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U.S. small business optimism drops again
U.S. small business optimism dropped for the fifth straight month in July, with a bigger decline than in any of the previous three months, according to the monthly Small-Business Optimism Index from the National Federation of Independent Business.
It may be no surprise in the wake of the troubling political and economic events down south.
"Given the current political climate, the protracted debate over how to handle the nation's debt and spending, and now this latest development of the debt downgrade, expectations for growth are low and uncertainty is great," said NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg in a release about the results of the report, based on the responses of 1,817 small business members of the NFIB.
There was also a fall in the percentage of respondents expecting better business conditions in the next six months.
"Perhaps," Mr. Dunkelberg added, "we might begin referring to the 'Small-Business Pessimism Index' from now on."
Double whammy for U.S. small business
The weak U.S. housing market is weighing doubly on U.S. small businesses, points out a piece on Bloomberg Businessweek. Not only are they hurting for business because of the industry slump, but the many businesses connected to the housing industry whose own homes have plummetted in value are less lkely to invest in their businesses and find it harder to raise money by mortgaging their homes, the piece points out.
And it affects huge numbers: About one-sixth of U.S. private employers are small firms in housing-related industries, according to the report.
Closing the gender gap
MyYearbook.com co-founder Catherine Cook has had plenty of recent reason to celebrate, after her company signed a $100-million deal to merge with Quepasa.
But another win, being chosen as a finalist for the Entrepreneurs' Organization's Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, brought her "a plaque, a man's watch and a bottle of cologne." And that choice of prizes made her realize "just how rare female entrepreneurs are, and it shouldn't be so," she writes in the Huffington Post.
She writes about the ambition gap that keeps women from taking their fair share of the spotlight and says, "as a female entrepreneur, it's something you generally just have to get past."
And further, "it's time we step it up and own our own uccess because that's the only way the gender gap will close -- by belieing we can create something big and great despite the overwhelming odds against it. Until then, we'll get cologne, a man's watch and a pat on the back."
Avoid others hitting delete on your e-mails
If you use e-mail to prospect for business and don't get responses, you may want to think about some improvements being hitting the send button.
On Inc.com, sales strategist Jill Konrath offers seven tips for writing e-mails that won't get deleted.
Among them: Eliminate words and phrases that might trigger recipients to hit the delete button. Among them: state-of-the-art; exciting; leading-edge and one-stop shopping.
She also advises keeping messages short -- under 90 words -- coming up with enticing subject lines and making yourself a resource. For all the tips, click here.
EVENTS AND KEY DATES
Voting begins
Entrepreneur magazine has announced the finalists for its Entrepreneur of 2011 contest, and has now opened voting to help select the winners. There are five finalists in each of three categories. Cast a ballot until Sept. 12.
EDITOR'S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS
Fast and furious trikes can't help but turn heads
Campagna Motors occupies an odd niche in the world of vehicle manufacturing, turning out superfast three-wheelers that blur the boundary between cars and motorcycles.
FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES
More on e-mail
More tips on e-mail: Last month, columnist Mark Evans wrote about the The Email Charter, and its 10 recommendations to better handle e-mail.
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