Not only are business' reluctant to take on new debt, banks have tightened their loan requirements, making it even more difficult to borrow. Even in good times banks require mounds of paperwork that only lawyers can sort through, seriously. It may seem like a lot, but its not uncommon for a small business to spend upwards of $200,000 for remodeling, repair, and maintenance, especially in industries like food service, where equipment wears out fast. They're kind of the canaries in the coal mine since they operate on more of a cash basis than most other business and employ more people than any other industry. Right now, sales seem to be down for everyone. My question is, who in their right mind is gonna hire more employees when when sales figures are declining? Sorry, but until a recovery can be proven by an increase in sales, no business in their right mind would hire more employees than they need, much less take on new loans.