Government Help for Small-Business Owners (No Joke) - New York Times: "For years, a good way to guarantee a laugh was to walk into a room of small business owners and announce, “I’m from the government and I am here to help you.”

Entrepreneurs were more used to dealing with red tape, endless delays in getting an answer to a question and federal employees who were frequently less than helpful.

But there are some government agencies worth your time."

Tracing Business Acumen to Dyslexia - New York Times: "It has long been known that dyslexics are drawn to running their own businesses, where they can get around their weaknesses in reading and writing and play on their strengths. But a new study of entrepreneurs in the United States suggests that dyslexia is much more common among small-business owners than even the experts had thought.

The report, compiled by Julie Logan, a professor of entrepreneurship at the Cass Business School in London, found that more than a third of the entrepreneurs she had surveyed — 35 percent — identified themselves as dyslexic. The study also concluded that dyslexics were more likely than nondyslexics to delegate authority, to excel in oral communication and problem solving and were twice as likely to own two or more businesses."

An excellent resource for every small business owner...

A Resource Center Even a Microsoft Hater Can Love - New York Times: "But even the people who hate the company should visit its small-business Web site. Microsoft has compiled an extensive resource center, with topics like customer service (seven ways to defuse angry customers; how to turn customers into your sales force) and human resources (communication tips). Not surprisingly it has a strong technology section."

The New York Times highlights a new service for Small retailers who want to take their companies online can now build a store on the Web for free with a new service from FastCommerce.com. Business owners follow a simple step-by-step process to create a store template, and can have their online businesses up and running in a short amount of time.

FastCommerce.com provides business owners with a fully integrated package on the Web that allows them to run their entire operations -- from order processing to sales to inventory control -- without purchasing additional computer software. Online businesses can also customize their storefront with other applications available on FastCommerce.com, including order management and customer management, shipping rate calculator for UPS and FedEx shipments, and automatic e-mails for order confirmations.

Small Business Administration:

Establishment size matters in determining employee compensation and job tenure, concludes a study, The Relationship Between Employee Turnover and Employee Compensation in Small Business, released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The study found that all other things being equal, employees of larger establishments have longer job tenures than those working in smaller establishments. Moreover, the study found that service and manufacturing occupations pay more in larger establishments as well.

Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers Offer Testimony to U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee on Challenges Facing Women Small Business Owners:

"There's both good and bad news for women looking to start and grow small businesses, according to testimony given by the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) today before the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee in a hearing held in Bryn Mawr, Pa. The hearing led by Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez (NY-12) and Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) focused on the specific issues and challenges women business owners face.

The good news is that women-owned businesses have seen tremendous growth in recent years, accounting for the largest percentage of new businesses formed, said Donetta D'Innocenzo, Pennsylvania SBDC Advocacy and Resource Development Board co-chair.

The bad news is many ventures -- both male and female-owned -- remain in jeopardy, due to lack of essential business skills and available training needed to prepare them to run successful businesses. The struggles of maintaining profitable sales are further complicated with policy issues facing small businesses across Pennsylvania: affordable health insurance, rising energy costs, and increasing issues with taxes, lawsuits, workers compensation and regulations. The concern of foregoing health insurance alone can deter a prospective entrepreneur fr"

Cal State East Bay Small Business Development Center Recognized by Western SBA Lenders: "The director of the Cal State East Bay Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Raj George, has been honored by the America West Lenders' Conference for his work with the small business community in the East Bay. George accepted the group's Pinnacle Award as an organization that best exemplifies an outstanding commitment and partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small business resource partners and the community at large."