With a manufacturing sector especially hard hit by the recession, the Cleveland area experienced the greatest percentage loss of small businesses.
Three percent closed down during the period. That translates into 1,258 business, or 60 businesses per 100,000 people, that fell by the wayside.
Still, Gil Goldberg, the district director of the Small Business Administration's Cleveland Office, is optimistic about the sector's recovery. He noted that manufacturing has seen in an uptick in the past 12 months and that manufacturers have been able to secure more loans for increasing amounts in recent months.
''Manufacturers are confident about the future,'' he said. ''The banks in northern Ohio feel comfortable using our programs to support the funding needed for these manufacturers to meet their increased orders.''
A low loan failure rate is a vote of confidence both for the franchise business model -- or concept -- and for the people involved. The following franchises all had relatively low loan failure rates.
