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Small Business Matters
One of the significant trends that has emerged as a result of the current economic recession is that home-based businesses are on the rise. Not only is home-based business ownership often perceived as a rosy option for laid off or disaffected workers, but for many established small business owners, the move home is becoming more attractive. With falling profits and continued overheads such as rent and utilities, more and more existing business owners are closing the doors on their brick-and-mortar places of business and setting up shop at...
Aside from questions about loans, grants and generally getting started in small business, one of the most commonly asked questions on the Small Business Administration (SBA) Web site is 'How do I get a business license?' The answer, posted here, loosely points small business owners to their state or local government. And while your local jurisdiction is often the source of business licenses and permits, the federal government also oversees the licensing of federally regulated small businesses. It’s a confusing arena, and even the...
More and more Americans suffering from disabilities are going into business for themselves. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Census, people with disabilities are almost twice as likely as non-disabled individuals to start a business (SmallBusinessNotes.com); almost 15 percent of working disabled people are self-employed compared to under 10 percent of non-disabled working people. For many Americans with disabilities, self-employment and home-based businesses in particular offer empowerment, control, and the flexibility to succeed...
On May 21, a White House blog entry saw the launch of the 'Open Government Initiative' - which echoes and makes real the pledge made by President Obama to make the Federal government more transparent, participatory, and collaborative. The main thrust of the initiative, according to the White House, is to allow for 'an unprecedented process of public engagement in policy making ... with the government soliciting comments and input on draft recommendations, as well as seeking ideas from citizens early in the recommendation creation process.'...
The trending in workplace sexual harassment cases reported to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has steadily declined in the past decade, with women in-particular filing fewer complaints. Despite this encouraging fact, the impact on a small business should it face a sexual harassment lawsuit can be devastating - both to its finances and its reputation. No matter how many employees you have, as a business owner you need to understand and comply with sexual harassment laws - for your sake and for the sake of a professional...
As globalization drives students, workers, and entrepreneurs to havens of opportunity and prosperity, the old saying about the United States being a 'melting pot', or 'salad bowl', or even 'mosaic of diversity', still stands true, despite the current economic slump. When American short track speed skater Allison Baver made the following comment, she touched on the commonality of cultural diversity that is omnipresent in just about any place of business in the USA. 'I noticed it traveling with our team. We’re the only team that has...
Background information checks are a critical tool that many small business owners can use to evaluate and exercise due diligence before they engage in a business relationship - with customers, clients and even potential employees. One of the key background checks employed in the United States is the consumer report (also referred to as a consumer credit report), which contains information about an individual’s personal and credit characteristics, character, general reputation, and lifestyle. Why Use Consumer Reports? Whether you are an...
Whether you are looking to hire employees for the first time or are already an established employer, you must face the reality that your business is now a collective effort and only as good, or successful, as the team that staffs it. Employee benefit programs are the cornerstone of the American work place. If you can’t offer your employees the basics, you may as well hang up your recruitment and retention hat and continue as a one-man band. Yet, knowing where to start compiling a comprehensive benefits program for your small business can...
The CAN-SPAM Act is possibly one of the simplest forms of government regulation with which businesses of all sizes can achieve quick compliance. While we all know that SPAM laws are deliberately broken each day - you only have to look at the volume of SPAM in your Inbox (currently increasing at an average of 1.2% per day according to a Google report) - it is actually the act of non-deliberate spamming that is putting many a small business at risk of non-compliance and hefty fines.The CAN-SPAM Act - More than Just Preventing Junk Mail The CAN-...
Intellectual property protection is a critical part of a small business owner’s current and future growth strategy. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s stopfakes.gov Web site, companies that protect their intellectual property drive more economic growth in the U.S. than any other single sector. The unfortunate flip side of this fact is that small businesses are more vulnerable than any other sector to piracy, counterfeiting, and the theft of their intellectual property. Small business owners oftentimes simply don...
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by Caron_Beesley, Community Moderator on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 08:13