SBA Backed Loans Dry Up

The Wall Street Journal reports that credit is getting even tighter for small business:

When entrepreneurs can’t get conventional loans, they traditionally turn to loans backed by the Small Business Administration. But in recent months — as many banks turned away businesses and slashed credit lines — SBA lending also has dried up substantially. The retrenchment has become especially pronounced in the past couple of weeks.

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Although some of this is due to decreasing demand, tightening credit and standards seems to also be behind the steep drop in small business lending.

When corporate America is lining up for help we seem to be ready to bail them out no matter how bad their prospects.  But, it seems that at the same time we are turning our backs on small business.