Small Business News You Can Use (4/9)

The CBIZ Small Business Employment Index, which tracks hiring at companies with 300 or fewer employees, reported a 1.66 percent increase in March, the highest month-over-month increase since June 2010. U.S. consumer credit expanded more slowly than expected in February though people still were borrowing money to buy cars and go to school, Federal Reserve figures issued on Friday showed. A new study from American City Business Journals finds small- and medium-sized businesses are looking to open the vault a little more in 2012 as sales continue to rebound from the recession. The definition of what constitutes a small business is expanding, but not in the way that some business owners might like. U.S. lawmakers, banks and the Small Business Administration recently have expanded the scope of what they commonly consider small.