http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info Business, Finance Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:06:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Most business owners spend a lot of money on proprietary software, but is it a valid expense? While some cases require proprietary software, there are other cases in which businesses can utilize alternatives. As explained in the video report below, there are alternatives that are both ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/save-money-with-open-source-software/ Electric carmaker Tesla Motors Corp's initial public offering zoomed ahead on Tuesday with shares rallying more than 40 percent as investors bet that electric cars would define the future of transportation. Tesla's shining debut came despite weakness in the broad market and as other auto stocks were ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/carmaker-teslas-stock-zooms-40-percent-on-first-day/ Asian stocks slid and the euro struggled near a two-week low on Wednesday as investors unwound risky positions before the quarter-end amid heightened concerns over banks' funding conditions in Europe. Asian stocks, which have slipped nearly 10 percent in the past three months, are on course for ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/asian-shares-fall-on-risk-reduction/ 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 ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/consumer-confidence-slumps-home-prices-rise/ 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 ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/retail-sales-slump-but-consumer-mood-perks-up/ Providing health insurance and paid vacation is quite common when it comes to employee benefits. The cost of offering these benefits are also quite affordable, especially with several online quote search helping you find quotes from multiple service providers and compare them to find the most beneficial right away. If ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/employee-benefits-consultants/ Citibank Small Business said today its recent live-streamed event, "Drive Sales and Word of Mouth Referrals Using Social Media," is now online. 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 ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/social-media-seminar-for-small-business-now-online/ The National Federation of Independent Business Index of Small Business Optimism gained 1.6 points in May with a reading of 92.2. 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 ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/small-business-optimism-up-slightly-in-may/ consumer credit rose modestly in April but remained depressed as Americans shied away from taking on new debt amid high 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 ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/consumer-credit-rises-but-remains-weak/ Small businesses are slightly more optimistic about their economic outlook than they have been in the last two years but are still not ready to expand staffs and boost capital spending, according to a survey released on Tuesday. The National Federation of Independent Business said its survey ... http://www.smallbusinessitonline.info/2010/06/small-businesses-slowly-becoming-more-optimistic/