Mom and pop businesses are beginning to dominate the list of my new clients over the past 30 days.  Retail businesses, construction, internet sales, real estate,  all are reaching the end of their ropes.  Distressingly,  these include a high percentage of long running, well established businesses.

Often, the business has been supported on the credit cards of the business owner, so the solution is a bankruptcy filing for the shareholders, freeing the business of servicing that debt.  I can’t tell if that will be enough, but often a small business can survive when relieved of the debt service from the past.

The trend, though, is ominous when you look at the economic health of the country.