Government, Politics and the Economy
Perhaps California is Not Too Big to Fail
With the legislature in gridlock and $24 billion in red ink, California lawmakers have not been able to persuade the Obama Administration to bail out the state, and California isn't alone. BusinessWeek.com
Economic Trends: The Death of the Independent Pharmacy
With more customers filling their prescriptions online, the small independent pharmacies we grew up with are struggling to survive. CNNMoney.com
Consumers Confidence Rises Slightly, but Overall Outlook Dims
June has seen consumer sentiment rise slightly, but it remains at very a low level, according to a new report by the University of Michigan. USAToday.com
Management and Operations
Business Growth: What to Do When it Stalls
Every business experiences a period of stalled growth at some point. There are some surprising reasons for this and even more surprising things you can do about it. MarketingProfs.com
Legal Issues
Email Confidentiality Notices
Does your company add a confidentiality notice to your email to cover situations in which an unintended person receives an email message from your company? Ever wonder whether it really provides any protection? BusinessManagementDaily.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
Texas Cuts Taxes for Small Businesses
Texas Governor Rick Perry has signed a bill giving a tax break to 40,000 small businesses, extending a tax exemption to Texas business owners who make up to $1 million in annual revenue. Forbes.com
Debt Collection: Keeping the Collectors at Bay
As the credit crunch rages on, debt collectors have become even more aggressive. And while consumers are largely shielded from debt collectors' more obtrusive money-gathering techniques, business owners have few protections. WSJ.com
Technology Issues
What's So New About Windows 7? Not Much!
Brace yourself for the upgrade push as Microsoft unleashes Windows 7 upon the world, but is it really an upgrade? In some ways, according to technology writer Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, it may really be a downgrade! ZDNet.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
Variable Pay: Is the Flat Hourly Rate on its Way Out?
Ken Abosch of Hewitt Associates predicts that variable pay will become significant to independent contractors and free agents: Goodbye straight hourly rate, hello combination of fixed plus incentive pay tied to results. Workforce.com
Making Small Business Pay Play
Will the employer mandate on health coverage hurt small business as some contend? What would it mean to you? CBSNews.com
Employment: How the Stimulus Package Discourages Hiring
Even after the economy improves, changes made by the Obama Administration to COBRA and unemployment compensation will make a lot of small business owners think long and hard before they hire anyone. NYTimes.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
Adding Twitter into Your Ad Campaign
How does Twitter, an ad-free platform, factor into online media planning? Because brands looking to capitalize on the popularity of Twitter have developed innovative ad campaigns that incorporate it. ClickZ.com
Recession Marketing: Tips You Can Use
Get your message out and more leads coming in. Here are some simple and effective ways to maximize your communications in our media-saturated world. ManageSmarter.com
