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Economy
- Small Business Cash Flow Problems Still Not Declining | Small Business Trends
- That cash flow is an issue right now for small businesses might sound obvious to most of you that run your own businesses, but a worsening trend might not be. So here?s a chart that shows what has been going on with small business cash flow over the past three years.
- Unemployment dips to 9.7 percent | AFP
- The report also showed the unemployment rate eased to 9.7 percent, based on a survey of households that appeared to contradict the payrolls data, but reflected in part discouraged workers leaving the labor force.
- Factory orders rose 1.0 percent in December | Reuters
- New orders at factories jumped by an unexpectedly large 1 percent in December despite a drop in transportation equipment orders, while inventories shrank, a government report showed on Thursday.
- Jobless claims rise but productivity gain offers hope | Reuters
- The number of workers filing for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but another big gain in productivity in the fourth quarter offered hope that companies were getting close to adding to payrolls.
- Cisco trounces estimates, sees strong recovery | Reuters
- The results come a year after Cisco reported disappointing revenue and job cuts, stoking fears of a 2001-style freeze in technology spending.
Policy
- Obama Outlines Latest in a Series of New Small Business Proposals | WhiteHouse.gov
- Today in Lanham, Maryland, President Obama proposed the expansion of two critical Small Business Administration (SBA) lending programs, aimed at allowing small businesses to refinance and increasing limits for working capital.
- Obama moving to expand credit for small businesses | Reuters
- Obama will also propose a temporary increase in the cap on SBA Express loans to $1 million from $350,000. The added cost would largely be covered by fees, the official said.
- SmallBusiness.com Entry: Obama's Proposed Small Business Lending Fund
- The Small Business Lending Fund is a proposal that would, if approved by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the President, make up to $30 billion of funds available in loans for small business as an incentive to boost the economy and increase job creation.
- Obama wants $30 billion in TARP for small business loans | Reuters
- President Barack Obama will propose on Tuesday using $30 billion from the TARP bank bailout program for a small business lending fund to try to spur job growth in a critical sector of the U.S. economy.
- Obama plans $33 billion tax credit for jobs and wages | CNN.com
- He wants to give businesses a $5,000 tax credit for each net new employee they hire this year.
HR
- Jobless claims rise but productivity gain offers hope | Reuters
- The number of workers filing for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but another big gain in productivity in the fourth quarter offered hope that companies were getting close to adding to payrolls.
- U.S. firms see more hiring this year | Reuters
- U.S. businesses plan to increase hiring and capital spending in the first half of this year, a survey showed on Monday, steps that could give the economic recovery further impetus.
- Joblessness Is High, and So Is Worker Discontent | NYTimes.com
- Beneath the high unemployment rate lurks a simmering discontent ? among people who still have jobs.
- Services sector grows in December | Reuters
- The U.S. services sector grew in December -- slightly -- according to an industry report released on Wednesday.
- Employers see uptick in hiring in 2010 | Reuters
- U.S. employers expect to hire more new workers in 2010 than they did in 2009, a sign the U.S. recession may be easing its grip, research showed on Tuesday.
Technology
- Entrepreneurs: Beware of Vanity Metrics | Harvard Business Review
- Vanity metrics are numbers which look good on paper but aren't action oriented: website hits, message volume, or "billions and billions served." They look great in a press release, but what do they accomplish?
- Google Maps To Add ?Google Store Views?
- Google Store Views will allow people to essentially walk into the store, off of Google Street Views.
- HP Goes Zero Percent on Small Business IT Financing | SmallBusinessComputing.com
- HP's financing group said it's now offering zero-percent financing for small to medium-sized businesses, aiming to make it easier for them to build out new IT projects even as technology budgets remain tight.
- IRS to Congress: Fix Employee Cell Phone Use Rule | Slate.com
- Currently, when an employee engages in personal use of an employer-provided cell phone, the employer is required to report that personal usage as income to the employee. For many employers, distinguishing between business and personal use is so burdensome that they simply have neglected to comply with the law; risking the consequences if audited by the IRS.
- Google Maps 'Business Pages' adds New Features | Google Lat-Long Blog
- We've just added two new features that can help you reach existing and potential customers even more effectively on your business' Place Page. Both of these features are available by claiming your business through Google Local Business Center.
Startup
- Laid-Off Managers, Finding Jobs by Starting Companies | NYTimes.com
- Last year, more laid-off managers and executives grew tired of waiting for human resources departments to call them back. They took matters into their own hands by starting companies.
- Austin Tops Small Business Vitality Survey | Portfolio.com
- A ranking by Portfolio.com and American Business Journals ranks the Texas capitol the best city in America to start a business.
- Malcolm Gladwell Punctures the Risk-Taker Myth | BusinessWeek
- No surprise here: When people have their own livelihood on the line, they're obviously going to be concerned about managing the downside.
- Despite the facts, Silicon Valley perpetuates the youth bias startup myth | San Jose Mercury News
- If Silicon Valley wants to continue to thrive, and to live up to its image as a meritocracy, it needs to take the blinders off and look for innovation everywhere.
- Why Hobbypreneurs are Thriving: It is Cheaper and Easier to Make Things | Intuit's Small Business United Blog
- The price of many advanced, computer-controlled tools, such as laser cutters, milling machines, 3-D printers and computer-aided design tools have fallen to the point where hobbyists and small businesses can easily afford them.
Marketing
- Entrepreneurs: Beware of Vanity Metrics | Harvard Business Review
- Vanity metrics are numbers which look good on paper but aren't action oriented: website hits, message volume, or "billions and billions served." They look great in a press release, but what do they accomplish?
- Google Maps To Add ?Google Store Views?
- Google Store Views will allow people to essentially walk into the store, off of Google Street Views.
- Google Maps 'Business Pages' adds New Features | Google Lat-Long Blog
- We've just added two new features that can help you reach existing and potential customers even more effectively on your business' Place Page. Both of these features are available by claiming your business through Google Local Business Center.
- Retailers see innovation, speed as keys to growth | Reuters
- Retailers are using a host of strategies in adapting to the downturn -- from improving their products to expanding their e-commerce businesses -- which they hope will better position themselves for a rebound in the economy
- Fewer consumers finish holiday buying | Reuters
- An unprecedented 22 percent of U.S. consumers said they did not finish their Christmas shopping this year as fewer discounts kept many wallets closed, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
Management
- Malcolm Gladwell Punctures the Risk-Taker Myth | BusinessWeek
- No surprise here: When people have their own livelihood on the line, they're obviously going to be concerned about managing the downside.
- Joblessness Is High, and So Is Worker Discontent | NYTimes.com
- Beneath the high unemployment rate lurks a simmering discontent ? among people who still have jobs.
- Economic Indicators a Small Business Should Follow | WSJ.com
- In the absence of your own economist or strategic planning office, what indicators should you keep an eye on? Here are five that often matter most to small firms.
- 2010 Rural Small Business Trends | Small Business Trends
- If you live in Luling, Texas, (population 5080) you don?t need another list of the top trends for big city dwellers. You want to know what?s happening in the small towns.
- I.R.S. Plans to Regulate Paid Tax Preparers | NYTimes.com
- The Internal Revenue Service plans to start regulating paid tax preparers, requiring them to register with the government, pass competency tests and adhere to ethical standards.
Finance and Accounting
- Small Business Cash Flow Problems Still Not Declining | Small Business Trends
- That cash flow is an issue right now for small businesses might sound obvious to most of you that run your own businesses, but a worsening trend might not be. So here?s a chart that shows what has been going on with small business cash flow over the past three years.
- Obama Outlines Latest in a Series of New Small Business Proposals | WhiteHouse.gov
- Today in Lanham, Maryland, President Obama proposed the expansion of two critical Small Business Administration (SBA) lending programs, aimed at allowing small businesses to refinance and increasing limits for working capital.
- Obama moving to expand credit for small businesses | Reuters
- Obama will also propose a temporary increase in the cap on SBA Express loans to $1 million from $350,000. The added cost would largely be covered by fees, the official said.
- IRS to Congress: Fix Employee Cell Phone Use Rule | Slate.com
- Currently, when an employee engages in personal use of an employer-provided cell phone, the employer is required to report that personal usage as income to the employee. For many employers, distinguishing between business and personal use is so burdensome that they simply have neglected to comply with the law; risking the consequences if audited by the IRS.
- Big Customers Can Be Bigger Credit Risks Than Small Ones | BusinessWeek
- Companies with more than 1,000 employees are dramatically more likely to be severely delinquent ? that?s more than 90 days late on a payment ? in the next 12 months than other size businesses.
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