By Sarah E. Needleman For start-ups lacking sufficient cash to survive, a partner with deep pockets may be a more attainable lifeline than traditional sources of funding.

By Emily Maltby A record number of federal dollars went to small businesses in 2009, although the federal government once again fell short of reaching its annual goal, according to a report from the Small Business Administration. Nearly $97 billion or 21.9% of prime federal contracts went to small firms between Oct. 1, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2009.

By Grace L. Williams You've got a killer website that potential clients are visiting. But how do you turn those visitors into paying customers?Whether you offer a product or service, online customers can be fickle.

By Rosalind Resnick When it comes to starting a successful business, there's no surefire playbook that contains the winning game plan.On the other hand, there are about as many mistakes to be made as there are entrepreneurs to make them.Recently, after a work-out at the gym with my trainer—an attractive young woman who's also a dancer/actor—she told me about a web series that she's

By Rosalind Resnick When it comes to starting a successful business, there's no surefire playbook that contains the winning game plan.On the other hand, there are about as many mistakes to be made as there are entrepreneurs to make them.Recently, after a work-out at the gym with my trainer—an attractive young woman who's also a dancer/actor—she told me about a web series that she's

By Jonathan Weisman And Jay Solomon WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama will walk a fine line this week between pressing his Mideast foreign-policy priorities and keeping an eye on the domestic issue that could determine his Democratic Party's political future—the economy.On Tuesday night, Mr.

By Sarah E. Needleman Kori Stanton's online cookie business seemed to be off to a promising start last spring when its goodies were featured on the "Rachael Ray Show."But the free national publicity had one unexpected and unwelcome consequence: A company with a different but similar name threatened Ms.

By Jen Wieczner On a pristine strip in East Hampton, N.Y., well-heeled tourists pop into designer boutiques such as Ralph Lauren and Tiffany & Co.

By Sarah E.

A small-business lending initiative launched as part of last year's stimulus bill is set to expire next month. America's Recovery Capital program, or the ARC loan program, aimed to help 10,000 small firms survive short-term financial hardship by granting them interest-free loans of up to $35,000 to help pay down existing debt. But as of Aug.