Week in Review: HP Mobile, Microsoft Vulnerability, IRS Fast Track


Week in Review: HP Mobile, Microsoft Vulnerability, IRS Fast Track

From the latest tech to policy changes to other up-to-the-minute shifts that could affect your business, there’s a lot to keep up with. Meanwhile, you find yourself at the end of another busy week with your feet up trying to take it easy.

Sit back and relax. We’ve done all the heavy lifting. The Small Business Trends editorial team has assembled the most important news for you all in one place. Here are the top stories in review.

Latest Tech

HP lets you print from mobile. A new accessory lets you print from your mobile devices on older HP printers. Don’t worry. It will be included in your new printer when it’s time for an upgrade.

Microsoft reveals system vulnerability. If you have an older version of Windows, Office or other programs running on your computer, beware. Microsoft says you may be a target to hackers.

Dell computer smell upsets customers. Businesses both large and small must deal with customer complaints that seem to spring up without warning. Dell shows how to respond to one such potentially embarrassing issue.

The Moto G is here. It’s another inexpensive mobile device with potential business applications. Read over the specs and limitations and see whether this one might be right for your business.

Public Policy

How Obamacare is affecting small business owners with individual policies. Even small business owners who originally supported the President’s healthcare plan are hurting, now that they are getting the bill for replacement policies.  It ain’t pretty. Small Business Trends CEO Anita Campbell gives us the rundown.

The IRS will fast track small business. Being audited by the Internal Revenue Service is never a good experience. But at least a new IRS program may speed things up a bit. Read more to evaluate your options.

Trends

Smartphone subscriptions projected to hit 5.9 billion. For small businesses that market online, this means catering to an increasingly mobile market place. But it also may mean new markets opening up.

Smartwatches win for wearable tech. Right now, at least, more people would buy a smartwatch than Google Glass or similar products. Get the details of the survey here.

Social Media

SnapChat turns down $3 billion from Facebook. It may sound crazy, but experts insist there is a method to this startup’s madness. Their audience just keeps growing!

Facebook helps boost Canadian French Fry chain. It’s a good thing social media does drive sales. Because Facebook is the only social media marketing Ryan Smolkin planned for when launching his successful string of eateries.

Finance

QuickBooks announces Square, American Express integration. Intuit, the company behind the well-known accounting software, is pushing to make its online version better. Partnerships like these and others should make it easier to use with other services.

Xero introduces more features. Check out these new tools including Xero Touch and Xero Files. The features are part of a ramp-up to the announcement of Xero’s new payroll option coming soon.

What the shutdown has done to loans. There has been another side affect of the recent government shutdown (now averted), says Biz2Credit CEO, Rohit Arora. Anita Campbell has more in this story about how small business loan rates are down.

Entrepreneurship

Starbucks loses second court case to smaller roaster. The international cafe chain has lost an appeal against a smaller roaster. A court says a coffee called Mister Charbucks does not damage Starbucks’ brand.

Amsterdam company has clothes for your chair. It may sound like a crazy idea, but sometimes being safe with your products just isn’t the right answer. It’s time to get creative.

Your next idea could come to you anywhere. Look, we all know the temptation to seek out that most contemplative spot where inspiration supposedly always strikes. But the truth is, your next business idea may come upon you when you least expect it.

Reading Photo via Shutterstock

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  1. It seems that there are a lot of technological updates this week. The tech scene has been very active in coming up with new solutions and new innovations especially for small business owners.