Small Business News You Can Use (3/19)

Consumer Sentiment in U.S. Dropped Unexpectedly in March

Confidence among U.S. consumers unexpectedly dropped in March, a sign rising fuel costs may be starting to weigh on the economic outlook.
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment fell to 74.3, the lowest this year, from 75.3 the prior month. The gauge was projected to rise to 76, according to the median forecast of 70 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. More...


Small Business Employment Hasn't Been Hit Hard Everywhere

In February 2012 the Intuit Small Business Employment Index, a measure of employment at U.S. companies with fewer than 20 employees, stood at 95 percent of its January 2007 level. Small business employment has been slowly working its way out of a deep decline, with the Index hitting a post-financial crisis bottom in November 2009 at 89 percent of its January 2007 level. More...


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5 Small Business Lessons from March Madness

Let the madness commence! The annual NCAA Tournament — also known as “March Madness” — is underway. The field of 68 college basketball teams is competing for their sport’s ultimate achievement: a national championship. Some small businesses can cash in directly on the three-week event. But you don’t have to run a sports bar to benefit; just about any business can cull some valuable lessons from the madness. More...


Will the JOBS Act Boost Your Small Business?

The U.S. House of Representatives on March 8 passed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in an overwhelming majority and uncharacteristically bipartisan vote. Support from the U.S. Senate and White House is widely anticipated, and the bill is expected to become law soon. More...


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