SmallBusinessExecutiveInforming, Inspiring and Connecting Businesses
Steep slowdown in startups impacts economy
Submitted by the Kauffman Foundation (KANSAS CITY, MO.), May 2, 2012 – Building on a long-term trend, the nation’s business startup rate fell below 8 percent for the first time in 2010, marking the lowest point on record for new firm births. New firms as a percentage of all firms continued a steady downward trend [...]
Panzanzee incubator targets social enterprises
One of Chicago’s newest incubators is aimed at social enterprises. Panzanzee offers co-working spots in its 2,200-square-foot space as well as the opportunity for social entrepreneurs to address a group of professionals with a specific problem and receive advice, according to a Forbes story. Unlike startup accelerators designed to prepare young technology firms for venture [...]
Fast growing women-led firms employ 27,000
BrightStar Care, a Gurnee, Ill.-based staffing services firm owned by Shelly Sun, was named the fastest-growing woman-led business in North America in April. The Top 50 women-led businesses, which were ranked by Women Presidents’ Organization and American Express Open, generated a combined $4 billion in revenue in 2011 and employed 26,883 workers. The number of [...]
Business ethics: A matter of principle
How America conducts business has been called into question during the current economic crisis. Greed, ambition and poor regulation frequently have been raised, while ethics – or the lack of — doesn’t always make the news. Writing for Jewish Business News, Chicago journalist Jodie Jacobs asked five Chicago experts to share their views on the role of ethics in business.
How to manage nasty word-of-mouth reviews
Ideally we would all love to avoid negative reviews in the first place. To defray them, be sure to post positive reviews. Ask the happy customers to write a review, but never pay for it.
Obama Signs JOBS Act Opening Door to Up to $1 Million in Crowdfunding
President Barack Obama Thursday signed into law the bipartisan JOBS Act, short for Jumpstart Our Business Startups, which is designed to create jobs over time by easing access to capital for businesses. Citing the success of American inventors and entrepreneurs such as Graham Bell and Henry Ford, Obama predicted the act will be a “game [...]
Business owners optimistic, but slow to hire
Submitted by SurePayroll Nationwide, SurePayroll Scorecard data shows hiring in March was down 0.2 percent from the prior month, but paycheck size remained flat. Despite this, optimism among small business owners was 70 percent, the first time optimism has reached 70 percent since May 2011. When small business owners were asked about their hiring plans moving forward in 2012, the SurePayroll’s [...]
Economic outlook mixed: Kauffman Foundation survey
Submitted by the Kauffman Foundation (KANSAS CITY, MO.) April 3, 2012 — Despite remaining generally confident about the prognosis for their own businesses, startup company owners sent mixed signals about their overall economic outlook for the next 12 months, according to the 2012 second quarter Kauffman/LegalZoom Startup Confidence Index released today by the Ewing Marion Kauffman [...]
Businesses lean on technology to cut gas usage
By Ann Meyer Fibrenew franchise owner Ivar Vankemenade has lessened the brunt of the recent spike in gas prices by relying on technology to help him shave pennies here and there. His Global Positioning System diverts him around traffic jams en route to repair leather upholstery on-site for customers, while an app tells him which [...]
Women-owned businesses outpacing most in job, revenue growth: Amex report
The growth in the number (up 54 percent), employment (up 9 percent) and revenues (up 58 percent) of women-owned firms over the past 15 years exceeds the growth rates of all but the largest, publicly-traded firms. As of 2012, it is estimated that there are more than 8.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating nearly $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.7 million people, according to the second annual “State of Women-Owned Businesses Report,” commissioned by American Express OPEN.
