Small businesses in the United States are in dire need of credit and other financial resources.  To date almost nothing has been done to relieve the burden being placed on small businesses by the credit crunch that most of those most effected had no part in creating.  Instead what we have done is provide multi-billion dollar bailouts to the very same corporations that got themselves into the mess to begin with and that are still continuing to make things worse.   Last week I went to order a promotional piece from a vendor I have dealt with for ten years only to find the number disconnected and the company gone.  I ended up finding the Arches Recycled Poly Messenger Bag by doing an online search and connected up with a company I'd never heard of before last Thursday.  What's interesting about the situation is that one company reports business is strong while another is gone and both I think are small businesses by most standard terms.  Do you think either of these places benefited from the bailout or any of the talk?  I doubt it.  What they really need is the government to step up and provide a direct loan facility between small businesses and the Federal Government that is not managed or run by the big banks.   Cut them out of the mix and allow businesses to borrow directly from the Government at an ultra low rate and watch the economy boom.   Stop giving money to the same people that just ran off with trillions.

Market forces will dictate ultimately what happens with our economy.  Last week was a prime example of free markets operating.  One business fails and another benefits and in the end I benefited as I was able to get a better deal then I did in the past and actually get more items.  Now picture the Government bailout out my old vendor and I end up paying more than I would have and as a result have less money to add new employees or contractors.   I ended up getting the Tempo 100% Recycled PET Urban Messenger Bag