Times are tough for small business owners, those whom politicians describe as the economic backbone of the country.

But as recessionary conditions prevail in Trinidad and Tobago, and the global economy, it’s those businesses- that employ tens of thousands of workers - who are the most vulnerable to the financial squeeze.

Already, many of them have closed permanently, inevitably forced to throw loyal employees on the breadline.

Information coming from several business groups and associations in the country indicate that more than 50 per cent of these small businesses are family-owned and run, passed down from generation to generation.

To cope, many of these small business owners have started paying their employee’s salaries before their own, are renegotiating loans and mortgages with commercial banks and sinking deeper and deeper into overdraft facilities to stay afloat.

They are finding new ways to spread word of their products and services and but in many cases, the customers simply aren’t there these days.

There are notable success stories in the small business sphere and it would be solid advice for others to examine how these entrepreneurs are getting by.

Even though not all face impending doom, and are actually finding both lucrative niche and national markets, the economic quicksand that is the economic downturn continues to hurt, especially amid what seems to be rising unemployment in the country.

Further encouragement through Government support could only help the small business sector which continues to battle against the odds ate a time when much larger corporate entities are watching customers and profits dry up.