NASA has its ways of doing things, and when it comes to rocket construction, they go back to the lessons of rocket pioneer Werner Von Braun, who brought the rocket expertise he used to help Germany during World War II over to the United States and helped us reach the Moon. Von Braun felt that the best way to do things was to manufacture the rocket on-site, where the engineers lived and worked, thus controlling both costs and production for as long as possible. The problem is that in this time of record public debt and shocking deficits, where every dollar has both an economic and a political value attached to it, money for innovation and execution can be hard to come by, and NASA, well, they are the innovation people and the thinking in Washington is that maybe they ought to concentrate on what they do best. According to BusinessWeek:
The agency looks headed for a course correction. The White House has set up a blue-ribbon commission to help decide the future direction of man...
By Charles M Cooper · July 23 2009
small business, nasa, spacex, commercial space flight
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...
By Charles M Cooper · July 23 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Tips from July 22, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss how to write an e-newsletter.
Put ad placements at the end of your newsletter. Putting it at the front turns off readers. Include discounts in your ads.
Simple. Short. Consistency. Provide your content in a template that people will want to read & is easy to read.
Put your customers first. Your e-newsletter must benefit your readers, even if they aren't, or never will be, your customers.
Send your e-newsletter to current customers by asking for their email at checkout. NEVER send to people who don't want it!
Daily Overview: Structuring your e-newsletter correctly is essential for consistent readership and improved business marketing.
By Cheryl Sowa · July 22 2009
small business tips, small business, e-newsletter, customers
One of the issues that small business owners face when seeking an SBA loan is the need for someone to actually buy the loan once it is made. You go to the bank, you get SBA backing for the loan; the bank gives you the loan and then sells it as part of a package to an investor. One of the reasons banks have been reluctant to make loans to small businesses—with or without the SBA guarantees—has to do with the lack of investors willing to buy up those loans.
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Enter the Treasury Department with a brand new idea: Spend $15 billion on...
By Charles M Cooper · July 22 2009
small business, bailout, treasury, sba loans
Government, Politics and the Economy
Treasury to Buy SBA Loans
The Treasury Department is finalizing its plans for a $15 billion initiative to stimulate SBA lending by using federal bailout money to buy up SBA loans. WashingtonPost.com
Global Warming Bill Will Hit Homeowners and Small Business the Hardest
A Heritage Foundation analysis of the Waxman-Markey global warming bill predicts the bill will result in sky-high costs averaging $393 billion annually and destroying over a million jobs from 2012 to 2035. Heritage.org
Management and Operations
By Charles M Cooper · July 22 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Small Biz Tip: How to Write for a Blog
Tips from July 21, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss how to write for a blog.
Plan out your blog first & foremost. Decide from what you know & what you want to write about before your initial posts.
Use "Foundation Posts" to start your blog. Take 3-4 postings to sum up the area & concept you will be covering in your blog.
Set up your RSS feed. Beginners are best served using a third party instead of writing XML. Try http://wordpress.org.
Don't self-promote. People will get annoyed & stop reading. Write useful information that others following your blog can use.
Daily Overview: Planning is essential in starting your own blog. Give it some personality, state your opinions, and get writing!
By Cheryl Sowa · July 21 2009
small business tips, small business, blog, rss
Government, Politics and the Economy
Seidman: I Don't Want the Recession to End Yet
According to Dov Seidman, the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of LRN, we need more time to understand where our economy went wrong and to get Wall Street back into proper perspective. BusinessWeek.com
Next Six Months Will be Tough for Obama
In his first six months as President, Barack Obama got a $787 billion economic stimulus package, $750 billion for the financial crisis, and a down payment on a $1 trillion overhaul of the healthcare system. With greater policy hurdles before him, the next six mo...
By Charles M Cooper · July 21 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Small Biz Tip: How to Write a Press Release
Tips from July 20, 2009 The Small Business tips today discuss how to write a press release.
Place contact info in the top right corner: name, position, phone number, email address. Under, write "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE."
Don't say your business name in the title or opening paragraph. Get attention with relevant, interesting, or unique information.
Use quotes & statistics from accurate sources to to back up your headline, opening statement & title. Keep paragraphs short.
Include a boilerplate: summary information about your business at the end of the press release. Include "###" to mark the end.
Daily Overview: Following a specific format will help your press release reach more of an audience and convey great information.
By Cheryl Sowa · July 20 2009
small business tips, business, press release, contact
