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November 13, 2009 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise News for small and independent businesses       Today's Top Stories    Despite GDP report, small firms still await recovery The continued struggles of small business is an indication that recovery is slower than the federal government says, according to Goldman Sachs economist Jan Hatzius. The Bureau of Economic Analysis predicts that data will show that gross domestic product grew 3.5% in the third quarter, but Hatzius estimates that those figures will end up being anywhere from 3% down to up only 1.5% in annualized growth. Other reports, including one from NFIB, also show a divergence between government and big-business reports and those reflecting small-business experience. TIME/The Curious Capitalist blog (11/12) CEOs call inexperienced VC board members unhelpful A common theme emerged in the written responses to a new survey of venture capitalists and the CEOs of startups they backed. CEOs say the investors too often send a representative to the company's monthly board meeting who has no operational experience with small companies. The Wall Street Journal/Venture Capital Dispatch blog (11/11) Other News Business plan competitions nurture great ideas The New York Times/You're the Boss blog (11/12) Save Time and Money Advertising Your Business Avenue Right makes it easy to plan and buy local advertising media that reaches the right audience. Find out how with a free Avenue Right account! Simply login to plan and buy local radio, broadcast TV, print, and online media. Sign up now and get a complimentary white paper, "7 Steps to a Multi-Channel Advertising Campaign."   Health Care Reform  Democrats say business report supports health care bills President Barack Obama and Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D., Mont., on Thursday said a new Business Roundtable report lends credence to legislative plans for health care reform. The report said costs would rise $28,530 per employee unless the health-care system is changed but the "right legislative reforms" would cut costs by more than $3,000 per employee. However, the report says the current bills do not do enough to contain costs, and business groups opposed to the measures, including NFIB, are about to launch an ad campaign. The Wall Street Journal (11/12) Reid mulls increase in Medicare payroll taxes for higher-income earners Democratic sources revealed that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is evaluating the possibility of increasing Medicare payroll taxes paid by families that earn more than $250,000 a year, to help the government raise $40 billion to $50 billion over 10 years to fund health care reform. A spokesman for Reid said the legislator has not yet decided whether to include such a proposal in the Senate's health bill that will be introduced next week. The New York Times (11/12) , The Washington Post/Capitol Briefing blog (11/12) Hispanic groups fear health bill would neglect immigrants' rights Immigration in health reform has caught the attention of Hispanic lawmakers and advocacy groups. Elena Rios, president of the National Hispanic Medical Association, expressed concern that health reform legislation will fail to prevent health care disparities in the Hispanic community and could undermine legal immigrants' rights to treatment. The Washington Post (11/12) , The New York Times/Prescriptions blog (11/11)   Sales & Marketing  Facebook provides word-of-mouth marketing venue One of the advantages of marketing a business on Facebook is that it doesn't cost anything to create a page. Businesses can use their Facebook page to collect "fans" and grow by word of mouth. The New York Times (11/11) Other News 7 tips for keeping a site fresh Small Business Trends (11/12)   Technology for Small Biz  High-tech security comes with lower prices The price of high-technology security equipment has dropped into a price range more small businesses can afford, thanks to companies such as Indiana-based Schlage. Schlage this year released a network for homes and small businesses that includes a $179 wireless camera, a $299 remote-control dead bolt and a $49 lighting controller. CNNMoney.com/Fortune Small Business (11/12)   Political Landscape  Obama's grade on small-business assistance: F George A. Cloutier, founder of American Management Services, says the Small Business Administration reduced the flow of funds to small businesses instead of helping the sector mired in a deep recession. Cloutier calls for a $50 billion pool for direct loans, a Cabinet post for small business, accountability on the success of federal programs that purport to help small firms, and a more energetic Small Business Administration. Reuters/The Great Debate blog (11/12) Other News Bankers not interested in Obama's lending plan CNNMoney.com (11/12)   Featured Content    The "Iterate Fast and Release Often" Philosophy of Entrepreneurship Ben Parr Forget the Phonebook: 3 Local Marketing Initiatives with Higher ROIs Gregory Go 5 Tips for Getting More Exposure from Bloggers, Tweeters and Fans John Jantsch An Interview with Henry Blodget Marcy Shinder from OPEN Book: Social Media Why It's So Difficult to Find Angel Capital Scott Shane   Best Practices  How to foster right-brained thinking New thinking on how people think suggests innovators may be able to train themselves to find their "aha" moment by letting their brains wind down. One researcher says the brain suppresses territory on its mental map during concentration but various parts of the brain can interact during relaxation -- which encourages the brain to be more creative about problem solving. The Wall Street Journal (11/12) Other News How to measure productivity BusinessWeek/Today's Tip (11/12)   NFIB in the News  NFIB: House bill will "structuralize unemployment" Jim Brown, NFIB/Tennessee, says the Senate Finance Committee health care bill is better than the one passed by the House of Representatives, which mandates employer-based insurance and will penalize businesses that do not provide coverage for workers. The mandate will discourage small-business owners from adding employees because of the costs, Brown says. The Daily News (Memphis, Tenn.) (11/11) Maryland governor appreciated for small-business effort Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley received some positive response for his plan to help small businesses. Ellen Valentino, NFIB/Maryland, said she looks forward to discussing small-business initiatives with the administration. "Whenever lawmakers and key policy leaders take a step back and realize that the health and importance of the small business community is critical, that's a good thing," she said. The Gazette (Gaithersburg, Md.) (11/13)   NFIB News  NFIB's Dunkelberg to be featured on webcast -- Nov. 17 NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg will be the featured guest on a free webcast for small-business owners produced by Bloomberg Television and Cisco. He will be interviewed by Bloomberg anchor Monica Bertran on small-business access to capital in a tough market. The webcast will be offered at noon Nov. 17. Register here. 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