Archive for April 22, 2008

Take the Sting Out of Subscription Services

Have you run into problems with software that charges on a subscription basis? Our tips can help keep unpleasant surprises to a minimum.

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Crude surges toward $120, slaps stocks

As oil rockets higher, airline stocks are crushed, and the Dow drops more than 120 points on fears about U.S. economic growth. McDonald's and DuPont shares fall, despite higher profits. Yahoo will report after the closing bell. Existing-home sales fall.

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Tech edge

How one manufacturer drove sales up 500% - by putting its CEO on YouTube.

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Rising yuan crunches outsourcers

The Chinese yuan reached a record high against the dollar last week, the latest in a series of sharp rises that are changing the dynamics of manufacturing in China - and of competing against Chinese goods.

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A season of change

What do Tennessee T-cakes and Delphi Corp. have in common? Tales of rebirth. Celebrate spring with FSB's top literary picks.

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‘I can’t grow my business’

Facing a dwindling supply of American tech workers, employers struggle to hire skilled foreigners.

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Does Small Business Week matter?

Monday marks start of National Small Business Week (NSBW), a five-day event intended to spotlight the accomplishments of America's entrepreneurs and draw policymakers' attention to the challenges confronting them. But after more than 50 years, the annual Small Business Administration-run event still remains off the radar of many small business owners.

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Retailer cuts price of Clinton goods

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will duke it out in the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday - and if sales of Amy and Anthony Pigliacampo's eco-friendly Vote Totes are any indicator, Obama is in the lead.

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Magical misery tour: Foreclosure bus

You may not be able to beat the house in Sin City, but you just might be able to beat the housing market. At least that's how two real estate agents, Barbara and Marshall Zucker, are placing their bets.

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Brides seek cheaper wedding dresses

Weddings may not be as inevitable as death and taxes, but they're usually fairly impervious to slumps in the economy.

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Lots of money but always broke

Dear FSB: My sister is a photographer's representative and my brother-in-law is an architect. Both run their own businesses. While they have numerous clients and generate billings, they can't manage their money because of late payments. They have to turn to family to borrow. Are there any cash-flow tools or contract templates with fee structures that could help?

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New eBay search slashes some sales

Improving the buyer experience is the core of eBay's growth strategy, and the online-auction company is betting on Best Match, a new default search algorithm, to deliver. But understanding what makes a "best match" has left many sellers confused and angry: They've seen precipitous drops in their sales since Best Match became the company's default search option in March.

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Illegal immigration divides town

A barbershop quartet sings "The Girl From Ipanema" in Portuguese on a television dialed to a Brazilian satellite channel inside Pavilion Barbecue, where the air is piquant with the aroma of the house specialty, frango de churrasco - slow-roasted chicken braised in red chili sauce.

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Finding funding for rural businesses

Dear FSB: We are a small business in a rural community that is in need of money to redirect and retool our company. After 30 years in the commercial satellite installation business, we need to look elsewhere for future growth but do not have the investment capital. Our needs are large enough that we can't afford it ourselves and too small to attract investors. We employ about 15 people and numerous contractors in a high overhead low to no margin business. SBA loans are prohibitively expensive and bureaucratic, and grants also have expensive strings attached. I need help to move forward.

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Businesses for Sale