Chen Yeh provides an update on the longevity and broader impacts of the surge in start-ups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yeh is a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

Looking back at the historical correlations between business optimism and measures of business investment could help us see if the recent rise in business optimism will have predictable results.

Erika Bell and Emily Corcoran discuss the capital needs of small business owners and recent insights yielded by the Federal Reserve's annual Small Business Credit Survey. Bell is community development regional manager for North Carolina and South Carolina and Corcoran is senior manager of regional and community analysis, both at the Richmond Fed.

The Fed's Small Business Credit Survey monitors small business credit access across the United States. Available data for Virginia, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina show broad similarities to national trends — and a few differences.

Small business performance indicators suggest that consumer demand is resilient and price pressures remain high despite inflation trending down. Measures like these can offer insights into the overall economy's state.

Top firms entering markets don't appear to drive away local businesses.

Tim Sablik, host of the Speaking of the Economy podcast, reviews the five most popular episodes of 2023 that explored topics beyond inflation and monetary policy.

Over the past two years, community development financial institutions (CDFIs) received large, targeted investment from three federal programs. How was funding distributed to CDFIs in the Fifth District?

Smaller businesses' demand for workers has made up a considerable part of the surge in job openings observed over the past two years. But some data suggest that surge is beginning to wane.

The startup rate has been declining for decades, but another measure of business growth has spiked since the pandemic started.

Among the topics discussed were income growth volatility, AI's impact on productivity and how housing price changes affect young businesses.

Recent JOLTS data on job openings, hires and separations may shed some light on establishment size and the challenges of snagging new employees.

Small towns have an opportunity to address challenges from health care to transportation, but there are barriers to accessing funding.

Host Tim Sablik discusses his recent research on the value of entrepreneurs in the economic growth of rural places and small towns, as well as the obstacles that they face compared to more urban communities. Sablik also talks with Erika Bell and Laura Ullrich about what they have learned from their contacts in North Carolina and South Carolina about rural entrepreneurship. Bell is community development regional manager for the Carolinas and Ullrich is a regional economist in the Richmond Fed's Charlotte branch.

Small businesses remained challenged throughout 2021 and those that sought financing to bridge funding gaps experienced a higher rate of denials than before the pandemic.

Entrepreneurship creates many local benefits, but starting a new business in rural places can be challenging

Tressa Gardner provides an overview of the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT), the business incubator and other programs that it operates, and its role in supporting economic development in northeastern South Carolina. Gardner is associate vice president of SiMT.

The Paycheck Protection Program was intended to help business owners sustain their employees' wages during the pandemic.

A surge of interest in starting new businesses could reverse a long-running drought.

In Florence County, the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing Technology and its Gould Business Incubator are fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem and fueling small business development in South Carolina.

Investment Connection matches banks and other funders with nonprofits and community groups seeking investment.

What does it take to deliver funding the “last mile” to the people who need it? Read more in President Tom Barkin’s latest essay.

An estimated 30 percent of Fifth District businesses are minority-owned, but this trails the minority share of the population.

Andy Bauer provides an update on economic conditions in Maryland as the state recovers from the severe downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policymakers, national pundits, and researchers often point to the importance of small firms in job creation. Did small firms play a special role in the recovery of aggregate employment during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Economists at the Richmond Fed, the University of Virginia, UC Irvine, and Purdue analyze how monetary policy affects lending relationships for small businesses and vice versa.

We construct and calibrate a monetary model of corporate finance with endogenous formation of lending relationships. The equilibrium features money demands by firms that depend on their access to credit and a pecking order of financing means.

Loan forbearance and other debt relief measures have been part of the effort to help struggling households and businesses.

This report looks at small businesses and the assistance programs to aid them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Financial institutions that lend to small businesses are on the front lines of financial support. How are these lenders supporting small businesses during COVID-19?

Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin discussed how entrepreneurship can boost economic growth at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce 2019 Annual Meeting and Business Summit.

What motivates entrepreneurs to run a business? Some small-business owners like the Jones family are motivated by values rather than financial gain.

How has the Garrett County economy progressed since the Great Recession? How has the labor market improved? Has business activity stabilized?

Richmond Fed President Jeffrey M. Lacker spoke about the economic outlook Jan. 17, 2014, in remarks to the Richmond chapter of the Risk Management Association.

This Economic Brief explores the need for and challenges facing the small-dollar loan market in the United States.

Since the recession started in 2007, there has been a growing concern that small businesses may lack adequate access to credit. This Economic Brief examines the complexity of small business credit issues.