Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United States:

• Small Businesses have big impact on health care: There are pundits and politicians who repeat that business owners oppose President Obama’s proposal to give people the choice of a public health insurance plans. Don’t believe it.
• A Credit Squeeze for Small-Business Owners: A crackdown on credit limits by card companies is squeezing the nation’s small businesses, exacerbating the problems caused by a stagnant economy.
• Investing Advice for the Small-Business Owner: The skills that serve so well in nurturing a family business or start-up may not serve when it comes to investing the money you take off the table.
• Bridge loans available to small businesses: The U.S. Small Business Administration has begun accepting applications for America’s Recovery Capital, or ARC, loans.
• Most small businesses expected to grow in ‘09: Despite the recession, 70 percent of small businesses anticipate moderate to significant growth in 2009, according to the Small Business Attitudes & Outlook survey conducted by Constant Contact Inc.
• Cash Book - For the non-bookkeeper. As easy as filling in a form. Be up-to-date and save money.
• Texas law should reduce taxes for small businesses: Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill into law on Tuesday that state lawmakers say will reduce the tax burden for more than 40,000 small businesses across Texas.
• SBA hardship loans program starts Monday: The Small Business Administration will start accepting applications Monday for its America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) program.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

While WinWeb itself is the biggest victim of the ‘winweb security’ malware, it has responded to over 10,000 partly angry and abusive enquiries and sent out information on how to uninstall the malware each time.

Google ‘winweb’ and you can see why WinWeb.com is still victimized for the criminal and illegal use of it’s trademark. Even months after the virus has passed and any good anti-virus software can handle this virus, the first page of the google search is putting winweb.com in damagingly bad company by name association.

WinWeb learned first hand that if you want to hurt your competition, you just spread a virus with your competitors name on it. I am not saying this is what happened here, I have no proof of that, it is still true that the mere name association is extremely damaging. I also do not encourage you to try doing this as it is a criminal offence.

Never the less WinWeb is still helping one or two individuals per week and should you have an issue with the virus, please go to WinWeb’s Website and press the ‘SUPPORT’ button on the left side of your browser window, mention the Winweb Security virus and WinWeb will help you to get rid of the menace.

This however is one reason why SaaS software is often more secure than running software on PCs. Unfortunately Microsoft with it’s windows operating system has been infected by many thousands of viruses over the years, and there is no end in sight. Other operating systems like Apple’s Mac OS X and Linux have done a much better job to keep their customers safe and sound - maybe something to think about, the next time you’re looking for a new computer.

How safe is your computer? Have you checked lately? –ST

Here is a digest of ten of this week’s top news stories for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and anyone who is interested in small business news from the around the World:

• ISME: Small business ‘being destroyed’ by late payments: The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has accused the Government of “dereliction of duty” in the struggle to ensure prompt payments for small and medium firms from big business and state bodies.
• Indian SMEs are most optimistic of economic recovery: Study: MUMBAI: Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are most optimistic of economic recovery this year amongst other countries in Asia, a study has found.
• Survey shows SMEs want simplified international accounting standards: An overwhelming number of small businesses support the introduction of special international financial reporting standards for SMEs that could help cut complexity and cost.
• Security breaches cost SMEs $600 million - heres how to avoid them: Small businesses lost over $600 million due to security breaches in 2007, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Criminology.
• Five reasons why we want our politicians to take a break: For Canadians who believe in a deity, it’s overdue to petition the heavens for a favour.
• Byte-Size Small Business Academy
• Cash flow vital to business growth: Cash flow is the life blood of small business. A great idea, passion and prospective customers are what you need to start a business, but cash flow allows it to thrive and grow. Without it, business fails.
• Government readies emergency loans: One week before its emergency loan program is slated to launch, the US Small Business Administration issued guidelines for banks and borrowers on how the new loans will work.
• Small business planning for upswing: Many small business owners in the USA are marketing, reworking business models and looking at possible real estate deals with the expectation an economic upturn is not far off..

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained. 

“If the technocratic class often invokes technology, it is because these inanimate objects can take on a trajectory of their own and so cover for the manager’s inability to give leadership.”

John Ralston Soul (b. 1947) Canadian writer, The Unconscious Civilization (1995) 

To view previous quotes of the day, click here  

There are so many great home & small business blogs out there to give you inspiration and new ideas. Here are my top 10 reads for today - as usual you will find these and more good reads also on my twitter feed. I would encourage you to go and have a look at these blogs as they will give you a different perspective on some of the same issues I have covered on my blog.

• lxtra.com:- Niche Marketing - The Basics
• workingathomeinternet.com:- Were’d I Go Wrong?
• blog.bizlightenment.com:- Student Entrepreneurs Not Waiting for Graduation to Create Change
• blog.ks-interactive.ca:- 10 Laws Of Success (Part 1)
• strikingup.com:- Working Alone – 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Business!
• baronglobe.blogspot.com:- Why Working From Home is a Good Idea Today?
• internetmarketingreview101.com:- Successful Business Relationships. Interesting Things to Consider  
• baronglobe.blogspot.com:- Have you been freelancing for a while?
• onlinemoneymakin.com:- How To Find The Best Home Based Business Opportunity
• athomeworkideas.com:- What amazing business opportunities are waiting in cyberspace for you?

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United Kingdom and Ireland:

• ISME: Small business ‘being destroyed’ by late payments: The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has accused the Government of “dereliction of duty” in the struggle to ensure prompt payments for small and medium firms from big business and state bodies.
• Firms urged to check if they qualify for EU funds: Small businesses in Ireland are being urged to check if they qualify for funding from the European Union.
• 92% of Small businesses are Socially Responsible: A new FSB report entitled Social and Environmental Responsibility and the Small Business Owner reveals that a staggering 92% of small businesses are socially and environmentally responsible, with 83% already engaged in waste minimisation and recycling. 41 per cent of businesses bought products specifically because they were better for the environment.
• SMEs to Give Evidence on Availability of Finance: Small and medium sized businesses have been invited to give evidence in a review on the availability of finance.
• Small business group launches www.smallbusinesschannel.co.uk: Business owners are benefitting from the most comprehensive resource of recorded information and support available on the web, courtesy of the Forum of Private Business (FPB) and GuruOnline. From bank lending to business development, entrepreneurs are now able to view 2,000 short videos of experts offering essential advice to help them beat the downturn.
• Byte-Size Small Business Academy
• FSB subsidises member telephone costs: The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the UK’s leading business organisation, is to provide its members with subsidised telephone costs which could save its members collectively over £10 million in a year.
• Small firm running costs ‘falling’: New research has suggested that the cost of running a small business continues to decrease.
• Small business running costs continue to fall: The costs of running a small company fell by 1.4% in the first quarter of 2009 due to deflation, according to the latest edition of the Business Inflation Guide.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained. 

“I know that half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.”

John Wanamaker (1838-1922) US businessman, quoted in ‘How to Acquire Customers on the Web’, Harvard Business Review (Donna L. Huffman & Thomas P. Novak; 2000) 

To view previous quotes of the day, click here  

There are so many great home & small business blogs out there to give you inspiration and new ideas. Here are my top 10 reads for today - as usual you will find these and more good reads also on my twitter feed. I would encourage you to go and have a look at these blogs as they will give you a different perspective on some of the same issues I have covered on my blog.

• profitsignups.com:- Carbon Copy Pro Business Opportunity Review
• internetmarketingreview101.com:- 7 marketing mistakes to avoid when promoting your business.
• baronglobe.blogspot.com:- 21 Entrepreneurship Websites Worth Checking Out
• selfpublishinghelper.com:- The BEST Website Software Anywhere. Useful Info to Consider
• yourinfoguide.com:- Making It Easy To Work At Home
• businesstrim.com:- Why Become a Teenage Entrepreneur?
• internetmarketingreview101.com:- Options For An Online Business - A Beginner’s Guide. Useful Facts to Keep in Mind
• businesstrim.com:- Be First, Best or Different
• businesstrim.com: How to Start a Business Newsletter
• elisabethwrites.com:- Small Business Insurance

The eighteenth in the WinWeb series of ‘Free Business Ideas’ on WinWeb’s You Tube Channel. To See More of these business ideas, you can use the free trial login to OnlineOffice.

I hope these videos will help you to make up your mind to start your own business, it does not cost the earth. If providing additional income for your family is on your agenda, this could be one of your opportunities.

Please share any business ideas you may have with us in the comments. Maybe we will make them into a video.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from India:

• Commonwealth Secretariat - Former indian President to inaugurate:Both the Ninth Commonwealth-India Small Business Competitiveness Development Programme and the Natural Fibres Skills Development Programme will held in Bangalore in southern India. The small business programme looks at what companies …
• SIDBI gets $400 mn World Bank loan: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has procured a loan of $400 million from the World Bank to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are reeling under severe credit crunch and high rate of interest.
• By working from home, you and nobody else needs to heat an office for you. It saves money too.
• Govt should enhance credit flow to MSMEs: FISME: NEW DELHI: The government should chalk out measures to increase credit flow to medium and small-scale enterprises to help tide over the global downturn, an apex MSME body has said.
• Indian SMEs are most optimistic of economic recovery: Study: MUMBAI: Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are most optimistic of economic recovery this year amongst other countries in Asia, a study has found.
• Entrepreneurial S’poreans (Straits Times): AND the entrepreneurial spirit of Singaporeans lives on. A recent survey has shown that despite the global economic downturn, Singaporeans are still relatively willing to take career risks compared with other markets. Singaporean SME (small and medium enterprise) leaders also have a pretty high appetite for taking risks to grow their business.

• As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.