Government, Politics and the Economy
Small Business: The White House is Deaf to Our Needs
President Obama's decision to cut off aid to small business lender CIT Group is just the latest in a string of decisions that demonstrate Obama's indifference to small business. WSJ.com
Shlaes: Look to Reagan for a Way Out of the Recession
Bloomberg columnist Amity Shlaes suggests that with the similarity between the current recession and the economic woes of the early 1980s, the solution to those woes, lower taxes and higher interest rates, is worth looking at today. Bloomberg.com
Management and Operations
Employee Motivation is Key During a Crisis
It’s not the end of the world, but if your company is in a crisis, it can feel that way to your employees. How you handle hard times will determine whether or not your workforce comes out unscathed. BusinessManagementDaily.com
This is Supposed to be Fun
That's the dirty little secret most of us in small business rarely admit: we are enjoying ourselves. But with the recession, a lot of that fun is gone. Isn't it time to get it back? USAToday.com
Legal Issues
Arbitration: Consider the Possible Costs
People go for arbitration as a low cost alternative to litigation, you have to be careful. While it is true that arbitration clauses in contracts will keep you out of court, and keep bad publicity away, you may not save as much money as you think. BusinessManagementDaily.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
Understanding Estate Taxes
What will happen to your estate, and your business, when you die? It's not something most people want to think about, but it is important especially when you consider the tax implications. DenverPost.com
Amazon Tax Debate: E-tailer Could Win by Ending Its Associate Program
Small business are caught between Amazon.com and their tax-happy states in a high-profile tax showdown over the collection of sales taxes, one in which Amazon is likely to come out the winner either way. ZDNet.com
Technology Issues
8 Tools to Help You Monitor the Web
Online, reputations can be made and they can also be broken. Here are 8 online tools that can help you find and manage online mentions of your company. BusinessWeek.com
Time Management: Getting Things Done Goes Digital
David Allen's time-management system has helped many people to get things done, but it always required reams of paper. Now, at last, software comes to the rescue. CNNMoney.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
Health Reform: Bill Taxes Self-Insurers
If you self-insure your company's healthcare plan, you would face a new federal tax if the healthcare reform legislation under consideration by several House committees becomes law. Workforce.com
Senate Drops Card Check
Senators trying to reach a filibuster-proof 60 votes for the EFCA have dropped a key provision that would have forced employers to recognize a union as soon as a majority of workers signed cards saying they wanted a union. NYTimes.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
12 Ways to Build Your Email List
Email acquisition, growing your list with useful contacts, needs to be an ongoing effort. Here are a dozen proven strategies you can use to easily build your email list. BusinessKnowHow.com
Recession Marketing: Taking the Direct Approach
A recession is a time for directness and simplicity. Learn how to use email as the cornerstone of your back-to-basics marketing effort. ClickZ.com
The 10 Dumbest Sales Questions in a Recession
During hard economic times, the job of your sales staff is even harder than usual, so the last thing they need to do is to shoot themselves in the foot by asking all the wrong questions. ManageSmarter.com
