Small Business Lending: Is the Glass Half-full or Half-empty? | AP News

When it comes to small business financing, Associated Press business reporter Joyce M. Rosenberg asks, "Is the glass half-full or half-empty?" To help answer her question, Rosenberg references the Private Capital Access (PCA) Index report, generated quarterly from research conducted by the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School with Dun & Bradstreet Corp.

First-quarter survey results show credit cards, personal loans, and borrowing from family or friends were among the most popular alternatives to traditional bank loans, which some small businesses say are increasingly difficult to obtain. The Federal Reserve’s two interest rate increases since September were also a factor in financing and business expansion decisions.