Obama Nominates a Business Moderate to the Supreme Court

Government and Economy

Sotomayor: A Business Issue Moderate

President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, has a mixed record on the issues important to the business community. BusinessWeek.com

Emergency Loans: Will the Banks Go Along?

The SBA is preparing to launch its long-awaited emergency loan program for debt-burdened businesses. However, the potential lenders are a bit wary and are asking for more details before they commit to participating. CNNMoney.com

Consumer Confidence Jumps on Jobs Outlook

Confidence among US consumers rose this month to its highest level since September, reflecting the growing perception that the jobs market will soon improve. Bloomberg.com

Management and Financial Issues

Crucial Communications: How Do You Measure Up?

When the stakes are high, opinions clash, and emotions run strong, what tactics do you typically use to navigate the discussion effectively? Take this quiz to see where you do well, and where you might need some work. BusinessKnowHow.com

Cash-flow Problems for Half of Small Businesses

According to a new Discover Financial Services survey, nearly half of small business owners say conditions for their firms will worsen in the next six months, and 49% said cash-flow issues over the past 90 days already have caused them to hold off on paying bills. USAToday.com

Technology Issues

Windows 7: What You Need to Know
With documents provided by Microsoft describing the different versions of Windows 7 in unprecedented detail, PCMag.com takes you inside and tells you probably more than you ever wanted to know about the new Windows 7. PCMag.com

Benefits and Labor Issues

More Small Firms Dropping Healthcare Benefits

A combination of accelerating healthcare costs and sharp revenue shortfalls are forcing some small businesses into a choice between dropping health insurance, laying off workers or going out of business entirely. WSJ.com

Making Sense of the COBRA Subsidy

The COBRA subsidy is an element of the Obama stimulus plan under which the government shares the burden of maintaining coverage for workers that employers have laid off. BusinessWeek.com

Branding, Sales and Marketing

The 2009 Social Media Hall of Shame...So Far

Social media has taken the marketing world by storm, with some producing great ideas while others come up with...serious duds. Here, in no particular order, are nine of the worst social media marketing campaigns so far in 2009—and its only May! ZDNet.com

Digital Marketing: The Era of Short URLs
If you're using social networks for your marketing, the time to begin using a URL shortener is now. ClickZ.com

Is Viral Video Right for Your Business?

Viral marketing campaigns and YouTube videos are top online marketing strategies today, but can they work for small, local businesses? You might be surprised. SmallBizTrends.com