Last Minute Tax Tips
from Forbes
Uncle Sam is calling, and cash and time are in short supply. For those procrastinators out there (and you know who you are), Forbes has assembled some last-minute tax tips - from capturing accelerated depreciation and avoiding taxes on out-of-state income to hiring offspring and installing solar panels. More

Trade Shows 101
from MSNBC
MSNBC's Your Biz columnist attended a trade show down south last week and was surprised at how busy it was. In spite of the economy, attendance by both exhibitors and attendees was strong. In fact, many companies say that this is not the time to skimp on marketing. While most of them are not planning any over-the-top campaigns, they're still continuing with efforts to attract leads and customers. But now more than ever, if you spend thousands of dollars on a trade show, you want to make sure you get a return on that investment. More

Bringing Out the Best in Your Team
from Inc. Human Resources Blog
With all the anxiety in the marketplace, it’s only natural that employees may feel concerned about issues on the home front as well as job security at the office. Yet, with many managers focused on making numbers and closing sales, it’s often too easy to overlook their number one asset - the internal team. More

How Twitter, Facebook Can Save You Money
from Smart Money
Merely maintaining customer loyalty just isn’t enough for businesses these days. Now companies as varied as Sears, Fiji Water and Gold’s Gym want to be friends with you, too -- through online social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Indeed, in an effort to ensure warm feelings, some companies are even offering exclusive discounts and deals in exchange for the privilege of your friendship. "There’s definitely a business advantage to having a presence there," says Tim Ross, principal of Kendall Ross, a Seattle-based retail branding firm. "It’s free, targeted advertising." More

The Ethics of Data Protection
from DC Velocity
It's not as if we need anything more to worry about as we try to steer through the "perfect storm" of the global financial crisis. Unfortunately, though, there are some threats that cannot be ignored. One of them is the soaring risk of internal data theft. At a time when wave upon wave of layoffs is hitting corporations, a new study reveals that many companies are losing more than workers. They're also losing important company information, much of which, if leaked, could be extremely damaging to their operations. More

Nothing is Set in Stone, So Renegotiate
from The New York Times
Maybe your fixed costs are not as fixed you think. With the recession continuing in full force, you may find that everyone - from the company that supplies your office with water to your neighborhood banker - is willing to renegotiate their existing arrangements with you to keep your business. More

Communication Key to Keeping Clients, Employees
from The Chicago Tribune
As counterintuitive as it may seem to many business owners, communicating openly and regularly is more important than ever during times of uncertainty, experts said. "There can be a huge positive result in trust and credibility," said David Grossman, president and founder of DG&A, a leadership and communications consulting firm in Chicago. More

New Federal COBRA Subsidy Worries Some Employers
from BusinessWeek
A new government subsidy that helps the unemployed keep their health insurance has left recession-weary employers nervous about the financial hit they may take if more people stay covered under their plans. Although the subsidy covers most of the premium, many employers remain worried that they'll be left holding the bag on costs, according to a new survey. Especially concerned are self-insured employers, which pay medical claims themselves. More