Small business newswire

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

Receive (free) SmallBusiness.com News Wire via daily e-mail
Receive (free) SmallBusiness.com News Wire via RSS

1 Economy
2 Policy
3 HR
4 Technology
5 Startup
6 Marketing
7 Management
8 Finance and Accounting
9 Subscribe to Smallbusiness.com News Wire

Economy

Industrial output posts rebound in October | AP: Industrial output posted a bigger-than-expected rebound in October after plunging in September by the largest amount in over 60 years.
Retail sales fall by record amount in October | Yahoo! Finance: The decline in sales was led by a huge drop in auto purchases, but sales of all types of products from furniture to clothing fell as consumers retrenched.
SBA Announces Plan to Thaw Small-Business Loans | wsj.com: These changes to the SBA loan program will help free up capital so lenders can continue to make SBA-backed loans, said Eric Zarnikow, associate administrator of SBA?s Office of Capital Access
Jobless Claims Hit 7-Year High | WSJ.com: The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for state unemployment benefits unexpectedly soared past the half-million mark last week for the first time in over seven years. Meanwhile, the U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in September as the wilting economy sent purchases of foreign oil, cars, and other goods made overseas tumbling.
Paulson Says Treasury Is Shifting Focus of Bailout | NYTimes.com: The 'bailout' will now focus on ways to bolster the financial markets and, in turn, make loans more accessible for creditworthy borrowers seeking car loans, student loans and other kinds of borrowing.

Policy

Some Academics Are Hostile to Small Business | The Entrepreneurial Mind: Small business' role is attacked by some who want more government directed economic policies toward business formation.
Expect Obama to Govern from the Center | Kiplinger.com: Obama is already signaling moderation, telling business and labor leaders, for example, that he won't rush on key issues that divide them.
Obama's economic agenda could affect small business | USATODAY.com: A new Democratic administration and Congress means that 27 million U.S. small-business owners ? already shaken badly by the economic slump ? could face an array of new issues, from potentially higher taxes to costlier workplace benefits.
Obama Huddles with Economic Advisors | Reuters: The President-elect has acknowledged the pressing urgency of revitalizing the economy and he is expected to quickly make choices about key appointments to his economic team
Roundup of Economic Trends Displays Challenges Facing Small Business | MyBusiness Magazine: A quarterly report released this morning by the SBA's Office of Advocacy compiles the economic challenges that small businesses are currently facing.

HR

401(k)s: Employer Contributions Get the Ax | BusinessWeek: Desperate to cut costs, more and more companies are eliminating their matching contributions to employee 401(k) plans
Workday Spending Down | Inc.: The economic downturn is forcing many employees to curtail their workday spending habits, according to a recent Vault.com survey.
How to Motivate Your Employees During Tough Times | Inc.com: Even when budgets are tight, there are ways to reward and recognize employees without spending a lot of money.
Demoralised, demotivated, dysfunctional | management-issues.com: Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, many organizations are seeing employee morale plummet as long hours, anxiety, uncertainty and stress tends sends productivity and engagement levels through the floor.
Wall Street Journal Names Top Small Business Workplaces of 2008 | WSJ.com: Creating great workplaces has never been more important for small businesses. Nor more difficult. Here are 15 companies that do it well.

Technology

Small Businesses Are America's Innovators | SBA Office of Advocacy: Small businesses are the innovators of the American economy as they obtain many more patents per employee than larger firms, according to a study released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Microsoft Rolls Out New Small Business Server Options | Small Business Computing: Microsoft has announced new server software that it said provides small and medium businesses with enterprise-quality capabilities while helping them to save money, increase productivity and grow their businesses.
How to Use the Web to Find Sales Leads | Kiplinger.com: Job One in building a list of sales leads from your Web site is drawing people to it. But Job Two is getting them to leave contact information.
A New Search Tool for Small Business Loans and Grants | Business.gov: Business.gov, the business-related portal for government information and services for businesses, has launched a new search tool for businesses seeking loan or grant sources.
Consumers Aren't Shopping Online, Either | Bits Blog - NYTimes.com: The rate of growth of ecommerce has slowed during the overall slump in consumer spending. Many e-commerce sites benefited from the last downturn, in part because e-commerce sites could buy online advertising more cheaply as ad sales slumped.

Startup

Who becomes self-employed? | Daniel Pink: The self-employed tend to have slightly lower grade point averages (GPAs) than their wage-and-salary peers.? The students with the best grades were more likely to seek work in the not-for-profit or government sector.
Small Businesses Are America's Innovators | SBA Office of Advocacy: Small businesses are the innovators of the American economy as they obtain many more patents per employee than larger firms, according to a study released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Entrepreneurship Education Should Involve Doing, Not Just Studying | Dr. Jeff Cornwall: Aspiring entrepreneurs should not wait until their formal education is finished to translate their passion into creating new businesses. Don't think of it as a sequential process -- first the education, then pursue opportunity.
Older entrepreneurs have experience, resources on their side | Los Angeles Times: A new wave of baby boomer entrepreneurs likely to be unleashed by the current economic turmoil will be an important force in eventually pushing the economy onto safer ground, some experts say.
Economy Stalling Your Small Business? Shift Gears | NYTimes.com: These may not be the best of times to start or run a small business, but Christopher Hazlett?s struggle to hang tough through one crisis after another may hold lessons for the legions of entrepreneurs caught between a stumbling economy and crippling credit squeeze.

Marketing

How to Use the Web to Find Sales Leads | Kiplinger.com: Job One in building a list of sales leads from your Web site is drawing people to it. But Job Two is getting them to leave contact information.
Consumers Aren't Shopping Online, Either | Bits Blog - NYTimes.com: The rate of growth of ecommerce has slowed during the overall slump in consumer spending. Many e-commerce sites benefited from the last downturn, in part because e-commerce sites could buy online advertising more cheaply as ad sales slumped.
It May Not Be a Bad Time for Small Businesses to Raise Prices | NYTimes.com: Some small-business experts are offering advice that may sound counterintuitive in this slowing economy. Now, they argue, may be the perfect time to increase your marketing budget ? and even your prices.
Social networking sites good for businesses | Reuters: A British think-tank says bosses should not stop their staff using social networking sites because they could actually benefit their firms.
Workday Spending Down | Inc.: The economic downturn is forcing many employees to curtail their workday spending habits, according to a recent Vault.com survey.

Management

In this Downturn, Employers Cut Jobs Rather than Pay | BusinessWeek: By raising pay while cutting jobs, companies can "thin the herd" while giving remaining workers "the big corporate hug they need."
Tired of Negative News? Here are 10 Benefits of a Recession | Michael Hyatt: If you are tired of reading about bailouts, bankruptcies, and poor earnings, here's some uplifting thoughts from the CEO of one of the largest book publishers in the U.S.
Even When On Your Own, Continue Professional Development | Lifehacker.com: When you work from home or as a freelancer, one aspect of business life you may be giving up is your own professional development and training. Fortunately, there are ways to effectively and efficiently train yourself, growing your education on your own.
The Secret to Business Productivity | Forbes.com: Companies that maintain a decent level of productivity are rewarded more than those that hit higher highs but can't sustain them.
Stable work is good for your heart | Management-issues.com: This may not be good news for small business owners, but, "the unknown or fear of the unknown is often a great source of stress for many of us. When we find ourselves working in organizations with poor communication, or otherwise ambiguous working conditions, it's easy to see why our blood pressure our heartbeat might rise.

Finance and Accounting

SBA Announces Plan to Thaw Small-Business Loans | wsj.com: These changes to the SBA loan program will help free up capital so lenders can continue to make SBA-backed loans, said Eric Zarnikow, associate administrator of SBA?s Office of Capital Access
401(k)s: Employer Contributions Get the Ax | BusinessWeek: Desperate to cut costs, more and more companies are eliminating their matching contributions to employee 401(k) plans
Paulson Says Treasury Is Shifting Focus of Bailout | NYTimes.com: The 'bailout' will now focus on ways to bolster the financial markets and, in turn, make loans more accessible for creditworthy borrowers seeking car loans, student loans and other kinds of borrowing.
Small Firms Getting Local Loans | WSJ.com: Small businesses have been having increasing trouble getting loans as the credit markets have seized up. But some are finding that smaller community banks and credit unions are more open to offering financing.
The Factors That Determine How You Should React to the Economy | The Entrepreneurial Mind: How you should position a business for the coming months boils down to four key factors: cash flow, debt load, financial trends and the condition of your specific industry and customers.