Small business is the driving force behind today’s recovering economy. Due in no small part to the recent economic decline, the number of small businesses has grown substantially overrecent years. Indeed, the number of small businesses providing business services more than doubled between 2007 and 2010 from 2.97 million to 6.03 million. Despite both growth in the number of small businesses and the small business industry in aggregate, these businesses continue to face significant challenges from the fallout of the recession and the failure rate for small businesses increased by more than 40% between 2007 and 2010. Many small businesses simply cannot affordthe legal and professional services necessary to navigate the difficulties posed by the currentbusiness environment.
