Small businesses in Rhode Island represent 95.9 percent of all employers and employ 55.4 percent of the state’s private sector workforce, according to a report from the U.S. Small Business Administration. more

Forbes Magazine has named Swipley Inc. one of “America’s Most Promising Companies.” Swipely, which was founded in 2009, is the first Rhode Island company to make the list. more

For the first time since 2006 to 2007, Rhode Island saw two consecutive years of business growth, as 7,121 new corporate entities registered in the Ocean State in 2012 after more than 6,800 new businesses filed in the Ocean State in 2011. more

Bank of America Corp. initiated $65.5 million in total new loan production for small business in the Ocean State during 2012, a 78 percent increase from the roughly $37 million in total loan production initiated during 2011. more

The Slater Technology Fund has committed to $250,000 in funding to a $750,000 seed round for Care Thread, a provider of secure mobile messaging and team-based collaboration solutions for the medical industry, Slater announced Tuesday. more

With the new year comes the annual report filing period for Rhode Island’s for-profit corporations. Rhode Island’s 30,000 for-profit corporations are required to file their annual reports with the Secretary of State’s office between Jan. 1 and March 1. more

The executive director of the Steel Yard is leaving the metalwork art and training nonprofit in the spring to open an urban farming supply store on the city’s west side. more

The Founders League, a partnership to help facilitate expansion in Rhode Island’s entrepreneurial environment, will celebrate its kick-off with an “EntrepreNew Years” celebration on Friday, Jan. 4. more

Healing fractured bones can be a messy business. Surgeons often employ a toolbox of metal rods, plates, screws and nails to align and stabilize fissured bones. The difficulty of the task worsens with aging or osteoporotic bones. more

The idea for a backpack lock for urban travelers earned top marks at the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition’s seventh annual Elevator Pitch Contest Wednesday night. more