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Printing Gets Cut First
When the going gets tough, the tough... print less. Oh, and they cut back on office supplies, too. -- Mar 19, 2009
Recession Or Not, Some Businesses Invest In Marketing
A new study indicates that many are actually increasing their marketing spend. -- Mar 17, 2009
Do Hard Times Make Linux A Smarter OS Choice?
Plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests that the economic downturn has actually been good for Linux. A recent study backs up that suggestion with some hard numbers. -- Mar 17, 2009
Small Business Innovation: Don't Forget The Technology
Defining Small Business Innovation -- a research brief released today -- once again drives home the point that small businesses must innovate to survive. I couldn't agree more, but would place more emphasis on technology as the key to making innovation happen. -- Mar 16, 2009
$20 Billion In New Aid For Small Businesses
The Obama Administration plans to funnel up to $20 billion from the stimulus plan into efforts to aid small businesses in a broad package of initiatives to be announced on Monday. -- Mar 15, 2009
Where's The ROI For Trade Shows & Conferences?
SXSW Interactive starts later this week. The question for business owners is whether this event or any other is worth the expense in this economy. -- Mar 9, 2009
Small-Business Hiring Increases -- Barely
Despite the recent news of unemployment rising, small-business hiring actually increased -- though by less than 1 percent -- in February. At least it's a departure from all the doom and gloom of late. -- Mar 6, 2009
Small-Business Employment Continues To Plummet
The small- and midsize-businesses sectors each reported employment losses that are more than double the amount for large enterprises, according to a report released Wednesday. "As gruesome as the numbers are, they certainly aren't unexpected," said Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers. -- Mar 4, 2009
Free Online Discussion About What Stimulus Plan Means For Your Small Business
OK, listen up all you small business owners who told MerchantCircle they didn't know enough about President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to have an opinion about it (read yesterday's SBR post). -- Mar 3, 2009
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke: What's A TALF? And Why Should You Care?
Announced last November, the oft-delayed Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, or TALF, will finally write its first loans on March 25. The goal is to free up $1 trillion in consumer and small business lending. -- Mar 3, 2009
Small Businesses Weigh In On Stimulus Package
What do microbusinesses really think about President Obama's stimulus package? -- Mar 2, 2009
Bill That Boosts Spending On Small Business Programs Halfway Through Congress
Following the legislative process makes me all the more appreciative of the flexibility that defines small businesses. -- Feb 27, 2009
Business Owners' Optimism Starts To Inch Upward
Knowing exactly when the low point (or high point) of any fluctuation occurs is almost impossible without some distance from the events. According to a new survey, the low point of optimism for small business owners may have been last October. -- Feb 26, 2009
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke - Obama Finally Steps Up For Small Businesses. But Will It Be Enough?
Small business got a lot of attention the Presidential campaign trail last year, but they've seemed kind of invisible in Washington since then. Until last night, when President Obama finally shared the love with entrepreneurs and small business owners. But despite the glowing rhetoric, it's not at all clear that business owners will get what they what they really want out of the administration. -- Feb 25, 2009
Microsoft Rises To Economic Challenge With Free Tech Training
In this little corner of the Web, blogging about technology as a bona-fide small-business enabler is like preaching to the choir. But in reality, IT skills among microbusinesses are extremely diverse. I've noticed how those at the savvier end of the spectrum tend to forget how many people on the other side are struggling to understand and take part in the online world. -- Feb 23, 2009
Payroll Tool Includes Stimulus Bill Tax Changes
The stimulus package that was just signed into law includes a number of tax credits for small and midsize companies. Now Intuit Payroll aims to make sure smaller-business employees receive the maximum tax benefits they're entitled to. -- Feb 23, 2009
SBA Gives Thumbs Up To The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Four weeks after becoming President of the United States, Barack Obama has made good on his economic stimulus plan, signing into law the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. And from the standpoint of the Small Business Association, we have everything to gain. -- Feb 18, 2009
Would You Cut Your Own Pay To Save Jobs?
Half of all small business owners are already doing it, according to a new Staples survey. Moreover, two thirds are willing to give up "dining out, entertainment, and vacations to ensure job stability." -- Feb 17, 2009
House Small Business Committee Meets To Discuss Entrepreneurial Development Programs
A magic pill to cure the ailing economy has yet to be invented, but entrepreneurial development programs are a serious step in a healthy direction. -- Feb 12, 2009
Dell Jumps On The 0% Financing Bandwagon
In the current recession, buying computer equipment for your company is starting to resemble shopping for a car. When I see companies offering 0% financing, I usually assume they're offering deals on a new Ford Taurus or Toyota Camry. But Dell has just joined HP in no-interest SMB lease promotions. -- Feb 10, 2009
Recession Proof Businesses
If a rising tide lifts all ships, then our economic low tide should be hurting every business right now. Think again! Some businesses are thriving. -- Feb 4, 200
SMBs Expanding Server Investment Amid Recession
Despite the economic downturn, the majority of small and midsize businesses intend to buy new server hardware in the next year, suggesting that tightening budgets won't derail business-critical technology purchases. -- Jan 29, 2009
Cloud Computing: The Ultimate Recession Technology
The recession is hurting everyone ... or is it? This could be the break out year for cloud computing vendors who are ready and waiting for a flood of businesses to embrace low cost, no investment, no management computing in the cloud. -- Jan 28, 2009
Geithner Named Treasury Secretary Despite Tax Fiasco
Some people not only fail to pay their taxes and still sleep at night, but one, in particular, is now Secretary of the Treasury. -- Jan 27, 2009
Despite Economic Woes, Business Owners Optimistic
Each day brings more bad news about the economy, but that hasn't dampened small business owners outlook about the prospects for 2009 -- the majority see opportunity. -- Jan 15, 2009
X86 Market Stalls. Will Servers Be Immune?
Market analysts say that the PC market (which includes x86 servers) performed worse than expected during the last quarter. -- Jan 15, 2009
Get Ready To Collect Taxes On Online Sales
New York State's court victory forcing Amazon to collect sales tax will not immediately lead to your company having to collect sales tax on sales across the country, but you had better believe the writing is on the wall. Selling online is about to get a lot more complicated. -- Jan 14, 2009
What Nortel's Bankruptcy Means For Your Business
By now you've probably heard that Canadian telecom giant Nortel has officially gone bankrupt. But if your company uses Nortel equipment, you're probably still wondering what that means to you. -- Jan 14, 2009
It's All About Sales
The latest NFIB survey reveals that poor sales is now the dominant issue facing small business owners, troubling a record 25% of surveyed companies. -- Jan 9, 2009
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke - The TED Spread Is Down, So Why Aren't We Smiling?
Last Fall, at the height of the credit crisis, a variety of esoteric financial indexes, including the TED Spread and the LIBOR, were setting new records, and not in a good way. Well, the TED Spread has fallen back to earth, but the economy keeps getting worse. What the heck is going on here? -- Jan 9, 2009
Macworld Attendees Have Recession On Their Minds
The Macworld Expo didn't offer a ton of new stuff on the exhibition floor this year -- neither in the form of products nor swag. Rather, among the manufacturers aiming for the businesses, there was discussion about what their audiences need -- and can afford. -- Jan 7, 2009
Obama Selects New SBA Administrator
Karen Gordon Mills, a venture capitalist with a Harvard pedigree, is on her way to becoming the next administrator of the Small Business Administration. -- Jan 7, 2009
'Mouse Potatoes' Are Nothing New
People who sit at their desks for long periods of time are "mouse potatoes," according to a brand-new study. But that characterization isn't new, and for once, it's not something that should necessarily be blamed on the tough economic times. -- Jan 6, 2009
Security Spending Rises As Economy Sinks: Forrester
The bad economy is good news for small and midsized business security budgets, according to a new report from Forrester. And, judging by some of Forrester's findings, the uptick comes just in time. -- Jan 5, 2009
Servers May Be (Relatively) Resistant To The Downturn
Surveys show that some IT spending will continue unabated, with servers being the prime example. -- Jan 5, 2009
Your Small Business In 2009
Like my entire family smushed into my parents' spare bedroom this time last week, so, too, can small businesses expect their space to crowd with more startups in the coming year. -- Jan 5, 2009
7 Reasons Cloud Computing Is Fed By The Bad Economy
Cloud computing is everywhere these days, with talk of it saving businesses money and streamlining their equipment. And now one company explains how the recession is feeding cloud computing. -- Dec 30, 2008
Is Getting Work Through A Staffing Agency Risky?
Amid the economic crisis, a lot of people are finding themselves out of work -- often for the first time. And those same people might be eyeing temporary staffing agencies to bring in at least some income. But what should be considered before taking on contract work? -- Dec 23, 2008
Small Businesses Resist Pressure To Cut Technology
According to the latest CDW IT Monitor survey, increased numbers of small, medium and large companies expect to reduce tech spending and staffing in the next six months, but some cuts remain far less likely at small outfits. -- Dec 22, 2008
Ax The Payroll Tax, Temporarily
The economic stimulus plan should include a six-month payroll tax break for small businesses, whose sales are at an all-time low, says the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). -- Dec 15, 2008
Newsflash: Economy To Affect SMB IT Spending
IDC has just released a study with the blindingly obvious conclusion that the downturn in the U.S. economy will have significant impact on SMB priorities and IT spending plans. What, did they think it wasn't going to make a difference? -- Dec 9, 2008
The rANT: Tribune Bankruptcy -- It's Their Own Damn Fault
The Tribune Company -- which owns the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, and the Chicago Cubs, among many other things -- filed for bankruptcy protection today. It didn't have to happen. -- Dec 8, 2008
Telecommuting, Teleconferencing Are On The Rise
An increase in fuel prices and the continuation of the economic crisis have contributed to a higher number of businesspeople choosing to telecommute as well as conduct meetings via Web, video, and teleconferencing, according to two recent surveys. The surging popularity of the telecommuter has even spurred a new moniker -- the "cloudworker." -- Dec 3, 2008
The rANT: The Lighter Side Of Bad News
With the economy now officially almost 12 months into a nasty recession, even The rANT can get depressed. So it warms our tubular heart to remember that it's always possible to find humor amidst economic ruin. -- Dec 3, 2008
Google Follows Smaller Businesses In Belt Tightening
The last month of 2008 began with the announcement that the U.S. economy is "officially" in recession. Then there's the news that job losses in small business reached a 7 year peak. But broad economic statistics only tell part of the story. Google, the poster child for unstoppable growth, is cutting back. Say it ain't so! -- Dec 3, 2008
Cyber Monday: Today Is Make Or Break For Online Retail
With consumer spending accounting for more than two-thirds of the U.S. economy, the results of Black Friday and Cyber Monday matter to all of us, not just retailers. So send your employees shopping. -- Dec 1, 2008
Underground Economy Booms While World Goes Bust
Turns out the real "new economy" may be the one the crooks have created. A new Symantec report shows just how organized the underground is -- and how fast it's growing. -- Nov 24, 2008
As More Lose Jobs, More Job-Spam Scams On The Loose
Spammers get their clicks by preying upon fear, among other things. And as unemployment levels rise, job, income and related concerns are becoming more common spam-prompts than ever.And prime among them are money-mule scams that try to rope people into laundering money from home. -- Nov 20, 2008
Economy Sinks, Phish Rise
Shouldn't surprise anybody, but the worse the economy gets, the more aggressive the phishers become. Some new statistics show just how aggressive that is. -- Nov 18, 200
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke: Unintended Consequences
This whole economic crisis is starting to look like a movie of a spectacular multi-car freeway wreck -- in slow-motion with no sound. We watch individual drivers careen about tying to avoid the pile-up, but end up causing new accidents. -- Nov 14, 2008
Small-Business Ups And Downs
Small businesses may not be a very optimistic bunch, but if it's any consolation, we sure are innovative. -- Nov 14, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke: More Mixed Signals
The rANT is becoming seriously confused -- these days it seems like the only certainty is uncertainty. On a day when U.S. consumer confidence dives lower than ever before, the stock market celebrates with its second-largest point gain in history. -- Oct 28, 2008
Economy Declines: Zombies Multiply And Spam Soars!
Even as the economy plummets and economic projections tumble, quarterly threat reports show rapidly rising threats and another outright explosion in spam, according to Secure Computing's quarterly Internet threat report. -- Oct 27, 2008
Entrepreneurs Needed For New Reality Show
When you're down and troubled, and you need a helping hand, it could be time to escape from reality and into reality TV. Starring YOU. -- Oct 22, 2008
Majority Of Small Transportation Businesses Raised Prices In Q2
A new survey confirms what SMBs have been feeling in their wallets: The ailing economy has forced shipping companies in North American to raise their prices. -- Oct 16, 2008
We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident...
How well do microbusinesses think Congress has done this year to represent their interests? Not surprisingly, not well at all, according to an online poll taken by 602 members of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) between July and September. -- Oct 16, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke - Back To The Drawing Board
Well, it seems The rANT might have been a bit premature when we hailed last week's global 1 trillion-euro bailout. Today's 733 nosedive in the Dow made it pretty clear that we are not out of the woods yet. -- Oct 15, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke - Good News Edition?
It seems that the $700 billion US bailout was just too puny to do the job. The global bank bailout proposed this weekend at the G7 conference raised the ante to more than 1 trillion euros, and sent Wall Street soaring. And it's not a moment too soon for business owners, as almost a fifth of US small businesses say the economic conditions threaten their very survival. -- Oct 13, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke - The TED Spread
The rANT is learning about arcane new finanical measurements on a daily basis -- and we are not pleased about it. Today's unhappy word is the TED Spread, the difference between what banks pay to borrow from each other for 3 months and what the Treasury pays. TED is going places it has never been before, and they are not good places, which helps explain why the market dived another 679 points today. -- Oct 8, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke - Rate Cut Edition
OK, so let's get this straight. Mr. Bernanke's Federal Reserve - in concert with central banks around the world -- together took the extraordinary step of cutting global interest rates by half a percentage point. And the reaction is that the market dropped 189 points instead of 508 points like it did yesterday. -- Oct 8, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke -- When Will It Stop?
Yeah, we know that just yesterday The rANT said that "fluctuations" in the stock market weren't the key indicator in this crisis. But darn it, yet another day of the Dow dropping 500 points makes us nervous. -- Oct 7, 2008
Small Businesses Sing The Bailout Blues
While the innocent angels on Capitol Hill debate, ahem, the greed on Wall Street, small-business owners on Main Street are understandably PO'ed about the financial rescue package -- even though they fully understand that something had to/someone has to give. -- Oct 7, 2008
How To Fire Valued Employees
More than 1.2 million people lost their jobs during the first eight months of this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a lot of difficult conversations, especially when the people being let go are fantastic employees whose performances have nothing to do with their pink slips. -- Oct 7, 2008
When Times Get Tough, Small Businesses Learn To Share
What are small businesses doing to cope with the economic situation? Here are a couple of peeks from Utah and California. -- Oct 6, 2008
10 Reasons Why Now Is The Right Time To Launch A Business
The Dow just took a major dive, Congress last week passed an $800 billion bailout program, credit is tight, and VC dollars are scarce -- so you'd be crazy to start a business now, right? -- Oct 6, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke -- Is The Bailout Working?
Last week, The rANT said that we would never know if the bailout worked or not. Not so fast. Turns out that there may be some good indicators after all, but today's sickening collapse in the stock market isn't actually the definitive word. -- Oct 6, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke -- Bailout Edition
What's $100 billion among friends? For the House of Representatives, it's the difference between rejecting a bailout bill and passing one. Of course, it's not that they took $100 billion OUT of the bill. Instead, they turned a $700 billion bailout into an $800 billion "rescue package." Riiiggghhhht. -- Oct 3, 2008
Financial Crisis Means Cash And Carry For Business Owners
When investment bankers and Wall Street hedge fund managers moan about liquidity, it's tough for business owners to sympathize -- they're concerned about making payroll, overdue notices from suppliers, and keeping the lights on. In other words, cash flow. It doesn't matter if your company has a cadre of accountants or one person in the back room with a paper ledger, cash rules now more than ever. -- Oct 3, 2008
Bailout To Raise FDIC Limit To $250,000
The proposal for raising the FDIC insurance limit to $250,000 has immediate benefits for small and midsize businesses. But there are hidden risks as well. -- Oct 2, 2008
The rANT: bMighty vs. Bernanke -- Senate Edition
So the Senate actually passes a revised version of the $700B bailout bill that the House rejected, and the market tanks 276 points. What exactly is going on here? -- Oct 2, 2008
Financial Crisis: Venture Capital Drying Up
In the third quarter of 2008 there was one venture-backed IPO. One. In the entire quarter! That the increasingly tight credit market was making it harder to maintain operations already was keeping many business owners awake at night, but now it appears that a key source of funding for startup companies has morphed into a mirage -- or has it? -- Oct 1, 2008
Owners Of Smaller Businesses Face Tightening Credit
During the dot-com boom, option grants and stock prices dominated water cooler conversation. Then after that blew up, financial small talk shifted to how far underwater those (worthless) options were, but even that dismay was leavened by the relentless increases in real estate values. Now the talk is about what bank will fail next, will the credit markets seize up entirely, and when your essential business equipment will be liquidated. -- Sep 30, 2008
How To Stand Strong Amid A Weak Economy
The latest Discover Small Business Watch confirms what any small-business owner with a pulse already feels: fading faith (or lack thereof) in the future of our nation's economy. -- Sep 29, 2008
The rANT: bMighty Against Bernanke - UPDATE
Now that the bailout has sunk under the weight of anger and outrage from the left, the right, and even the middle, we're about to find out if the dire warnings of widescale economic collapse are true or not. -- Sep 29, 2008
Financial Meltdown's Effects On Tech, Growing Companies Still Unclear
There was historic chaos on Wall Street today, as Lehman went bankrupt, Merrill Lynch got bought by Bank of America, and Washington Mutual and AIG teetered on the brink of who knows what. Unfortunately, the effect of these events on the overall economy -- much less technology and growing businesses -- is still impossible to calculate. But that won't stop us from trying to predict the future. -- Sep 15, 2008
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