Some are changing coverage. Some are eliminating coverage. And some are deciding not to go into business at all.

CIT Group Inc., the No. 1 lender to small and mid-sized U.S. businesses, is scrambling to get help from the federal government.

The key is to stay flexible—and be prepared to challenge basic assumptions about how a business should operate.

The recession, the longest since World War II, is prompting Americans to take steps to get their finances in better shape. It's led to a newfound frugality that some believe will continue long after the recession ends.

The Obama administration is considering a plan to help small businesses through the economic downturn by diverting some of the billions of dollars approved by Congress for bank bailouts, but the idea is at a very preliminary discussion stage, officials said on Friday.

YouTube is becoming the court of last resort, when it comes to customer complaints. The court of last resort used to be the Supreme Court. But heck, YouTube is easier to get into.

Faced with an economic downturn that has proved deeper than the White House initially projected, the President asked Americans on Saturday to remain patient, arguing that his $787 billion stimulus plan had saved the economy from collapse and put it on a gradual course to recovery.

A group of 40 centrist Democratic Party House Members signed a letter opposing their leaderships healthcare bill as currently written. "Small business owners and their employees lack coverage because of high and unstable costs – not because of an unwillingness to provide or purchase it," the lawmakers wrote. "We cannot support a bill that further exacerbates the challenges faced by small businesses."

Responding to the "myth" going around that claims only a small percentage of small businesses create new jobs.

While health experts say there are no statistics available, analysts say there are many Americans like DeWaal: people who have taken or stick to a job just for the health insurance.

A group calling itself the Small Business Majority has all the hallmarks of a shadowy interest group, starting with a name that conceals more than it reveals.

The IRS has temporarily stopped collecting penalties from some small businesses that have been hit with big fines for not disclosing the use of questionable tax shelters.

Unseasonable weather and consumers without the stimulus boost they received last year were expected to have dampened U.S. retail sales in June, analysts said.

Several factors blamed for poor performance of venture funds: They have grown too large, the M.B.A.’s who have invaded the VC industry and older partners who have lost touch with what is new in technology.

The U.S. service sector was still shrinking last month but at a decelerating pace, with activity at the highest since September 2008

Analysts say it is critical that producers stick to the script and preserve R&D as much as possible. Because once the recovery begins, they will need lots of innovative products in the pipeline if they hope to continue competing against cheaper foreign rivals who, increasingly, cannot be beat on quality.

If the majority of Wall Street economists are right, the U.S. recession will end this quarter and the global recovery won't be far behind.

President Barack Obama said Thursday that he remains confident the economy will turn around in the short term and the nation will prosper in the long term despite another dose of bad unemployment news.

The American economy shed 467,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent from 9.4 percent

Orders to U.S. factories jumped in May by the largest amount in nearly a year, another sign that the nosedive in manufacturing is nearing an end.

To serve both their interests, some major corporations, including I.B.M., Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and Home Depot, offer programs to mentor small companies, particularly businesses owned by women, blacks, Hispanics and other groups.

A report on manufacturing activity shows the sector contracted less than expected in June, posting its best showing since last August and another sign that a recovery may be near.