As the credit crunch began to take hold this summer, Annemarie McMullan, president of Annie Shines
Cleaning Service in Massapequa, applied for a $40,000 bank loan. She wanted to finance
payroll while she began work on a federal contract for cleaning government offices. Despite being in business for 10 years and having a good credit record, she said her bank would give her only a $10,000 personal line of credit. She had to make up the difference with money she had saved for a down payment on a house. She said she had no choice because she doubled her staff to 15 to take on the government job and needed the money to cover
payroll while she waited to be paid.