Congratulations BusinessTrends (BT) survey participants! You correctly predicted that Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama would win the Iowa caucuses.
Now that more people have an interest in the policy platforms and records of these two leading candidates, we continue to cull information about their voting records, position on issues and where they would take the small business agenda -- if either of them were elected to the White House.
Recently, Kent Hoover of the American City Business Journals looked at Mike Huckabee’s record, rhetoric and positions on key issues in an effort to assess how the presidential candidate may govern in regards to business priorities and concerns. SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan is interviewed for the article.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Global Growth Strategies for Small-to-Mid Size Manufacturers
A report released by NAM, The Manufacturing Institute and RSM McGladrey, Inc., offers practical steps and strategies for small and medium manufacturers to optimize opportunities and minimize risks in today’s global value chain. These tips focus on four key areas: harnessing innovation; building a skilled workforce; exporting and overseas growth; and financing.
“Manufacturers must collaborate closely with new domestic and overseas partners to survive and thrive in the global supply chain. In today’s economy, small and medium manufacturers are more than just suppliers. They are helping to create the new technologies, products, services and business models that are vital for success, both here and abroad. By connecting with outside resources – customers, government, academia – small and medium manufacturers can swiftly expand their core competencies and gain economies of scale,” said NAM president & CEO John Engler in a statement announcing the report.
You can link to the report from the media statement announcing its release.
“Manufacturers must collaborate closely with new domestic and overseas partners to survive and thrive in the global supply chain. In today’s economy, small and medium manufacturers are more than just suppliers. They are helping to create the new technologies, products, services and business models that are vital for success, both here and abroad. By connecting with outside resources – customers, government, academia – small and medium manufacturers can swiftly expand their core competencies and gain economies of scale,” said NAM president & CEO John Engler in a statement announcing the report.
You can link to the report from the media statement announcing its release.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Small Business Economic Confidence Lagging
The latest monthly measure of economic confidence among small business owners as measured by Discover Financial Services Small Business Watch was released on January 2.
There was not a big month-to-month change in December – down from 93.2 in November to 92.7 in December. But the December level was down 17 points from December 2006.
The following was highlighted as key findings for December:
• 28 percent of small business owners feel that economic conditions for their own business are getting better. The percentage has been steadily decreasing since September, when 40 percent of owners felt conditions were improving.
• 65 percent of small business owners feel that economic conditions in the U.S. are getting worse, slightly fewer than the 68 percent who felt that way in November. The number who believe it is getting better remained the same.
• 42 percent said they have experienced cash flow issues over the last 90 days, an increase from 38 percent in November but even with 42 percent from December 2006.
• Plans for spending on business development increased this month, with 32 percent of owners planning to increase spending on activities such as advertising and inventory, compared with 29 percent in November, but lower than 37 percent in December 2006.
Rasmussen Reports conducted the survey of 1,000 randomly selected small businesses for the Discover Business Card.
There was not a big month-to-month change in December – down from 93.2 in November to 92.7 in December. But the December level was down 17 points from December 2006.
The following was highlighted as key findings for December:
• 28 percent of small business owners feel that economic conditions for their own business are getting better. The percentage has been steadily decreasing since September, when 40 percent of owners felt conditions were improving.
• 65 percent of small business owners feel that economic conditions in the U.S. are getting worse, slightly fewer than the 68 percent who felt that way in November. The number who believe it is getting better remained the same.
• 42 percent said they have experienced cash flow issues over the last 90 days, an increase from 38 percent in November but even with 42 percent from December 2006.
• Plans for spending on business development increased this month, with 32 percent of owners planning to increase spending on activities such as advertising and inventory, compared with 29 percent in November, but lower than 37 percent in December 2006.
Rasmussen Reports conducted the survey of 1,000 randomly selected small businesses for the Discover Business Card.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Up in Political Smoke
A lot of people probably assume that the billions of dollars being forked over to the states each year under the 1998 tobacco company settlement, along with billions more in tobacco taxes, get spent on efforts to stop smoking and/or for related health care purposes. That’s why it’s always silly to assume anything, especially when it comes to how politicians spend money.
Consider a few tidbits from a January 1 New York Times report on the topic:
• “The vast majority of states spend only a sliver of the money on programs aimed at preventing young people from smoking and helping older smokers quit. Instead, the funds find their way into projects like sports stadiums, a North Carolina knitting plant and sprinklers at an upstate New York golf course.”
• “In all, according to [the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids] report, states allocated $717 million to prevention and cessation programs this fiscal year, 9 percent of the $8.1 billion that they stood to receive from the tobacco companies. The spending represents 3 percent of the sum of their revenues from the settlement and from taxes on tobacco products.”
• “When the settlement was reached in 1998, Congress considered mandating how the funds should be spent. It stopped short, in part because governors and legislators vowed to spend the money wisely, with an eye toward aiding antismoking programs.”
That last one is a real hoot, isn’t it? Politicians spending wisely!?
Consider a few tidbits from a January 1 New York Times report on the topic:
• “The vast majority of states spend only a sliver of the money on programs aimed at preventing young people from smoking and helping older smokers quit. Instead, the funds find their way into projects like sports stadiums, a North Carolina knitting plant and sprinklers at an upstate New York golf course.”
• “In all, according to [the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids] report, states allocated $717 million to prevention and cessation programs this fiscal year, 9 percent of the $8.1 billion that they stood to receive from the tobacco companies. The spending represents 3 percent of the sum of their revenues from the settlement and from taxes on tobacco products.”
• “When the settlement was reached in 1998, Congress considered mandating how the funds should be spent. It stopped short, in part because governors and legislators vowed to spend the money wisely, with an eye toward aiding antismoking programs.”
That last one is a real hoot, isn’t it? Politicians spending wisely!?
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Responsibility and Music Piracy
Stealing copyrighted songs via the Internet is illegal. Such theft of intellectual property does not just hurt big music companies and big stars – though it certainly would still be wrong if these were the only victims – it affects the many independent artists, entrepreneurs and small businesses who work in and serve the music industry.
On December 31, New York Times columnist Adam Liptak wrote a piece (“In the Heated Fight Over Music Piracy, a Rare Stand for Privacy”) approving of the University of Oregon and the Oregon state attorney general challenging a subpoena from the record industry looking to identify 17 students who made assorted songs available on file-sharing networks. While Liptak declares that “no one should shed tears for people who steal music and have to face the consequences,” he spends the rest of the article applauding the university and attorney general for defending privacy and due process.
But it’s hard to see how rights generally are being violated by the recording industry’s pursuit of copyright violation, while private property rights are being protected. Two points from Liptak’s column are worth noting.
First, Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, observed: “The litigation program, as controversial as it is often written up to be, has been very successful in transforming public awareness. Everybody used to think this was legal. Now everybody knows it’s illegal.” That’s a good thing for performers, authors, entrepreneurs, businesses, and ultimately, consumers. After all, the more business lost to theft, the fewer the resources and incentives to produce new music.
Second, trying to buttress the university and attorney general, a case with Portland State is highlighted where in response to an industry subpoena, the university turned over the name of an innocent student. But that was the mistake of the college, not the fault of the music industry.
Liptak argues that “an institution of higher education has different aspirations and obligations than an Internet service provider.” That’s, in part, true. But one would hope that universities and ISPs could agree on the need to reinforce respect for the law and to make perfectly clear that stealing is wrong.
On December 31, New York Times columnist Adam Liptak wrote a piece (“In the Heated Fight Over Music Piracy, a Rare Stand for Privacy”) approving of the University of Oregon and the Oregon state attorney general challenging a subpoena from the record industry looking to identify 17 students who made assorted songs available on file-sharing networks. While Liptak declares that “no one should shed tears for people who steal music and have to face the consequences,” he spends the rest of the article applauding the university and attorney general for defending privacy and due process.
But it’s hard to see how rights generally are being violated by the recording industry’s pursuit of copyright violation, while private property rights are being protected. Two points from Liptak’s column are worth noting.
First, Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, observed: “The litigation program, as controversial as it is often written up to be, has been very successful in transforming public awareness. Everybody used to think this was legal. Now everybody knows it’s illegal.” That’s a good thing for performers, authors, entrepreneurs, businesses, and ultimately, consumers. After all, the more business lost to theft, the fewer the resources and incentives to produce new music.
Second, trying to buttress the university and attorney general, a case with Portland State is highlighted where in response to an industry subpoena, the university turned over the name of an innocent student. But that was the mistake of the college, not the fault of the music industry.
Liptak argues that “an institution of higher education has different aspirations and obligations than an Internet service provider.” That’s, in part, true. But one would hope that universities and ISPs could agree on the need to reinforce respect for the law and to make perfectly clear that stealing is wrong.
Wishing All a Prosperous 2008
Happy New Year!
Just a quick wish for a prosperous 2008 to all of those innovators, dreamers, creators and skilled managers who build and run businesses; who bring consumers new products and services, and better value; who support and guide their employees to greater success; and who drive the U.S. economy ever higher.
Let’s hope and work to make sure that politicians at all levels of government have the good sense to protect life, limb and property; to ease burdensome taxes and regulations; and to generally get off the backs of America’s entrepreneurs.
Just a quick wish for a prosperous 2008 to all of those innovators, dreamers, creators and skilled managers who build and run businesses; who bring consumers new products and services, and better value; who support and guide their employees to greater success; and who drive the U.S. economy ever higher.
Let’s hope and work to make sure that politicians at all levels of government have the good sense to protect life, limb and property; to ease burdensome taxes and regulations; and to generally get off the backs of America’s entrepreneurs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)