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September 25, 2006
MNB 9/25/06: On Health Care, Small Firms More Practical Than Partisan
With almost all the small business membership outfits speaking in an almost unified voice about which small business health bill they favor, you might think that everybody is on the same page. But what if those organizations haven't bothered to mention to their members that more than one proposal is on the table? Plus, a new report on the SBA STAR loan controversy and new regs proposed by the FTC.
Listen to this week's podcast.
For more information:
Small Employer Health Benefits Plan Act (S. 2510)
Report on the Small Business Administration’s Supplemental Terrorist Activity Relief (PDF)
SBA Inspector General Audit of Supplemental Terrorist Activity Relief (STAR) Loan Program (PDF)
FTC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (press release)
Comments submitted on proposed FTC ID Theft rules
Technorati Tags:
health insurance, microbusiness, SBA disaster loans, regulations
Posted by The MicroEnterprise Journal at 12:29 AM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2006
MNB 9/18/06: Bill Prods Angel Investments in Small Businesses
Fresh back from our nation's capital, I get to bring you stories of cluelessness this week. We've got the familiar tale of great small business policy that doesn't help microbusinesses at all, and a fairly hilarious GAO report on federal agencies doing their best Keystone Cops impersonation. Also a wonderful report about women business owners in rural Maine telling their stories.
Listen to this week's podcast.
For more information:
Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Act (H.R. 5198)
E-Government Travel: Participation of Small Businesses and Estimated Program Savings (GAO report)
Telling Their Stories: Women Business Owners in Western Maine (Report)
Western Mountains Alliance
Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Technorati Tags:
equity financing, microbusiness, small business contracting, woman-owned businesses
Posted by The MicroEnterprise Journal at 08:14 AM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2006
MNB 9/11/06: The Emerging Microbusiness IT Market
I'm heading off to Washington, where I'll be spending most of the week, so you get this week's podcast a bit early. This week, we'll take a look at a not-quite-new but definitely expanding trend: the IT industry's salavating over microbusiness IT dollars. Also, the NASE has awarded its first set of Business Development Grants and we'll meet Cindy Vincent of Mysteries by Vincent, LLC.
Listen to this week's podcast.
For more information:
SmallBizTechnology.com
MicroNet
National Association for the Self-Employed
Mysteries by Vincent
Technorati Tags:
technology, microbusiness, financing, telecommuting
Posted by The MicroEnterprise Journal at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)
September 04, 2006
MNB 9/4/06: Small Businesses as Fall Guys
Whether it's the way lawmakers don't trust us to do what's right or the way we regularly don't get a seat at the table when the issues are important to our businesses, this Labor Day issue is all about the many ways microbusinesses get shafted.
Listen to this week's podcast.
For more information:
The Withholding Tax Relief Act (S. 2921)
Census Bureau
The Conference Board
National Federation of Independent Business
Federal Trade Commission
Technorati Tags:
taxes, microbusiness, economy, technology
Posted by The MicroEnterprise Journal at 12:13 AM | Comments (0)