Welcome to our bi-weekly roundup of small business events, conferences and webinars, brought to you as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

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As of today, there are 59,300 Google results for the exact search phrase “email vs. s

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Are you having a hard time securing the financing you need for your startup or growing business?

I know it can be very difficult especially if you’re not familiar with all the options that are available.

So to help you in your search here are twenty five ways you can finance your business:

1. Angel Investor Networks –With over 250,000 active angels in the country consider an angel investor network to raise capital for your business.
2. Asset Based Financing – If you’re business has collateral like equipment or real estate that it can be used to secure financing.
3. Bank Loans – Large financial institutions have no room to play with during the underwriting process so you may want to consider a community bank or credit union.  

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The UK economy suffered a surprise contraction in the final quarter of 2010, shrinking by 0.5%. If the Q1 2011 data follows suit, then the UK will have entered recession and the “double-dip” doomsayers will be proven correct. However, a couple of figures that have emerged for last month (January) which bode well for the economy and have lifted the value of Sterling against other majors.

The UK construction sector is vital to the economy as it contributes some 8% to the nation’s GDP figure. A slowdown in the sector was blamed for the surprisingly poor Q4 data. The UK endured one of the coldest, snowiest Decembers for a very long time in 2010 and this was seized upon by proponents of the coalition as one reason to explain the economic contraction. The J

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What financing methods have you been using to grow your business and keep cash flowing during the recession? As the economy improves again, credit card issuers are hoping more small business owners will turn to credit cards as a cash management tool.

The Los Angeles Times recently reported that entrepreneurs can expect to see more credit card offers in their mailboxes in the coming months. Why? Because the 2009 legislation that reformed credit card policies put a lot of restrictions on the kinds of rates and penalties card issuers can charge consumers. Business credit cards, however, were excluded from many of these protections.

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