Government, Politics and the Economy
Small Business Job Losses Continue
The mass-layoffs in the economy may have slowed, but small companies are still dropping employees to stay afloat. CNNMoney.com
SBA's Mills Has the Answers for Small Business
SBA chief Karen Mills discusses the challenges facing small business as well as her role in getting struggling companies the help they need. WSJ.com
US Unemployment Slows
Unemployment slowed last month and the overall unemployment rate dropped for the first time in more than a year, signs that the recession may be easing. Bloomberg.com
Management and Operations
Take Care of Your Best Customers in a Recession
Smart companies focus on their best, high-margin customers since it helps to boost profits, improve retention, and it offers an opportunity to poach customers from stingier rivals. BusinessWeek.com
Legal Issues
Does a Pot Prescription Shield an Employee from Drug Test Policies?
Does a law like California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996 override an employer’s policy against drug use? Not according to the California Supreme Court. Workforce.com
Conducting a Lawsuit Post-Mortem
While unpleasant, an employment lawsuit offers a valuable opportunity to prevent future problems by conducting an “autopsy” of the claim. BusinessManagementDaily.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
COBRA Requirements for Laid-off Workers
If your company is forced to lay off some employees, do you have to subsidize COBRA payments for married ex-workers? We have the answer. BusinessManagementDaily.com
Technology Issues
Minimize Acrobat PDF Bloat
It always pays to keep your IT management tools light-weight and low cost, just as long as they get the job done, and this is especially true when it comes to working with PDF documents. BusinessKnowHow.com
Technology and Customer Awareness
There are two kinds of retailers: those that have some capability to regularly, consistently and accurately identify shoppers to their transactions and those that do not. ManageSmarter.com
Obama Strains Power Grid With Renewables Push
President Obama’s push for wind and solar energy to wean the US from foreign oil carries a hidden cost: an overburdening of the nation’s electrical grid and an increasing the threat of blackouts. Bloomberg.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
Hiring Practices: Only the Employed Need Apply
When it comes to jobs, it is certainly a buyer’s market. Many employers are bypassing the jobless in favor of those still working, believing that these are the top performers, but is that an effective strategy? WSJ.com
Keep an Eye on Your Staff With GPS Phones
Small business owners can shave costs from both payroll and logistics with these new, low-cost tracking tools. CNNMoney.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
5 Ways to Neutralize the Competition
With so much access to information, is it still possible to keep the attention of your audience and make the buying decision easier? Here are five things you can do to make the competition irrelevant. BusinessKnowHow.com
Social Networking: A Few Simple Rules
Reap the rewards of following these principles when out in the social networks championing your brand. ClickZ.com
PPC Ads: Guilty Until Proven Innocent?
Ads accuseded of having poor Quality Scores face overblown cost-per-clicks to remain in the search engine results page or banishment. Learn what you can do. ClickZ.com
