News

Obama Announces Small Business Lending Fund at New Hampshire Townhall Meeting

Excerpts of President Obama’s Comments in New Hampshire: “… And we’re going to start where most new jobs start — with small businesses.  These are the companies that begin in basements and garages when an entrepreneur takes a chance on his dream, or a worker decides it’s time she becomes her own boss.  They’re companies like ARC Energy, which I just visited before I came here.  It’s a terrific — (applause) — there you go.  A little booster.  (Laughter.) Now, these folks are hard at work on a new manufacturing process for ultra-efficient LED lights that will make them more … Read more

Improving Business-For-Sale Marketplace Despite Difficult 2009

Service businesses and restaurants lead the recovery as business-for-sale closed transaction prices return to levels not seen since mid-2008 San Francisco, CA – January 7, 2010 – According to today’s BizBuySell.com Insight Report, closed business-for-sale transactions declined by 28 percent in 2009, but a recovery that began mid-year continued to gain momentum in the Fourth Quarter. BizBuySell.com is the Internet’s largest marketplace for buying or selling a small business. The company releases its BizBuySell.com Insight Report on a quarterly basis, reporting changes in closed transaction rates, valuation multiples and other economic indicators for the small business transaction market. Closed transactions … Read more

SBA Incentives Extended … at least through February

The Senate approved Saturday a bill extending the increase in the guaranteed portion of many SBA-guaranteed loans from 75% to 90% and waiving guaranty fees through February.  This provision is included in the Defense Appropriation bill.   An additional proposal to extend these incentives through September is pending in the House-passed Jobs for Main Street Act. The incentives, originally included in the Recovery Act in February 2009, are generally credited with convincing banks to re-enter the small-business lending market.  After the SBA announced that the funds were running out in November, there was an avalanche of loan approvals by SBA-lenders.  … Read more

Brickman Group acquires Colo.-based The Green Plan

From Lawn & Landscape Online GAITHERSBURG, Md. – The Brickman Group has acquired The Green Plan, based in Broomfield, Colo. The Green Plan’s two locations, north and south of Denver, will join Brickman’s four existing branches in Denver, Englewood and Colorado Springs. Last fall, Brickman acquired Boston-area D. Foley Landscape. “I realized that in order to grow the company further, it meant either retooling the business model completely or partnering with a larger company,” says The Green Plan owner Jeff Pope, who acquired the business in 1996. “In my search for that partner, I found Brickman was the absolute best … Read more

Brad Johnson of LawnAmerica is Heading for the Appalachian Trail

Earlier this week, I was searching for some information on Lawn and Landscape Online and I noticed an article about Brad Johnson of LawnAmerica in Tulsa’s plans to hike the Appalachian Trail later this year.  It piqued my interest for a variety of reasons – I am originally from the Tulsa area and I am really jealous of the opportunity to spend four months hiking the Appalachian Trail, so I clicked through to the special website he has set up to blog while he is on the trail and soliciting sponsors who will contribute to select charities (and whose contributions … Read more