Crank Up Your Customers' Confidence
from Entrepreneur
For small businesses that sell online, the importance of protecting customer data is a given. Unfortunately, the best security and privacy practices in the world are useless unless you first secure the customer's trust. Increasing rates of identity theft and other types of online fraud have left many consumers gun shy when it comes time to pull the trigger on an online shopping cart, especially when a site lacks the reputation of industry giants such as Amazon. Here, several industry professionals explain how to present your small business site as safe and reputable. More

To Beat the Recession, Open Your Books
from BusinessWeek
Most entrepreneurs keep the inner workings of company finances hidden from employees, especially when their businesses are struggling. But some executives have embraced open book management, an approach based on transparency and accountability. They train their employees to understand key financial measurements and show workers how their actions affect profits. More

Ten Usability Lessons from Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think
from UX Booth
Many people in the usability community regard Steve Krug’s book Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability as the laypersons usability bible. This book explains briefly and concisely everything one needs to know about getting started with web usability. For more advanced users, it’s a great refresher course. More

Editorial: Credit Fee Probe Needed
from The Hartford Courant
Recent credit card legislation curtailed some of the industry's flagrant anti-consumer activities — but more needs to be done. One pressing item is the amount of money that credit card companies charge merchants. This little-known "interchange fee" or "swipe fee" can amount to 2 percent or more on each transaction. More

Hedging for the Holidays
from Pet Business
In the face of current economic uncertainty, the fourth quarter will be critical for pet stores. "[The holiday selling season] is an incredibly short window of high-velocity sales," says William Lechtner, founder of The Lechtner Consulting Company in San Diego. "While it’s relative to the overall economy (so if everything is contracted, that may contract also), it's still a key part of the store’s sales and profit for the year." Of course, regardless of the prevailing economic conditions, every retailer faces a unique set of challenges in planning for the coming holiday season. But there are a number of tried-and-true methods of devising a fourth-quarter strategy that are transcendent and can be particularly useful in a tough sales environment. More

EPA Continues to Evaluate Pet Flea, Tick Products
from The Dog Channel
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently asked the manufacturers of spot-on flea and tick products for pets to provide additional detailed data on reported incidents, including breed, weight, age and sex of pet; whether the pet was treated by a veterinarian; whether the product was applied according to the label; whether this was the first time the pet owner used the product; and whether the pet was being treated with other medications or pesticides; among others. More

North Carolina Senators to Reconsider Dog Breeding Bill
from Pet Product News
North Carolina’s state Senate has delayed voting on an amended version of Senate Bill 460, which seeks to regulate the commercial breeding of dogs. The measure was withdrawn from the Senate calendar on July 8 and re-referred to the Senate Rules Committee for further consideration. More

Pet Boutique Owner Shares Success Secrets
from Pet Style News
Shop owner Melanie Dallas, who opened Sloppy Kisses in 2006 with her husband, Eugene, says there have been some key ingredients in the success of her business. Number one on her list was staffing. Despite the success of the business, Dallas has always done all the work herself. From manning the register to marketing, inventory and accounting, she has handled every detail with some help from her husband so the business would not have to invest in payroll before it was ready and before it was absolutely necessary. More