ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Blue MauMau) - The MIT Center for Real Estate shows that retail property prices have been falling significantly in America's top ten cities when compared to past years (click chart). Such information has retailers battening down the hatches in preparation of the coming retail storm.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Blue MauMau) - With small business and franchise leaders saying that this is one of the toughest economic environments in decades, Bob Seiwert, head of the American Bankers Association's Center for Commercial Lending and Business Banking provides four banking tips to small business owners to help weather the credit crunch.

CHICAGO (Blue MauMau) - According to a survey of some 1,500 consumers from food service consultant Technomic, 62 percent of consumers that purchase more supermarket prepared meals than a year ago are doing so at the expense of fast-food restaurant purchases.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Blue MauMau) Small business and franchise consultants are saying this is one of the toughest environments in decades. Bob Seiwert, head of the American Bankers Association's Center for Commercial Lending and Business Banking provides six banking tips for small business owners to make sure your hard-earned money is safe.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Blue MauMau) - Small business owners are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain loans to expand operations, replace aging equipment and weather seasonal troughs. How difficult?