Government, Politics and the Economy
Partisan Lines Forming Over Healthcare Reform
The top Senate Democrats and President Obama appear aligned in support of a government-run health insurance option, facing off against Senate Republicans who say they refuse to won't back such a measure. WashingtonTimes.com
New Bill Could Help Merchants with Credit Card Costs
Under a new bill before the House of Representatives, merchants would be able to negotiate with banks to reduce the costs associated with credit card purchases. Reuters.com
Jobless Rate Jumps as Job Losses Slow
The US economy lost 345,000 jobs in May, the smallest recorded loss since September of 2008 – good news overshadowed by the nation's jobless rate, which, jumped to 9.4%. WSJ.com
Management and Operations
Finding Money in Your Inventory
We all know that times are hard and that firing people is painful and slashing the marketing budget can devastate your long-term prospects. There is, however, another area that promises big savings: your inventory. SmallNizTrends.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
Does the Tax Man Have You in His Sights?
Small businesses are now prime targets for IRS auditors. Federal tax audits of small businesses with between $10 million and $50 million in assets increased 29% from 2005 to 2007. What do you need to watch out for? How can you protect yourself? Here are some answers. BusinessManagementDaily.com
Small Business Legal Issues
When an Employee Becomes a Competitor
What if one of your employees may be setting up a new business to compete with yours,and you have not had them sign a noncompete agreement. Is that illegal and is there anything you can do about it? BusinessManagementDaily.com
Technology Issues
Microsoft: Critical Patches Coming for Windows, Office and IE
Microsoft will soon ship ten new security fixes covering a wide range of vulnerabilities in Windows, Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer, six of which the company calls "critical." ZDNet.com
Who is Saying What About You?
One of the most useful pieces of business intelligence you can have is knowing what your employees, customers and competitors are saying about you and your business online. Here is how you can find out. BusinessKnowHow.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
Restaurant Group Asks Supreme Court to Review San Francisco Healthcare Spending Law
Golden Gage Restaurant Association will file a petition next week with the US Supreme Court, asking the Court to review a 2008 federal appeals court decision upholding the legality of San Francisco’s healthcare spending law. Workforce.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
FTC Pursues Alleged Click Fraud and Spam Perpetrator
The Federal Trade Commission alleges that a small, marginally-known Internet service provider has harmed consumers by engaging in click fraud, phishing scams, and hosting child pornography. It shows how important it is for you to know your ISP. ClickZ.com
Small Companies Raise Sales Quotas for Salespeople
The hard economy makes for hard times for sales reps, and for many working for small businesses, it's getting tougher. According to a new survey, small firms are reacting to the recession by leaning even more heavily on their sales teams. BusinessWeek.com
Study: Email Marketing Preferred by Consumers
According to a new study, when it comes to receiving digital marketing messages, consumers prefer email to all other digital methods. ManageSmarter.com
