The onset of a recession heralds a tough time for virtually everyone, whether you are rich or poor, old or young, an employer or an employee.
The level of difficulty endured varies markedly of course, both in its nature – financial, emotional or social – and its severity.
As demonstrated in the recent CNN Money article 'Jobs recovery: Wait till next year', small businesses are no exception to the rule.
Yes, the extent to which layoffs are being made may be significantly decreasing, but as a result of the recession's lingering nature, they have not ceased entirely.
The number of people employed by America's small businesses fell by 138,000 in July, according to payroll processor ADP.
As CNN Money states, the days of cataclysmic layoffs may be waning, but companies are still cutting every position they can spare.
The figures represent the 18th straight month of declining small business employment.
That said, the rate of decline is slowing and economists are beginning to believe that the end may well be in sight.
Dorothy Gonzalez, owner of A-Plus Counters in Clearwater, Florida, has experienced recession-induced labor losses first-hand, having been forced to cut the size of her staff down from 60 to 12.
Although the worst is said to be over, she has still had to lay off three members of her depreciated staff in the last few months.
Despite the cost-cutting exercise of reducing the labor-force, Ms Gonzalez is all too aware that a great deal of hard work lies ahead for her countertop business.
She said: "More retail people are coming in, but in the new construction market, we haven't seen any response yet.
"Our major plan is to adjust to what the economy is, through competitive pricing. But everyone's bidding, trying to get the job, and even if consumers are spending, they're not overspending."
Evidence of the continued struggle is Ms Gonzalez's application for an America's Recovery Capital (ARC) loan, a small interest free loan backed by the Small Business Administration that is designed to free up cash for business owners.
The availability of an ARC loan goes some way to supplementing the loss of alternative credit lines that have disappeared as a result of the economic crisis.
Some believe that it is the availability of credit that could bring the recession to an end - a notion that a number of small business owners and their employees would no-doubt be happy to believe in.
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