Author: Small Business Desk
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
Small Steps Lead to Big Sales
What are the small steps you can take that will lead you to big sales? Here are some ideas that you can implement to increase your sales: Change your sales process. You know that it’s easier to sell to prospects that are referred to you. Why not change your sales process? That’s your first small step. Ask for a referral after every sale and an appropriate period of time. Of course, this means you mustRead More
Google Acquires Directr, a Small Business Video Marketing Startup
Details of the deal were not disclosed, but Directr is a relatively small operation, having only raised $1.7 million in funding. The company will integrate into YouTube’s video ads division. “Our small band of scrappy film lovers set out 2 years ago to help regular folks make great video. Today, we are incredibly excited to take the next step on that journey and announce that we are joining the video ads team at YouTube,” DirectrRead More
How the Cloud Can Transform Your Small Business
Receipts shoved into shoeboxes. Unreadable desk calendars stained with coffee rings. An inbox bursting with hundreds of unread emails… Sometimes, running a small business isn’t pretty. Now, imagine what a seamlessly streamlined business would look like – one where finances are available at the click of a keyboard, inboxes are neatly organized and filing cabinets are a thing of the past. Therein lies the value of the cloud. The popularity of cloud-based software has beenRead More
The Midterm Elections: A Small-Business Primer
Think back to this time last fall, and you’ll remember Congress had shut down the federal government over a budget impasse, and political sniping led to the nation nearly defaulting on its debt. Both scenarios created huge headaches and uncertainty in the U.S. and for small business owners. Now with Election Day just three weeks away, some small business owners are wondering whether a similar firestorm is on the horizon. To find out more, IRead More
Contractorship in Engineering and Construction
Contractor is an honorable profession and business. Therefore, it is also profitable small business too. You have trade license for any kind of small business like contractor for engineering and construction work. You are a contractor of engineering and construction type small business (or contractor of export-import and supply products, goods and equipments). No matter, you are male either female but you engage to road, and bridge construction and repairing, small level building construction, andRead More
Small Business Owners’ Definition of Success Fuels Their Optimism
Back in the day, you didn’t just buy a TV set. These were enormous pieces of heavy equipment. Our forefathers and ancestors who bravely watched television before the days of House of Cards and Homeland had to order their set in advance (by phone or even in person!), arrange for delivery and then have someone set it up in the living room for not only the best viewing, but also the best reception. That’s what Chris Swift’sRead More