Since many businesses use Microsoft Office, first on the list of options is Open Office. This software includes programs for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, and more. The interface is very similar to Microsoft Office and other similar office suites.

GnuCash is another alternative that is a free accounting software. With this software, users can track income, expenses, bank accounts, and stocks. Other features include the monitoring of accounts payable, accounts receivable, and detailed reporting. Users can also import data from programs such as Microsoft Money and Quicken and can export data to spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel.

Thirdly, GIMP serves as an open source substitute for Photoshop. Although not as comprehensive as the Adobe product, GIMP does allow users to produce simple Web graphics, modify product photos, and create flyers and other marketing materials. GIMP’s interface is very similar to Photoshop’s interface and all the images created can be saved in a variety of formats.

Last but not least is Zimbra. This software is a free collaboration suite that serves as a high-level email program. It provides email, calendar, document storing and editing, instant messaging, and easy-to-use administrative controls. The open source edition of Zimbra also integrates with other email clients such as Outlook and Apple Mail. As mentioned earlier, all these programs are free and are compatible with most common operating systems. By using them, businesses could see significant savings in investments and maintenance costs.

On the flip side, savings should not be the only motivation for utilizing this software. A business should be able to function just as it would with proprietary software. Fortunately, since it is free, businesses have adequate time to test the software before they make a complete transfer.

Tesla’s shining debut came despite weakness in the broad market and as other auto stocks were hit by concerns of a global slowdown. Tesla was the top gainer on the Nasdaq on Tuesday, offering hope to other companies mulling initial public offerings but which may have shied away given recent volatility.

Tesla’s closing share price of $23.89 boosted its market capitalization to $2.22 billion, compared with $1.6 billion on Monday night. It is the first initial public offering by an American automaker since Ford’s debut in 1956. The debut comes amid heightened interest in electric cars and as major automakers gear up to launch various types of battery-powered vehicles, including plug-in hybrids.

“They’re competing against both internal combustion engines and alternative fuels like fuel cells, compressed natural gas and things like that,” said Matt Therian, an analyst with Connecticut-based IPO research house Renaissance Capital. “It’s probably too early to say that electric vehicles are definitely going to be the next thing in cars, but if they are I think the potential is huge.” source: reuters.com/article/

Asian stocks, which have slipped nearly 10 percent in the past three months, are on course for their worst quarterly performance since the end of 2008, when global investors fled to safety after the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

The MSCI index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 1 percent. Japan’s Nikkei average fell 1.8 percent to a seven-month low after breaking below a key support level. source: reuters.com/article/

U.S. consumer confidence dropped in June after rising for three months, adding to the view the economic recovery is slowing, while home prices unexpectedly climbed in April.

The report Tuesday from The Conference Board, an industry group, showed the drop in confidence came from worries about the labor market which has been one of weakest areas of the U.S. economy.

The group’s index of consumer attitudes fell to 52.9 in June from a downwardly revised 62.7 in May. The June figure was sharply below the median of forecasts from analysts polled by Reuters.

Assessment of the labor market also worsened, with the “jobs hard to get” index rising while the “jobs plentiful” index slipped.

“There remain a lot of questions around the sustainability of economic growth,” said Sean Simko, fixed-income portfolio manager in Oaks, Pennsylvania. source: www.reuters.com/article/

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in May for the first time in eight months, but a jump in consumer sentiment to a near 2-1/2 year high in early June tempered fears of a slowing economic recovery.

The drop in sales reported by the Commerce Department on Friday reflected weak gasoline prices and the end of a home buyer tax credit that had boosted sales of building materials.

Analysts said the underlying trend of steadily advancing consumer spending was intact — despite some recent data that suggested a slowing of the recovery — and there was little risk of the economy slipping back into recession.

“We have placed a double-dip in the U.S. for a long time at 15 percent and that is still where we are. The most likely scenario is the economy continues to grow at a 3-percent pace,” said Michael Strauss, chief economist at Commonfund in Wilton, Connecticut.

Total retail sales dropped 1.2 percent in May after rising 0.6 percent in April. Economists had forecast a May rise of 0.2 percent.

Receipts from building materials suppliers tumbled a record 9.3 percent in May after the expiration of incentives to boost the sale of energy-efficient appliances.

Gasoline prices, which normally rise in May, fell and weighed on the dollar value of sales.

source www.reuters.com/article/

You can get valuable consultants and service providers helping you with setting up employee benefits package. This way, you can rest assured knowing that the employee benefits offered to your valuable employees suit their needs and wants perfectly. You don’t have to worry about spending more than your company can afford on employee benefits at all, because there are a lot of affordable options available.

In order to hire the best employee benefits consultant, you need to visit the right resource center online. With the resources offered by top employee benefits site, finding the best employee benefits consultant and formulating your own employee benefits package will be as easy as 1-2-3. You can pinpoint your search based on your location and budget as well.

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A good employee benefits consultant can help you formulate the best strategy for your company. If you are not sure about creating your own employee benefits package, don’t hesitate to hire the best employee benefits consultant to help you every step of the way.

Citibank said it held the event in response to its recent small business survey, which revealed a majority of small business owners are not using social media. The live webcast provided small business owners with an overview of how to use the power of social media to market and expand their business.

source www.smallbusinessnewz.com/topnews

Although not a strong sign of recovery, it’s going in the right direction. It is the best reading since September 2008’s 92.9 index that happened just before the five-point decline in October that started the deterioration in the fourth quarter of 2008. In May, seven of the 10 index categories rose, but job creation and capital expenditure plans barely made gains.

“The performance of the economy is mediocre at best,” said William C. Dunkelberg, NFIB’s chief economist. “Given the extent of the decline over the past two years, pent up demand should be immense, but it is not triggering a rapid pickup in economic activity.”

Nine percent (seasonally adjusted) reported unfilled job openings, down two points and historically very weak.  Over the next three months, 7 percent plan to reduce employment (unchanged), and 14 percent plan to create new jobs (unchanged), yielding a seasonally adjusted net 1 percent of owners planning to create new jobs, two points better than the April reading and positive for the first time in 19 months.

source www.smallbusinessnewz.com/topnews

The Federal Reserve said on Monday total outstanding credit to U.S. consumers, everything from car loans to credit card accounts, rose by $955 million during April to $2.44 trillion, only the second rise in the last fifteen months.

Consumer credit peaked in July 2008, just before a worsening of the credit crisis brought down financial giants like Lehman Brothers and American International Group Inc.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a more subdued increase of $200 million for April.

The headline figure masked a sharp divergence between revolving credit, mainly credit cards, and non-revolving loans, contracts for items such as cars, boats, college education and holidays.

source www.reuters.com/finance/smallBusiness

The National Federation of Independent Business said its survey showed the second straight month of gain in its small business optimism index in May. It was up 1.6 points in the month bringing the index to 92.2, the highest reading since September 2008.

“Seven of the 10 index components rose, but job creation and capital expenditure plans barely gained and remained at recession levels,” the NFIB concluded.

“The recovery in optimism we are currently experiencing is very weak compared to recoveries after 1982 or 1975,” the survey concluded. “The May Optimism index is a shade better than April but remains well below the other recovery trajectories.”

At the same time, more business owners expect conditions to improve in the next six months, the survey showed.

NFIB chief economist William Dunkelberg said the biggest concern of small business owners is weak sales and until that turns around, they will not be inclined to hire new staff or invest in new equipment.

source www.reuters.com/finance/smallBusiness