Government, Politics and the Economy
The Recession: Signs of Improvement, No Jobs Yet
There are signs of improvement, sales are picking up, but according to a recent survey of small business owners, layoffs and poor credit are still a problem. CNNMoney.com
Business Groups to Obama: Limit Union Boss Pay
With President Obama intent on capping executive pay, business groups are now daring the President to impose pay caps on labor union bosses as well. WashingtonTimes.com
Management and Operations
Leadership: Improve Your Communication
Harvard Business Publishing recently reported on "The 10 Most Common Leadership Shortcomings." Here are five of those shortcomings that you can instantly fix just by improving your communication skills. ManageSmarter.com
Legal Issues
Data Mining: Prescription Drugs Now, Targeted Web Ads Next?
The saga of prescription-data collector IMS and its fight to stay in business could be headed to the Supreme Court, where it will unfold in a battle over privacy and free speech that could have ramafications for anyone who markets based on collected consumer data. BusinessWeek.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
Pitching the Angels: Do's and Dont's
If you want to land start-up capital from angel investors, two recent studies found that you shouldn't get carried away when you pitch your product and a misstep like a vague reply to a question instead of honestly saying you do not know the answer can also kill a deal. NYTimes.com
ARC Loans: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
According to the SBA, thousands of small-business owners are about to receive some debt relief when the agency begins doling out 10,000 deferred-payment loans of up to $35,000. While this could help some, they will be a small fraction of the struggling businesses out there. WSJ.com
Technology Issues
Microsoft to Enter the Antivirus Business
Microsoft Corp is getting ready to unveil a long-anticipated free anti-virus service for personal computers that will compete with products sold by Symantec Corp and McAfee Inc. Reuters.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
New Legislation Protects Small Business from New ADA Suits
US Congressman Duncan Hunter will introduce legislation to protect small business. His bill will give business owners time to evaluate and correct any alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) before costly litigation starts. Examiner.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
Email Marketing: Will Twitter Implode Under the Weight of Its Hype?
There is a lot of talk about Twitter and how it can revolutionize marketing, but it seems that the social network comes up short on two fronts. ClickZ.com
Social Media: Where The Girls Are
If women are the market for your product or service, then ignore social media tools at your own peril. Of the 79 million US women online, 42 million of them are actively engaging in some form of social media. BusinessKnowHow.com
Search Results: When They Google Your Name
There is a good chance that your customers have Googled your name, you probably have as well. What did you—and they—find when the results came up? Was it what you wanted? Make sure what they find about you in Google makes them want to do business with you. BusinessKnowHow.com
