Receive a call that lead you believe it was Google and your listing was in danger? It is safe to ignore. [Read Full Article]

Tips from November 10, 2009 The Small Business tips today will be about email marketing around the holidays. Include holiday greetings and designed themes in your email marketing. This can help set a certain tone if that's what you're looking to do. Don't blow-up subscriber inboxes with additional holiday email promotions. Instead substitute a standard email with the holiday one. Your subject line should include holiday phrases and special deals to entice people to open the email. Keep emails informative without spamming. Put direct links to holiday-branded landing pages instead of a link to your homepage. Daily Overview: Don't be a Scrooge. Make email marketing over the holidays fun, informative and unique. [Read Full Article]

Spam is more than just a processed meat-food product that fed hungry, displaced Europeans during and after World War II, a real Marshal Plan staple. Nor is it merely the subject of one of Monty Python’s more famous and entertaining skits. No, it is unwanted and annoying electronic communication between some company and their target audience.  Email Spam It began as the email equivalent of junk mail and, like junk mail; it is just as impossible to stop. At first it was merely irritating, but as the Web evolved, so did spam. Now, by law, there has to be a way for recipients to opt out of mailings. And as people click on these links and opt out of these mailings, one of two things happens: The spamming company will honor your request and take you off their list. This is what should happen. Then, another spammer appears to take their place.  They use your complaint to simply verify that they have a live email... [Read Full Article]

  Government, Politics and the Economy The 100 Fastest Growing Small Public Companies in America These companies are fast movers, defying the recession they are busily growing, profiting and rewarding their investors. CNNMoney.com US Service Economy Contraction Slows Last month, US service industries ranging from retailers to homebuilders shrank at the slowest pace in nine months, bouyed by increases in new orders and employment. Bloomberg.com Management and Operations [Read Full Article]

I love scams, and sometimes, when I get a really good one, something with a little originality to it, something that shows a little effort, I want to share it. Here is an email message that America’s Best magazine editor Lynn Celmer forwarded to me that supposedly comes from FedEx (emphasis mine): Dear Customer !!! We have been waiting for you to contact us for your Confirmed Package that is registered with us for shipping to your residential location. We thought that the sender gave you our contact details and that you would have contacted us by now. we would also let you know that a letter is also attached to your package. However, we cannot quote its content to you via E-mail for privacy reasons. We understand that the content of your package itself is a Bank Draft worth $800,000.00 USD, in FedEx we do not ship money in CASH or in CHEQUES but in Bank Drafts only. The package is registered with us for mailing by your colleague, and your col... [Read Full Article]

  Government, Politics and the Economy Partisan Lines Forming Over Healthcare Reform The top Senate Democrats and President Obama appear aligned in support of a government-run health insurance option, facing off against Senate Republicans who say they refuse to won't back such a measure. WashingtonTimes.com New Bill Could Help Merchants with Credit Card Costs Under a new bill before the House of Representatives, merchants would be able to negotiate with banks to reduce the costs associated with credit card purchases. Reuters.com [Read Full Article]

Like all great events, I remember the day I learned that spam was, if not dead, gravely wounded. It was November 17th, 2008. The story was that an investigation by internet service providers (ISPs) Hurricane Electric and Global Crossing into McColo, a notorious hosting service responsible for housing as many as 70% of the spam email operations on the Web, led to the plug being pulled on McColo’s operations by their ISPs. The end of McColo killed 70% of the spam on the Web, but as predicted, the spammers are back. Gourmet Spam You would have to imagine that the death of McColo last November was a serious wake-up call to the spam industry—yes, there really is such a thing—and you would be right. While the experts are still working on where all this is coming from now, that is less important than the changes that the spam has undergone. It is more sophisticated and better designed than before. According to Dermot Harnett, principal anal... [Read Full Article]

Government and Economy Obama Argues for Stimulus Before House Expecting easy House approval of an $816 billion stimulus plan, President Obama said the nation is at a "perilous moment" that requires swift and decisive action from government. Fed to Use Every Tool to Help Economy The Federal Reserve has signaled that it will continue with the “unconventional tools” they have used so far to cushion the pain of the recession, including keeping interest rates at record lows. [Read Full Article]