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Main Street Frustration: 'Everything is Going to Banks'

Government and Politics
What Obama Said About Small Business
A short but prominent section of President Obama’s State of the Union focused on helping small businesses to create jobs. Here’s a look at what he said and what it means. BusinessWeek.com

Government and Politics
Global Workforce Report on Emerging Markets: The Backshoring Myth
Despite media hype about the recession driving jobs back to the U.S., the business case for outsourcing to the emerging markets remains overwhelming. Workforce.com

Government and Politics
Obama Offers a More Generous Tax Credit for Hiring
This morning, as President Obama visits a small business in Baltimore to unveil a temporary tax credit to encourage the hiring of new employees, The Agenda would like to fill you in on the details. NYtimes.com

Government and Politics
Main Street Frustration: 'Everything is Going to Banks'
In his State of the Union speech Wednesday night, President Obama touted a slew of federal initiatives aimed at stimulating small business hiring and growth. Again. CNNmoney.com

Management and Operations
10 Trends to Test CEOs
CEOs who made it through the last year-and-a-half already have been tested, but it looks like the tests are just beginning. Healthy Companies identified 10 trends it believes are creating an adverse environment for corporate leadership. ManageSmarter.com

Management and Operations
Learning in a New World
It is time to revolutionize the way we approach learning in the business world. For too long we have settled for dispensing tips, techniques, information, and motivational pabulum. If we are going to be the world's source of innovation, regain our competitive prominence, and rebuild our economy, we need to completely overhaul the standard practices for learning, as they are clearly not up to the task. Why do I say that? ManageSmarter.com

Tax Issues
The Best-Kept Tax Secret for Small Businesses
For two years, Dr. James Smouse of Atlanta Oral and Facial Surgery tried to convince his younger partners to participate in a cash balance pension plan, a unique defined-benefit plan that offers business owners the opportunity to make hefty, tax-deferred contributions toward their retirement savings. But until the recession hit, they weren't interested. CNNmoney.com

Legal Issues
Employees Texting While Driving Can Jeopardize a Business
According to risk prevention specialists at Zurich Services Corp., employers could be held ‘vicariously liable’ if they permit employees to use particular technologies while driving. This could include operating a company-owned cell phone or mobile device while driving. Workforce.com

Financial Issues
Almost Half of Wall Streeters to Get Bigger Bonuses This Year
A survey firm official says the public often thinks of bonuses as a ‘four-letter word,’ but points out the bonuses are based on performance. Workforce.com

Financial Issues
Merchant Accounts: Compare and Save
If you’ve ever seen a minimum sale price for credit card purchases posted near a cash register, you know that accepting credit cards is expensive. With an ecommerce Web site, your business will suffer if you don’t accept credit card payments. Credit card companies know that you’ll gain more in sales by accepting their cards than you’ll lose in fees, so you can’t avoid them completely. But with some research, you can find the best deal for your business. BusinessKnowHow.com

Financial Issues
Is It Really That Tough to Get Credit?
The Times just published an article about small businesses, desperate for credit, who turn to purchase-order financing to keep their operations running. NYtimes.com

Technology Issues
Those Absurdly Irrelevent Gmail Ads? They May Get Better
Gmail users love to kvetch about how bad ads on the service are. Ostensibly targeted to the content of an e-mail message, these placements are typically off the mark in terms of matching a person's interests, her purchase intent, or even the context of a message she is reading. ClickZ.com

Branding, Sales, and Marketing
What Apple's iPad Means for Marketers
When the iPad was announced, I was more than a little disappointed. I had expected this thing could replace my laptop but instead it seemed like it was nothing more than an oversized iPod Touch (not an iPhone like some are saying...there's no microphone or camera. But more on that in a minute). ClickZ.com

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