A Weekly Roundup of Small-Business News - NYTimes.com

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A weekly roundup of small-business developments.

What?s affecting me, my clients and other small-business owners this week.

The Big Story: Washington Takes Notice, China Gives Money

President Obama holds a special cabinet meeting on small business and urges Congress to give new tax breaks and other incentives. Small-business owners react. Another proposed bill would give small businesses $11 billion more in contracts. Not to be outdone, China announces a $2.5 billion fund for its entrepreneurs. Martin Neil Baily of the Brookings Institution reports on the state of American small businesses. A Gallup economist says small businesses are at a ?crucial juncture.? Startup America celebrates its first anniversary. A National Small Business Association report shows the climate for small businesses is improving.

The Data: Jobs!

Employers added 243,000 jobs in January. Consumer confidence declines unexpectedly, but auto sales are off to a strong start. The ISM Manufacturing Index increases slightly as does construction spending (pdf). But the housing market?s woes are hitting some small businesses hard. Americans cut back on spending in December and used an increase in wages to pad their savings. Some investors do not trust earnings reports, and Karl Denninger does not trust gross domestic product numbers. The president of the Philadelphia Fed says the Fed is ?too downbeat? ? and here?s a pretty good reason to be bullish on the global economy. Mark Perry reports that offbeat economic indicators are showing strong results and explains how the Great Recession stimulated gains in productivity and efficiency. The Congressional Budget Office projects a $1.1 trillion federal budget deficit for the 2012 fiscal year if current laws remain unchanged (and Ezra Klein does the math on who?s to blame for the deficits)

Finance: Mobile, Mobile, Mobile

Marc Andreessen?s venture capital firm has raised $2.7 billion in three years, and many of the largest venture firms are also doing well (Ryan Seacrest is, too). A business intelligence start-up pulls in another $20 million. Reihan Salam defends private equity. An actor?s mobile-coupon start-up nabs $1.5 million while another mobile-payment company raises $10 million. The presidential candidates embrace a mobile-payment start-up. A violinist responds to a mobile ringtone. Karen Klein reports that ?ultrawealthy individuals plan to increase their investments in small businesses.? MasterCard is planning to usher in the digital age of consumer spending. T-Mobile commits to helping small businesses get paid fast. With growth in small-business loan demand hitting a seven-year high, Bank of America is hiring small-business bankers. Two banks create a $30 million small-business lending fund. Almost forgot: Facebook filed a $5 billion initial public offering.

Marketing: Pinterest Takes Over

Pinterest becomes the top traffic driver for retailers and a study finds the site is nearly on par with Twitter when it comes to driving referrals. TechCrunch says Pinterest was the best new start-up of 2011, and here are four types of businesses that should be using it. Mick Mountz weaves a fascinating tale about online ordering. The Inc. 500 is bored with blogging (I never get bored watching this impressive young lady). Gary Shouldis suggest five ways small businesses can use QR codes, including placing ?a QR code in your storefront window? ? and drill down deeper on QR codes with this interview. A new TV show ?is based on Groupon but Doug Stephens wonders if the daily deal sites are done. To know your customers better, consider using surveillance video or learning the psychology of color. Philip Geist explains how maintaining flexibility can help sales. Greg Satell looks into the future of retail, which ?is becoming much more daring.? Ferris Bueller returns. Jerry Seinfeld renews his partnership with the Soup Nazi. Cesar Millan tames a wild and unruly plate of food.

Your People: Working From Home?

Intuit says small businesses added 50,000 jobs. But unemployment duration is not easing, and the Pew Charitable Trusts examine the effects of long-term unemployment. Twitter?s no-cost viral recruiting video is a hit. Robert Moore explains how he hired the best? candidate with less than eight hours of work. (But just make sure to give people time off ?for sick days, O.K.?) Kelly Clay explains how to find a successful freelancer. The debate continues: are businesses more or less efficient and employees more productive when people work remotely? In this video, PBS?s Ray Suarez asks, how many jobs can American manufacturing maintain? Federal workers sometimes do (and sometimes don?t) make more than the private sector, but the House votes to freeze their pay anyway. Do you know seven ways your employees can enhance your online presence? American Airlines cuts 13,000 jobs. I think this dog makes a great office assistant.

Around the Country: Pythons Take Florida

A bakery in Portland, Ore., goes from virtual to bricks and mortar. Pythons have a stranglehold in Florida. Seyi Fayanju reports on the big footprint of small businesses in the Gulf Coast restoration. As factory activity increased in Texas in January, a new start-up initiative got off the ground. Tony Hsieh is spending $350 million to make Las Vegas a start-up hub. A rise in manufacturing is good for Wisconsin businesses, and Christian Schneider reports that the Wisconsin governor?s controversial labor laws are ?already saving taxpayers millions.? Wait. Are those humans flying over New York?

Around the World: What?s Wrong With Britain?

A T-shirt brand supports entrepreneurs in developing countries. Scott Sumner asks what?s wrong with Britain? (Hey Scott: here?s what?s wrong with Britain!) Meet the top 10 start-ups in Latin America. Joseph Ward shows how inflation targeting has worked in Sweden. Can you guess where the United States stands on the list of the world?s business-friendly countries? Mark Evans begins a weekly recap of Canada?s start-up news. Here?s how one small business survived the Egyptian revolution. Both China and Japan report strong manufacturing activity, and here?s how the rest of the world stacks up. Sir Richard Branson joins the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Liverpool.

Ideas: Pursuing Her Passion

Here are 10 iconic films every entrepreneur should see. Ernst & Young?s entrepreneur of the year program puts out a call for nominations. It?s tough times for electric-vehicle battery makers. A 47-year-old walks away from her corporate job to pursue her passion. Don Dedo has advice for any entrepreneur. A father gives advice to his son. The Kauffman Foundation?s Super Bowl ad highlights entrepreneurship.

Boss of the Week

Anselm Doering, the president of seven-year-old EcoLogic Solutions in Brooklyn, makes cleaning solutions that are safe enough to drink (can that be said of the coffee at these Manhattan Starbucks?).

Red Tape: Tax Strategies

Jill Schlesinger warns of 12 Internal Revenue Service red flags, including, ?a home office deduction?: ?Are you sitting in your kitchen, checking your work e-mail? Well, that?s not a home office, according to the I.R.S.? Barbara Weltman suggests three tax strategies for improving cash flow. Michael Laprarie says it?s not just lower taxes that affect the economy: ?The effects of psychology on economics cannot be underestimated; real, sustainable growth occurs when people are excited about the benefits to be gained when they spend or invest their money.?

Technology: Tools, Apps and the Cloud

As the valuation gains of software-as-a-service companies start to slow, James Colgan explains why installed software isn?t going away. Google Plus continues to grow. Ann Augustine shares five Wiki tools for building online communities. Art Wittmann says developing custom apps for tablets and smartphones is the cool thing to do. Here are 10 productivity apps, courtesy of CRN. Xerox jumps into the cloud infrastructure fray. Here are four mature cloud services. Microsoft eyes start-ups and joins with RIM on cloud services. Yaara Lancet recommends this site to find the perfect laptop or tablet. Here are five ways to make online invoicing easier.

The Week?s Bests

Reason to Get Up Early. Annie Murphy Paul explains why morning routines are creativity killers: ?Everything about the way we start our day runs counter to the best conditions for thinking creatively. ? So what would our mornings look like if we re-engineered them in the interest of maximizing our creative problem-solving capacities? We?d set the alarm a few minutes early and lie awake in bed, following our thoughts where they lead (with a pen and paper nearby to jot down any evanescent inspirations). We?d stand a little longer under the warm water of the shower, dismissing task-oriented thoughts (?What will I say at that 9 a.m. meeting??) in favor of a few more minutes of mental dilation. We?d take some deep breaths during our commute, instead of succumbing to road rage. And once in the office ? after we get that cup of coffee ? we?d direct our computer browser not to the news of the day but to the funniest videos the Web has to offer.?

Best Argument for Immigration Reform. Tom Donohue says immigrant entrepreneurs remain vital to the economy: ?We?ve got to cut the red tape that holds back aspiring immigrant entrepreneurs. We need visa reform to welcome job creators of every size and sector. And we must make it easier for high-skilled immigrants and foreign graduates of U.S. institutions to invest their talents in our knowledge economy. If we don?t, we?ll send innovation to our competitors at the expense of our own economic growth and job creation.?

Reason to Consider Trade Shows. Mike Thimmesch explains how we can see our trade shows with fresh eyes: ?Try it yourself: walk your trade show and see who does a good job engaging you, and who ignores you ? even when you walk into their booth! Who pays attention to all attendees as they walk by, and who is on the phone, even when you reach for a business card on their table? Who is friendly even at the end of the show, and who looks like they need a trip to the spa? Who offers a friendly engaging question and turns it into a meaningful conversation, and who says ?Hi,? and then shuts up? By the end of this walk you will have a burning desire to put far greater emphasis on the choosing and training of your booth staff.?

This Week?s Question: Do you plan to attend a trade show this year?

Gene Marks owns the Marks Group, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa., consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. You can follow him on Twitter.

Source: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/this-week-in-small-business-jobs/

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