Day: October 17, 2014
October 2014 Report: Small business optimism drops
SUMMARY OPTIMISM INDEX September’s Optimism Index gave up 0.8 points, falling to 95.3. At 95.3, the Index is now 5 points below the pre-recession average (from 1973 to 2007). Four Index components improved, six declined. Two declined by 10 points total, accounting for the entire decline in the Index score. Unfortunately, the two that fell drastically were job openings and planned capital outlays, which are directly relevant to GDP growth and hiring. LABOR MARKETS NFIBRead More
Small businesses benefit from modernised street trading rules
Reforms to street trading rules will make them both stronger and fairer, a government minister has said. Plans set out in the government’s response to a consultation held last year include amending street trading legislation so that undue restrictions on licences for pedlars and street traders are removed, and character checks to include a search of the police national databases are to be applied consistently across the UK. Also, the requirement for a pedlar to have livedRead More
Google Honors Savvy Small Business eMarketing Communities With eCity Awards
Google has announced 50 state winners of Google eCity Awards. According to the company, the awards recognize the strongest online business community in each state. “These cities’ businesses are using the web to find new customers, connect with existing customers and fuel their local economies,” says Google.According to the selection methodology, the first hurdle for a city to cross to be considered their state’s eCity winner was to be among the top five cities with the highest percentageRead More
Small Business Health Insurance Premiums May Not Be Rising as Predicted
Over the past year, our coverage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or “Obamacare”) has reinforced something we already knew: The experts on the topic are often wrong, but seldom in doubt. (We explained the reason last week why it’s hard to get past the noise of competing narratives when it comes to politics and the economy.) That said, here goes: (via: NYTimes.com You’re the Boss blog) (Based on reporting and anecdotal evidence), rate increasesRead More