Velazquez: Small Business Needs a Break on Cap-and-Trade

Government and Economy

Velazquez: Give Small Business a Break on Cap and Trade

Small businesses need rebates to ease the higher energy costs that may result from capping carbon dioxide emissions, the chairwoman of House Small Business Committee wrote today to the Democratic sponsors of the cap and trade legislation. Bloomberg.com

Small Business Credit Continues to Tighten—Just Not by as Much

According to the Fed’s quarterly survey of senior bank loan officers, banks are still—for the tenth quarter in a row—tightening credit standards for small businesses, but not to the degree they did at the end of last year. BusinessWeek.com

Obama's “Cash for Clunkers” Program

President Obama and Congressional Democrats reached agreement on a legislative proposal to stimulate US auto sales by offering vouchers worth up to $4,500 that people would use to replace their current vehicles for newer, more fuel efficient models. Yahoo.com/Reuters

Management and Financial Issues

The Bearer of Bad News

With profits falling, salaries and benefits cut, projects canceled, people laid off, plants shut down, and businesses going under, what can you say when it is your turn to deliver the bad news? When you're a leader, you must say something. Here is how to handle it. ManageSmarter.com

A Small Business Gateway to Branson

Starting next week, pilots for AirTran and Sun Country airlines will land at Branson, Missouri's new airport, the nation's first commercial airport built and operated as a private, for-profit business that took no money from federal, state or local taxpayers. USAToday.com

Technology Issues

A Stormy Outlook for Cloud Computing

Despite the obvious hip factor and the real appeal of paying little or nothing for online office software, there are realities of deploying these Web-based applications that can no longer be ignored and are turning out to be more daunting than many small firms expect. CNNMoney.com

Benefits and Labor Issues

House Democrats: Increase Penalties for Safety Violations
While Democrats want to increase penalties, House Republicans say that while they wanted to improve workplace safety as well, increasing penalties was the wrong answer because current regulations are complex and confusing. Workforce.com

Health Insurance Industry Offers to Stop Charging Women More

In its latest concession as Congress works to overhaul the nation's healthcare system, the health insurance industry has offered to stop charging women higher premiums, a surcharge that hits many self-employed working women trying to buy their own coverage. Yahoo.com/AP

Sales and Marketing

Lessons From the Bazaarvoice Conference
Customer reviews are one of the classic forms of social media. Moreover, they can help you improve your business in more ways than you think. ClickZ.com

Track Online Shoppers Who Buy Offline

Cross-channel shoppers, customers that shop online and then visit your brick and mortar store to make the purchase, can wreak havoc on your attempts to track your online advertising's effectiveness. Here are some ways for you to account for cross-channel shoppers. BusinessKnowHow.com

The Magic of 70% Off

Retailers and those who study consumer habits have noticed that people tend to be drawn to a discount of a certain percentage than to a specific reduced price or some other promotion. NYTimes.com