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Small Business

Race and Economy

Black small business owners are optimistic about 2021

by Justin Ho
Feb 22, 2021
According to a new survey, most expect revenue to rise, and many expect to hire more staff.
FG Trade via Getty Images
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Small-business optimism hits 8-month low

by Kristin Schwab
Feb 9, 2021
Though some numbers show signs of hope, the uncertainty many businesses feel can't entirely be captured in a survey.
A restaurant serving patrons outdoors on a winter night. Business owners aren't sure what a new normal will look like.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
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What counts as a small business, anyway?

by Justin Ho
Feb 5, 2021
The federal government uses a 500-employee cutoff to define small businesses. Turns out that definition’s pretty contentious.
When most Americans think of "small business," they think of places like Eso Won Books in Los Angeles, with 20 employees or fewer.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
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My Economy

What a busy holiday season meant for a Utah baker

by Andie Corban
Jan 29, 2021
Rita Magalde was "swamped" with orders for her baklava in December. When it was over, she called her realtor.
Rita Magalde with some of her sweet treats. Her business boomed during the holiday season.
Carlos Linares/Photo courtesy of Rita Magalde
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With business down 95%, Hawaiian entrepreneur hopes her company and town survive

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Jan 19, 2021
The pandemic has largely halted tourism, and Manu Powers has had to lay off most of her staff.
Marco Bertorello/Getty Images
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COVID-19

How one small business owner kept all his employees with revenue down 70%

by Reema Khrais and Andie Corban
Jan 18, 2021
Drew Dalzell, president of Diablo Sound in Los Angeles, took on half a million dollars in debt to keep his business afloat and staff working.
Angela Weiss/Getty Images
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COVID-19

"Looking after children during the pandemic is uplifting"

by Sean McHenry
Jan 13, 2021
Roopam Carroll runs a day care center in Nottingham, England. She explains how caregivers enable other kinds of work.
Roopam Carroll runs a day care center in Nottingham, England.
Courtesy of Roopam Carroll
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COVID-19

Small businesses don't see much cause for optimism

by Justin Ho
Jan 12, 2021
Just 3% say they're feeling bullish enough to borrow money, despite interest rates near historic lows.
A "Closed" sign at a nail salon in Virginia. Small business optimism is at a seven-month low as the pandemic continues to rage across the U.S.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
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COVID-19

For small businesses that survived 2020 … a reset in the new year

by Kimberly Adams
Jan 5, 2021
Keeping a business afloat through the ups and downs of the pandemic has changed the way some owners manage their companies, and their own lives.
Shobha Tummala stands in front of her "Shobha" location in Rockville, MD. She said the 2020 revenues from her chain of hair removal salons will be about a third of the previous year.
Kimberly Adams/ Marketplace
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COVID-19

Three small businesses weigh in on the pandemic holiday season

by Sean McHenry
Jan 4, 2021
Marketplace has been following three American small businesses during this unprecedented holiday retail season. Here's how things went.
The quiet interior of Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro, North Carolina, where Ali Cat Toys is located.
Irene Kesselman
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