Online loans and credit cards keep businesses afloat

From Chris

I've had to resort to paying my mortgage payment late in order to continue paying cash for fuel deliveries and payroll since AMEX and Countrywide began lowering my credit limits on my creidt card every time I'd pay them down by the exact amount of the payments. Of course, they never told me of these decisions in advance, only when they got the maney in their hands…. smart guys, otherwise, I'd have paid them the minimum monthly and made the big payoffs to the cards that truly were on my side like my Citi card has been.

From john

selling my kids

From scowley

Since this has come up a few times: LendingClub is still funding loans for new borrowers. They're funding the loans themselves; registrations from new lenders, and new funding commitments from existing lenders, are on hold – temporarily, according to the company. But borrowers can still sign up and apply for funding.

-Stacy Cowley, CNNMoney

From Jane Pleasanton Ca

You have continued the run the promotion that the Lending Club is offering loans. They say explicitly on their website that they are not accepting new loan registrations. Why do you continue to point Small Business owners to them? Dig up some better sources.

From Jim Oliveri, Universal City, Texas

I started a recycling business 2 years ago and learned about how important our resources are in the United States to other large countries. It's all about supply and demand; even in the recycling world. My goal is to immediately put cash aside for fuel and repairs for equipment. If I can do that in the first week of every month then I'm good to operate for the rest of the month. All because of the down fall of some large institutions I have watched prices drop as much as 50% to 60%. And sometimes it's not even worth putting a vehicle on the road to work. But if I do that, then I could lose a longtime customer. I would just hope that there is somebody keeping an eye on the "Big Boys" and making sure that the hard working American gets to keep what they worked so hard for…….

From C. Trotter, Dallas, TX

I have taken a fulltime job through a temp agency to keep money coming in. I am blessed in that my car was paid off last year and I have no credit card debt, so my money, which I now watch like a hawk, only goes towards rent, utility bills and my busines, Bull Dog Bag Company (www.Bulldogbagcompany.com), producer of the Bull Dog Bag, a tote for dog owners that allows them to carry things for their dog in one convenient package. Word-of-mouth has been good, which has kept marketing costs very low. I'm thankful to have a small stream of income coming in, so I don't have to worry about debt.

From Harold McCannis

I am selling blood and rarely used organs, such as my second kidney. Also I collect box tops and when I win a prize, I sell it on eBay.

From ralph

Cutting back on expenditures and paying cash while avoiding high interest loans is my solution. You also have to know when to cut your losses.

From David H. Warner, CPA

With very little income growth and expenses rising faster than income in my accounting practice, I am drawing from personal savings, credit card cash advances, small line-of-credit draws, and my retirement funds.