Black Enterprise recently drew our attention to a noteworthy initiative.   SBA Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to reservists who run small businesses that "suffered economic losses when the owner or a key employee was called up to active duty" for up to $2 million.

SBA Acting Administrator Jeanne Hulit says that, “These Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loans provide funds that will help these small businesses cover operating expenses. This way our brave men and women in uniform don’t have to choose between serving their country and growing their businesses.”

Learn more about the program's eligibility and how to apply through the SBA here.

Entrepreneur asked entrepreneurs to name which trends of 2013 that they’d most like to see wiped off the face of the earth. Here is their list of the most unfortunate trends of 2013.

Peter Harrington at the Small Business Blog has a great anecdote that really hit the point on the nose for us.  Small Businesses are tight ships that may or may not have an HR department, and even when they do, the ability to handhold new employees during training often just isn't possible.  But Harrington had these wise words:

...my first day in a job at a Cumbrian Outdoor Centre. I was as green as they come but very keen to prove myself. Before being assigned any jobs I followed my supervisor outside where there stood a huge wooden veranda. Once there I was told that whenever I didn’t have any assigned work I was expected to give the extensive structure two coats of paint.

I have never forgot that task, which I thoroughly enjoyed. A few years later and when I was growing my first business I always found a ‘paint the fence’ task for every new recruit so they could work independently on something that was entirely theirs, whilst simultaneously giving all other staff free time to think and work.

Link: Women’s Business Development Center Celebrates it’s Women Vetrepreneurship Program This program sounds great:

Participants will “exercise their entrepreneurial muscle” in sessions that cover business plan development, marketing research, pricing strategies and financial requirements, according to Nicole Mandeville, a Desert Storm Army veteran who is director of the WBDC’s Women Vetrepreneurship Program (WVP).

Veteran and Entrepreneur Gabriel Mays of Just Add Content has some wise words over at Duct Tape Marketing. Head over to read his other advice.