Government, Politics and the Economy
Democatic Senators: Climate-Change Legislation Should Be Dropped This Year
Four Democratic senators as calling for the Senate to abandon efforts to pass legislation curbing greenhouse-gas emissions this year and concentrate on a narrower bill to require use of renewable energy. Bloomberg.com
Management and Operations
10 Things Not to Say to Customers
There are great things to say to a customer, and then there are things that will drive that same customer into the arms of the competition. Here are the top 10 things not to say to a customer and what you and your people should say instead. BusinessKnowHow.com
3 Positive Steps to Handling Problems
As a manager or a business owner, you have a choice in the way you handle problems. You can deal with them in a way that exacerbates the trouble or you can do it in a way that helps and preserves relationships. ManageSmarter.com
4 Ways to Garner Customer Loyalty
Customer service is the one sure way to stand out from the crowd. Here are four ways to build customer loyalty and it all begins with a frank self-evaluation. Entrepreneur.com
Legal Issues
Smoker’s Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed
The case of a prospective employee who was not hired after testing positive for nicotine highlights the need for caution among employers but is likely to have minimal impact on the types of wellness plan incentives employers use to encourage healthier behaviors. Workforce.com
Website Privacy Policies Matter
While the number of businesses with websites has expanded greatly over the years, along with the sophistication of these websites, the level of disclosure of data practices has not significantly improved and that can prove a very costly mistake. BusinessWeek.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
Your Home Should Be Just That—Your Home
People see their homes and home ownership in two ways: As a home, yes, but also as an investment. The problem is that this particular investment may not be as good as you think for you or your business. NYTimes.com
Determining Which Report is the Important One
Your accountants and lawyers and inhouse people generate reports, but ow do you know which report is important? Which report for your company’s results needs to be reviewed? Which need a quick summary review and which do you need to examine in detail? Here are the answers. SmallBizTrends.com
Technology Issues
Running for the Space Elevator Prize
NASA is offering $4 million for inventors and entrepreneurs creating the technology that could one day link Earth to the stars—by an elevator. CNNMoney.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
Temp Workers Experience More Mental Health Issues
According to research from Montreal's McGill University, temporary and contract workers tend to face a higher risk of developing mental health problems than their steadily employed counterparts. Workforce.com
Can You Really Afford to Hire?
The economy may be on the road to recovery, but before you put out the “Help Wanted” sign—no matter how bad you need new people—run the numbers to see if you can really afford it. WSJ.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
Get the Most Out of Your Communications
Regardless of the medium, there have never been more outlets available to companies looking to dialogue with their stakeholders and it has never been so important. BusinessWeek.com
ROI Marketing: Is Landing Page Optimization Enough?
There may be issues other than a non-optimized landing page lowering your conversion rate and a chance to have your site reviewed. ClickZ.com
B2B Marketing: Print or Online?
A new survey by BBI of 741 small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) revealed that SMBs still prefer print over the Internet as a source of product information. BusinessManagementDaily.com
