Government and Economy

How the President Should Help Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs and experts offer their suggestions, which ranged from making health care more affordable and streamlining paperwork to out-of-the-box ideas like giving banks access to the Federal Reserve's discount window based on their increase in lending to small businesses.

Kiplinger: Unemployment May Hit 9%
Mounting job losses and the troubled auto industry are putting more pressure on Congress to stimulate the economy, but will it work? Kiplinger predicts that 2009 could see 3 million jobs lost and an unemployment rate as high as 9%.

Farmers Disgusted: Proposed Taxes on Cow and Hog Gas

Belching and gaseous cows and hogs could start costing farmers money if a federal proposal to charge fees for air-polluting animals becomes law, one of several put forward by the EPA after the 2007 US Supreme Court ruling that farm animal belching and flatulence amounts to air pollution.

Benefit and Labor Issues

Retirement Investment Could Lower Tax Bill
The deductions for a traditional IRA begin to phase out when modified adjusted gross income passes $53,000 for singles or $85,000 for those who are married and filing jointly, while contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax-deductible.

Card Check: Like a Million Little GMs

Congress should learn from US automaker woes, and see how “card check” unionization would impact the viability of US Firms. If big firms can be rendered uncompetitive and financially strapped due to labor union contracts, what would happen to small and mid-size firms if faced with similar restrictions?

Employees Must Know About Cuts
Human resources consultants recommend that small businesses let their employees know they plan to restore health insurance and retirement benefits if they are cutting them now because of the recession.

Doing Business and Finance Issues

Creative Venture Capitalists

As Venture capital funds face the financial downturn, venture capitalists are taking extreme measures to ensure they can fund their investments.

Save Money on Your Business Phone
Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology offers companies the flexibility to develop a lean, low-cost phone solution that can align perfectly with changing business needs. Here we offer five ways that adopting a VoIP system can save you money.

Sales and Marketing

Remember My Birthday and I will Remember You
How, with a simple birthday e-mail, you can increase your brand's equity and retention levels.

Learning to Attract That Click

Ad designers have long believed that a clever idea or emotional resonance drives an ad's success. However, that argument may be a tough sell when analysis suggests it's not an ad's brilliant tagline but its pale-yellow background and sans serif font that attracts customers.

Tips for Developing a Consistent Targeting Strategy
Here are five tips to help you bridge the divide between offsite and onsite targeting efforts.