Small Business Extended Family Blog

Research indicates that it is more difficult in the international arena than in the domestic arena for producers to find the right distributors for consumer goods; for assemblers to find the right suppliers for their components; for investment firms to find the right partner for their joint ventures. http://bit.ly/hustuu . Yet, access to foreign markets could be just the scenario for your small business to increase sales, revenues and profits.  The Small Business Extended Family® suggests that small businesses avoid frustration and resource squandering by considering an investment in technical assistance which can make your foray into international trade operationally smooth.  Vertical Optimization, LLC specializes in helping small businesses overcome international trade barriers.

The government needs a search warrant to access private emails, (http://bit.ly/fJaVho) but employers do not (see www.faegre.com/11535 and http://bit.ly/9Cshp6 ).  In City of Ontario v. Quoin, the United States Supreme Court made clear that “employer policies concerning communications will of course shape the reasonable expectations of their employees, especially to the extent that such policies are clearly communicated.”  The Small Business Extended Family® suggests that small businesses conserve valuable capital resources and guard against costly litigation by communicating privacy expectations to your employees.

The Small Business Extended Family® wants to know what you think.  The Obama administration has been under criticism for its policies that some in the business community characterize as “unfriendly to business” (http://bit.ly/hO97qW).   Does the Administration’s recent appointment of William Daley, formerly the head of the Commerce Department under the Clinton administration and a widely respected business man from the private sector with Wall Street credibility (JP Morgan), to White House Chief of Staff, mean that the interests of the business community will be better represented?  Tell us what you think.

Trust the Small Business Extended Family® to keep you current with news that could affect your business.  The current administration has already signed into law eight separate Small Business tax cuts. In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, (and subsequent legislation in 2010) the President signed into law the following eight small business tax cuts/credits:

1. A New Small Business Health Care Tax Credit
2. A New Tax Credit for Hiring Unemployed Workers
3. Bonus Depreciation Tax Incentives to Support New Investment
4. 75% Exclusion of Small Business Capital Gains
5. Expansion of Limits on Small Business Expensing
6. Five-Year Carryback of Net Operating Losses
7. Reduction of the Built-In Gains Holding Period for Small Businesses from 10 to 7 Years to Allow Small Business Greater Flexibility in Their Investments
8. Temporary Small Business Estimated Tax Payment Relief to Allow Small Businesses to Keep Needed Cash on Hand

See “Information for Businesses” at http://bit.ly/10rYD .

Also, for a summary of the Small Business Jobs Act, see http://bit.ly/fjaRWQ .

Small Business Extended Family® is pleased to share success stories.  An online retailer and small business owner decided to use social media to boost holiday sales and achieved tremendous results, including increasing his website’s viewership from 100 views per day to 13,000 views and increasing the site’s comments from ten per day to 240.  End result: social medial tripled his annual revenues.  For inspiration, look here http://reut.rs/gXkJGJ and share with us how your business’ use of social media has generated more leads, sales or revenue for you.  Post a comment below.

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The Small Business Extended Family® wants you to be aware that changes are on the horizon that could enhance your small business’ efforts. In the Administration’s push to have small businesses drive the engine of economic recovery, new proposals for the United States Patent & Trademark Office could reduce the time that it takes to get a patent from 35 months to 12 months.  Read more at http://on.wsj.com/ggdxGH .

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Welcome to the SBEF Open Blog. This open forum enables the vibrant exchange of ideas between small businesses seeking to improve their operations or start new ones. The posts are moderated to ensure that the content is relevant to the topics under discussion but everyone who has an interest in growing their small business is encouraged to contribute to (and benefit from) the dialogue.

Welcome To Small Business Extended Family.