Noted Economist Forecasts Recovery Starting Around March 2010
from Zibb
Vistage economic advisor Allan Beaulieu is offering a cautiously hopeful outlook for the economy's long-range future. As the recession leaves CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses concerned about the future, Beaulieu is sharing his expert insights in a series of economic meetings for Vistage-member business owners in major markets throughout the U.S. Beaulieu is a senior analyst and economist with the Institute for Trend Research (ITR) in New Hampshire. He and other ITR analysts believe that the national economic recovery will begin around March 2010. More

The $250,000 Small Business Tax Question
from BusinessWeek
New data released by the bipartisan Tax Policy Center show that most small business owners won't be taxed at higher rates under Obama's proposed budget. More

Thriving in the Downturn
from Forbes
It's plenty tough out there. All the more so for small businesses, which run on gumption and grit during the best of times and must embrace any imaginative means just to survive in the worst. In the following stories you'll meet a half-dozen remarkable entrepreneurs who are prospering in the depths of recession by offering unique luxury goods and services. Can these lessons be applied to your business? More

12 Cool Web Tools for Business
from Inc.
The Web boasts a wide (and growing) variety of services that can help your companies become more productive -- and save money. From organizing your calendar to arranging your next business trip, the Inc. tech team zeroes in on the best. More

Creature Comforts Go Organic
from Pet Product News
Cautious consumers may be hanging on to their wallets when it comes to big-ticket items, but they’re still spending money on their pets. According to the American Pet Products Association, roughly $43 billion was spent on pets in 2008, with about a quarter of that going toward supplies. As people hunker down and focus on home entertainment, they also appear to be seeking comfort both for themselves and the roughly 163 million dogs and cats who share their homes. And what spells comfort better than a cozy bed? Includes sales tips! More

Proposed Texas Bill Would Limit Ownership
from PIJAC
The Texas Legislature’s House Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee has scheduled a hearing on Wednesday, April 1, at 8:00 a.m., on House Bill 3180, a bill that would establish a Commercial Dog and Cat Breeders and Dealers Act to regulate “commercial breeders.” A regulated commercial breeder would be anyone “who possesses 11 or more adult female animals AND no more than 50 intact “adult animals” at any time AND is engaged in the business of breeding animals for direct or indirect sale or for exchange in return for consideration.” More

Non-Native Wildlife Act Returns
from Pet Age
Re-introduced federal legislation to regulate the entry of non-native species into the United States is even more restrictive than 2008’s failed version, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council—but the Washington-based trade organization and allied groups are ready to roll. More

Pet Food Goes Wild
from Petfood Industry
Unbiased scientific research on canine and feline ancestral diets has unlocked and will continue to unlock important innovations. However, sometimes marketing the concept of wild, ancestral petfoods gets ahead of the science. With that caveat, let's look at some of the wild petfood diets that are becoming more popular. More