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The economic downturn and global recession have affected small businesses the most. Hence the U.S government has offered help first to small businesses to help the resurface and recover. The biggest help resource comes from the SBA or Small Business Administration. The SBA carries out the temporary measures announced by the government as well as its long standing help initiatives it extends on a routine basis.

The year 2010 saw two new small business help initiatives announced by the President himself. These include the New Small Business Commercial Real Estate and Working Capital Programs. Besides these, the SBA is also increasing the size of loans it offers to small businesses so that they can benefit from extended credit facilities. The SBA is the leading small business help resource not just by providing finance and credit facilities, but also in providing advice and assistance at every step of the business. The SBA has offices in every state of the U.S. and helps in the following ways:

• The SBA does not give loans directly but helps small businesses get them from banks and financial institutions
• It acts as a guarantor for a small business loan
• Helps to get procurement contracts from the government for small businesses
• Assists in training and resolving technical issues
• Has a 24 hour help desk and a toll free number that can be contacted for any kind of help the small business may need.

Online Small Business Help

• Another resource for small business help is Entrepreneurship.gov, a website set up by The International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce and the Kauffman Foundation, with the mission to promote a society of economically independent individuals and foster entrepreneurship all over the world. This online help instrument has links to numerous organizations that are all ready to help small entrepreneurs.
• Similarly IRS.gov is the best resource for tax issues.
• Tax queries can be answered in the Small Business Taxes FAQ on the website Nolo.com as well.
• Business.gov is the official website of the SBA that claims to be the official business link to the U.S. government for small businesses. It assists minority owned businesses, those owned by women, and other small ventures in helping them find loans and other funding, venture capital options, and expert opinions on various business related issues.
• GovBenefits.gov is a one stop resource for information on government loan programs. It carries a list of over 1000 Federal and State administered benefit programs. USA.gov is a website that claims to be government made easy. It provides advice on how to get any kind of government help.

There are scores of similar websites that offer advice and assistance, and can be contacted for small business help. Numerous publications by the Federal Reserve provide detailed information on rules and regulations for small businesses, tips on record keeping, bankruptcy and other business related issues.

Thus small business help can be procured from numerous sources many of which have been provided by the U.S government.