Contrary to popular belief, the big challenge facing small businesses isn't a dearth of lending. Jonathan Scott of Temple's Fox School of Business said that, between 1993 and 2008, the portion of small businesses that didn't want to borrow was roughly 43 percent. Since then, the level has risen to 53 percent. "Part of that is due to the uncertainty about the economy," says Scott. "When you ask these firms 'What's the most important problem?' they say it's the economy. It's not the credit; it's the top line issues."