Trend Alert -- Issue 58:
Customers Want Companies To Champion Worthy Causes
More than two-thirds of Americans say they consider a company’s business practices when deciding what to buy. That’s a fact from the 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Survey produced by Cone, LLC, a communications agency in Boston. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 58:
Housing Slowdown Impacts Small Businesses
In the Discover Small Business Watch for August, more than one in three small-business owners said that the recent changes in the housing market have had a significant impact on their businesses.

And the impact is all about money. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 57:
Federal Assistance Programs Underused by Small-Business Owners
A recent online poll found that most federal assistance programs and services are a mystery to small-business owners. However, many respondents said that they think small-business programs are valuable. So which federally-supported assistance programs are on the radar for small-business owners? Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 56:
Small-Business Owners Struggle To Balance Work And Life
Being a small-business owner often means that you are always open for business. Here are some tips to help you balance work and life. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 55:
How To Sell Online To Women
For women, online shopping isn’t just about browsing; it’s about putting money where their mouse is. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 54:
Small Businesses Must Overcome Web Site Barriers
In a 2007 national survey of 765 small-business owners commissioned by 1&1 Internet, Inc., a Web-hosting company, 100 percent of respondents agreed that the absence of a company Web site would lead a potential customer to seek a competitor. Those same respondents stated that using a poorly performing Web site could also lead to lost sales opportunities. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 53:
Security Breaches Costly For Small Businesses
While the public is fixated on high-profile corporate and government database breaches, hackers and identity thieves are increasingly targeting millions of small businesses. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 52:
Tax Compliance A Big Burden For Small Businesses
Chances are you just wrapped up another tax season for your small business. And chances are, it was a big hassle that took valuable hours out of your work day. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 51:
Small-Business Owners Work Too Much
Do you read work-related e-mails and documents while in the bathroom? If so, you’re not alone. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 50:
Small-Business Owners Not Confident About Retirement
Small-business owners are seeing big cracks in their retirement nest eggs. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 49:
Advertise Online And Offline For New Employees
Small-business owners in need of employees should cast a wide net. That includes placing help-wanted ads in print newspapers as well as online. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 48:
Vehicle Wraps Rev Up Marketing
Looking for a way to ramp up your marketing? Look at vehicle wraps – the ultimate in mobile advertising. They’re billboards on wheels. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 47:
Customers Crave Service With The Human Touch
When it comes to customer service, consumers want to deal directly with a human being, not an online form or automated phone system. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 46:
Mixed Signals Abound For Small-Business Owners
Gasoline prices surged – then retreated. The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates 17 consecutive times – then paused. Housing prices soared – then started tanking. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 45:
Cater To College Kids By Going Green
It’s back to class time for university students. For small businesses that sell to the college crowd, it’s a great time to sell them on your products, your services and even your efforts to be socially responsible. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 44:
How To Sell Your Creative Work To Big Clients
Graphic artists, Web designers, writers and other freelance creative professionals dream of landing a big gig with a top-tier client. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 43:
Older Employees Are Solid Investments
A report released late last year challenged myths about workers 50 and older. It showed that those employees often have productive advantages that make them far more cost-effective than is generally believed. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 42:
Are You And Your Employees Burned Out?
That heat you’re feeling as a small-business owner may not be the summertime sizzle. It could be the burnout from your employees. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 41:
Small Manufacturers Face Challenges
The future of U.S. manufacturing depends primarily on the continued success of small and mid-size manufacturers. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 40:
Small Businesses Rely On Local Marketing
If you’ve been depending on word-of-mouth referrals to drive customers to your small business, you’re not alone. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 39:
Light Up Your Creativity
If your workday feels boring or unimaginative or devoid of creativity, maybe you should turn on some lights. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 38:
Is Your Small Business Going To The Dogs?
Every small-business owner needs an edge for recruiting and retaining employees. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 37:
Selling Nuts And Bolts Online
Small businesses that cater to industrial customers are missing out on online sales. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 36:
Small Businesses Get $19 Billion In Financing
Small businesses turned to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for commercial financing in record numbers in fiscal year 2005. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 35:
Entrepreneurial Activity Is On Fire
Don’t be surprised if your small business is feeling the heat of new competition. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 34:
Holiday Season Could Be Stormy For Small Retailers
Small retailers should prepare for a possible rough ride as the 2005 holiday season approaches. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 33:
Your Small Business May Have A Security Gap
A report released this past summer showed that 56 percent of small businesses have experienced at least one information security breach in the past year. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 32:
New Employee Perk: Cutting Gasoline Costs
American employers provide plenty of perks to their workers, but helping them cope with the rising cost of driving to work hasn’t been one of them, based on the results of an online poll at HR.BLR.com. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 31:
Is Online Learning Right For You?
Savvy small-business owners are always looking for new marketing strategies, ways to beef up the bottom line and a host of other skills to ensure success. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 30:
Small, Local Businesses Winning Customer Loyalty
A recent survey commissioned by The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. found that American consumers still value courteous service … and those consumers believe that small businesses are doing a good job of providing it. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 29:
How To Tame Office Clutter
Neat freaks are in. Clutter bugs are out.
That’s the finding of a recent Workplace Index Survey released by Steelcase, a leading office furniture manufacturer. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 28:
Do Moms Like Your Web Site?
A 2005 Lucid Marketing study found that your small enterprise can suffer if your business Web site doesn’t measure up with Moms. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 27:
Do Your Employees Hate Their Jobs?
A Gallup poll found that about 77 percent of Americans hate their jobs. In a report by CareerBuilder.com, “Retail Workers 2005,” 48 percent of the retail workers surveyed said that they do not look forward to going to work each day. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 26:
Want To Start A Business? Join The Crowd.
The American entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well … and growing. That’s a clear trend judging by a handful of surveys and reports recently released. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 25:
Will Your Small Business Have Happy Holidays?
Some trend watchers say online sales could disappoint cyber retailers. Other forecasters predict that deep in-store discounts will be necessary to entice holiday shoppers. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 24:
Small-Business Owners Optimistic
The nation’s small-business owners apparently aren’t letting fears about higher oil prices, terrorism, rising interest rates or slowing economic growth affect their optimism. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 23:
Women Entrepreneurs Need Access To Capital
Women entrepreneurs have a 50 percent or greater stake in 48 percent of all privately-held businesses in the United States. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 22:
Small Biz Hiring Binge
Small businesses appear to be planning a hiring binge in the coming months, according to the OPEN Small Business Network 2004 Semi-Annual Monitor from American Express. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 21:
Independent Professionals Sense Economic Shift
Times might be changing according to San Francisco-based M2 Inc., a national provider of independent business consultants. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 20:
Keep Your Sales Pros Satisfied
Watch out. You might see your top salespeople switching jobs this year. A survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com found that about 4-in-10 sales professionals plan to look for greener pastures in 2004. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 19:
Ditch the Rudeness
If you lose your temper with the waiter at your next business lunch, you also may lose a prospective client, a new survey suggests. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 18:
Power Trip: Can Women Business Owners Swing the 2004 Elections?
A national survey concludes that women business owners are likely to be the critical swing voting block in 2004. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 17:
Consumers Embrace Online Product Research
Comparison shoppers no longer have to schlep from store to store to find the right products at the right prices. Now, they just logon to the Internet. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 16:
Preparing For The Worst: Is Your Small Business Ready For An Emergency?
Most small and midsize businesses have taken at least some steps to protect themselves in the event of an emergency. Could your business recover from rampaging wildfires, a hurricane, a terrorist attack that brought commerce to a stop? Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 15:
Small Retailers -- Prepare For Change
Owners of small retail businesses had better brace for change. Short-term and long-range trends indicate that consumers are quickly altering the retail landscape. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 14:
Private Labels and Customization Hold Promises for
Small Businesses
Consumers want personalized services and products that large corporations just aren't delivering. Jump on that trend, and your small business could see some big payoffs. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 13:
Sharp Increase In SBA-Backed Loans Fuels Small Business
The SBA celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2003. And what better way for small-business owners to join the festivities than to get their hands on some of the billions of dollars the SBA guarantees in loans. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 12:
Businesses Shift Marketing Dollars To Promotional Spending
A recent Promotion Trends Report showed that companies devoted $233.7 billion in 2002 to consumer promotional spending. That's a 3.6 percent increase over 2001. Companies actually spent more on promotional marketing than on advertising in 2002, a signal that promotional marketing is a strong trend for businesses. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 11:
Family-Owned Businesses Not Prepared For
Leadership Changes
A recent survey by the Raymond Family Business Institute and MassMutual Financial Group shows that family-owned businesses may be ill prepared to hand over the reins of leadership to a new generation. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 10:
Absenteeism Cost Small Businesses More Than Ever
Unscheduled absenteeism remains a dilemma for employers who are now paying more than ever for the costly problem of employee no-shows. That's the finding of the "2002 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey" conducted by CCH INCORPORATED (CCH), a leading provider of human resources information.
Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 9:
Resources For Women Business Owners Expand
Women-owned businesses are driving the American economy by producing more and more jobs for American workers. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that women-owned businesses continue to grow at twice the rate of all U.S. businesses. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 8:
New Study Confirms Small Businesses' Power As Innovators
A study released by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration has revealed that America's technological innovators are found in small firms, and they're more productive than their larger counterparts. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 7:
Fix Your E-mail Marketing Mistakes
One of the most overlooked causes of reduced response rates for permission e-mail marketers is unreadable HTML e-mail messages. That’s the finding from a study recently released by Silverpop, an Atlanta-based provider of e-mail marketing and customer communication solutions. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 6:
Partner Up For Profits
A recent "Trendsetter Barometer" survey from PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that collaborative partnerships between businesses boosted profits and resulted in more innovative products. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 5:
Ethnic Women Entrepreneurs Focus on Business Growth
A new study has found that business growth is the key focus for all women entrepreneurs, regardless of race or ethnic background.
Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 4:
Micro-Business Loans Increased in 2001
American banks increased their micro-business loans by 10 percent in 2001, according to a recent report issued by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 3:
Selling To The Mature Market As Baby Boomers Age
Follow the baby boomers and you could make a fortune. These Americans born between 1946 and 1964 are aging, like it or not. By 2010, one-third of the U.S. population will pass the age of 50. And they're taking their spending money with them. Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 2:
Women-Owned Businesses Grow Despite Obstacles
Two recent studies have pointed out the good and the bad news for women business owners. Here are some of the findings.
Read More

Trend Alert -- Issue 1:
Better Communication Equals Greater Employee Retention
Recruiting good people and retaining high performers scored highest by a wide margin in a survey of 4,000 human resource professionals conducted by KnowledgePoint (a division of CCH Incorporated). Read More