THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from around the world.

• Entrepreneurs create their own recovery: Back in August, Federal Reserve officials suggested that the Great Recession was ending and the U.S. could expect “a gradual resumption of sustainable economic growth.” But even with stock market indexes and the bottom lines of large financial firms bouncing back, small businesses can expect a longer slog to economic health.
• The government’s fuzzy small biz math: In August the Small Business Administration released its annual scorecard tallying federal dollars awarded to small business contractors last year.
• Fed’s Loans Could Help Entrepreneurs: The U.S. Federal Reserve on Tuesday vowed to buy short-term debt in order to unlock the credit flow that business owners rely on for quick loans, but today it’s still not clear exactly when the relief will come or whether the move will indeed trickle down to the everyday entrepreneurs who need help the most
• Soaring medical costs strain small businesses: Cathy Jamieson and her husband struggle to maintain health insurance coverage for workers at their small plastics molding plant in Chula Vista.
• Overtime fines hit small business: Anyone can tell you it’s tough to run a business. Now it’s about to get tougher.The U.S. Department of Labor is cracking down on employee overtime violations, and business owners are going to start feeling the heat.

• Small Business Tax Strategies: Operate a small business in Canada and think you’re paying too much income tax? Reduce your income tax with these eight small business tax strategies.
• Retail Sales Tax: An outline of the process of charging, collecting, and remitting retail sales tax (RST) in Ontario, using the example of a small retail business. This provincial sales tax explanation also applies to small businesses in BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Small Business Week 2009 – Make It Yours: This is the thirtieth year that the Business Development Bank of Canada has organized Small Business Week, a tribute to Canadian small businesses.
• B.C. small business confidence surging: Signs are emerging that B.C. small business confidence is on the upswing. CFIB’s Business Barometer Index for B.C. is currently 65.8. Last month it was at 63.6.
• Consider the Tax Implications When You’re Selling a Business: A lot of business people I know see their small business as their retirement nest egg; eventually, they’ll sell their businesses, retire, and live off the proceeds.

• Qld Govt contracting plan risks 700 jobs: Both of the two proposed models to simplify the Queensland Government’s system for hiring IT contractors could lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs and a number of small business closures, according to a new report by analyst firm Longhaus.
• Small business fears more rises: JUST as things were looking up for small business owners such as Koula Zerefos, the RBA decided to start raising interest rates.
• Perth SMEs hit by credit card fraud: SMEs should take note of the recent wave of credit card “skimming” in WA, and keep watch on their credit cards to ensure they do not become victims of fraud,…
• Population mini-boom provides opportunities for SMEs: Australian businesses, particularly in the retail and construction industries, should take advantage of the country’s booming population by identifying key growth areas and offering services for…
• ACCC bans Australialink from sending scam invoices: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has warned SMEs to “be careful” in their interactions with business listing directories, following a Federal Court ruling against online business…

• State aid rules must not force banks to abandon small businesses, says FPB: The FPB is urging the European Commission not to force the UK’s part-nationalised banks to abandon more than two million of their small-business customers.
• Some small businesses in the North East seeing growth but many worried about accessing finance: Almost one in ten small businesses in the North East are already experiencing an upturn in trade, according to a new survey.
• A freeze on new business regulations will create more than 300,000 jobs, says FSB: The Government must put a stop to all new business regulation and simplify red tape if it is to seriously tackle rising unemployment, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said.
• SFA calls for government loan scheme: The Small Firms Association (SFA) has today called for a government-backed loan scheme to help small business.
• A £5000m boost for small firms: Small businesses are to be given a £500m tax break under Tory plans to create 60,000 jobs

• National Identity Fraud Prevention Week: From today to October 18th is National Identity Fraud Prevention Week – so why should you care?
• Focus, Focus, Focus On Your Small Business Goal: One of the most destructive developments in any business is when a business, large or small, is loosing its business focus. The same is true if you as a small business owner fail to focus on your business goal(s).
• Green credentials of SaaS put to the test One of the main benefits we always stress about OnlineOfficeand on-demand software in general is how environmentally friendly it is. There was an excellent article recently at Software Advice where they conducted some tests to see if a SaaS solution would really have much effect on the amount of energy consumed. They used a medical practice for the purpose of this test and compared traditional record-keeping software stored on a local server with a cloud computing alternative hosted at a data centre.
• How to buy online business software for your small business?: When you start your business you’ll need to consider what software and which online services you need, i.e. online accounting software, web-hosting, online shop, business planning software, invoicing and much more. Before you do so you need to know what you are looking for.
• Why Your Accountant SHould Be Online: I don’t know if you have noticed, but business is getting faster and faster. Since the advent of the Internet and especially since the introduction of Web 2.0 technologies business processes have shifted a few gears up.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

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Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from around the world.

• When a Customer Becomes Too Important: If an entrepreneur notices that one or two clients are responsible for the bulk of the company’s revenue, it’s time to stop and remedy the situation.
• Small business ARC loans pick up, but frustrations remain. A government effort to get badly needed cash into the hands of struggling small business owners is slowly gaining momentum, but entrepreneurs seeking the scarce loans are still in for a frustrating ride.
• CIT shares plummet 45%: Shares of CIT Group, one of the nation’s largest lenders to small businesses, plummeted 45% Wednesday after a newspaper article said the company will hand control to bondholders or file for bankruptcy.
• A grim year for small business lending: Here’s a telling statistic about the toll the recession is taking on Main Street: This year, the government’s top small business lending program got loans to 25,000 fewer entrepreneurs than it did last year.
• Whitney Says U.S Rebound Hampered by Small-Business Loan Curbs: The U.S. recovery will falter as banks continue to curb lending to small companies, said Meredith Whitney, whose 2007 prediction that Citigroup Inc. would cut its dividend triggered a plunge in the bank’s stock.   

• Upcoming Seminars: October is Small Business month and Small Business BC is sponsoring a series of seminars for entrepreneurs. Most are available throughout the province via video conference. For more information, go to smallbusinessbc. ca
• Investment Angles: Angel investors may not have wings, but they can be the answer to an entrepreneur’s prayers, providing early-stage funding to deliver them from pre-revenue purgatory.
• Data Backup: Every small business has sensitive data that needs to be protected and data backup is the best data protection. These data backup tips will help you establish a data backup system that will protect your critical business data from disaster.
• Maple Ridge coffee shop keeps it all in the family: The Wheeler family of Maple Ridge quite literally built their small business from the ground up.

• Craig Emerson’s book import proposal cannot work, industry expert warns: Small business and competition minister Craig Emerson has offered a compromise with sellers and publishers regarding the controversial move to scrap all import restrictions, but industry groups are..
• SMEs risk being left behind: A newly-released survey says that while small business is driving recovery and growth in South East Asia, Australia will be left behind.
• Reforms to R&D concession could burden businesses: Compliance requirements for the Federal Government’s new research and development tax concession could unfairly burden small businesses, accountants have warned.
• Concerns grow over paid parental leave scheme: Accounting bodies are urging the Federal Government to review its proposed paid parental leave scheme, which they say will unnecessarily burden small businesses.
• Reports of an ATO crackdown on SMEs: While reports are out this morning that the ATO is in the middle of a crackdown on SMEs, an ATO spokesperson says that the supposed crackdown is broad and extends…

• Small businesses hang on to employees: Despite rising unemployment, a large majority of SMEs plan to retain staff over the next year.According to alternative finance provider Close Invoice Finance, 68 per cent of SMEs are not expecting to make redundancies over the next 12 months, with only seven per cent intending to let staff go in 2009.
• FDs call for corporation tax cuts: Despite calls for a cut, eight out of ten (84%) Finance Directors who were surveyed fear the rate of corporation tax will either stay the same or increase after the next general election, despite calls for a cut, potentially leaving UK PLC hamstrung, according to new research from leading business and financial advisers Grant Thornton.
• Small businesses fear rated revaluation could hit them hard: The majority of small business owners fear they will be forced to pay inflated rates bills for five years, according to a survey carried out by the FPB ahead of October’s revaluation of rateable values.
• Poor payment still the number business concern: Almost a quarter (23%) of respondents to the survey selected late payment and subsequently poor cash flow as their ‘key issue’ – more than those who voted for a lack of sales (20%), and complying with health and safety regulations (11%).
• Small businesses in the East of England hope to create jobs but worry about credit: More than a tenth of small businesses in the East of England are already experiencing an upturn in trade, according to a new survey, and half hope to take on staff by September 2010.

• The Small business Blog- New Comments Rules : As of today I will change the way I will moderate new comments. The reason for these changes is SPAM. I will apply the following rules to all comments left:
• Cloudsourcing for Small Business Tasks & Ideas: Every day a business owner needs to perform many different business tasks and sometimes it is just time to do a bit of outsourcing. You google ‘virtual assistant’ and hope to find someone to do the work for you. Some of these task may take too long for a single VA to do and you
• Working from Home for Business Owners: Any self respecting business owner will have to think about running their business from home. Especially in an economic climate like this. working from home is the best way to cut cost and make ends meet. Working from home also allows you to be at home when the children get home from school, it can

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

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Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from around the world.

• Small-Business Owners Are Coping, and Feeling Grateful for the Bright Spots: For five small business owners in New York, the conditions are still rough — but these entrepreneurs are grateful for a few bright spots.
• Patent Auctions Offer Protections to Investors: Instead of spending millions in protracted legal battles, some inventors are turning to firms that will auction their rights to the highest bidders.
• The last bank standing for small businesses: The landscape of lenders willing to work with small business owners has changed dramatically in the last year, but one bank — Wells Fargo — has emerged stronger than ever.
• Small businesses fighting downturn urge residents to spend in their neighborhood: As a matter of habit, residents of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, head to DeKalb Ave. or Fulton St. to shop. So the merchants of nearby Myrtle Ave. use a “think globally, shop locally” marketing campaign to vie for attention and dollars.
• Small Business Guide to Text-Message Marketing: With a few caveats, mobile text messaging can help build customer relationships and increase sales at a reasonable cost.

• Health; Crisis in the making: Five in six small businesses have no health-related contingency plan. There’s a one-in-six chance of a massive H1N1 outbreak. It’s time to do more than the math.
• How to Get People to Be on Your Advisory Board: Figuring out that having an Advisory Board to help you manage your small business – easy. Getting the people with the expertise and experience to serve on the Advisory Board…
• Startups see upside of down economy: W hen Devin Spackman put together a business plan for his coffee shop venture, he didn’t expect to make a profit for the first six months.
• Retail Sales Tax (RST) And…: An outline of the process of charging, collecting, and remitting retail sales tax (RST) in Ontario, using the example of a small retail business. This provincial sales tax explanation also applies to small businesses in BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Home Office Organization: Is a messy cluttered home office slowing you down? Need to know how to organize your home office but don’t know where to start? If you’re not quite ready for a full makeover but desperately need more home office organization, here are five small manageable things you can do to organize your home office right now

• SMEs to benefit from new cyber-crime legislation: New cyber-crime legislation will be introduced by the Federal Government before the end of the year that will make the possession and trading of secure digital information such as account…
• Businesses get massive debts cleared: ABOUT 3000 small businesses have been relieved of debts of up to $30,000 each after a major court action by the ACCC.
• Bankruptcy reform will hurt: SMALL business owners might find that life under a Rudd Labor government is about to get a bit harder.
• Government may cut more SME programs: The Federal Government may take the axe to more business programs as it starts to restore the budget to surplus, Innovation Review head and deputy chair of CSIRO, Terry Cutler…
• Fears that SMEs will be hit by news OHS costs premature: Claims that SMEs will carry the costs of new national occupation health and safety laws are premature, says the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Peter Anderson.

• SMEs to tackle youth unemployment: Small businesses are vital to tackling graduate and youth unemployment, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) will tell delegates at the Labour Party Conference next week.
• Don’t deter SMEs from offering apprenticeships, says CBI: The Low Pay Commission is to decide early next year whether apprenticeships should be brought under the national minimum wage rules.
• Small firms rates relief Bill comes a step closer: Small business representatives have welcomed Assembly support for a Bill that will introduce a rates relief scheme for small firms.
• Upbeat small firms believe business can grow but may fear a lack of lending will hold them back, finds FPB: Many small businesses believe they will prosper and grow as Britain heads out of recession, according to a survey released today.
• SMEs triumph over adversity: Over 40 per cent of small businesses in the UK have developed creative solutions to strengthen their business during the downturn, research has found.

• Assessing Your Business Idea – Pre Business Start-up: Over 50% of business start-ups fail within only five years, and most of those fail in the first twelve months. There seems to be a commonality in the reasons why businesses fail at this early stage. Question is, does it really have to be like this? We think not!
• Recession Survival -Re-Activation & Retention Of Your Small Business Customers: There is no easier sale to make than to sell to people who are already customers. Why? They know your business and they know you, so they know what they get – since they will hopefully have been served well by your business when they bought from you last.
• Has your small business been given the swine flu “vaccine”?:Last week the numbers of swine flu victims has doubled in the UK. How is your business prepared for the apparently coming wave of swine flu infected people? The northern hemisphere is going to suffer this winter with more swine flu victims than last summer, according to experts. How can you make sure your business is [...]
• Blog Action Day 2009:- Climate Change: At WinWeb we are very interested in our environment – as you may know our OnlineOffice is one green or better eco-friendly business tool you and your colleagues can use to help the environment.
  So when this years Blog Action Day was announced to be about climate change we signed up without delay. On October [...]
• Online Tools Aid Globalization Of The Kitchen Table Home Business: Running a business from home is already a reality for many of us. But how well do we really understand the real potential of home businesses using web 2.0 online business software? Do you have a website and are you aware that this makes your business a global business? Yes, your kitchen table business is [...]

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

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Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from around the world.

• Small businesses want, fear health reform: Small-business owners are begging for changes to the health care system, but they believe they have the most to lose when and if reform materializes.
• From distilleries to backwoods bowling alleys, NYC provides loans to rural small businesses: The city has laid off teachers, trimmed the housing authority payroll, chopped cultural grants and scrambled to close a looming $1.1 billion budget gap.
• The CEO in the mail room: Small businesses have shed an estimated 1.6 million jobs this year. That leaves the remaining staffers to pick up the workload left behind — and even bosses are pitching in. With their employee rosters cut to the bone, business owners are going back to the basics, re-learning to do tasks they may not have handled in years.
• A hot wine startup hits ‘pause’: Greg Snell’s startup seemed to have it all — an innovative product, millions in venture capital from a top Silicon Valley firm, and a wait list of enthusiastic customers ready to shell out thousands of dollars. But after the recession hit, the former semiconductor industry executive found his fledgling company teetering on the verge of failure.
• Bring Wall Street to Main Street: They’re young, talented and well-funded–but how are these former financiers faring as entrepreneurs?

• Entrepreneurship is key to growing B.C.’s economy: Throughout North America and, indeed, around the world, governments and other managers of economies have recognized that in this century, innovation and knowledge, primarily in the form of technology, will be the main economic driver. For example, in March 2009, the Harvard Business Review suggested that the currency of global competition in the years ahead will be innovation.
• Business confidence growing: Calgary business owner Kim Stern can understand the growing optimism among fellow Alberta entrepreneurs.
• Procurement Definition: What is procurement? This procurement definition for small business owners includes an introduction to the key issues and general trends in procurement, such as green procurement.
• Ambitious Growth goals for rubber band man: Roland Swift was born and raised on Brier Island, near Digby, N.S., where the majority of the island’s nearly 300 inhabitants work hauling in lobsters. Binding lobster claws for safe handling and shipping was done manually, until Mr. Swift set about designing a machine that could radically speed the process. He succeeded, eventually creating a patented “semi-automated rubber band applying machine.”
• Use this lull to reinvent, diversify and expand: According to the Bank of Canada and several economists, the recession’s over. Real Estate sales are booming, the stock market’s up by some 50% from its lows, and business and consumers are starting to spend again, albeit hesitantly.

• Small guys back Rudd’s policy: THE Rudd government has received a ringing endorsement this week from a group of voters who should belong well and truly to Malcolm Turnbull
• Small business cash flow solution: SMALL businesses face cash flow pressure because large customers extend payment terms then seek a discount for early settlement, says the industry group for receivables finance providers.
• SMEs confident but job cuts still on the agenda: Small business optimism over the Australia’s economy is at a 10-year high, a new report shows.The latest Sensis Business Index, released today, shows confidence increased 20 points to 50% in the September quarter and is now at the highest level since the global credit crunch began.
• Businesses loosing out on finance: SMALL businesses are facing cash flow pressure as large customers extend payment terms then seek a discount for early settlement, says an industry finance body

• Tower Group Research Ranks Travelex Industry Leader in Payment: EPAY Inc. is a high performance, online payment platform allowing consumers and small businesses to send and receive money transfers worldwide through epayarea.com debit cards. … May 20th, 2009 MUMBAI – Avaya GlobalConnect,India’s leading enterprise business communications solutions provider today unveiled its strategic roadmap in India for 2009. The company announced its renewed focus on technology solutions for the BFSI, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Hospitality and …
• SEO training Programs in India: The SEO Training Class helps small business owners learn the basics of SEO to increase the visibility of their business in the search engines. By combining these techniques with excellent marketing skills, you will be well on your way …
• Tata Communications high on cloud: Tata Communications , the global communications provider, is all set to tap the growing cloud services market in India . Along with large enterprises, it sees small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) as potential users of cloud services.

• Poor payment tops list of business owners’ concerns in latest Economic Downturn Panel survey: Cash flow worries as a result of increasing late payments are causing small businesses the most headaches, according to the latest Economic Downturn Panel survey carried out by the FPB.
• Help at hand for small firms struggling with employment law: Employment law is a mounting problem for small businesses forced to make redundancies because of the recession or dismiss staff following disciplinary breaches, the FPB is warning.
• FSB sweet talk at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference: The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) will give the Liberal Democrat Party Conference a taste of life in a small firm this week to highlight the importance of small businesses in tackling unemployment.
• Change needed at job centres: Jobcentre Plus is in desperate need of reform, says the Federation of Small Businesses
• Cloud technology will help small firms: An increase in the number of companies offering firms remotely operated IT services – known as cloud computing – could help small firms to compete against larger rivals

• Online Small Business Accounting Software with a Difference: Do you hate accounting and bookkeeping like most small business owners do! You don’t make any money by doing your accounting and any small business accounting software only costs money. The new breed of online accounting software promises to be cheaper and more efficient – and who would we be to disagree with that. But [...]
• WinWeb OnlineOffice Pro Now With Bookkeeping Service: Small business owners need more than software, online or off-line, they need real business services to get things done. That is how WinWeb has seen the SME market for a decade now.
• 100 Tips and Tricks for Freelancers and Self-Employed: Over 10 million workers in the US alone are independent contractors or better know as freelancers or self-employed. Using freelancers is a great way for small business to get jobs and projects done by professionals.But what about the freelancers themselves? How are they fairing during this recession? We have compiled a list of 100 tips
• The Lost Workforce of the West: It seems so many people have had the same time-line. Work for years, lay all the paving slabs on the career path, then put it all on hold when the patter of tiny feet come along. Every year in the West, there are millions of births, and so many of them lead to a major [...]
• 75 Virtual Assistant Tips For Small & Home Businesses: How often are you doing business admin work and you wish you had someone to do it for you? Rings a bell? Well you are not alone, we all have moments like this.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST

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Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from around the world.

• Small business tax hacks: Two bills introduced on Capitol Hill in July aim to revise the tax code and get more money flowing into small business coffers.
• Insurance Rx: With Democrats and Republicans fighting a death match over health care reform, some small business owners fear that their priorities will get lost in the fray.
• Finding the Path to Success by Changing Directions: The entrepreneurs of Scale Computing failed at their original venture but switched gears to take advantage of real opportunities.
• What’s the Deal: Small business owners aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch in this recession. Their clients are too. Meet one entrepreneur who’s wheeling and dealing with his customers so they don’t have to “sweat” the small stuff. (MSNBC
• Bush Offers Safety Net to Entrepreneurs: The Bush Administration today said it would begin a direct infusion of $250 billion into the American banking system in order to get credit lines flowing again. As part of the plan, “unlimited insurance coverage for non-interest-bearing deposit transaction accounts” will be instituted by the federal government, according to a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation statement. The move is seen as direct relief for entrepreneurs using bank-based accounts to cover payroll.

• It’s OK Not to Be An Entrepreneur: A lot of people promote the idea that you have to be an entrepreneur to run a successful small business.
• TSX gains after Bank of Canada assessment: The Toronto Stock Exchange rose Thursday as additional signs of an improving economy rolled in.
• Entrepreneur Serves up Innovative Lunch Program in Schools: As the kids head back to school next week, over a quarter million elementary students can look forward to nutritious hot and cold lunches in their schools thanks to the vision and perseverance of Canada’s most successful entrepreneur in this sector.
• New Canadians want to deal with businesses that contribute to ethnic communities: Ethnic and new Canadians are more likely to deal with a company if it contributes to their community, according to a recent IPSOS study.

• Aussie start-up execs hit Silicon Valley: The global financial crisis might have tarnished some of Silicon Valley’s lustre, but for many Australian technology entrepreneurs, it hasn’t lost its bright, shiny status. And looking back across the Pacific, Australia’s much-vaunted lifestyle offers little incentive for them to come back
• South Australian MP considers bill to weed out franchising rouges: South Australian Labor MP Tony Piccolo says he will consider introducing a private members’ bill into South Australian Parliament if Federal Labor Small Business Minister fails to reform the…
• SME defence companies get access to $20,000 grant: Around 150 small and medium companies in the defence sector will be able to claim a Federal Government grant of up to $20,000 to improve their competitiveness and access new…
• South Australian MP considers bill to weed out franchising rouges: South Australian Labor MP Tony Piccolo says he will consider introducing a private members’ bill into South Australian Parliament if Federal Labor Small Business Minister fails to reform the Franchising Code.
• Small business hit as states ignore federal pay freeze: THOUSANDS of small businesses will be forced to pay wages of up to $25 a week higher than the federal minimum wage as a result of state tribunals ignoring a federal pay freeze and awarding rises that employers warn could cost jobs.

• Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, PGDM…: Finance, Marketing, HRM, Operations, Systems, Information Technology, International Business, Management of Services and Entrepreneurship & Small Business. 2. Two Year Full-Time Post Graduate Diploma in Management- Finance 2010-2012 …
• Network 18 launches ‘Entrepreneur’ magazine in India:“Entrepreneur is a magazine for India’s small businesses, start-ups, venture funds and financial instititutions. The magazine will offer an in-depth understanding of what an entrepreneur wants and needs : information, …
• Indian economy growth to taper to 5 percent: India’s economy will grow by at least 5 percent in 2009-10, a Planning Commission member said here Wednesday. ‘We should see at least a 5 percent growth in GDP (gross domestic product) in 2009-10.…. Donald Trump is starting a new business venture check it out… http://bit.ly/1BxoqG; NoraWilliams Basic Online Chat For Website: I am looking for a basic online chat I can integrate into my small business
• Life returns to normal in Xinjiang capital : Affected by the public unrest, small businesses in Urumqi were still in doldrums. A shoe shop owner said although there were some customers, the shop’s revenue fell to 1000 yuan a day from over 7000 yuan before the riot. …

• New banks won’t rescue small firms: Former blue-chip bank chief Sir Peter Burt has poured cold water on hopes that any new banks could be launched to serve the struggling small business sector
• Cautious optimism returns to East Midlands Small Firms: OWNERS of small businesses in the East Midlands believe the economy is showing signs of recovery.Two out of five firms in the region …
• FPB surveys local authority payments to SMEs: The new research based on Freedom of Information Act requests has been designed to discover how many local authorities and health trusts are paying their suppliers – which are often small businesses – in a reasonable amount of time.
• Small Businesses at Risk, Says ABFA: According to the new research by the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA), 56 per cent of SMEs aren’t aware of the amount of financial support available from the Government.
• Business group finds steep cost of lending is leaving viable businesses in the cold: The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has learned that banks are imposing a raft of charges, increasing interest rates and demanding personal guarantees as pre-conditions for lending to small businesses, including under the Government’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme.

• Equity essential to finance new ventures: Equity rather than debt holds the key to financing the future of the UK’s small business sector, according to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The association’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) committee claims that economic recovery could be the shining moment for wealthy individuals who put money into early-stage ventures.
• WinWeb’s OnlineOffice Web Hosting Compatible with Apple iWeb: We are happy to announce that our OnlineOffice web & online shop hosting suite of productivity tools for small business & home businesses, is now compatible with Apple iWeb. Apple’s iWeb, a copyrighted product of Apple Inc, is one of the most popular html editors, site creation and management tools used by millions of people and [...]
• Finding New customers for your small & home business: Finding new customers for your business involves marketing, a concept that many new small business owners are unsure of. Marketing can be a full time job in itself and for this reason can seem overwhelming to someone with little or no experience. WinWeb provides another brief guide of where to start your marketing campaign to help find new customers for your business, re-activate old customers and retain your current customer’s business.
• 100 Small Business Bootstrapping Truths: Following our “Small Business. Big Ideas” articles about business bootstrapping, we at WinWeb have been busy and collected one hundred small & home business bootstrapping truths. In other words we tell you here how to get money and how not to spend, keeping you in business – here it goes:
• 3UK Mobile WiFi – Great WinWeb OnlineOffice Add-on: The 3UK Network is about to launch a mobile WiFi router, which makes for a great OnlineOffice add-on.

• As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

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Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from around the world.

• Washington to receive $34.7M in fed funds for small-business insurance: Washington will get $34.7 million in federal money over the next five years that will help some small businesses in the state provide health insurance, state officials said Friday.
• Health car: Scenes from town halls: Congressional efforts to revamp the country’s healthcare system have sparked a fierce debate within the small business community, pitting owners who believe that reform would curb rising healthcare costs against neighbors who fear higher taxes. All sides of the debate were on display this summer as legislators met with their constituents around the country.
• Auto dealers in financing hell: Most small businesses are having trouble finding loans and credit lines these days, but auto dealers are in their own special financing hell. Their inventory is expensive, their industry is in shambles, and their largest lenders are in tatters.
• Tackling Business Stress in Trying Times: The economic downturn has been especially hard on small businesses, and owners seek ways to ease the tension.

• Canadian small business bullish on recovery: Count the small- and medium-sized business sector among those jumping on the bandwagon of pundits believing the Canadian economy is recovering. In B.C., though, optimism is taking a slight hit.
• Sweet dreams are made of geoengineering:Farming plankton, sending solar panels into orbit, remodelling hydrogen — for the latest wave of entrepreneurs suggesting easier ways out of climate change, it’s all in a day’s pitching.
• Sask.’s young entrepreneurs taking root in province: As the Saskatchewan Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs’ (SYPE) 400 members prepare to celebrate the organization’s 10th anniversary this year, the group continues to look to the future to ensure the province’s young people can meet their career and lifestyle dreams in Saskatchewan.

• Chasing debts could keep you afloat:TIME-POOR small businesses have been urged to make time to chase debts, and it just might save them says one expert.
• Planning ‘more important than a budget’: ONLY about 5 per cent of small businesses operate from a business plan – but without one you could be in for a world of pain.
• Exports the key as small firms thrive: An eye further afield has helped one part of the economy succeed where others are floundering, writes Keeli Cambourne.
• Low inventories mean companies should ramp up marketing to win sales: Companies that let their inventories run low are now importing stock and getting ready for a much better Christmas, report experts in the SME sector.
• Employers fail to grasp new flexible work arrangement rules: SMEs are badly unprepared for the introduction of new workplace laws on 1 January 2010 that will allow employees to negotiate flexible workplace arrangement, a new survey shows.

• Small businesses back Lisbon Treaty:The majority of small businesses believe a Yes vote in the Lisbon Treaty is vital to boost exports across the EU, it emerged today.
• Warning on higher cost of lending: The cost of lending for small businesses could rise under plans aimed at making it easier for firms in trouble to get financial help
• Debtor sorrows for SMEs: Late payments are continuing to hurt small businesses, with many having to wait up to four months before balances are settled, claims the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
• Post office ‘should be a hub for all small businesses’: Post offices should be transformed into small business hubs, offering services such as banking and advice to companies in a bid to secure the future of the branch network, an industry group has said.
• Small firms now waiting up to four months to be paid, FSB revels: Small firms are waiting up to four months for invoices to be paid by several big brand names, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) research has revealed.

• As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

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Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from around the world.

• Angel Investors Become a Little Less So: The recession has caused some angel groups to take a look at the cost of coaching entrepreneurs and listening to their pitches.
• Legislators face small business crowd: Local members of the state legislature stood before an irritable group of small business owners last week, defending their decision to raise taxes on the rich and hike the state’s oft-debated $10 corporate minimum tax.
• Cybercrooks increasingly target small business accounts: An organization representing more than 15,000 financial institutions has issued a warning about a growing wave of attacks against small banks and businesses by cybercriminals using stolen banking credentials to plunder corporate accounts.
• The Kennedy Legacy vs. Glenn Beck’s Lies About Reform “Murdering” Small Businesses: Last week, Glenn Beck supplemented his racist pandering by picking up the hoary right-wing talking point that both health care and labor reform would “murder” small businesses. Defending small businesses, in fact, is the last refuge of big businesses and their right-wing allies just defending their profit margins and the status quo.
• Detroit’s jobless economy: Startups take root: In Detroit, a city with rampant unemployment, big crowds in the middle of the day may mean someone is giving out freebies. But on a recent workday, over 450 people packed an auditorium downtown. They weren’t looking for a hand out, sympathy or even a job application. They were looking to start their own business.

• Business Voice support for HST, try to fend off criticisms: B.C.’s manufacturing sector teamed up with representatives from the retail sector, movie industry and small business yesterday to back the province’s decision to introduce a 12 per cent harmonized sales tax next year.
• Income Tax Deductions: This three part article on small business tax deductions covers keeping track of your business expenses throughout the year, tax deductions related to the cost of doing business, and home business tax deductions. This page provides specific information about home business tax deductions that home business owners can deduct on their income tax.
• Forms of Business Ownership: What are the forms of business ownership? This forms of business ownership definition includes an explanation of the common forms of business ownership in Canada.

• Competition expert says Government should reverse exclusion of small business from unfair...: Competition expert Frank Zumbo, who is an associated professor at the University of New South Wales, says Federal Small Business and Consumer Affairs Minister Craig Emerson should reverse the…
• States ignore federal pay freeze: THOUSANDS of small businesses will be forced to pay wages of up to $25 a week higher than the federal minimum wage as a result of state tribunals ignoring a federal pay freeze and awarding rises that employers warn could cost jobs.
• New bankruptcy laws could hurt SMEs: A leading insolvency expert says changes to bankruptcy laws, which will raise the threshold at which a creditor can trigger bankruptcy from $2,000 to $10,000 will restrict the ability of…
• National network to help start-ups: Homegrown technology start-ups are to get a boost from a new $8 million angel investment network. AngelLink brings together early-stage investors from around the country with particular expertise in life sciences, engineering and…

• Entrepreneur’s Edge: Ivy Exec: Reuters Small Business presents expansion pitches from upstarts across the country: Ivy Exec is an exclusive online job board catering to high-profile professionals.
• Green Jobs Fair; India Habitat Center, New Delhi: Eligibility Open to Students ,Job seekers looking for a green turn in their careers, Entrepreneurs ,Corporations ,Small business owners, NGO’s. The Green Jobs Fair is a part of the India Habitat summit , NewDelhi.
• Home Business in India / Ideas to start legitimate Business from Home: Home business in India has enabled many people to earn money from home. Gone are the days when one just had the option of setting a small outlet at home and sold grocery items or dress materials for an income. …
• India’s Opposition Struggles With Past and Present: When in opposition, it has been an outspoken critic of the Congress party-led government’s liberalization policies, seeking to speak for workers and small businesses perceived to have been disadvantaged by reforms. …

• Lenders press bosses in property squeeze: Steep falls in commercial property values are adding to pressures on some small business owners as mortgage lenders impose higher rates
• Skills training and health and safety overshadow green issues for small businesses: Dealing with employment issues and health and safety is preventing small businesses from acting on their environmental concerns and saving money in the process, the FPB and the UK200Group are warning.
• Small businesses cheer on economy: British small businesses are getting bullish about the future – nearly three-quarters of them are increasingly confident about the economy.…
• ’6.000 small firms could fail in capital as banks squeeze loans: Up to 6,000 small firms in London could go bust by the end of the year as banks are failing to fund them, it was claimed
• Mixed fortunes: Small firms indicate any economic recovery is patchy

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST

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