Government, Politics and the Economy

Republicans: Obama's Financial Oversight Plan Would Continue Bailouts

Leading Republicans on a House panel considering the Obama administration’s overhaul of financial regulations said the president’s plan would continue taxpayer-funded bailouts. Bloomberg.com

Ownership, Management and Operations

Make Sure Your New Hires are “Onboard”

Once they've finished their HR paperwork, it's time to really bring your new hires “onboard.” They will be more engaged, more productive, and they will want to stay and be committed to the company. Try these three simple ideas. BusinessManagementDaily.com

Reinvest in Your Brand

It's a hard truth: Brand equity from the old economy is just about dead. Moreover, the financial collapse is a sign that we must stop draining off reserves and return to the business of making promises to tomorrow's customers. MarketingProfs.com

Legal Issues

5 Ways to Keep Lawsuits at Bay

A lawsuit can crush your business, and there’s no foolproof way to prevent someone from suing you if he thinks you’ve made a mistake, breached a contract or caused him to have an accident while on your premises. Entrepreneur.com

Supreme Court: Age Bias Burden of Proof on Plaintiff

In a 5-4 ruling Thursday, June 18, the court held that in an age bias case, an employee has to prove that age was the only reason he or she was fired, demoted or suffered some other work setback, making it more difficult for employees to prevail in age discrimination suits. Workforce.com

Click Fraud: Microsoft Takes the Perps to Court
Competitive click fraud perpetrators beware, software giant Microsoft is going after you in civil court and by the size of their claim, they are not in it for the money. ClickZ.com

Taxes and Financial Issues

Venture Capital: GeoCities Founder Back in the Game

After four years watching from the sidelines, GeoCities founder David Bohnett has returned to the venture capital game and is back investing in start-up companies. WSJ.com

Credit Problems Continue to Squeeze Small Businesses

Looking out for their own interests, the credit card companies cracked down on credit limits, a move that is squeezing small businesses and exacerbating the problems caused by a stagnant economy. NYTimes.com

Technology Issues

Business Technology: 5 Great New Web Tools

Want to modernize your business but the price of traditional technology just too high? Check out these great alternatives. FoxBusiness.com

Online Protection: How good is Microsoft's antivirus software?

Next week, Microsoft's free consumer antivirus will begin public beta testing, but over the past few days, ZDNet's Ed Bott has been testing the recent builds of Microsoft Security Essentials. Here's what he found. ZDNet.com

Health, Benefits and Labor Issues

Bipartisan Coalition: Current Health Reform Proposal Dangerous to Small Firms

A bipartisan coalition of Capital Hill lawmakers is warning Democratic leaders that their proposed plan to require employers to provide health insurance could prove devastating to small businesses. WashingtonExaminer.com

New Financial Regulation Proposals Problematic for 401(k) Plan Sponsors
There is one proposed change in the nation's financial regulations that could have serious consequences for small 401(k) plan sponsors, or those with 100 to 300 employees, which typically use brokers to manage their plans. Workforce.com

Can't afford healthcare? You can Barter for it!

In these cash-strapped times, the ancient practice of bartering is finding renewed popularity, even for such things as dental surgery and prescription drugs. CNNMoney.com

Branding, Sales and Marketing

Email Marketing: Create Emails That Generate Action

You still need to get your point across, even when face-to-face communication isn't an option, ao it's critical that your emails get read and stimulate a response. Here are some tips on making that happen. BusinessWeek.com

Engagement: The Secret to Profiting From an Upside-Down Economy
It's called “engagement”: the game-changing principle that teaches you to use technology and best practices to extract new revenue from your existing customer base. ManageSmarter.com