Small Business Pressures: An Overview


How much pressure is your small business under? Businesses can come under pressure from many different sources. Here are some examples and some tips for coping.

Policy

Obama’s stimulus plan: a flop for many small businesses. Most small business owners would not hire new employees just because of Obama’s stimulus plan despite a reduction in the payroll tax and a tax benefit allowing businesses to write off their expenses more quickly. CNN Money

Small businesses already grapple with provisions of health care reform. The health care reform law passed by Congress is, like most laws, very confusing and has many provisions, especially for small businesses. It is estimated that fewer than half of small businesses are aware of the tax credit that is retroactive to January 1, 2010. Many are waiting on clarification on much of the language. For example, they are not sure of the definition of a full time employee. There is much work to be done before small businesses can determine whether or not this law will be a help or hindrance. Kansas City Star

Operations

For entrepreneurs, experience is no guarantee of success. Many entrepreneurs come from lifetime careers. They have to learn to wear many different hats. They mistakenly think business is easy. They soon find out that being an entrepreneur is as much art as science. They can read about it and they can study about it, but ultimately they must live it to learn it. The Street

Tips for running a business on the side. Often starting a small business can be tough and, if there’s no way to start it full-time immediately, a part-time venture can be the next best option. But how do you run your business on the side without sacrificing efforts for your full-time employer? Here are some tips you might consider. National Federation of Indepent Business

Finance

Banks to increase business lending. We’ve heard it all before, of course, but this time could it be for real. Not all small business leaders agree that an increase of available loans to small businesses is a real factor holding back more economic redcovery. Another factor, say some, is simply lack of demand. WSJ

While lending increases, it’s bypassed small business. Meanwhile elsewhere in the news some disturbing data that suggests there is still a long way to go until small businesses will really feel the impact of any improvement in the lending sector. While loans have increased, the report says, they haven’t gone to small businesses. WSJ

Sales & Branding

Creating your sales team. If there’s one thing that very likely will help your business move forward even in tough times, it’s a quality sales team. But how do you create one and what are the best kinds of candidates to target. Building a sales team can be a real challenge but, once done, can change your life for the better. National Federation of Independent Business

How to protect your brand. Your brand represents your businesses reputation and your name. Protecting it is the key to growing your business. Without it you need to start all over again from scratch winning customers and clients over. It would be better if it never came to that. Here are some tips for keeping your brand safe and working for you. Epic Launch

Entrepreneurship

We need entrepreneurs. And it may not matter much how young they are when we find them. A program to uncover (and cultivate) those with the entrepreneurial urge while still in high school is now under way. What leaders of tomorrow may we find there? Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Entrepreneurship still alive and well. But despite all the pressure, entrepreneurship here is still alive and well. Here we meet America’s Best Young Entrepreneurs of 2011, 25 new entrepreneurs who run the gamut but demonstrate a creativity and leadership clearly demonstrating that the next generation of business leaders will be one to be reckoned with. Bloomberg BusinessWeek

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