TY - BOOK AU - Blackford,Mansel G. TI - A history of small business in America SN - 0807827800 (cloth : alk. paper) AV - HD2346.U5 B56 2003 U1 - 338.6/42/0973 21 PY - 2003/// CY - Chapel Hill PB - University of North Carolina Press KW - Small business KW - United States KW - History KW - Government policy N1 - Includes bibliographical references and index; Ch. 1. Small Business before 1880 -- Ch. 2. Small Business in the Age of Giant Enterprise, 1880-1920 -- Ch. 3. Industrial Districts and Stand-Alone Companies -- Ch. 4. Small Business in Boom and Bust, 1921-1945 -- Ch. 5. Specialty Products and Niche Markets -- Ch. 6. Small Business in an Expanding Economy, 1946-1971 -- Ch. 7. Small Firms in the Silicon Valley -- Ch. 8. Small Business in Modern America, 1972-2000 -- Ch. 9. Independent Bookstores in a Time of Consolidation N2 - Publisher description: From the colonial era to the present day, small businesses have been an integral part of American life. ... A History of Small Business in America explores the central but ever-changing role played by small enterprises in the nation's economic, political, and cultural development. Examining small businesses in manufacturing, sales, services, and farming, Mansel Blackford argues that while small firms have always been important to the nation's development, their significance has varied considerably in different time periods and in different segments of our economy. Throughout, he relates small business development to changes in America's overall business and economic systems and offers comparisons between the growth of small business in the United States to its development in other countries. He places special emphasis on the importance of small business development for women and minorities. Unique in its breadth, this book provides the only comprehensive overview of these significant topics ER -