SmallBusinessNewz

Twitter Launches Tweet Button

Small business owners who have come to believe in the marketing potential of Twitter may want to take advantage of a new feature known as the "Tweet Button."  Twitter unveiled it this morning for the sake of getting people to share more links.

SBA Offering Low Interest 504 Loans

The Small Business Administration's (SBA) 504 loan program is providing long-term, fixed financing for the purchase of commercial real estate at one of its lowest interest rates in history.The SBA's lending partners, Certified Development Companies (CDCs) are working with small business borrowers who are taking advantage of this current low interest rate to purchase or build new facilities.

Visa Enhances Business Network

Some recent improvements to the free-to-join Visa Business Network may resonate with small business owners.  The improvements were made with them in mind, in fact, and represent several different forms of help.We should note right here that Visa's not handing out money, so there's no need to start scanning this article for dollar signs and application due dates.  The Visa Business Network has around 100,000 active members, though, which is a sign there are plenty of reasons to participate, regardless.

Unsteady Economy Making Americans Cautious

The economy continues to make unsteady progress over the last few months, according to new research from Consumer Reports.Concerns surrounding the lack of job creation and financial difficulties facing Americans could be driving factors putting a recovery at risk, according to the Consumer Reports Index for August.

How You Can Become a Successful Leader

How would you define a leader? Political figures, teachers, actors, and many other people may come to mind, but it's important to know that a title does not qualify a leader. Even owning a small business doesn't define a leader. According to Dictionary.com, a leader is "a guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or political group."

NFIB-Measured Optimism Dips Again

Sooner or later, what goes up will presumably in one sense stay up - the economy can't crash forever - but in the month of July, that wasn't quite the case.  The National Federation of Independent Business Index of Small Business Optimism slid again.

Job Index Makes Modest Gains In July

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI) increased in July for the 14 month in a row.The index now stands at 97, up from June's figure of 96.7. The index is up 9.8 percent from a year ago."The growth rate of the Employment Trends Index slowed sharply in the past three months, suggesting that employment growth will remain too weak to keep up with the increase in the working age population," said Gad Levanon, Associate Director, Macroeconomic Research at The Conference Board.

UK Banks To Form Lending Taskforce

On a regular basis, small business owners and organizations point out that banks in the UK are still quite reluctant to lend money.  And to be honest, that may not change anytime soon.  But interestingly, a handful of banks have now decided to look at the matter by forming a taskforce.

Are You Driving Potential Buyers Away?

Have you ever been in a position in which someone likes you a whole lot more than you like him or her? The interesting thing about these situations is that you are, typically, driven away instead of returning the same level of feelings. Incidentally, many businesses are guilty of setting up a similar scenario in regards to online sales.

Small Businesses Rely On Free Shipping For Online Purchases

Saving time and money is important to small businesses that order their supplies online, and almost all (99%) say free shipping is a key factor when selecting a retailer, according to a new survey commissioned by Staples. Small businesses that order online say it saves them time and money, and nearly half (46 percent) feel that their small business could not operate without this cost-saving benefit.