Small business seeks help in US economic storm

U.S. small businesses say they feel slighted by the Obama administration and efforts to shore up the economy, with large companies taking much of the government's attention and stimulus cash. The government decision last week against bailing out small business lender CIT Group raised fears of thousands of companies left without funding for day-to-day operations, and the lack of support showed big corporations can get bailout cash but small business interests are less pressing, some say. With only some potential relief buried in the healthcare reform proposals in Congress, small businesses feel pushed aside in the stimulus and recovery efforts, they say. "There has been nothing really in all the stimulus package that has really helped small business in general," said Kelli Glasser, president of Exhibit Concepts in Dayton, Ohio, whose 87 employees build trade show and museum exhibits. "Most of the help has been in the form of supporting loans, but we're not looking for loans right now," she said. "We're not looking to heavily invest in equipment. We're just trying to keep our doors open." Small business is not that small, representing 99.7 percent of all U.S. employer firms.