Small Business
Square's website for small businesses takes on e-commerce giants
SAN FRANCISCO - Since 2010, Square Inc's matchbox-sized card readers have steadily supplanted credit card machines in coffee shops and corner stores across the United States.
UK tries to give SMEs lending boost with savings change
LONDON - British savers will be encouraged to invest in small and medium-sized companies in a latest attempt by the government to give a boost to funding for the sector.
Restaurant chain Noodles & Co shares double in debut
- Shares of fast casual restaurant chain operator Noodles & Co more than doubled in their market debut, valuing the company known for its Pad Thai and Mac & Cheese dishes at as much as $1.07 billion.
Payment provider Square scraps gift card service
SAN FRANCISCO - Payment start-up Square Inc scrapped its gift card service less than a year after it launched the effort.
'Sharing economy' companies go mainstream
SAN FRANCISCO - A few years ago, renting out a spare room via the lodging website Airbnb bordered on daring. Now, in thousands of cities around the world, it seems almost conventional.
Interest hots up for Cupid's casual dating sites
- Internet dating site Cupid Plc said a number of potential suitors have expressed interest in its casual dating sites, such as benaughty.com and flirt.com.
Start-up to bring test-drive cars to buyers, avoiding dealership
DETROIT - A new company hopes to make the car-buying process easier for consumers and more efficient for dealers by bringing cars to buyers for test drives, avoiding the need to spend hours at a dealership.
France clips wings of 'chick' entrepreneurs
PARIS - France trimmed tax breaks and other advantages for small entrepreneurs on Wednesday, saying the benefits introduced under former President Nicolas Sarkozy had failed to help business start-ups and were open to abuse.
Europe's SMEs need more public sector support: report
LONDON - Europe's cash-starved small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need more public sector help, as there is little appetite among private investors to step in and fill the gap left by retrenching banks, a major study has found.
Small business confidence hits one-year high in May
WASHINGTON - Small business optimism rose to a one year-high in May, a hopeful sign for an economy that has hit a soft patch.
Q & A with Joel Jackson, founder of Mobius Motors
Weeks ago the Global Post profiled an interesting startup in Africa called Mobius Motors that is working to manufacture affordable ($6,000) cars in Africa that are designed for Africans. By simplifying the designs through the elimination of non-essential parts like windows and air conditioning, the team at Mobius is able to drastically reduce the cost of the vehicle. Reuters reached Mobius' founder Joel Jackson over email to ask him about how his plans for the car company and some of the challenges he foresees.
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