Blog
October 31, 2011 - 11:43am
Everyone has to increase their prices eventually. If you’re fortunate your customers won’t notice. But in a budget conscious economy, the chances are they will.
If you run a contract- or consulting-based business, it can be doubly difficult to raise your rates because you’re going to have to be upfront about the changes, and in all likelihood negotiate a new contract.
October 28, 2011 - 12:45pm
Today the Bureau of Economic Analysis released personal
income and outlays for September 2011. Personal income increased $17.3
billion, or 0.1 percent, and disposable personal income increased $12.9 billion,
or 0.1 percent. That number is helped by the tax cuts in the Tax
Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010
that cut social security withholding by 2 percentage points and that resulted
in about $1000 per family per year in increased income.
Knowing that increasing personal income is vital to
October 28, 2011 - 11:30am
The observance of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals
thousands of years ago, has long been associated with images of witches,
ghosts and vampires. Over the years, Halloween customs and rituals have
changed dramatically. Today, Halloween is celebrated many different
ways, including wearing costumes, children trick or treating, carving
pumpkins, and going to haunted houses and parties.Facts for Features and Special Editions consist of collections of
statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject
October 28, 2011 - 11:00am
NPP is vital for NOAA’s weather forecast missionAmerica’s newest polar-orbiting satellite roared into orbit this
morning, setting the stage for enhanced weather data NOAA scientists
will use to develop life-saving severe weather forecasts days in
advance.
The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite was launched
from Vandenberg Air Force, Calif., at 2:48 a.m. PDT aboard a United
Launch Alliance Delta II rocket. At approximately 3:45 a.m. PDT, the
spacecraft separated from the Delta II to the delight of NOAA and NASA
officials.
October 27, 2011 - 7:32am
Trade shows are big business. According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, more than 14,000 are held annually in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and no doubt some of them fit nicely with your small business marketing strategy.
Trade shows provide a great venue for showcasing your business and its products, entering new markets, meeting and spending time with customers and suppliers, and of course, checking out the competition.
But trade shows are also a huge investment of time, people, and money – all precious resources to a small business.
October 26, 2011 - 3:00pm
Secretary Bryson and Acting Deputy Secretary Blank have
recognized three Commerce teams that are improving customer service and saving
taxpayer money. Teams from the Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA), Census Bureau, and Department of Commerce Human
Resources offices have received the Performance Excellence Award.
The Performance Excellence Award is distributed to teams
that support the Secretary’s vision of an evolving department and continuously
improve service delivery to the American public. Bryson hopes to establish the
October 26, 2011 - 7:40am
If you are a consultant or freelancer you’ll be familiar with this often asked, yet perplexing question: “Do I need to incorporate?”
Legally, the answer is no. The truth is over 70 percent of U.S. businesses are owned by sole proprietors, and operate successfully without incorporating.
So, if you can legally operate and be successful without it, why would you want to incorporate your business? Here are some reasons why:
Liability
October 25, 2011 - 5:07pm
HUBZone Certification—How Does a Business Get Certified?
Are you a small business owner located in an economically distressed urban or rural community with high unemployment or low income levels? Are you looking for help with federal contracting and interested in becoming certified in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) program?
If so, you may be eligible for the program if you can answer yes to the following questions. Ask yourself:
Am I a small business according to SBA’s size standards?
October 25, 2011 - 1:15pm
The national income and product accounts, produced by the Bureau
of Economic Analysis (BEA), provide a
consistent and comprehensive picture of the nation’s economy; as a result, they
provide a useful tool for analyzing the economic effects of recent federal
legislation designed to stabilize and stimulate the economy. For example, it’s logical that reduced
income tax rates and expanded tax credits lowered personal current tax receipts, but by how much?
It makes sense that a reduction in the social security tax rate lowered contributions for government
October 25, 2011 - 11:15am
Guest blog post by David Kappos, Under Secretary For
Intellectual Property and Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of CommerceAt a ceremony at the White House Friday, I had the
pleasure to join President Obama as he honored recipients of the National Medal
of Technology and Innovation—the highest honor bestowed by the United States
government on our nation’s brightest innovators and inventors.
Whether unraveling the information intertwined in a DNA
helix, improving the safety of air travel, or digitizing the way we capture