Small Business

Perfuzia Medical Inc. and partners this month were awarded $200,000 by the state to take to clinical testing a device company founder Sagi Brink-Danan is holding to stimulate blood flow to wounded tissue. The technology could potentially ease the suffering of thousands of people with chronic tissue wounds like burns and bed sores. It was developed by Brink-Danan and fellow Israeli ex-pat Schai Schubert. The prototype the Providence company is testing is about the size of a small cellphone, flexible, and can run for about a week on a single battery charge. May 19

Swipely CEO Angus Davis was one of many skeptics of Rhode Island’s $75 million loan guarantee to former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios LLC video game startup two years ago. Now he has even more company in the business community urging state leaders not to sink any more money into the embattled Providence firm since it defaulted on part of its public-financing deal. May 19

Book Enterprises was days away from leaving the South Coast for Stoughton, Mass., when owner Jason Zutaut made one last call looking for an inexpensive space that would keep his wholesale book business and its 72 employees closer to home. May 19

Rhode Island lawmakers recently passed legislation designed to attract a broader range of investments in limited-liability companies with nonprofit missions. The measure creates a new corporate structure – the low-profit, limited-liability company, or “L3C” – with the policy goal of making Rhode Island the Silicon Valley of social ventures. May 19

PolyWorks’ biggest problem last year was finding enough people to triple the size of its workforce. Business has been very good for the North Smithfield designer of foams, plastics and gels, according to co-owner and Executive Vice President Roger LaFlamme. The best news is that it is only expected to get better.# May 19

Growing numbers of small and local businesses are discovering that a tweet can be a powerful tool for making your presence known among customers, prospects, your area and your industry. In particular, Twitter is great for helping amplify your marketing messages and grow your business. May 19

I am sick of the argument that cold calling still has a valuable place in selling. Someone PLEASE show me the value. May 19

Providence-based G-Form LLC was among the 10 winners of the 2012 New England Innovation Awards from the Smaller Business Association of New England. May 16

Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee and staff have been meeting with 38 Studios LLC – the video game company founded by former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling – amid fears of ailing finances, according to WPRI-TV, CBS 12. May 15

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has rejected Coutu Brothers Movers application to expand its three-truck moving operation into North Stonington, according to TheDay.com May 14