NEW YORK, NY October 15, 2008 —For several weeks now the story of the global credit crisis has been dominated by the names of the world's biggest banks and insurance giants. Many of those companies are based in New York, but half of the city's workforce is actually employed by small businesses.

We speak with Robert Walsh, commissioner of the city's Department of Small Business , to get a sense of how small companies are weathering the financial crisis. Walsh explains that the city has been operating several "business solution centers" for years, specifically tasked with offering help to smaller businesses.