Today’s roundup starts with an examination of Russia as the next world technology hub and includes a positive article on the economy and advice for Small Business Saturday.
Economy on the mend in fourth quarter
Here’s a nice Wednesday bonus: the economy is doing better than most economists anticipated. As Lucia Mutikani of Reuters reports, retail sales increased for the fifth straight month in October and manufacturing plants are seeing the first growth in shipments since May. Get ready for this holiday season—people are in the mood to spend!
Is Russia the next Silicon Valley?
What a difference 20 years makes…it looks like Russia is on par to compete with the startup culture of Silicon Valley in the near future. As Kenneth Rapoza of Forbes writes, the country is building its version of the Valley just outside Moscow in the form of a science park. The park, titled the Skolkovo Innovation Center Project, will encompass a variety of tech startups and is expected to employee around 30,000 residents. U.S. companies are taking notice; Microsoft and General Electric are already investing.
What SBOs can learn from the NBA labor mess
I’m pretty sad about the potential loss of an NBA season, but not for the players or owners. I feel sympathy for the concessioners and T-shirt makers that will no doubt lose business. As contentious as this labor disaster has been in the media, Frederic Paul of allBusiness maintains that small businesses can learn a lot from the situation. The main lesson: don’t hold out on everything. Give a little, especially when what you are giving won’t hurt you in the long run.
SBA loan breakdown with Robb Mandelbaum
What loans does the Small Business Administration give out? This was the topic of Monday’s C-Spandiscussion with The New York Times’ Robb Mandelbaum, who talks for 39 minutes about the ins and outs of SBA loans. Sit down and watch during today’s lunch break—you will no doubt learn something that will help your business.
Millennials waiting to start companies until economy improves [INFOGRAPHIC]
Quite a bit has been written about the Millennial generation (those persons born after 1982—1990 being the average birth date)—especially their propensity for starting new businesses. But as Jared O’Toole ofUnder30CEO writes, about 38 percent of young entrepreneurs are waiting to start companies until they see improvement in the economy. Millennials: when do you plan to start a company?
How to make the most of Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday is only a few days away (Nov. 26). How can you take advantage of the holiday? As Kathryn Hawkins of the Intuit Small Business Blog writes, SBOs are smart to sign up for free Facebook ads, create event marketing materials and instill a ‘shop small business’ spirit in customers all year long. As an extra bonus, check out my articles on the holiday: SBO Testimonials: ‘How I’m Marketing For Small Business Saturday, How Businesses Nationwide Are Preparing for Small Business Saturday and How Butter Lane Cupcakes Benefited From Small Business Saturday.
Why Kim Kardashian loves small businesses
Poor Kim Kardashian. After a measly 72 days as Mrs. Kris Humphries, the reality star called it quits. The upside? She managed to help a boatload of small businesses in the process. As Janine Popick of The Huffington Post writes, the Kardashian wedding extravaganza achieved royalty status thanks in part to the donations of several small business owners. Remember Kim’s headpiece? That was borrowed from Lorraine Schwartz, lead of a third-generation small business. And the cake? That $20,000 doozy was made by Hansen’s Cakes, a small bakery in Southern California. Lets just hope those small businesses experience a sales influx that lasts longer than Kim’s marriage.
