SmallBusinessNewz

Staff Cuts Becoming Widespread

It may be true that no man is an island, but the economy's problems are forcing some small business owners to become peninsulas.  Or, to speak more plainly: a great many companies are laying off employees.

Halloween Expected To Bring Small Businesses Happiness

Don't love Halloween?  For a number of reasons, you should.  And as a small business owner, you may be especially happy to hear that a new report indicates consumer spending on the holiday is expected to be impressive this year.

Women-Owned Franchise Numbers on the Rise

Franchise consultants FranNet issues a release today discussing trends in women-owned franchises. They cited reports from the International Franchise Association, which found that women have founded 23 franchise systems in the U.S., and within a 10 year span, women-owned franchises increased nearly 17%.

Wakeup Tip: Schedule Morning Appointments

Visit any college campus early in the morning, and you'll find yourself on what looks like the set of a horror movie: an almost-deserted area with just a few zombie-like individuals staggering around.  To keep your business days from getting off to similar starts, it may be a good idea to schedule early appointments.

American Small Business League Slams "Bailout Bill"

The Bush "bailout bill" has drawn some criticism from small business enthusiasts, namely the American Small Business League (ASBL) unsurprisingly. "Not only does this bill not contain any provisions that specifically help small business, it has provisions that could actually harm middle class firms. The language in Section 107 of the bill is totally inconsistent with the stated objectives of this legislation," says ASBL President Lloyd Chapman.

Tax Experts Tell Small Businesses To Spend

We've moved a little bit beyond the point at which the economic powers that be tell everyone to indiscriminately "spend, spend, spend"; after all, even $700 billion put in all the right places might not fix the system.  However, some experts still think small businesses can do themselves a favor by making buys just now.

Saving Money is a Huge Concern

In the U.S. saving money has never been more important. It's an issue that small business owners are struggling with every day as the economy looks to only get worse before it gets better. 500 small business owners participated in a recent survey commissioned by ING's ShareBuilder 401k, and of that 500:

NFIB, NRF Support Bailout

Following the rejection of the proposed $700 billion bailout bill, some supporters promised that they'd have another version ready as soon as possible.  And for whatever it's worth, the National Federation of Independent Business and National Retail Federation hope that something gets passed soon.

Report: Entrepreneurs Losing Sleep

A sleepless night can be a great thing - the result of a book, movie, or significant other providing you with something better than being unconscious.  A lack of sleep can easily be caused by negative influences, however, and it seems that the bad economy is keeping a great many small business owners awake.

Are Your Employees Really Qualified?

I visited my favorite electronics store for citing as an example of what not to do with your sales staff, again the other day, and this time a whole new issue came up with regards to their employees. Incompetence.