In the San Francisco Bay Area is a very effective non-profit; Women’s Initiative. http://www.womensinitiative.org/index.htm

Women attend orientation meetings, then based on their applications subsequent to the event are selected based on merit for open slots in the 10-week business incubation courses. 

They learn how to run a small business including writing a business plan. At the conclusion of the course they can receive up to $10K in seed money, and also free rent in live-work space, plus membership in an extensive network, etc.  Major local companies and foundations support the program that has been highly successful.

Models like this could be duplicated around the country, and funded for a a fraction of bailing out corrupt major banks that got us into this economic debacle, and not limited just to women.

Since small business is the main engine of our economy it makes sense that they be supported, too. Esp when states are cutting social services when they are most needed when evil organizations like AIG aren’t just receiving hundreds of billions in bailouts, but are using large sums of tax payer dollars for outrageous executive bonuses, renovating offices, buying private planes, etc.  

I agree with Liz that there needs to be a national call-to-arms….that gets rewarded with real benefits like free college. And I think we also need a WWII-era WPA type national program, too.

Love the idea of SF’s Women’s Initiative with all its steps and help for women starting out in the field of small business … and I wouldn’t be surprised if it may not be active in other large cities.  But do you know about SCORE?  No one thinking about getting in to a small business for the first time — or having a small business that needs help in surviving — should contact SCORE (found on the Internet) for help on the financial end, marketing, and a "score" of road bumps that we occur when acting as an entrepreneur. 

Our business was having a problem several years back and called SCORE.  To our surprise, a group of 3 retired executives with huge credentials and the need to feel needed and helpful appeared in business suits and briefcases, rolled up their sleeves and were ready to help us figure our problems out.  The cost?  Free.  The end result?  It was obvious that their sharing had made all the difference.  We all had made new friends and came out smiling.  It was a win-win for us all.

What I am suggesting is that there is no need to wait - and wait some more for some "policy" from above.  .  . not when we have experienced able bodies willing to guide us, and give us the pats on the back to TRY now.  Creative ideas always have a place.  One that I see booming is the storefront tutoring after-school programs — an idea that is just not going to go out-of-date, ever!!! 

Great ideas come from small seeds, carefully planted with as much of free expert help that you could want. If properly nurtured and watched over, you too can SCORE!!     

No matter the continuing criticism of President Obama’s Stimulus Recovery Act/Plan’s lack of [financial policy] support for small businesses, entrepreneurial ingenuity will never diminish.  Implicit in the ‘connotation’ of enterprenerialism - literally - is the ability to devise business plans/ideas/strategies, which ultimately prove profitable - without ‘government’ monies.

I don’t feel worried about [entrepreneurial type] small businesses faltering, because there will always exist sharp-minded, smart individuals with brilliant creative ideas; mavericks, who hold the combination of perfect timing and a great business concept, which would generate start-up capital from suave investors - equity partners/joint venture capitalists.

This is how America was built - businesses which became ICONS, borne of the entrepreneurial spirit in a free enterprise democracy.