Government, Politics and the Economy
Cantor to Congress: Help Small Business
Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor told the Independent Insurance Agents & Broker’s Big I Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, that the country faces tough choices on the economy and that Congress should be “helping small business right now, not imposing more burdens on them.” IFAWebNews.com
Fed: Recession May Be “Moderating”
With unemplyment at record levels, Treasuries falling, 10-year yields at their highest level since October, the government sale of $19 billion of the securities and Russia saying that it may switch some reserves away from US debt, the Fed observes that the recession is “moderating.” Bloomberg.com
Management and Operations
Managing Work-Life Issues: Bringing Baby to Work
When it comes to the issue of work-life balance, some companies are getting pretty creative and being very successful to boot. Take, for example, Maya Design, where it is Bring Your Baby to Work Day every day of the year. CNNMoney.com
Is It Ever Appropriate for the Boss to Diss their Workforce?
Here's the question: Does it ever make sense for the Big Boss to diss or put down his or her workforce? Here is what The Management Guy has to say about it. Workforce.com
Keeping Customers When Money is an Issue
Especially in a recession, you have to strengthen the bonds you have with your best customers and retain their business. To do that, a number of innovative companies are applying consumer segmentation strategies to make their firms more customer centric, and analysts have developed a framework for deploying these initiatives that can yield significant results. ManageSmarter.com
Taxes and Financial Issues
Small Businesses Will Pay For New Tax Enforcement
The Obama administration's tax enforcement proposals will add big paperwork burdens and costs for small business at a time when many are already struggling, and could discourage hiring, though it would be good for accounting firms hired to deal with all the additional filings and requirements. Forbes.com
SBA ARC Loans: Lenders Still Hesitant
The Small Business Administration has plans to begin approving ARC loan applications next week, but are they reckoning on the banks and their distrust of the emergency debt-relief program? CNNMoney.com
Technology Issues
Cloud Computing: How it Will Change Business
Many companies—IBM, Qualcomm, Nokia, and other majors, along with startups—are preparing to cash in on new cloud computing technology, but it may be harder than they realize. BusinessWeek.com
Health, Benefits and Labor Issues
Small Business Gets a Pass on Play-or Pay Healthcare
An outline of the healthcare legislation being drafted by House Democrats would require employers to provide insurance to workers but also states that "small low-wage firms" would be exempt from the requirement. WSJ.com/Dow Jones
Leave For Military Family Members: What You Need to Know
The recent National Defense Authorization Act amends the Family and Medical Leave Act, providing new forms of leave for military families. Here’s what you need to know to ensure that you are in compliance with these new regulations. Workforce.com
Branding, Sales and Marketing
Email Marketing: Going With What Works
You need great copy for your new B2B email marketing campaign, but do you have to go to the time and expense of starting from scratch? Surprisingly, the answer is: No. ClickZ.com
Social Media Marketing: Make Sense of Your Data
By combining tactical measures and conversational data, there is a way to determine the return on social media investments. Here's how. ClickZ.com
Learning What Your Customers Want
You can never afford to let any profitable customers slip away, but that is especially true in a recession, when it is easier to sell additional products to existing clients than to look for new ones. Here are some tips on getting a handle on your customers wants and needs. NYTimes.com
