Government, Politics and the Economy
Small Business Groups: Cut Payroll Taxes to Help Small Business
A plan under consideration by the White House to redirect TARP money from the financial industry to the small-business sector is getting a lukewarm reception from small-business advocacy groups who say that a payroll tax break could bring faster relief to struggling entrepreneurs. WSJ.com
CreditSights: CIT May Need as Much as $6 Billion to Avoid Bankruptcy
CIT Group Inc., the troubled 101-year-old small business lender, may need as much as $6 billion to avoid bankruptcy after the government refused to give the firm another bailout. Bloomberg.com
Management and Operations
10 Morale Boosters for the Recession
Layoffs, pay cuts, and tight budgets are stretching your team's morale and loyalty to the limit. With traditional incentives like bonuses and salary increases unavailable. Here are some alternatives that can keep your employees loyal and motivated without increasing expenses. BusinessKnowHow.com
Teaming-up With Your Rivals
There is a growing number of small business owners are joining forces with their competitors to survive the recession. Mutual benefits—plus some carefully crafted legal agreements—keep things humming along for all concerned. CNNMoney.com
Legal Issues
Resist the Temptation of 'Shelf Corporations'
Historically, these off-the-shelf business structures were used to streamline the startup process, but now vendors are selling them as a way to get around credit guidelines. BusinessWeek.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
Refinancing Your Business Loans
As you deal with the recession and the effect it has had on your business, have you considered the savings that can be had by refinancing your business loans? BusinessKnowHow.com
Credit Card Fees vs. Small Business
As more customers use plastic to pay for more and more purchases, small business owners are watching a growing share of their revenue go for credit and debit card fees that many say raise the price of goods as well as the cost of doing business. NYTimes.com
Technology Issues
CloudBerry Online Backup
Take a preliminary look at this very affordable, but not-yet-ready-for-prime-time online backup service. SmallBusinessComputing.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
Insurance Bundles to Help Small Businesses Cut Costs
To help control the cost of insurance, insurers are offering small businesses contracts for bundles of group disability, life and other insurance benefits that allow small business owners to create a baseline of group benefits, but it doesn't include medical coverage. WSJ.com
Senate Committee Approves Healthcare Reform Bill
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved comprehensive healthcare reform legislation along strict party lines, with thirteen Democrats in favor of the measure and 10 Republicans against it. Workforce.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
The Social Web: 4 Steps to Becoming an Active Listener
You are active in the social media scene, talking to customers and listening to them, but is that enough? You have to do more than just listen to consumers online. Here are four steps to take to become an active listener. ClickZ.com
Email Marketing: Turning Prospects into Clients
Once your online efforts have won you prospects, how do you convert them to clients and subscribers through email marketing? ClickZ.com
7 (Cheap) Ways to Expose Your Business on the Web
It is hard to build a brand online for most small and midsize companies, but the folks over at Search Engine Land have come up with some useful and inexpensive tips to help you. BusinessKnowHow.com
5 Social Media Tips for Your Small Business
Not so long ago, using the Internet to market your small business simply meant that you had to create a simple, informational website. Then things got complicated as people discovered the power of the Web. Here are 5 tips to make your Internet presence more effective. FoxBusiness.com
