Small business newswire

Smallbusiness.com News Wire tracks small business-related news, features, and small business blogger commentary.

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1 Economy
2 Policy
3 HR
4 Technology
5 Startup
6 Marketing
7 Management
8 Finance and Accounting
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Economy

Consumers change buying habits, but will it last? | Yahoo! News: Every economic downturn changes shoppers in some way. But this time, experts say the new behavior, fueled by higher gas and food prices, tightening credit and a slumping housing market, are the most dramatic since the 1970s.
Economy not looking so bad, as viewed from the farm | Reuters: The U.S. housing crisis looks pretty distant when viewed from the cornfields of middle America, although land values pushed up by record commodity prices also evoke past booms that ended in bust.
Oil Prices Tumble in Biggest Weekly Drop Ever | Yahoo! News: The price of oil recorded its biggest weekly drop ever, and a gallon of gas finally pulled back from its record high. So is it time to declare the energy bubble popped?
The Inevitability of Higher Prices and Slower Sales | MSNBC.com: As commodities cost small businesses more, they're forced to raise prices. But what price is right?
Recession-Proof Jobs | BusinessWeek: A new report shows that tech-related positions are safe bets right now, especially software developer. But sales is solid, too.

Policy

How Small Business Fared in the Supreme Court | NFIB.com: While achieving some victories, small business gives mixed reviews to the latest Supreme Court session.
Business Owners Fail to Implement Succession Plans | management-issues.com: A recent survey shows that less than half (46%) of US businesses regularly update their succession plans, a critical requirement in today's fluctuating business environment.
Poll Shows Business Owners Unhappy With Washington | WSJ.com: Most survey respondents (86%) say the federal government is doing ?nothing? or ?little? to help small firms combat high gas prices, tightening credit and a generally sluggish economy.
States Give Small Business More Health Care Help | Kiplinger.com: Initiatives include subsidies, tax deductions and more-affordable plans.
Obama Promises a Small Biz Tax Credit for Health | Inc.com: According to Economic Policy Adviser Jason Furman, the plan would provide firms with a 50 percent tax credit against the cost of employee premiums.

HR

Companies Save Money as Workers Lose Weight | smSmallBiz.com: Wellness programs can lower health insurance premiums, workers' compensation costs and turnover.
Recession-Proof Jobs | BusinessWeek: A new report shows that tech-related positions are safe bets right now, especially software developer. But sales is solid, too.
States Give Small Business More Health Care Help | Kiplinger.com: Initiatives include subsidies, tax deductions and more-affordable plans.
How to Prevent Employee Theft | NFIB.com: Whether it's pocketing paperclips and pens, padding an expense account, stealing time or embezzling millions, it's all theft.
Want to be Successful During the Next Decade? Hire Risk Takers | management-issues.com: Employers may claim to hire for attitude, yet more often than not truly enterprising, creative people get overlooked or branded as "risky".

Technology

Google Trends Reveals Which Tech Trends Are Hot (Or Not) | Small Business Computing: Google Trends reveals the popularity--or unpopularity--of a given search keyword. Its results reflect mega-patterns of what people are thinking about (if you accept the thesis that Internet searches equal the public?s level of interest).
Social Butterfly | entrepreneur.com: If you've jumped on the social networking bandwagon and are wondering "Is this all there is?" don't give up just yet. Work the social networking scene to get the most out of your online presence.
Apple Server Meltdown Foils Launch of iPhone 3G | Newser: The launch of Apple's hotly anticipated iPhone 3G turned into an IT meltdown today, as customers were unable to get their new phones working.
Microblogging is Huge But Should You Care? | Newsweek.com: Those reading this via http:twitter.com/smallbusiness know this answer is, Heck Yes!
Yahoo Debuts Build Your Own Search Service | BusinessWeek: Yahoo Search BOSS, for Build Your Own Search Service, is a new Web services platform that will give Web developers access to Yahoo?s search technology.

Startup

How to Register a Trademark | WSJ.com: A small business expert sheds some light on the process of getting a registered trademark for your product, service, business name or logo?considered one of the best ways to protect your bright ideas from the competition.
Why Do Most Small Businesses Fail? | AsktheBizCoaches.com: AsktheBizCoaches takes on small business failure today. They give some good tips to help avoid business failure.
After Selling the Company, Remorse | NYTimes.com: ?Any time you sell you have mixed emotions. You?re about to get a huge payday, but you have no idea what the future holds for you.?
If You?re Open to Growth, You Tend to Grow | NYTimes.com: People who believe in the power of talent tend not to fulfill their potential. They?re concerned with looking smart and not making mistakes. People who believe that talent can be developed really push, stretch, confront mistakes and learn from them.
When it Comes to Startup Success, a Good Idea is not what Matters | 37signals: Ideas on their own are just not that important. It?s incredibly rare that someone comes up with an idea so unique, so protectable that the success story writes itself. Most ideas are nothing without execution.

Marketing

To Save Gas, Shoppers Stay Home and Click | NYTimes.com: Online shopping is gaining at a time when simply filling up a gas tank to head to the mall can seem like a spending spree.
Social Responsibility and Small Business | Search Engine Land: In the profit-centered business, customer happiness is merely a means to an end: maximizing profits. In the customer-centered business, customer happiness is an end in itself.
Google Trends Reveals Which Tech Trends Are Hot (Or Not) | Small Business Computing: Google Trends reveals the popularity--or unpopularity--of a given search keyword. Its results reflect mega-patterns of what people are thinking about (if you accept the thesis that Internet searches equal the public?s level of interest).
When It Comes to Business Travel, What Does Green Really Mean? | Inc.com: "Green" means different things to different people. To a business traveler the lack of green used to mean your corporate budget is tight. But today's road warrior is dealing with another dimension in "green."
Social Butterfly | entrepreneur.com: If you've jumped on the social networking bandwagon and are wondering "Is this all there is?" don't give up just yet. Work the social networking scene to get the most out of your online presence.

Management

Learning from the School of Hard Knocks | Netshare Inc. Blog: Failure is liberating, and something you can use to guide future decisions. Understand not only where you failed, but why and use that knowledge to guide future career decisions.
Business Owners Fail to Implement Succession Plans | management-issues.com: A recent survey shows that less than half (46%) of US businesses regularly update their succession plans, a critical requirement in today's fluctuating business environment.
When It Comes to Business Travel, What Does Green Really Mean? | Inc.com: "Green" means different things to different people. To a business traveler the lack of green used to mean your corporate budget is tight. But today's road warrior is dealing with another dimension in "green."
How to Prevent Employee Theft | NFIB.com: Whether it's pocketing paperclips and pens, padding an expense account, stealing time or embezzling millions, it's all theft.
Want to be Successful During the Next Decade? Hire Risk Takers | management-issues.com: Employers may claim to hire for attitude, yet more often than not truly enterprising, creative people get overlooked or branded as "risky".

Finance and Accounting

Mortgage Giants Will Not Fail, Says Fed Chief | Yahoo! News: Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday that troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in "no danger of failing."
No Fed Rate Hikes Until 2009, When Economy Improves | Kiplinger.com: Bernanke sees inflation rising but says Fed is alert and a pickup in growth is more urgent.
How to Collect Overdue Payments | Forbes.com: In a down economy, small business owners can't afford to wait to get paid.
Small Business Funding Boost | nytimes.com: A bill passed late last week by the Senate Appropriations Committee boosts funding for some of the SBA's core programs by as much as 50 percent, including more resources for women, veterans and native Americans.
How to Prevent Employee Theft | NFIB.com: Whether it's pocketing paperclips and pens, padding an expense account, stealing time or embezzling millions, it's all theft.