Flocabulary, a study-guide publisher, burned through $50,000 -- and had nearly nothing to show for it. Was it time for founders Alex Rappaport and Blake Harrison to throw in the towel? ...

Following a record high in 2007, the number of government-backed loans for small businesses fell by 30 percent this year as owners struggled with tighter credit and a shaky economy, the Small Business Administration reported this week.