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Friday | 1.27.2012
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    January-2012  

Find out how other successful small
business leaders grew their firms.

Download our in-depth report:

144 Answers To The Question:
How To Grow My Small Business


Ginny Clarke - Small Business Employers Need To Look Closely At Resumes
Ginny Clarke - Small Business Employers Need To Look Closely At Resumes
Anne Miller - Manage Anxiety, Calm Employees and Save the Company
Anne Miller - Manage Anxiety, Calm Employees and Save the Company
Scott Berger - How To Survive a Tax Audit
Scott Berger - How To Survive a Tax Audit
Current Update

2012 Small Business Purchases Not Robust; Bad Online Reviews Can Help; Making a Mistake May Help Career;  

In 2012, small business leaders are focusing on improving their PC/Mac equipment, upgrading IT, taking tentative steps into social media and investigating the cloud world. A survey by this newsletter’s parent on planned expenditures indicates small business leaders may be spending the monies they held back in 2011. One in 10 dollars is expected to be spent on healthcare costs and just under 5% additional monies are earmarked for marketing. Read more.

We are conducting our annual reader survey and ask you to tell us what information needs you would most like to see. Three respondents will each receive a $50 American Express gift card.  Take the survey here.

Depending on who you talk to, small business leaders are a little bit more optimistic as the year begins but then again, entrepreneurs are an optimistic lot.  Many people believe the real uptick will occur after the Presidential election no matter who wins. Surveys show optimism amongst small business leaders but at the same time caution as to this continued good feeling. For instance, Newtek Business Services said the results of its monthly Small Business Market Sentiment Survey shows that a majority of business owners are optimistic about the future and their 2011-year end results. According to CEO Barry Sloane “this optimism is the result of recent headlines indicating a drop in the unemployment rate, the growth in consumer spending and small gains in hiring in the fourth quarter.  Whether this optimism will continue in the first quarter of 2012 is anyone’s guess, given that consumer spending growth has not been accompanied by personal income growth.”

Focus groups conducted by this newsletter’s parent, Information Strategies, Inc. in December mirrored these findings with a strong undercurrent of doubt as to continued optimism.

One bellweather was the continued lack of interest in hiring new employees with less than one in five in its annual survey saying they expected to increase head count in 2012.

Healthcare reform is still driving the bus but the latest government reports indicate they were held down somewhat in 2011.

Online criticism should be used to build positive reform.  See why and how.

Building core values into the sales effort pays dividends.

Making a mistake can actually help a career.

If customers give a negative review online, turn it into an opportunity to do a better job.

Greater sales can come from shaping a company's culture, brand, and business strategies into a positive approach.

One successful businessman says mistakes are not all bad and may lead to greater career success.

Industry experts tell of exotic, old foods being used in new ways in 2012.

Healthcare costs still takes one in every 10 dollars spent by smaller enterprises.

Question:

What is our economy doing that is affecting small business leaders?

Answer:

"We are moving from an industrial economy to the Knowledge Economy and those working in the transition period often do not recognize where they are,” Paul Glover, author of WorkQuake™.

Articles by Category
One-Time Small Business Equipment Purchasing Tax Break Ends December 31st
Small Business Borrowings Continue To Decline, Outlook Not Bright
How to Survive a Tax Audit: One Perspective
Hints On Surviving A Tax Audit
The Challenge of Negative Online Reviews
Sometimes Mistakes Can Lead To The Corner Office
IT, Internet, Other Services Keying 2012 Small Business Expenditures
What Makes a Boss Good?
New Healthcare Insurance Rules Hurt Small Businesses, Individuals
New Regulations For Employers Offering HRA, FSA, HSA Options in Effect
Small Business Leaders Facing Stark Choices as Healthcare-Reform Bill Comes Into Play
Paths Through the Health-Insurance Tangle Are Offered in Guide for Entrepreneurs, Small-Business Owners
How to Survive a Tax Audit: One Perspective
Hints On Surviving A Tax Audit
Most People Have Insufficient Life Insurance, Industry CEO Says
Failure to Properly Manage Internal Documents Can Cause Trouble
In These Difficult Times Employees Appreciate Even Inexpensive Gifts
Young Americans Would Keep Social Security Money Under Their Pillows
Tackling Case Studies Tests Job Interviewees’ Potential for Success
Tackling Case Studies Tests Job Interviewees’ Potential for Success
Many SMBs Wait Till After a Computer Disaster to Prepare for One
Slowing PC Performance Can Hurt Employee Efficiency
Sloppy Work Named Most Annoying Office Behavior
5 Ways to Drive In-Store Customer Conversion Rates
How Core Values Drive Sales Performance
Culinary Trends For Food Industry Participants, Foodies
Five Ways to Become Recognized as an Expert
Marketers Are Committing ‘Business Suicide’ by Ignoring 50-Plus Consumers
Common Sense Is Still Fundamental to Entrepreneurial Success
Finding Funding Not Easy, But Can Be Done
‘Village’ Concept Suggested for Start-Up Creators
Start-ups Need To Choose Their Name Wisely

 

Learn about how to advertise in Managing Small Biz
 
Health savings account (HSA) info - www.hsafinder.com
 
How to improve the profitability of small firms, including finance, marketing, healthcare - www.2sbdigest.com
 
Small business info to improve operations - www.mybusinesschronicle.com
 
Human resource management guidance to improve vital functional areas - www.managingyourhr.com
 
Find, access and market small to large corporations and individuals in the healthcare, corporate and consumer sectors - www.is-incorp.com
 
Small to medium-size company managers can access travel information specifically geared to their needs - www.travelforsmallbiz.com
 
Managing HSA insurance, custodial accounts and personal health is the focus of this unique website and newsletter - www.4hsausers.com
 
Direct access to the best value in health savings accounts and other healthcare insurance - www.2hsa.com

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