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Lesson in Leadership: How to Make a Difference

  Government, Politics and the Economy Obama Supports Bank Fees for Risk and Wealth Surtax for Healthcare President Obama signaled his support for a proposal to impose fees on some of the nation’s largest financial firms to cover losses from risky transactions and avert another market meltdown. He also said that a surtax on the wealthy fits with his ideas on paying for healthcare. Bloomberg.com GOP Financial Services Overhaul Republicans have developed their own version of legislation aimed at overhauling regulations of the financial-services industry. The GOP version relies more on free-market principles than on additional... [Read Full Article]


Stay in Business by Staying True to Your Vision

  Government, Politics and the Economy Recession Watch: Leading Indicators Rise The index of US leading economic indicators rose in June for a third consecutive month, reinforcing other signs that the economy may be emerging from the worst recession in five decades. Bloomberg.com Management and Operations Stay With Your Vision or Maybe Lose Your Business The fall of Dial-a-Matress shows how overexpansion, bringing in executives who don't understand the corporate culture and straying from your vision can all work to kill a company. WSJ.com [Read Full Article]


Buying Local: Quick Fix or Long-term Solution?

  Government, Politics and the Economy Pitching in for Main Street: A Short-Term Fix or Long-Term Prosperity? The economic downturn has prompted many consumers and neighborhood groups to actively support small businesses in their local communities, as residents pitch in to try to avoid boarded-up shops on Main Street. Still, it remains unclear whether buy-local campaigns provide just a short-term boost or a lasting impact on revenues. WSJ.com Dumbest Moments in Business 2009 The first six months of 2009 has, so far, been filled with business and economic decisions that have left us all scratching our heads. From this embarass... [Read Full Article]


Is the Recession Stimulating the Growth of Small Business?

  Government, Politics and the Economy Recession May be Stimulating Increase in Non-Employer Businesses According to the latest Census figures, 2007 saw a million new non-employer businesses in 2007, for a total of 21.7 million, that together had sales of nearly $1 trillion, about 7% of the 2007 US GDP. BusinessWeek.com Senate Plan to Overhaul Healthcare may Advance on $1 Trillion Pricetag According to Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, the cost of the healthcare reform options before his panel can be cut to $1 trillion, which could remove a major barrier to the bill’s passage. Bloomberg.com... [Read Full Article]


Entrepreneurs on Obama

  Government, Politics and the Economy Entrepreneurs on Obama According to a new survey, entrepreneurs are willing to give the President time to fix the economy, but many have serious questions about the wisdom of his policies. BusinessWeek.com Ownership, Management and Operations 12 Steps to Upgrade Your Business To grow, for your business needs needs to evolve, you need to be able to see where things can be improved and address those areas. Here are a dozen things you can do today to make that happen. SmallBizTrends.com [Read Full Article]


Venture Capitalist becomes Advocacy's Chief Counsel

  Government, Politics and the Economy Obama Names Venture Capitalist to SBA Advocacy Office President Obama has named Venture Capitalist Winslow Sargeant as the chief counsel of the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. SmallBizJournal.com Obama: Our Projects Will Boost Jobs, Economy Has `Long Way to Go' President Obama has vowed to speed up the spending of federal money on public works projects and said there are signs that a US economic recovery has helped lead to a “reduction in fear” in financial markets. Bloomberg.com [Read Full Article]


GM's Bankruptcy: The Plan and the Fallout

  Government, Politics and the Economy GM Bankruptcy: A Bid to Regain Profits with $50 Billion US Aid General Motors Corp., for 77 years the world’s largest carmaker, filed for bankruptcy protection in the US. The plan? To create a 21st-century company that can compete in world markets. Bloomberg.com GM Bankruptcy: The Effects Will be Felt Far and Wide The turmoil and uncertainty caused by the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler will be felt far outside Detroit, in the dealerships and suppliers who are bracing for hard times to come. CNNMoney.com [Read Full Article]


GM Bankruptcy: The Small Business Crisis Begins

Today, June 1st, 2009, is an historic date. It is the day that General Motors entered bankruptcy. There are a lot of wide-eyes and crestfallen faces in Detroit and Washington today, as if this is some kind of surprise, a financial Pearl Harbor if you will. It isn’t, this assault has been going on for a long time, and if you want to know who sank GM’s battleships, you need look no further than the GM corporate boardroom and the UAW. Because of weak leadership and short-sightedness, GM executives have been systematically running the company into the ground for years now and the unions have been right there adding ballast and force to the effort, demanding more and more, sucking the competitive life out of the company. Now, here we are. One of the parties to the company’s demise—the unions—will now split ownership with the only entity actually less competent to make sound financial and industrial decisions for the good of the company, the federal governmen... [Read Full Article]

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