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REGULATIONS
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Small
Business and Immigration Reform
By Geoff Lewis
 Politicians say they are looking after small
business owners. Are they?
There's one good thing about the collapse last week of the compromise
immigration-reform bill: The nation will be spared (at least
temporarily) the rhetoric of politicians trying to score points in the
polling booth, rather than actually trying to solve problems. On one
extreme there has been fear-mongering and thinly-veiled racism (send
them all back to where they belong). On the other, is a simplistic,
romantic view of immigration that harkens back to the Warner Brothers
melting pot melodramas of the 1930s (self-sacrificing immigrant parents
have come here to work three jobs to put their brilliant, completely
assimilated children through medical school).
Invariably, politicians of all stripes invoke the interests of small
business owners. But are your interests actually being served? For now,
the interests of businesses large and small have been sacrificed to
something more important -- political advantage. The Senate compromise
would have provided three remedies, depending on length of residency--
ranging from a quick path to citizenship for undocumented workers who
have been in the U.S. for five years to deportation for those here under
two years. GOP leaders pulled the bill on Thursday night, after
Democrats moved to close off debate and further amendments. The
compromise might resurface after the Easter recess, or could be an early
victim of election-year politics.
What do small business owners want to see? It depends on where they
stand politically and economically -- and, often, geographically.
Acording to a study released last week by the National Federation of
Independent Businesses", business owners are evenly split on
whether to create an amnesty/guest worker program that would allow
undocumented aliens who are employed to remain in the country. Read
full story here
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MANAGEMENT
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Update
Your Purchasing System
By Stephanie Hainsfurther
Save time and money with streamlined supply
management
Are you paying too much to buy and manage inventory? Buying bundles of
services or products that you don't need, just to get the one thing you
want? Using unwieldy purchasing software -- or no particular system at
all -- to track purchase orders and fulfillment?
Many small businesses wind up losing dollars when they try to save
pennies on purchasing. But by using on-demand contracts, unbundling
items, negotiating better terms with vendors and using online or
industry-specific software, you can get those dollars. Try these five
expert tips to revamp your procurement procedures and bring them up to
date.
* Deploy on-demand contracts
Just-in-time inventory is no longer just for giant manufacturers. "The
big issues are the space that it takes, and the fact that you can better
utilize that space for other things depending upon the industry you're
in," states Michael L. Bohon, a supply chain consultant for OMSolutions
in Richmond, Va. "In the case of manufacturing, [you could use that
space] for production facilities. The other big issue is the labor that
it takes to manage an inventory." Read
full story here
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disaster preparation plan. Be prepared -- stay prepared.
Learn more at www.edwardsinformation.com/promo.asp?offercode=PRIME
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MARKETING & SALES
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Save
Time and Money Ordering Direct Mail Online
By Mollie Neal
One-stop direct-mail shopping in cyberspace
The motto of the direct-mail business is "Send the right offer, to the
right person at the right time." But there's a fourth "right" -- the
right price. Consumer response to direct mail averages about 3 percent,
providing a far greater measurable return than you can get from other
advertising media -- but you still need to watch every penny you put
into direct mail.
The Internet is helping. Now, many small businesses are utilizing online
design and ordering capabilities to create direct mail promotions. Doing
more of the pre-press prep work online often means reduced costs and
speedier turnaround .
Pricing and range of services vary. PostcardMania, for example, charges
$389 for 5,000 cards printed on four-color glossy postcards. Services
vary from simple card printing to a complete one-stop shop in
cyberspace, providing postcard, brochure, self-mailer or direct mail
letter design, printing, mailing and database services.
Read
full story here
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