Category: Small Business News
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
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
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
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
Small business can’t fund an economic expansion alone
How’s the economy going? In my long career, it’s hard to imagine a time when you could get as many different answers to this question. We know the answer if we’re talking to any of the millions of chronically unemployed or under-employed; they’re not represented in the misleading U3 unemployment index used by politicians and the media. And the same goes for the millions who were forced to transition from unemployment to early retirement, disabilityRead More
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
Market gardening, a small business for the green minded!
Especially in the last few years there has been great interest in market gardening, a particular type of small farming in which people, usually looking for an alternative lifestyle, produce high value crops from a small area of land. The demand for naturally grown food is soaring. Some sources say by as much as 20% per year. If you are looking at the possibility of opening a small business of your own and you happenRead More