Government & PoliticsSmall Business Incentives Face a Hard Road in CongressPresident Obama’s incentives for small business to create jobs appear to be foundering at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. Those proposals — tax credits for hiring and investment and initiatives to spur lending to small firms — all face strong resistance, and not all of it comes from the Senate. Each chamber has embraced separate elements of the administration’s agenda, and, for the moment, none of those elements overlap.Government & PoliticsU.S. Salary-Increase Budgets Hit 25-Year LowChanges to salary structures... [Read Full Article]
Management and Operations Ten Worst Communication Blunders of 2009 From a steady review of major news events, here are the ten worst communication blunders of 2009. BusinessKnowHow.com Management and OperationsProductivity Coach's Corner: Clear the Clutter, Create OpportunityThe following is a specific key to success in lightening the load on your body and mind. This is a practical activity, one you can do to reduce the unnecessary physical and psychological stress you may be carrying around right now. Wouldn't it be worth it to invest less than one half of an hour to regain some confidence and control? M... [Read Full Article]
Government, Politics, and the Economy
Economy Jumps 3.5 Percent to Largest Growth in Two Years Consumer spending, exports and investments experience greatest gains. ManagerSmarter.comManagement and OperationsSmall Shops Make Big Play for Holiday ShoppersMerchants roll out Christmas wares weeks in advance to lure customers away from large discount retailers. WSJ.comManagement and Operations [Read Full Article]
Government, Politics, and the EconomyTech: The Return of Risk-Taking Suddenly, there are mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and investors galore. Will the reenergized industry lead the U.S. out of the Great Recession? BusinessWeek.comManagement and Operations33 Highly Useful Presentation Tools Use these tools for presentations to engage your audience, and get your point across using the latest technology. SmallBizTrends.com Management and Operations [Read Full Article]
Government and Economy
Obama Considers $310 Billion Tax Cut Faced with a recession that could slide into deflation and stagnation, President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to ask Congress for as much as $310 billion in tax cuts as part of his massive economic stimulus package.
Retail Bankruptcies Expected to SoarThe disastrous fall in 2008 retail sales is certain to cause mass bankruptcy filings and store closures in 2009, said Michael Burden, an executive with retail adviser Excess Space Retail Services, with California, Florida and Nevada among the hardest hit.
Management and Financial Issues... [Read Full Article]
Government and Economy
IRS: Lower Collections from Audits The Internal Revenue Service has reported that collections from audits were down 4.7% to $56.4 billion this year, the first time in more than a decade that the number has fallen.
Businesses Facing Extinction
Determining which industries are on their way out may seem easy, but some businesses, like telemarketing, are surprisingly hard to kill. Then again, others that many are sad to see go just can't seem to survive.
Management and Financial Issues
The Dangers of Recession Cost-Cutt... [Read Full Article]
It’s that time again, so this year, don’t miss it! The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is once again seeking nominations of federal rules in need of review and reform. This is your chance to nominate a rule that you feel needs to modified or pulled off the books entirely. The 2009 “Top 10” rules nominated by small business owners, trade associations, and others will be transmitted to appropriate federal agencies for their action.
“Changing markets, technology, and competition make it imperative that federal agencies periodically review how their current regulations affect small business,” said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “Only with regular evaluation can agencies sift through the enormous number of current regulations to find those that are outdated and ineffective due to rapidly changing conditions. We are calling for nominations of rules needing reform, and we are asking for constructive... [Read Full Article]
