"It'd be like asking a business today if they're a dot-com business, " he said, suggesting that every business created in 2013 should absolutely have some sort of presence on the web.

ENGADGET

Six months later, you field an offer from a dot-com and you're itching to bail, but you've got this debt hanging over your head.

FORBES: Ball And Chain Borrowing

"We're disappointed, but I am hoping that the DOT will give us a firm date, " Mr. Van Bramer said.

WSJ: Bike Sharing Gets Into Gear