ABC Online and On Your Side

ABC On Your Side: The Facts about FACTA

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act requires credit card receipts print only truncated portions of the credit card number used for the transaction. Those out of compliance face fines and civil lawsuits, which is the problem. The law has turned into a gold mine for trial lawyers who bring suit against small businesses they find in violation. This abuse must be stopped and ABC is stepping up to stop it.

Healthcare Discounts for ABC Members

ABC Members now have access to Careington International Corporation – a leading provider of dental, medical, health and prescription discount plans. These low-cost plans are available to ABC Members, their families and their employees and could be the ideal solution when looking at possible healthcare solutions for your business.

ABC's Small Business Tips

Whether your issue is customer service, the Internet, sales and marketing, or practically any other small business problem, ABC can help with the tips and tricks you need, advice that will make a real difference.

Government and Economy

Geithner: Economy Stabilizing, Pain Ahead

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Monday the U.S. economy was beginning to stabilize, but cautioned that consumers will still feel the pain of the current recession. Reuters.com

Post-Recession America: A Vastly Different Economy
With the US economy beginning to show some early signs of stabilization, people are wondering what the “new normal” economy is really going to look like? Here are some thoughts. MSNBC.com

Management and Financial Issues

Borrowing on Your Recievables

While borrowing against your receivables isn’t a new way to get much needed money, it does come with a steep pricetag, annual interest rates that can exceed 30% or 40%, making this for many a funding source of last resort. WSJ.com

Small Biz Credit Card Lender Shuts Down Accounts

With losses mounting up, small business credit card lender Advanta is shutting down its small business accounts and telling investors that it plans to wait out the recession. CNNMoney.com

Working From Home: Juggling Work and Family
Plenty of parents want to work at home so they can spend more time with their kids. It sounds great, but the catch is that getting any work done actually requires time away from the kids. Here are some ideas on managing that balancing act. BusinessKnowHow.com

Technology Issues

Facebook: Unusual Names Need Not Apply

You may be cut off from your Facebook account—from your friends or even from vital business pages—if the social networking giant thinks you have a fake name. MyWay.com/AP

Cloud-based Storage as a Service From AT&T
AT&T has announced plans to offer Web-based data storage services for corporations using "cloud computing" technologies developed by EMC Corp. MSNBC.com

Benefits and Labor Issues

The Impact of Obesity on Workers' Comp

The link between obesity and health problems is becoming clearer and now that it is, employers and workers’ compensation vendors are taking a harder look at the heavy impact that obesity is having on both workers’ comp claims and workplace safety. Workforce.com

Paid Sick-Leave Bill Introduced

A bill to guarantee workers 7 days of paid sick leave has been introduced today by Congressional Democrats. Business groups, however, vow to block the legislation, arguing that this is the wrong time to create a new mandate that would raise costs for employers. NYTimes.com

Sales and Marketing

Email Marketing: Including Video in E-mail
Are you ready to add video to your marketing email? Here are some things you need to know first. ClickZ.com

When it Comes to Advertising, Consistency Pays

You want your customers to see that you are a successful and reliable brand, and the key to that is your ability to sustain a long-term advertising program. BusinessWeek.com

Sales Leadership During the Recession

The recession is putting sales managers and their ability to lead to the test. Can they provide environments that keep their team’s heads up and their hearts engaged, can they lead them through these hard times and back to prosperity? Here are some tips to doing just that. BizJournal.com