In the NewsStimulus Funding for SBA Loans Runs Out—AgainIn a case of legislative déjà vu, the Small Business Administration has announced that funding for two popular lending programs is on the verge of running out - again. WSJ.comIn the NewsConsumers Buy Into 'Buy Local'More groups are forming to send shoppers to home-grown independent businesses. But their impact on jobs is hard to quantify. BusinessWeek.com
Management & Operations
By Cheryl Sowa · February 23 2010
small business brief, sales, email, sba
Management and OperationsIdentify New Consumer NormsThe recession has changed how customers shop, possibly forever. Entrepreneur.com
Management and Operations Resolving Employee Complaints Before They Hit the Internet The question is what to do about employee complaints about the workplace. It's more than a matter of damage control. Trying to repair the harm to internal morale, recruitment efforts, and corporate reputations after the fact is not as effective as preventing the damage in the first place. ManageSmarter.com Management and Operations
By Cheryl Sowa · January 26 2010
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Government, Politics and the Economy
The People's Stimulus
It's not what Congress or the President had in mind, but towns are using $2 bills and "buy local" promotions to launch their own stimulus efforts to keep local merchants in business. CNNMoney.com
Obama and the Entrepreneur: The Story Behind the Photo
When President Obama made his way out of a town-hall event, there was one persistent small business owner pressed him on the issue of taxes. NYTimes.com
By Charles M Cooper · July 31 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
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...
By Charles M Cooper · June 30 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Government and Economy
Saving Small Businesses by Buying Local
Tired of seeing local small businesses being ravaged by the recession, some people are trying to reverse the fortunes of mom-and-pop stores by organizing their towns to “buy local.” WSJ.com
Military Contracts: Big Help for Small Businesses
With the economy the way it is, some small businesses are finding both safety and profits in pursuing military contracts. NYTimes.com
By Charles M Cooper · March 26 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
We first visited the buy local movement about a year ago, and since then it has grown, even as the economy has declined. Small businesses today are banding together in even greater numbers than ever before to promote the idea of buying from local businesses. Detractors of this movement, mostly those who have a stake in national and international economics or who feel that having cash circulating through the local economy is just not that important, claim that the buy local movement offers little in terms of economic growth. Supporters, however, point out that keeping wealth circulating within the local economy helps to mitigate the very real damage being done as the national and international economies continue to spiral down to collapse.
How Buy Local Networks Function
At the heart of the movement is the following value proposition:
Spending at local busine...
By Charles M Cooper · March 05 2009
small business, economy, buy local
Government and Economy
Obama's Small View of Small Business
When it was released, the budget President Obama unveiled sparked a war of words all over the capital. The disagreements were so profound on a host of topics—including small business—that it’s almost as if people were looking at two entirely different documents. Reuters/Front Row Washington blog
SBA's 'Goodwill' Leaves Much to be Desired
Business brokers are worried that the SBA's new loan cap rule will jeopardize entrepreneurship. WashingtonPost.com
Management and Financial Issues
By Charles M Cooper · March 02 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
