Federal stimulus trickles down

Federal stimulus trickles down
Opinions mixed on benefits to small business

Sat. April 25 - 2009

Peter Schnitzler - pschnitzler@ibj.com
IBJ staff


There’s a smorgasbord available for small businesses in the federal stimulus. The trick is figuring out how to get a plate.

Plenty of local experts are serving up access to the buffet. And some entrepreneurs are digging in. But others consider the stimulus warmed-over leftovers.

“For high-tech, high-growth businesses of the 21st century, there’s nothing in the stimulus bill that helps us,” said Bob Compton, a longtime investor in local businesses who now lives in Memphis, Tenn. “For low-growth and failed businesses of the 20th century, that’s where the bulk of the money is going.”

In February, President Obama signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Although some of the stimulus package has begun to trickle down, many small-business owners still don’t know what’s available....

...... Click HERE to view the rest of the article.