Author Archives: Tom Bedwell
Austin Retains Top Spot in Small Business Vitality Rankings
For the second year in a row, bizjournals.com named Austin, Texas the US city most conducive to the creation and development of small businesses. Fast growth, an expanding job base, and an increase in the overall number of small businesses … read full post
Job Growth Trends Headed In Right Direction Despite Lingering Issues
Indications of job growth turned positive following last week’s news from the labor front, but positive headlines concealed remaining issues for employment as economic recovery in 2011 takes shape. Case in point: the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) claims … read full post
Who Gains, Loses When Charging Sales Tax on Interstate eCommerce Sales?
Amazon is in the midst of a heated battle. The stakes? Various U.S. states’ and municipalities’ inclination to charge state and local sales tax for transactions handled via affiliates outside the state where the product is being purchased. From the looks … read full post
Three States See Infusion Of Funds For Small Business Lending
A variety of small business lending programs in Connecticut, Missouri and Vermont received a boost recently as the federal government approved $53.4 million in federal funds as part of the Small Business Credit Initiative. The funds will go to: Connecticut’s Capital … read full post
Contemplating Cloud Computing Solutions For Your Small Business
HP announced last week its plans to make cloud computing a foundation of the company’s future direction, as reported by Computer Weekly, the Wall Street Journal, and others. The decision by HP (and other vendors) to embrace cloud computing should … read full post
Swipe Wars: The Debate Over Interchange Fees Heats Up
Retailers rallied in Washington recently in support of a component of the Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law, which regulates interchange fees charged by banks on debit-card transactions. Even as over 100 retail representatives encouraged politicians to move ahead with the implementation of … read full post
Insurance Lessons Learned from the Japanese Earthquake
As the earthquake-driven crisis in Japan continues to unfold, observers from several social and economic perspectives are attempting to assess the impact of the event. One question that may arise for small business owners is the need for insurance protection against … read full post
The State Of Business-Friendly States
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) published a report late in 2010 ranking states according to their public policy climates as part of their “Small Business Survival Index.”
Retailers Engage The Future In Order To Evolve
Smart retailers are engaging the future, rather than propping up their ties to the past, or so suggests a piece out this week from TheStreet.com. If your business depends on the effectiveness of a retail operation, whether as an operator, … read full post
Improvements in Lending Create Options For Small Business Owners
Slowly, the wheels of lending are beginning to turn again, and this improvement is making 2011 a year of better options for small business owners. Recent news indicates some of these options include: Selling your business: A survey released last … read full post