Government and Economy
Small Business: Mixed Reviews for Obama's Fist 100 Days
Some are happy, others are not. Some feel the president is ruining the economy with taxes, costs and regulations while others take solace in seeing specific agenda items like healthcare reform move forward. WSJ.com
Fed Keeps Purchase Targets—A Sign That the Worst of Recession Has Passed
The Federal Reserve has decided not to increase its purchases of Treasuries and mortgage securities, saying that the economy is beginning to show some signs of stability. Bloomberg.com
US Economy: 1Q Shrinkage Worse Than Expected
The economy shrank at a rate of 6.1% at the start of this year as a result of sharp cutbacks by businesses and the biggest drop in US exports in 40 years, which combined to overwhelm a more modest rebound in consumer spending. Yahoo.com/AP
Metro Unemployment Growing
Chicago's 9.2% unemployment rate may seem bad, but compared to other cities, some of which are experiencing depression-era unemployment figures, it's not that bad. CBS2Chicago.com
Management and Financial Issues
Improving Rwandan Coffee
This article follows the path taken by coffee beans from the fields of Rwanda, all the way to Peet's Coffee and Tea in the United States, as well as Peet's social entrepreneurship program, which aims to benefit the coffee, the farmers back in Rwanda, and, of course, Peet's. BusinessWeek.com
Banding Together to Rebuild Their City
Forget the Big Three: Business owners in Detroit are teaming up to draw shoppers back to the city and rebuild the place, one small business at a time. CNNMoney.com
Technology Issues
The Priviledge Manager Paradox
Enterprise Management Associates examines three solutions to the challenges of securing privileged account access and enforcing strong authentication. Learn to control access to your company's most powerful accounts. secure administrator passwords and ensure secure access with two-factor authentication. Free registration required. ZDNet.com
Benefits and Labor Issues
Healthcare Reform and the Hype
Washington has been building up expectations for healthcare reform over the past few months but that raises an uncomfortable question: Will the end result live up to the hype? Workforce.com
The Furlough Debate
Unpaid leave, or furloughs, can help a business avoid layoffs, but they do have a messy side in that they can unfairly penalize productive employees. Are they right for your business? NYTimes.com
Sales and Marketing
Synch Your Email Calendar with Your Customers' Calendar
The old adage says that timing is everything, and so it is! So make sure your e-mail is optimally timed with your audience's calendar. ClickZ.com
Expensive Marketing Mistakes
Has the stream of new customers coming into your establishment been drying up a little recently? How is your repeat business? Maybe it is time to have a look at some common marketing mistakes and see how to fix them. BusinessKnowHow.com
Do More Than Hear Your Customers—Listen to Them
There is a clear difference between mere hearing and and active, thoughtful listening. That difference may be the very thing that stands between you and that big sale, so it may be time to make sure you are listening to your customers and not simply hearing them. USAToday.com
Social Media Site You Should Know About
You may be busy running your business, but the power that social media can bring to bear on your marketing efforts cannot be ignored. Here are four social networking sites you can put to work today. SmallBizTrends.com