SMB's are the Job Creators

I just read this blog entry on the Washington Post that linked me to this fabulous site with small business stats. You can look up your site and find out how many jobs SMB's created and other small business facts. For example, small businesses were responsible for ALL of the net job gains in GA from 2004-2005.

I've read various statistics about job creation, but the one I see most often is that SMB's employ 80% of the nation's workforce. 80%! We need a larger voice in Washington -- or at least one that's commensurate with our awesome responsibility. We make up a huge part of the economy. We see the faces of our workers and go to sleep at night worrying about how we'll keep sales up so they can keep their jobs. Our employees are not nameless, faceless numbers that get cut when times are tough. (I'm not saying that Fortune 500 companies shouldn't make those cuts; just that it's more personal when we do.)

Cross Posted on the SMB Hub

41 New Business Innovations

From feeder businesses to solar/hybrid lawn mowers that use as little power as a lightbulb, here is a list of TrendWatching's 41 innovative business ideas. Some of these businesses are not in the U.S. but in this global world, a trend across the pond can quickly become the latest thing here in the blink of an eye.

Read more here: trendwatching.com: INNOVATION AVALANCHE

Is Business 2.0 safe for now?

Earlier, we reported on efforts to save the popular magazine Business 2.0 from being shut down by its corporate overlords (Time, Inc.). A Facebook group was created which now has over 2,000 members including Business 2.0's publisher, Josh Quittner. I joined the group and emailed Josh, asking what we could do. He wrote me to keep the faith, stating that Time knew what it wanted to do (and it seemed they did not want to sell). As of this posting, it looks like they may have changed their minds and are keeping the magazine alive at least through the October issue while they consider offers. Fingers crossed.
Read more.

CEO panned rival in anonymous Web postings | Tech News on ZDNet

When good companies go bad: The chief executive of Whole Foods Market posted messages on a Yahoo chat forum under an alias for years, talking up his own company while predicting a bleak future for Wild Oats Markets, the rival it has since sought to acquire. Company CEO John Mackey posted messages on a Yahoo financial forum under the user name "rahodeb," which is an alteration of his wife's name, "Deborah." The postings come across as mean-spirited which is at total odds with Mackey's reputation as a spiritual businessman who has created one of the fastest-growing companies and a perennial "top place to work." Not sure what he was thinking. Remember: every chance to interact with a customer is an opportunity to reinforce your brand. He blew it with this. (All the more so given how tech-savvy his customers likely are!)

CEO panned rival in anonymous Web postings