Government, Politics and the Economy
Obama Names Venture Capitalist to SBA Advocacy Office
President Obama has named Venture Capitalist Winslow Sargeant as the chief counsel of the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. SmallBizJournal.com
Obama: Our Projects Will Boost Jobs, Economy Has `Long Way to Go'
President Obama has vowed to speed up the spending of federal money on public works projects and said there are signs that a US economic recovery has helped lead to a “reduction in fear” in financial markets. Bloomberg.com
Bankruptcy Filings on the Rise
Commercial and personal bankruptcy rates are soaring, with the commercial sector up to 376 filings per day, driven by shrinking sales and tight credit markets. These corporate bankruptcies are then expected to cause another wave in consumer filings. USAToday.com
Management and Operations
Responding to the Recession: The Bosses Took the Paycut
Layoffs, pay cuts, unpaid furloughs – these are all attempts to cut costs and they are mostly hitting the workers while the executives seem immune. That isn't the case with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, one of Boston's leading hospitals. There, something else is happening. BusinessWeek.com
Small Business Inspiration
Learn how some of America's best small companies inspire their workers to boost their bottom line. CNNMoney.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
Venture Capitalists Face New Taxes
The Obama Administration is pushing hard to raise taxes on carried interest, a move that would cut into the profits of venture capitalists, and those efforts will likely intensify as Congress searches for ways to pay for healthcare reform. WSJ.com
SBA-Backed Loans Are Going Up
After six months of decline, the number of SBA-backed loans is on the rise and officials are hopeful that the trend will continue. CrainesDetroit.com
Technology Issues
New Small Business Technology from Cisco
Cisco has announced a number of new products and services for small companies that are designed to improve productivity while minimizing the time small companies have to spend on managing the technology. CBROnline.com
Is a PC Upgrade Cycle on the Horizon?
Question: How long can your business milk its existing PCs without having to upgrade? It turns out that the answer for now is quite awhile, but there are some hoping for a big upgrade push with Windows 7 as the catalyst. ZDNet.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
Healthcare Reform: A Look at an Early Draft of the Legislation
As factions within Congress try to hammer out the healthcare reform plan, there are still some hurdles, such as the details of an employer pay-or-play mandate, to overcome. Workforce.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
Email Marketing: Time for a Midyear Checkup
With the year now half-over, it is time to have a look at your e-mail strategy and see how it is doing and where it needs changing. ClickZ.com
SEO: Market Your New Web Site
SEO advice from an expert, Non-Linear Creations' Helen Overland, who discusses the ins and outs of marketing a new Website with search engine optimization (SEO). ClickZ.com
