Most Clicked NFIB SmartBrief Stories
1. Minnesota mom cashes in on gift idea
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 25, 2008
Stay-at-home mother Donna Fanning has come up with a new way to package cash gifts: a patent-pending, break-away eggshell she calls a Cashell. Fanning empties and sterilizes egg shells before hand-painting them and cutting a slot in them so cash can be inserted. A rising demand has Fanning planning to ramp up the business. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul) (08/24)
2. Need-to-know firing tips
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 20, 2008
If you're an HR manager who has to terminate employees and avoid lawsuits, employment expert James W. Bucking recommends you get your facts straight, review all documents, including positive performance reviews, and don't be dishonest about why you're firing someone. HR Daily Advisor (08/18)
3. Small firms plan to cut spending, raise prices
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 21, 2008
Pessimistic about their outlook, small-business owners are planning to raise prices and spend less to cope with profit declines, according to NFIB's most recent optimism survey. "With gloom and doom dominating the media and profits and sales weakening, who's going to buy new equipment or expand?" says NFIB chief economist William Dunkelberg. Dallas Morning News, The (08/21)
4. 10 tasks to enhance search engine marketing
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 20, 2008
Devoting 10 minutes a day to search engine marketing development will produce notable results, says Carrie Hill, an SEM expert and small-business owner. Hill suggests 10 tasks that can be accomplished in about 10 minutes. Search Engine Watch Blog (08/19)
5. IRS crackdown targets business cell phones
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 21, 2008
Businesses could be in trouble with the IRS soon for failing to keep track of personal and business calls made on business cell phones. The IRS recently ordered the University of California's Los Angeles and San Diego campuses to pay $239,196 and $186,471, respectively, in back taxes for cell phones given to employees. NFIB and other organizations are lobbying to have cell phones dropped as taxable perks. Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) (08/20)
6. Five tips for successful entrepreneurs
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 26, 2008
Five entrepreneurial "life skills" are detailed in this Small Business Trends blog. Among the wisdom are these gems: Stop being a control freak, consider a problem before going to bed so your subconscious works it out in your sleep, and expand a business incrementally to avoid wasting time and money on the wrong endeavors. Small Business Trends (08/25)
7. Three rules every business owner should know
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 20, 2008
Creative marketing strategies are needed when people cut back on spending to ensure the long-term future of a business. The three most important rules are: Get the customers in the door, make sure they leave happy and understand that business, no matter the product, is marketing. Commercial Dealer (08/19)
8. Federal contracts offer steady business, slim margins
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 20, 2008
Government agencies represent a constant market for small businesses, but contracts offer slim margins and come with strict compliance rules, experts said at a forum this week in Louisville, Ky. "You can make a profit, but not at commercial levels," said Colleen Preston, Professional Services Council executive vice president. Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.), The (08/19)
9. Review: Brother's new printer offers a lot for $200
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 21, 2008
The Brother MFC-5890CN printer offers fax, copier, printer and scanner functions in a unit that costs less than $200. The 4-in-1 machine has 6000 x 1200 dpi for printing and can shoot out 35 pages per minute in black and white or 28 in color. Plus, it will print ledger-sized paper. Gizmodo (08/20)
10. Kit simplifies managing financial planning, documents
NFIB SmartBrief | Aug 22, 2008
An Irvine, Calif., businesswoman has created a kit to help people organize their financial affairs and documents. The What You Need to Know Kit includes resources, a filing system and customizable spreadsheets on a CD. Orange County Register (Calif.), The (08/22)
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