing unfair penalties on business credit cards. He also opines that there should be extension of protections to the nearly 15.4 million business-card holders.

The author reflects on the proposed legislative bill Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011, which failed to get passage in the U.S. Senate. According to him, passing of the bill would not have benefited a majority of small businesses, as only 4,000 small businesses get SBIR funds. He states that the bill could have been made effective by including proposal by U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe to assess new regulations before their implementation.

The article presents the author's comments on the benefits of online equity crowdfunding in the U.S., which is being considered by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The author states that permitting entrepreneurs to raise equity online will pose no more risk on funders that they presently face. He concludes that the advantages of approving entrepreneurs to raise equity through crowdfunding outweigh the cost.

The author focuses on the effect of underreporting business income on the taxation system in the U.S. According to the consultancy Quantria Strategies, the U.S. Small Business Administration shows that underreporting of business income on individual tax returns is the biggest source of the 2001 tax gap. It also states that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) auditors found that taxpayer mistakes accounted for about 94 percent of underreporting cases.

The article discusses how various shortcomings identified in the final report issued by the government panel to monitor the U.S. Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) can solve problems of small business borrowers during a financial crisis. It is suggested that the small business should be defined clearly by the Congress and federal agencies, the government should remain update on the small business credit market, and banks should be encouraged to lend to small businesses during such crisis.

In this article the author offers information on the issue of budget with respect to Small Business Administration (SBA) in the U.S. He is critical of the 2012 budget of President Barack Obama whereby he proposed giving the Small Business Administration 985 million dollars. The author further suggests several proposals for changing the SBA's loan guarantee programs.

The author discusses U.S. President Barack Obama's tax reform policy and its impact on the small C corporations in the U.S. According to the author, Obama's tax reform policy is targeted to achieve revenue-neutrality, which will cause small businesses to pay more taxes. Also, the small corporations pay low effective tax rates, whereas big enterprises face higher liability per dollar of income. It is speculated that big corporations would lobby intensely for such a bill.

The article focuses on the aftermath of recession on small business in the U.S. Information on the lack of support by federal policymakers in the recovery of small business that collapsed after recession. According to the data released by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), many small businesses failed during recession.

The article offers information on the decline in bank credit to small businesses, during recession in the U.S. It mentions that the drop in loans and credits lead to the fall in economic growth and job creation by the small business sector. It states that the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council has best knowledge about lending of small business from retail banks and commercial banks.

In this article, the author argues that policymakers in the U.S. should focus on boosting equity investment. The author does not agree with Small Business Administration's recently announced new programs to increase lending to businesses in disadvantaged areas and to those headed by minorities and women.

In this article, the author reflects upon factors that are responsible for the growth of small business in Europe. The author comments that even though high number Americans prefer self-employment over working under an owner, the share of small companies in the U.S. has been contracting gradually and reflects that lower tax rates in Europe and easy access of working capital are responsible for growth of small businesses in the European continent as compared to the U.S.

In this article the author discusses the benefits of policy of quantitative easing called QE2 introduced by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) on the small scale companies. It mentions that QE2 is aimed at stimulating the economy and lowering the risk of the U.S. falling into deflation. The author argues that the policy might increase the business activity of big business sector but it is not likely to have much effect on the small scale business sector of the economy.

The article offers information on the poor performance of women-owned businesses, and the ways to rectify it. It states that discrimination, and differences in work experience and educational attainment between males and females, are not the reasons behind the poor productivity of women-owned businesses. It also states that women owners work less than male owners.

In this article, the author offers his views on the need for policymakers to help existing small businesses hire more people in the U.S. He highlights the four major obstacles of using startups to create jobs, including the need for more people to start businesses, the concept of new businesses would employ less people, and the need for entrepreneurs for the company. He stresses that mature small businesses have greater possibility of becoming major job creators.

In this article the author discusses the problems still faced by small businesses after the global financial crisis that ended in June, 2009 in the U.S. The author thinks that solving the weak housing market and reduce uncertainty about new regulation from Washington will help the small business sector. Small business owners were among the frequent users of home equity loans during the recession. The small business owners were unsure of the cost and difficulty of complying with the new health care law.

In this article the author offers his views on the need for small business owners to be more optimistic for a solid predictor of future growth. The author calls the policymakers in the U.S. to make a credible commitment to reduce the uncertainties that threat the small businesses. He is also critical on the need for policymakers not to increase tax and other changes and regulations on how they operate until the 2012 presidential elections.

In this article the author discusses U.S. president Barack Obama's proposal to deduct the entire cost of expenditures by small business owners to stimulate business investment. According to the proposal, the owners need to make deductions in all non-real estate investments till the end of the year 2011. It reveals that the proposal also differs from the jobs bill provisions which have been recently passed in the Senate. The author mentions that he, like economists support the proposal.

The article discusses the high rate of unemployment among the college graduates in the U.S. and entrepreneurs among them. According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics only 0.3 percent of 20-24 years old employed people have their incorporated business. The article highlights the reasons behind the 0.3 percent figure and financial support is found to be the chief reason. The policy to overcome the situation is also discussed.

The article presents author's views on the blog post by Caterina Fake, the co-founder of Flickr, that stated that if one wants to become an entrepreneur he should drop out of college. He argues that though the headline is provocative, the data does not support her assertion. According to him, education increases the performance of entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurship works on the apprenticeship model and therefore colleges don't teach how one can become enterpreneur.

The article focuses on the statistics gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau that show the significance of net job creation of failed businesses in the formation of new businesses and jobs. It shows that the creation pattern was responsible for 3.6 million net jobs which is 52% of the net new jobs from the business formation expected to fail within five years and 48% were formed that would survive. It notes the significance of entrepreneurs creating new businesses in forming new jobs.

In this article the author reflects on the broad definition of the government on small businesses (SB) in the U.S. He cites the different categories of small business used by the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Advocacy and examines the impact of the lawmaker's policies due to its confusing provisions. The author emphasizes that the confusion over SB's definition reminds lawmakers to discuss the wide range of issues facing the 99.9 percent of the country's companies.

In this article the author discusses the concept of small business in the U.S. and its relevance to health insurance provision to companies' personnel. It highlights the government's definition on the phrase "a firm with maximum of 499 employees." It discusses two examples of small business and the report of Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation on health care in 2009, as well as the study of Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.

In this article the author reflects on the finances and money earned from small business enterprises in the U.S. He cites several studies and surveys that reveal the higher profits gained from small business. He then notes that entrepreneurs earned more money compared to employees who work for others. He says that having the motivation to take profitable opportunities and becoming one of the best are the ways to ensure the flow of money in the business.

In this article, the author discusses ways to reduce the Retirement Plan gap for Small Employers. The owners of small businesses themselves also have low rates of participation in retirement plans because of cost and complexity of the plans. He suggests to make these plans less complex and burdensome on small business owners.

The article offers information on the survey conducted on the stressful life of the persons who are self-employed and persons who are wage employed in the U.S. It mentions that on and self-employed people earn less money, work more and experience more work-related stress than the wage employed people. According to 2008 data collected by Current Population Survey reveals that self-employed earn 26 dollars per year while wage employed earn 30,986 dollars to 31,012 dollars.

In this article the author discusses the impact of the financial reform plan proposed by U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd on investments for new businesses. It is critical of the reform undertaken by the government as it will reportedly reduce the certified investors. Also investigated are the reasons why accredited investors are useful for the growth of new business enterprises. The bill, if becomes law, will reportedly allow the state to impose regulations in terms of securities offerings.

In this article the author discusses several market reports to explain the astronomical entrepreneurship rates in China. Ed Steinfeld, a technology expert, informs that China is among the most entrepreneurial places on earth. The author discusses the result of the 2009 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report, which reveals that China exceeds the U.S. in its nascent entrepreneurship rate, ownership rate of new businesses and ownership rate of established firms.

In this article the author explores on the difficulties among small businesses over homes and offices upon the credit crunch in the U.S. The author is particular on the survey by Gallup Organization at the end of 2009 which found that among small businesses seeking for credit, only 44% has received only some or none of the money they expect. The link of small business credit to the difficulties of commercial real estate is one factor that contributes to credit problems according to the author.

In this article, the author discusses that finding informal investors for debt financing in a small company is not easy. He refers to the 2009 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey, which states that less than 4 percent U.S. residents have invested in someone else's business in last three years. The survey also suggests that informal investors are often, non-investors to be entrepreneurs themselves. He comments that much of the money provided by informal investors often takes the form of loans.

In this article, the author comments on the recently proposed changes by U.S. President Barak Obama's administration to the Small Business Administration (SBA)'s loan guarantee programs to help small business owners whose access to credit has been reduced due to financial crisis. The author argues that SBA loan programs to alleviate small business credit problems are unlikely to succeed because they are not an important source of capital for most small business owners.

The article discusses the efforts made by entrepreneurs of small businesses to obtain financing from business angels in the U.S. It states that the explosive growth of small businesses makes the angel group important for raising capital. It states that entrepreneurs have to submit their business plans, which is subject for approval before they can obtain the capital they need.

In this article, the author discusses the effect of health care reform on creating occupation and decreasing job lock in the U.S. small business industry. He cites that job lock is the inability of a person to initiate business since it eradicates employer-sponsored health insurance. Moreover, he suggests that 1% of workforce with medical insurance would begin business per year.

The article reports on how television (TV) programs educate startup students regarding angel investing in the U.S. A survey of the members of the Academy of Management's Entrepreneurship Division was conducted to validate assumptions relative to the issue. The survey finds that the TV programs "Dragon's Den" and "Shark Tank" help educate students by providing a rational assessment of a company before engaging investors.

The article focuses on the findings of several reports related to the increase in entrepreneurial activity among elderly citizens in U.S. According to 2008 U.S. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report the rate of entrepreneurial activity rose among elderly but fell among younger ones. The people above the age of 75 have the highest rate of unincorporated self employment that is 7.5 times higher than that for people aged 20 to 24. It also states the implications of aging of the self-employed.

In this article, the author discusses why large corporations are providing smaller share of venture capital for startup firms these days. According to the author, big companies earlier used to take the advantage of technological changes by investing in technology startups. However, the author says that today, large companies face no lesser opportunities and threats from new technologies, due to which only a few big companies are a major source of venture capital for startups.

In this article, the author discusses the challenges faced by new business enterprises in the U.S. He is critical of the trade regulations and red-tape enforced by the government. He argues that the regulation discourages entrepreneurs from registering their business. He also states that policymakers must cut down cost of regulations to create opportunities for job creation and wealth generation.

The article presents the author's views on the accuracy of surveys conducted by the Angel Capital Association, on angel investments. According to the author, the gap between reality and the predictions made by angel group leaders points to a general problem when groups make investment decisions. The author states that he would prefer to do what the truly knowledgeable angel group leaders predict rather than what the majority believes if it would allow him to make a higher return on angel investments.

The article presents the author's comments on the myth that to justify a startup visa program, immigrants need to be better entrepreneurs than native-born entrepreneurs in the U.S. He expresses his disagreement on views of Paul Kedrosky of the Kauffman Foundation and Brad Feld of the Foundry Group that visas should be given to immigrant entrepreneurs. He comments that no evidence exists which proves more jobs are created by immigrant entrepreneurs than native-born entrepreneurs.

In this article, the author discusses the creation of high-growth business to offer jobs for the unemployed in the U.S. The author states that the establishment of high-growth companies without considering the business type will not significantly affect the employment growth. The author emphasizes the study conducted by several experts in entrepreneurship including William Parsons, Zoltan Acs and Spencer Tracy together with the U.S. Small Business Administration using information.

The article presents authors views on the drawbacks of non-employer firms. The author says that non-employer firms are on the rise but most won't create jobs or meaningful wealth so the U.S. economy does not benefit as much from them. The author says that according to census data the average revenues at non-employer firms have declined about 12% in real terms since 2000, when they were less than 50,000 dollars per year to begin with.

The article presents the author's opinion on misconceptions about entrepreneurship. The author says that small firm and small establishment are not same when measuring share of small business employment. He establishes his results based on the data from Automatic Data Processing estimates that shows small business accounts for 77 percent of U.S. employment in contrast to 50.2 percent estimated by Small Business Administration. He says, source of data is crucial in establishing the business type.

The article presents several facts related to entrepreneurs which are gathered by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and professors Rich Curtin and Paul Reynolds in annual Small Business Administration publication. The basic reason people start business enterprises is to avoid having boss and only 9.4% of businesses in the U.S. have above four employees. Only 7% of female and 15% of male entrepreneurs want to increase their business growth.

The article presents the author's views on the growth prospects for the venture-capital-backed IPO market. The author says that IPOs are the most lucrative way that VCs can exit from their investments, so what happens in the IPO market matters a lot to these investors. Angels, VCs, and the entrepreneurs that they finance are hoping that VC-backed IPOs return to a normal level from the depressed levels of the past couple of years, opines the author.

The article presents the author's comments on the issues related to the venture-capital-backed initial public offering (IPO) market. He says that five venture-capital (VC)-backed IPOs were issued during the first three quarters of 2009 and it shows the potential for an uptick in the next quarter. He says that investors are expecting VC-backed IPOs to return to the levels of 1990s. However, according to the author, economic trends suggest that VC business will continue to suffer in near future.