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, Politics and the Economy
Climate Bill Helps Utilities, Factories and Farms More Than Oil Companies
While the global warming bill passed by the US House sets up a cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gases, it also cushions the cost for power producers, manufacturers and farmers and limits aid to oil companies. Bloomberg.com
Obama: Hints at Amnesty for Illegal Aliens
President Obama shied away from any hot-button words in remarks last week on immigration reform, but he did hint at some kind of “amnesty” or “legal path” for illegal immigrants already in the US. BizJournals.com
Manage...
By Charles M Cooper · June 29 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
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...
By Charles M Cooper · June 26 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Government, Politics and the Economy
Build America Bonds Signal Lower Appeal of Municipal Debt
Barack Obama may be the worst thing that ever happened to tax-exempt bonds, but states and municipalities are loving his Build America Bonds, at least so far. Bloomberg.com
Experts: Economy is Going to Improve
Sure, the US economy may have contracted sharply in the first quarter, but according to some economists, there are sunnier skies are on the horizon. FoxNews.com
Management and Operations
By Charles M Cooper · June 25 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
What do you call advertising without ads? You call it public relations or PR, and it is something that no business, large or small, can do without. At its most basic, PR is the face your company shows to the world, how your organization relates to the public. It can be as simple as the way your employees treat your customers or it can be a complex array of things playing their part in a larger marketing campaign.
This kind of communication is not done through paid advertisements. The credibility of advertising is limited at best since it is naturally assumed that the advertiser is trying to sell something. Public relations uses the news media as its conduit. The primary tool for this is the press release.
Press releases are stories, written by you (or someone in your organization or even a professional PR firm), covering something newsworthy pertaining to your company. It is usually a page or two in length with the majority of the space given to the subject of the release. The las...
By Charles M Cooper · March 12 2008
public relations, pr newswire