Small Business News You Can Use (4/11)

U.S. small business confidence dropped in March for the first time in six months amid widespread pessimism, adding to evidence suggesting that economic growth slowed in the first quarter. Farmland vs. residential. The assessed value of farmland in the Treasure Valley is rising while residential property is declining, shifting some of the tax burden for local government from homes to agriculture, according to assessors in Ada and Canyon counties. Most banks in its Small Business Lending Fund increased loans by more than 10 percent, the U.S. Treasury Department reported. U.S. wholesale businesses stepped up restocking in February while more expensive gasoline drove sales higher.