Survey: Small business anxiety on the rise
Bizjournals

Hawaii ranks low on ‘small business survival index’
Bizjournals

What Small Business Can Expect From Obama
Business Week

Small Business Economic Confidence Continues to Fall
MarketWatch (press release)

Employers cut back on holiday gifts
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Twitter for Business: 10 Things to Consider Before You Get Started
Search Engine Guide

Year-End Tech & Tax Tips for Smart Small Businesses
MarketWatch (press release)

In Britain, Debate Over Help for Small Businesses
New York Times

Ask an Expert: Credit crunch forces small businesses to be creative
USA Today

Let Your Website or Blog Build Your Online Business With Profits
SmallBusinessToday

Twitter, Flickr, Facebook Make Blogs Look So 2004
Wired Magazine

Study: Blogging’s Dead? Someone Forgot to Tell Readers.
BuzzLogic

The 10 silliest bits of advice to IGNORE when running a Business
StartRunGrow

Small Business Economic Confidence Continues to Slide
MarketWatch (News release)

Small business owners reap benefits of social media
ZDNet

Joe Who? Small businesses say they’re not being heard
Reuters

Last minute battle for the small business vote
The Journal Blog

Small Business Marketing; 3 Tips to Improve Your Email Marketing
Smart Marketing

Steps taken to help small businesses
Reuters UK

The best cities for small business
Financial Post (CA)

Looking for a Job? Try a Small Business
The Wall Street Journal

Small Business: Bonuses may be casualty of economy in ’08
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Candidates Present 401(k) and Small-Business Plans
The New York Times

Top Small Workplaces 2008 
Wall Street Journal

Small Business Week 2008
BDC (Canada)

Small business: Getting past the gatekeepers
Newsday

Twitter: Not A Waste Of Time For Small Business Owners
Internet Marketing NewsWatch

MySpace Woos Small Business And Personal Advertisers With Targeted Ads
eBrandz

Small Business Owners Divided on Wall Street Bailout Plan
PRWeb (news release)

SBA ups interest rate on many disaster loans
Triangle Business Journal

Sending CEOs to the slammer
CNN/Money

Ask an Expert: It may be time for a ‘small business bailout’
USA Today

Small Business Owners Unfamiliar with Risks Involved in Workers’ Compensation Insurance from Self-Insured Groups
MarketWatch (news release)

Ease-of-Use Essential for Small-Business VoIP
SmallBusinessComputing.com

Business groups upset over bailout vote
Bizjournals

Small Business Economic Confidence Falls Sharply
MarketWatch (Press Release)

Maternity scheme ‘no good for business’
NEWS.com.au (Australia)

Entertainment Accounting
PEX Card Corporate Finance Blog

Survey: small businesses remain optimistic
Bizjournals

National Survey Shows Traveler Award Programs Important But Too Difficult to Redeem
MarketWatch (news release)

Promises, promises, but which party has the best ideas for small business?
New Brunswick (Canada) Business Journal

Small-business owners forge ahead with holiday party plans
Dallas Morning News

Cost Cutters: Reduce Shipping Costs
The Wall Street Journal

Brand Building Tips (On A Budget)
SEOBook

What Media Crunches Mean To Your PR Efforts
Small Business Daily

Small Business Owners Back McCain
PRWeb (press release)

As Credit Lines Fade, Credit Cards Step In
New York Times

Lenovo aims ThinkServer line at SMEs
vnunet.com

The Wall Street Journal
Small Firms See Financing Harder to Get

Lessons from Ike
BusinessWeek

Is Your Business Prepared for a Disaster?
Wall Street Journal Blogs

SBA offers disaster loans to some Florida nonprofits
Bizjournals

Telecommuting means change in management style
San Francisco Chronicle

How to Make a Splash for Your Small Business
Small Business Mole

Steps to Protect your Assets if a Hurricane Aproaches
Small Business Today

SBA Disaster Services

Small business owners excited about health program, but some left out
The Herald-Mail (MD)

McCain or Obama: Who Deserves the Small Business Vote?
Wall Street Journal Blogs

Small Business: Pricing business’ products and services
Newsday.com

Tips for managing a small business’ books
Los Angeles Times

10 Ways to Use LinkedIn That You Never Thought Of
Biz.edu

Democratic Platform Dodges Key Small Business Issues
PRNewswire (Via Yahoo News)

Small Business Economic Confidence Increases for Second Consecutive Month
PRNewswire (via Yahoo News)

Joe Biden: Friend of Small Business?
US News & World Report Blogs

Credit crunch hurting entrepreneurs
The Dallas Morning News

Fortune Small Business 100
CNNMoney.com

Fortune Small Business Showcases Fastest Growing Public Firms
Washington Post Blogs

Small, Midsized Firms To Spend $280 Billion On Technology By 2012
InformationWeek

The Business of Politics
Wall Street Journal

WVU Prof says Wal-mart doesn’t hurt, help small business
West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Small business owners are salespeople in disguise
Fort Worth Business Press

10 Lessons Learned Starting a Small Business
American Chronicle

Blackwater May Have Fudged Numbers to Get $100M in Contracts
ABC News

Minimum Wage Rises 70 Cents
CBS News

Small-Business Optimism Up
Inc.com

Making use of social networking sites
Newsday

Making Cents: Growing your small business
Norwich (CT) Bulletin

Small – Business Funding Boost
New York Times

Poll: Business Owners Unhappy With Washington
Wall Street Journal Blogs

Lenovo announces new small-biz laptops, updates ThinkPads
Crave

Setting Strategy: Blogs can give small-business Web sites a personal touch
Kansas City Star

Should small businesses whine?
Seth Godin’s Blog

Survey: Health insurance, fuel costs among top small biz owners burdens
BizJournals

More Than 1 Million Entrepreneurs Have Made Microsoft Office Live Small Business One of the Fastest Growing Web Services
Microsoft (Press Release)

Congress Considering Tax Breaks for Small Business Investors
NuWire Investor

Employee Training for Small Business Owners
American Small Business News

Why do I need a small business website?
Bytestart (UK)

Small, Older Firms Are Biggest Economic Drivers
Washington Post

Visa Joins Facebook
FaceReviews

Small Talk: Too much skin? Create a dress code
Salt Lake Tribune

Before You Buy That Small Business
MSNBC.com

To Increase Website Traffic and Sales, Answer Customer Questions
Ayo’s Website Design

Small business optimism index hits 28-year low
Reuters

Small Business Owners Are Stirred, Not Shaken, by Economic Conditions
MarketWire (press release)

McCain says Obama policies are bad for business
Associated Press

Who is “Small Business Owners?”
Small Business Trends

5 Ways to Start Your Business With No Money!
Bankaholic

Canada small business group rejects carbon tax
Reuters UK

SME workers pose top security risk
vnunet.com

Auctions on eBay: A Dying Breed
BusinessWeek

Top 5 Small Business Ideas For 2008
Gather

Press Releases Are Not Just for Press Anymore
new influencer

Why Macs still aren’t right for most businesses
Fortune Small Business (via CNNMoney.com)

Small Talk: Some small businesses forced to move back home
The Salt Lake Tribune

Texas’ small-business owners gather to fight new tax
Dallas Morning News

Microsoft to raise Windows Small Business Server price 80 percent
ZDNet Blogs

More Entrepreneurs Taking Time off to Relieve Stress
PR-inside (press release)

Going green as a small business
Newsday

Do kids have a place in small business?
MySmallBusiness (Australia)

5 things your business can outsource
bytestart.co.uk (Great Britain)

Survey: Most small business owners optimistic
BizJournals

One Small Business Just Handed a Customer to Target
Wall Street Journal – Independent Street

Four-Hour Week Works Great for ‘Mompreneurs’
TheStreet.com

Small business: Avoiding advertising mistakes
Newsday.com

Email Marketing For The Small Business
emailInsider

Reduce Your Company’s Carbon Footprint
TheStreet.com

Scrimping on your salary? Beware an audit
Fortune Small Business (via CNNMoney.com)

20 Questions with Shawn Boyer (Small Business Person of the Year)
Richmond.com

Most bosses ‘untrained’ in dealing with homeworkers
trainingzone.co.uk

What Tight Credit Can Mean for Small Business
The Entrepreneurial Mind

Book Review: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Guerrilla Marketing
American Entrepreneurship

Size Matters
US News and World Report

Building your first business Web site
Fortune Small Business (via CNNMoney.com)

When Content Isn’t King
Small Business Internet Marketing Blog

City trying out Net platform to give small business a lift
Baltimore Sun

Bush Says Small Businesses Will Lead US Economic Recovery
Voice Of America

[UK] Bosses want ‘more rights’ to question candidates about pregnancy
More Th>n Business

It’s National Small Business Week. Should you care?
Fortune Small Business (via CNNMoney.com)

Small Business Marketing Unleashed: Blogging For Business
WebProNews

Consultant: Great time to start own business
Portsmouth Herald News (NH)

National Small Business Week Forum Streaming Video
Small Business Administration SBW Website

Dell Updates Vostro Small-Business Laptops
PC Magazine

Selling your business? Click here
Fortune Small Business (via CNNMoney.com)

Working in a small business can make you sick
ZDNet.com

U.S. Small-Business Optimism Index Sank to 28-Year Low in March
Bloomberg

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Or so the song goes. But not this summer for many small business owners.
TriState Observer

Married To A Small Business Owner? Plan To Help – But Don’t Expect A Paycheck
BizOp Blogs

Did you know you can SUBMIT news for Startup BizCast’s Recommended Reading feature? If you have small business-related news, send us a link and we’ll take a look!

Economic Confidence Index Plummets
FOX Business

United States now a steal for businesses
CNNMoney.com

100 best cities in the United States to live and launch a small business
CNNMoney.com via Smallbusinessnewz

The Fastest Way to Finance Your Small Business
New York Times

What are the hidden technology costs of starting a business?
Financial Post (CA)

President Bush Announces He’ll Launch His Own Post-White House Small Business
RickRoll Weekly

Small Firms Find Credit Is Tightening
New York Times

Microsoft Pumps Up Small Business VoIP
internetnews.com

Comcast rolls out phone service for small business
Boston Globe

Tips for small businesses to survive recession
San Francisco Chronicle

It’s OK to pay yourself when starting a business
Kansas City Star

Small Businesses Have Big Concerns
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Survey: Small-business credit worries low, optimism slightly higher
Columbus Business First

Handling late payments — and avoiding them
Kansas City Star

Do Your Business Papers Convey the Right Image?
American Small Business News

Blogs Are Terrible for Drive-By Sales
Small Business Trends

Women are corporate worriers: survey
The Age (Australia)

Small Business Guru Announces Launch of the Bootstrap Experiment
PRWeb (news release)

The 7 Stages of a Referral Generation
Duct Tape Marketing

Busting the Small-Business ‘Free Money’ Myth
KOAM TV

Don’t let a ‘great’ business opportunity cloud your judgment
Indianapolis Star

Three Tips to Reduce the Burden of the Estate Tax
FOX Business

Did you know you can SUBMIT news for Startup BizCast’s Recommended Reading feature? If you have small business-related news, send us a link and we’ll take a look!

Small Business Economic Confidence Rebounds after Six-Month Slide
BusinessWire (news release)

The American Small Business League Endorses Barack Obama
MarketWire (news release)

Candidates not listening to small businesses, group claims
MSNBC

Smart Tips on Small Business Scams
WJTV

Did you know you can SUBMIT news for Startup BizCast’s Recommended Reading feature? If you have small business-related news, send us a link and we’ll take a look!

Veteran Small Business Bill Enacted
New York Times

Time for small businesses to hunker down
USA Today

SEO benefits of publishing news on your site
e-consultancy

Did you know you can SUBMIT news for Startup BizCast’s Recommended Reading feature?  If you have small business-related news, send us a link and we’ll take a look!

U.S. Small-Business Optimism Falls to 17-Year Low
Bloomberg

Microsoft, Yahoo Court Small Businesses
InformationWeek

Yahoo wipes out small business hosted storage limits
Computerworld
[Editor's note: This is HUGE for businesses that are podcasting.  I'm thinking about using it somehow.]

12 Global Small Business Trends to Watch in 2008
MarketingProfs

Bush Budget Tight on Small Business
New York Times

Business leader says it’s time for a ‘Super SBA’
Central Valley Business Times

Kerry Named Small Business Champion by Massachusetts-Based Staples
PRNewswire

Find tax breaks for your business
CNN.com

4 Ways Google AdWords Can Increase Small Business Profits
SearchEngineWatch 

Study: Most Small Firms Don’t Offer Health Insurance
WashingtonPost.com

Where Google, Amazon.com, and Wal-Mart collide
ValleyWag

Free 2008 Small Business Planning Guide Available at MoreBusiness.com
News Release (PRWeb)

A budget is a road map every small business needs
Newsday

Managers Use ‘Sleepworking’ To Make Business, Tech Decisions
InformationWeek

Brodeur Journalists Survey Identifies Blogs’ Influence on Traditional News Coverage
Marketwire Press Release (via Yahoo Finance)

Tech ‘Solutions’ Your Small Biz Can’t Use
BusinessWeek

Small Business Podcasts Help Expand Your Business
Small Business Mavericks

Taking the pain out of PR
MySmallBusiness (Australia)

SMALL BUSINESS 101: Office energy savings for your business
LondonTopic.ca (Canada)

Overtime pay: A ticking time bomb
Fortune Small Business

SBA Tackles Employee Morale
Washingtonpost.com

3rd Annual ”State of the Union” Study for Small and Mid-Size Business Released
Reuters

The Most Overrated Careers
US News & World Report (Hat tip to Small Biz Labs)

A List of General and Niche Social Media Communities
doshdosh.com

Small Business Advocate: Refuse to participate in recession talk in 2008
commercialappeal.com

8 cost-cutting ideas for ’08
dailybreeze.com

SurePayroll Insights Survey Finds Birth Order Unimportant to Entrepreneurship
SurePayroll.com (news release)

Disaster Planning Low Priority for Small Business
Datamation

Remarks by the President on the Economy
Reuters

How to stay afloat amid soaring gas prices
Financial Post

Big trends in small business, part 2
USA Today

US Small Business of the Year Award
US Chamber of Commerce

Aid Coming for California Wildfire Victims
Los Angeles Times

Holiday Gift Picks for Spoiling your Small Business
PC World

The intern opportunity
Financial Post (Canada)

Telecommuting top work choice for small business owners
Telecommunications Magazine

Small Business Optimism Falls to 1993 Low
CNBC

Tracing Business Acumen to Dyslexia
New York Times

Three Things Every Business Must Have In Order To Create Powerful Marketing
The Leland Tribune

SBA Accused of Falsifying Small Business Contracting Data by the American Small Business League
MarketWire (News Release)

Small Firms Pay More to Comply with Disability Law
Washington Post Small Business Blogs

MoreBusiness.com Adds Over 100 Business Plans [...] (trackback)
PRWeb (News Release)

Ten Penny-Pinching Ideas for 2008
BusinessWeek (via Yahoo)

Small Business Confidence Down
Inc.com

Yahoo Can’t Cope with Cyber Monday
TechCheck Blog (CNBC.com)

Intuit buys online small business specialist for $170 million
Examiner.com

New Report Reveals 10 Most Common Mistakes Small Business Owners Make (trackback)
News Release via PRWeb

Are You the Best Boss for Your Business?
BusinessWeek

Fed sees no credit crunch yet for small firms
Bizjournals

Which states love small business?
Fortune Small Business (via CNNMoney.com)

Turkey Malaise
MSNBC

5 Powerful Techniques to Help your Business Stand Out (trackback)
NHG Consulting

9 Ideas for Blog Posts When You Are Stuck (trackback)
Search Engine Guide

Top 50 Small Business Web Marketing Tips – Part One
bytestart.co.uk

Small business group joins union in health coalition
Bizjournals

Small business optimism sours on Fed rate cut
Reuters

Writers Strike Could Devastate Small Businesses
BusinessWeek

Wachovia boosts small-business offerings
Bizjournals

Small Business Fail To Seize Online Biz
Hartford Business

Could Bad Web Address Choices be Damaging Your Business?
BizHelp 24

Top 100 Home-Based Businesses in the Nation Revealed
CNN Money (via PRNewswire)

Study Finds Growing Concerns Among Small Business Owners When it Comes to Fraud and Their Businesses
CNN Money (via PRNewswire)

IRS Gives Out Free Small Business Tax CDs
WebCPA

Font Basics for Branding Your Small Business
RK Weblog

These business losses are not a small matter
San Diego Union-Tribune

Small Businesses Seek More Support (U.K.)
SmallBizPod

Black Enterprise Presents its Small Business Success Guide
PR Newswire

About to buy a business? Put facts first.
Houston Chronicle

Rural Small Business Owners Say Broadband Service Critical to Success
Yahoo Business (via PRNewswire)

Discover Polls Reveal True Character of the American Entrepreneur
Businesswire

Italian mafia rakes in $128 billion annually
Earthtimes.org

Keep customers by keeping them happy
Newsday

Find a niche and let the game plan begin
LA Times

Congress may force action on women’s contracts
Bizjournals

Intuit Offers $50,000 Reasons to ”Just Start” Your Own Business (trackback)
Intuit (via PRWeb)

Fox Goes Into Business (trackback)
Suitably Flip

Free Software for the SMB
TechNewsWorld

US small business optimism up in September-survey
Reuters

Business plots attack on new sales tax (Michigan)
The Detroit News

Women Entrepreneurs Celebrate Women in Small Business Month
The Open Press (News Release)

Tip of the Day: Why startups fail
(Trackback)
Orange County Register – Jan Norman on Small Business

SBA prodded to act on women’s center grants
Bizjournals

Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding SBA
Detroit Free Press

Small Business Owners Hold the Line on Hiring
Businesswire (via Yahoo Finance)

How To Generate Environmentally Friendly Small Business Ideas
Best Home Based Affiliate Business Blog

Hill Hearings Scrutinize SBA for Not Implementing Programs
The Washington Post

Minneapolis is No. 1 in MarketWatch study of best metro centers for business
MarketWatch

Small Business Owners Innovate to Compete with Big Business Holiday, Bonus Practices
(Trackback URL)
Surepayroll via PRWeb

One Blogger Asks: Is the Grass Really Greener on the Web Workers Lawn?
Web Worker Daily

Small Business Online Spending To Top $70 Billion (Jupiter Research Study)
Web Pro News

Small-Business E-Commerce Revenue to Swell (survey)
eMarketer

Dell Throws Small Business a Storage Line
Small Business Computing

Warning: What Every Small Business Should Know Before They Start an E-Newsletter Campaign
Internet Marketing in the Midwest

WSJ Relaunches Small Business Channel
MediaPost Publications

10 Magazines Every Small Business Should Read
The Shop Floor (trackback)

3 Simple Tips For Building Trust
Solo Entrepreneur (trackback)

U.S. small businesses less upbeat on economy-poll
Washington Post 

The 10 Biggest Mistakes Freelancers Make, and How to Avoid Them
Note: Easily applies to small business owners too!
Freelance Switch

100 Small Business Audio Podcasts
Anita Campbell (BIG thanks to Anita for including Startup BizCast!)

Small-business owners vent their regulation frustration
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Most Expensive States For Doing Business
Smallbusinessblog.Freedomvoice.com

Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Web Site?
RK Web Blog

5 Reasons To Do Business On-The-Level
Freelance Switch

Are You Holding Your Company Back?
Young Entrepreneur

Yes, Your Email Could Make The Front Page Of The Newspaper
AllBusiness

Take Note of New Tax Breaks for Small Firms
Washington Post

Breathing new life into your small business
Newsday

If you run a business or other organization that is interested in joining the podcasting revolution, please consider contacting EndGame PR Podcast Production, which is a service of my PR firm, EndGame Public Relations, LLC. Podcasting is an outstanding way to drive traffic to your website and brand yourself as an expert in your field. I have 15 years of communications experience, split evenly between radio journalism and public relations. The benefit of this dual experience is that I have the audio production skills to make your podcast sound great, and the PR skills to make sure everyone knows about it.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me!

Steve Mullen
President
EndGame Public Relations
EndGame PR Podcast Production
Email

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog…

The Perils Of Working At Night – Should You Rent A Space?
Freelance Folder

The Making of an Entrepreneurial Generation [Generation Y]
Inc.com

5 Deadly Sins Guaranteed To Kill Your Link Requests
Search Engine Land

Online Help for Small Business
Washington Post

Small Business Owners Most Likely to Take Laptop on Vacation
PR Newswire news release
Note: The release quickly becomes an advertisement, but is interesting nonetheless

The 100 Daily Must-Reads for Entrepreneurs
Bootstrapper

Small firms’ pitches not up to scratch
Growing Business

Dell’s Vostro small business PCs turned loose
Engadget

SBA wants big guys off small business list
Bizjournals.com

SBA Approves First Loans Under New Patriot Express Initiative
Eastside Business Journal

Knowing When to Fold
Small Business Blog (Incparadise.com)

Can Small Businesses Really Afford SEO?
Search Engine Land

An excerpt:

When a business is in its first years of existence, it’s very tempting for an entrepreneur to put every possible cent toward building the company, often at the expense of a personal financial portfolio. Years later, many owners are still neglecting their own finances, believing the investment they’ve made in a now-successful company is all they need.

Financial advisers vehemently advocate against this common practice, which can include tapping an owner’s home equity to fund a company. Focusing all your financial resources on a business can jeopardize retirements, children’s education funds and leave a family struggling in an emergency.

You can read the rest of the article at the SLT website.

Top five markets for small business:

1. Orlando, FL
2. Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
3. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL
4. Las Vegas, NV
5. Jacksonville, FL

So, what markets were named the worst? Here are the bottom five, with “#1″ being the worst according to Bizjournals.

1. Springfield, MA
2. El Paso, TX
3. Dayton, OH
4. New Orleans, LA
5. Memphis, TN

You can get the full list at the Bizjournals website, and read a story about it at MSNBC.

‘Virtual offices’ can help small businesses
The News Journal (Wilmington, DE)

Deliver What You Promise
AllBusiness.com

Top 25 Alternatives To Venture Capital
Business Fund.com

Public Speaking: How to put your best foot forward
Small Business Branding

A Domain By Any Other Name Would Not Rank As Well
Small Business Hub

Be a Specialist or Be a Generalist
Small Biz Survival

Writing Press Releases For Your Business – Part 1
YoungEntrepreneur

How To Write Eye-Popping Headlines While Exhausted
Instigator Blog

Don’t Spam Journalists
AllBusiness

Is Work / Life Balance Possible For Small Business Owners?
AllBusiness

How To Get More Done In Your Day
YoungEntrepreneur.com

Is Your Content Worthy For Social Media Users?
Search Engine Land

Life After Death by PowerPoint (video)
Don McMillan (via MySpace)

7 Reasons You Should Have a Business Blog
BT Broadband office

RSS and Newsreader tutorial: Part 1, What is a Newsreader?
Pajama Market

Tips on Safeguarding Your Online Reputation
WSJ.com / Startup Journal

Another Reason to Quit your Job
From Self Employed Blog: Blogger Eartha is a great source of information about freelancing, consulting, and small business ownership.
10 Ways to Eliminate Distractions
From Freelance Switch: Some great tips on how to work more efficiently. Freelance Switch is more of a freelancer/contractor website, but there’s a very thin (almost inperceivable) line between freelancer and small business owner.
How To Make Yourself Look Big
From Youngentrepreneur: Some tips on how to make your business “look big”. Great tips, but be careful not to go overboard
Are You LinkedIn? (Networking Online)
From The Small Business Blog: Comments on the business social networking site LinkedIn. I’m a member and it’s a great way to connect with new people or to help stay connected with casual contacts.
How To Protect Your Domain Name
From search engine land: Some key advice for any business owner who is planning to have someone build a website for them — make sure you register the domain name yourself!

When the U.S. Congress first established SBA, the fundamental question was just what numerical definition should SBA use to define small businesses, industry by industry, to determine what businesses were eligible for SBA’s programs. Over the years SBA has established and revised numerical definitions for all for-profit industries, and this numerical definition is called a “size standard.” It is almost always stated either as the number of employees or average annual receipts of a business concern.

Here are just some of the highlights of a list of criteria that companies can meet to become eligible for SBA programs:

My two small businesses have no trouble meeting any of those requirements!