Sharp declines in bank lending to smaller firms, and a collapse in confidence across the sector outlined in the reports will add to concerns that the economy is about to enter a second recession in three years, analysts said.

Source: The Guardian

Source: Small Business Trends

The National Federation of Independent Business survey of 2,155 firms also found an increase in the percentage of owners reporting hard-to-fill job openings. NFIB said this measure has been a good indicator of the U.S. unemployment rate, and suggests that there might have been a small decline in January.



Source: Reuters

“Despite some cyclical ups and downs we’ve seen in the past several years, this report indicates real growth for the small-business community,” stated NSBA President Todd McCracken. “Although we are far from where we need to be, it appears that small businesses have turned an economic corner.”



Source: SacBee.com

“The data is encouraging,” Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisors, said in a CNBC interview today. “Not just the employment numbers but ancillary numbers look promising,” he said, referring to earlier reports that requests for banks loans among small business owners are up.



Source: CNBC

Why After Three Years I Dropped Mailchimp as My Newsletter Service for Aweber
I’m willing to give up a free service and pay for another because saying Mailchimp performs the same function as Aweber is like saying your Ford Escort performs the save function as my Maserati…
RyanHanley.com

Small Business Share of Economy, Job Growth Shrinks
It’s no secret that the years since the financial crisis have been tough on small business. What’s more surprising, though, is that their role in the US economy had already been diminishing for years before the Great Recession.
BusinessWeek

T-Mobile Caters to Small Business with New Services
Bouncing back after its proposed acquisition by AT&T crumbled, T-Mobile is aggressively courting small business customers with a variety of services.
PCWorld

Small Business Majority Opinion Poll: Small Business Owners Say Access to …
Opinion polling released today by the Small Business Majority shows 90 percent of small business owners believe access to credit is a problem and that loans are harder to get now than four years ago.
San Francisco Chronicle

Being candid with employees is essential to performance
Managers have a responsibility to be candid. Judith Glaser joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the power of candor when dealing with employees and why it is a management responsibility.
The Small Business Advocate (audio)

Five small business technology trends for the year ahead
Dr. Hugh Bradlow, Telstra’s chief technology officer, delivers his five predictions for the 2012 small business technology landscape.
Dynamic Business

The Nightmare of Sales Tax for Everyone
An Internet sales tax has long been a hot-button issue in Congress and industry. But as more businesses embrace e-commerce to sell their goods, states struggle to bring in revenue in a struggling economy and political candidates talk tax reform, it’s a button that keeps getting pushed.
The Street

How Success Cost a Small Business Owner His Health Insurance
Small business is iconic in America. For years, big business has cleverly used small businesses to be messengers for campaigns financed by corporate America.
Huffington Post (blog)

Entrepreneurial Tightrope: Outsourcing, interns can be handy
What’s a small business to do regarding finding and holding on to help? This has been a challenge for small business owners for a long time. Outsourcing and hiring interns can be helpful.
USA TODAY

Small business hours can be hard on customers…
In a day and age, when more families have multiple incomes, it gets harder and harder to find time to eat and shop. When people do somehow manage to find the time, it can often be later in the day, or on Sundays.
Buffalo Rising

Small Business Accounting: Tips, Tricks and Advice from TaxMama
From day one, small businesses should get their accounting act together and apply crucial tips and tricks, said tax expert Eva Rosenberg
International Business Times

Obama wants small business tax, investment breaks
The legislative package, which will be part of Obama’s 2013 budget proposal later this month, also would include a new 10 percent tax credit for small business that add jobs or increase wages in 2012.
Boston.com

Identifying prospects for your global business strategy
What do you know about your global prospects? Jim Blasingame reveals information about global prospects for developing a strategy to grow your business outside of the U.S.
The Small Business Advocate (audio)

Demand for Small Business Loans Most Since 2005
Banks reported the greatest increase in demand for loans from small companies since 2005, the according to the Federal Reserve’s survey of senior loan officers out today. That may be good news for job growth later in the year.
BusinessWeek

5 Tips For Managing Overwhelm and Overload
Just like we have power strips that absorb energy surges to protect our computers, we need to install acircuit breaker on our brains to absorb some of the overwhelming data coming in all the time.
The International Association of Self-Employed Communication Professionals

Big Banks’ Small Business Lending: Do The Numbers Really Add Up?
So it’s no surprise that Bank of America, Chase, Citibank and Wells Fargo were eager to release seemingly impressive small-business lending figures for 2011. Problem is, many of those loans may be going to businesses that aren’t that small.
Huffington Post

Can a brand be genuine on Twitter?
Self-promotion is just plain tacky in the age of social media.  You just can’t tell people how awesome you are, you need to show them.
The Washington Post

Why You Need to Compartmentalize Your Life when Building a Business
When you start a business, you will likely wear many different hats, and in many cases wear all of the hats. You might be in charge of marketing, sales, legal, HR, operations, finance, accounting, IT etc. And you might add on top of all that a personal life of some degree.
Youngentrepreneur.com

Japan Small Business Confidence Rises In January
Confidence among Japanese small scale businesses rose for the first time in four months in January, a survey conducted by the Shoko Chukin Bank showed Tuesday.
NASDAQ

Branding for the small business
Far too many business owners feel that they are too small to worry about branding, don’t understand it entirely or they think they don’t have the time or resources to invest in it.
Crain’s Chicago Business

JPL to Host High-Tech Small Business Conference
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., will host the 24th annual High-Tech Conference for Small Business on Tuesday, March 6, and Wednesday, March 7, at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Managing a Small Business: How to Inspire Employee Loyalty
A big part of successfully managing a small business is inspiring loyalty and getting the most out of employees.
International Business Times

27 Small Business PR Ideas For February
Here are 27 ways entrepreneurs can seek out small business PR opportunities during the month of February.
Understanding Marketing

How To Raise Money To Start Your Small Business
There are many ways you can raise the money you need to start your small business. Don’t give up until you’ve exhausted every single opportunity in existence, and you’ll be happy you did.
Noobpreneur.com

India offers opportunities, but there are pitfalls to avoid
As the second-fastest growing market in Asia, with more than one billion people, India is considered by many small business owners fertile ground offering a variety of opportunities.
Washington Post

Postal service offering classes for marketers, small business owners
The United States Postal Service recently announced it will host Grow Your Business Day, designed to help small and medium-sized businesses create affordable direct mail pieces for integrated marketing campaigns.
123Print.com

5 Simple Steps for Promoting Your Blog
Here are five steps that will help you promote your blog, differentiating it and creating awareness. With the steps here, you’ll be able to maximize the daily traffic that comes to your website.
Earningdiary.com

Getting started on your small business tax return
Do not look at the calendar and think, “I don’t need to start on my small business tax return yet. I have more than three months to do it.” That attitude is begging for last-minute panic and mistakes…
MiamiHerald.com

What to Know About Google’s New Update
Last week Google announced another algorithm update, called the “page layout algorithm update”, which will target sites that have too many ads above the fold.
Brick Marketing Blog

Why campaign spending rules hurt small business
A recent poll conducted by Lake Research found that 66% of a random sample of 500 small-business owners believe the Citizens United decision was “mostly bad” or “somewhat bad” for small business.
CNN

Small Business Owners, Nonprofit Execs: Don’t Make These Retirement Mistakes
13 mistakes small business owners and nonprofit execs make in retirement planning revealed in Ventureneer webinar.
PR.com (press release)

Effective Sales Techniques Regardless of Your Industry
If you want your business to excel in the market, you have to implement some great sales ideas that will ensure that you are at the top of your industry.
Expert Business Advice

Small business administrator on cabinet is good first step
President Barack Obama may finally have it right – about small business, that is, and its importance to our economy. Two weeks ago, he appointed the administrator of the Small Business Administration to his cabinet.
Biddeford Journal Tribune

HP updates small-business color printer line
New laser printers and multifunction devices are targeted at SMBs that produce their own marketing collateral or that require professional-quality color output.
ZDNet (blog)

Small Business Plan: A Template for Making Sales
“Nothing happens until something gets sold.” This statement, posted on the Web site of Sales Engine, is something any small business plan should adhere to.
International Business Times

The pricing formula (S&S)
Pricing your product is actually simple, as long as you consider it from the buyer’s point of view.
Seth’s Blog

Office of Advocacy Releases Small Business Profiles for All 50 States
Today the Office of Advocacy released the annual Small Business Profiles for the States and Territories. This is the 16th year Advocacy has published a state-by-state profile of American small business for the United States.
PR Newswire (press release)

Grow your business with resources in the “Cloud”
Could the “cloud” help you grow your business? Pat Sigmon joins Jim Blasingame to reveal innovative ways to use web-based tools – the “cloud” – to help you grow your business more efficiently.
The Small Business Advocate (audio)

The 7th Annual Small Business Summit Gains Momentum
The Seventh Annual Small Business Summit, (#smallbizsummit) New York’s premier event for small businesses, is continuing to gain momentum among small business owners, larger businesses and groups that work within the small business vertical.
MarketWatch

Small-Business Outlook: What Are The Biggest Challenges On Main Street?
They also named weak sales as the top business concern in NFIB’s monthly Small-Business Optimism Index report for the 16th consecutive quarter. Other challenges recession-weary small-business owners reported?
Huffington Post

Women Small Business Owners Wave a Magic Wand in Portland, OR
Portland, OR women in small business opportunity to connect for free at the Magic Wand Collective launch meeting set for this Thursday, January 26th, 2012, 6:30 – 9:00 pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1441 NE 2nd Ave., Portland, OR 97232.
PR Urgent

Small Business Loans: How They Work and What You Should Know
Asking for loans is “unpleasant; it’s like asking your dad for the car keys,” said Charles H. Green, Executive Director at the Small Business Finance Institute and author of The SBA Loan Book.
International Business Times

How to Choose a Mobile Carrier for Your Small Business
AT&T, among other carriers, walks you through choosing small-business products.As for choosing a voice-minutes package, most providers offer free calls on nights and weekends.
PCWorld

Xiimo Brings New Marketing Tools to the Small Business Owner
Named one of the most disruptive cloud based technology companies by VentureBeat, Xiimo is redefining how small businesses market and promote on the web.
Sacramento Bee

More Signs of Increased Small Business Lending
We’ve been hearing about increased confidence in small business and, if you’re like me, you want to believe it – but you’re suspicious, too. How do we really know if things are getting better?
Small Business Trends

Sales of Small Business Companies Increase in 2011 Franchise Stats Lacking
The small-business-for-sale marketplace picked up again last year, for the second year in a row, thanks in part to better business performance. Sales of businesses with roughly $360000 in annual revenue rose 3.3% in 2011, according to BizBuySell.com…
Blue MauMau

Small Business Social Media – Avoid At Your Peril
Friends, Fans, Circles, Likes, Plus 1’s, it can all be a bit intimidating for small business owners. The fact of the matter is though that Social media is not going away…
Business 2 Community

Hiding Income? Look Out, Here Comes the 1099-K
Starting this month, business owners will begin getting new tax forms issued by their credit-card and online-payment processors and intended to keep businesses from hiding income. The form, called 1099-K, will document all 2011 transactions processed for sellers with more than 200 transactions and $20,000 in annual gross receipts.
BusinessWeek

Cloud app helps small companies manage sales compensation
Wondering how much your small business should be paying that great new sales person you want to hire? More important, wondering how to make sure everything is managed and paid out properly?
ZDNet (blog)

21 Reasons You’ll Fail at Marketing
I don’t know what it is about Marketing, but everyone on earth seems to think they can do it. And yet I see so many people NOT doing it or wasting thousands of dollars and not getting results.  I see business owners try the same things over and over, small businesses fail at marketing wasting more money, more time, and more energy.
Bplans

Self-employment in the Internet Age
Everyone who’s ever seen their career crash and burn can point to one or more big picture factors that directly or indirectly greased the wheels of their departure. We can either poison ourselves with bitterness, or find some way to benefit from prevailing changes.
OutOfYourRut.com

Thinking of closing down your business? Read this before you quit
Recently, I have repeatedly found myself in the company of veteran self employed professionals or business owners who feel they have come to the end of their entrepreneurial journey.
awovi

Business Rx: What to watch this year for small business
The fortunes of small business are not solely tied to the local markets in which they operate, but are also affected by national and global events. Keeping a watchful eye on the big picture is key to remaining nimble in such uncertain economic times.
Washington Post

How Many Customers Did You Lose Today?
But genuinely, one of the most vexing dilemmas for senior executives is being plugged in to what is actually going on in the front lines of their business.
Harvard Business Review

Weight Watchers For Small Business: Silver Lining Helps You Set Financial Goals
The majority don’t raise any kind of venture money or angel investment — most small business owners probably don’t even know any venture capitalists. Owning a small business is tough.
TechCrunch

Make Sure Your Tweets Are Being Seen!
Getting information and ideas out to the masses is what social media and networking is all about, particularly if you are in business, but is anyone reading what you have to say?
FamousBloggers.net

Do Small Businesses Really Need the SBA’s Help?
I’ve sometimes heard from business owners that “nobody” uses the SBA’s 900 field offices known as small business development centers or SBDCs. Turns out that’s just not true.
Entrepreneur.com

Entrepreneur Relationships With Technology Can Damage Productivity And Personal Lives
Business expert says that small changes in the use of common technologies can make entrepreneurs more productive and sane.
Gaebler.com

Ask an Expert: Content is king, entrepreneurs
Oh, how some small business owners long for the days when all they had to do was run their business and not worry about their computers, systems, mobile technology and Internet presence.
USA TODAY

Sick Days as a Home Business Owner
It’s really hard to take a sick day when you own a business. Sometimes, though, you have no choice.
PlantingMoneySeeds.com

BUSINESS TIPS: Don’t quit amid fear on plans of success
This seems to happen often in a small business. It’s easier and feels better to deal with the urgent tasks that can be done today, rather than the bigger important issues that don’t give us immediate gratification.
San Angelo Standard Times

10 Tips For Starting a Service Business
You can see the request here on the right, posted to me on Twitter. I decided it’s a good subject for a blog post here, and I went on my own first as a service business and survived that way for 12 years before Palo Alto Software finally established itself as a product company.
Bplans.com