Although this article covers what President Obama and America are doing for small business, I thought I'd post it as small businesses form the backbone of any economy...These points are valid in South Africa as our small businesses are so important to our economy....

Today President Obama travelled to Seattle, Washington and met with three local small business owners, Senator Patty Murray and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in a roundtable discussion about strengthening the economy and creating jobs. The President met with Gillian Allen-White, owner of Grand Central Bakery in Seattle and Portland; Tiffany Turner, owner of the Discovery Coast Inn in Long Beach; and Joe Fugere, owner of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in Seattle.  

The news that ESCOM will increase 24.8% this year, 25.8% in 2011 and 25.9% in 2012. What does this actually mean?
For every R1 of electricity you spend today, after the three hikes you will spend R1.98 in 2012, that mean basically that your electricity bill will be doubled.

The good part is that is it not 35%, the increase per annum that Escom was looking for.

According to Nersa (National Energy Regulator) that approved the increase, the effect on inflation will be less than 1.5% per annum.

Pravan Gordham first budget was a difficult one and although he had not much to play with he did give some relief for the man in the street. Here is the things he did not say but that will have an effect on everybody:

Target Marketing   Have you heard the term; Target Marketing?  And have you actually explored its awesome potential to increase your profits and exposure?  Perhaps we should start at the very beginning and explore exactly what Target Marketing really is. Definition: Target Marketing involves breaking a market into segments and then...

Did you know that all marketing is emotionally driven?  When you watch an advert on TV, such as a fast food advert, pay attention to when they advertised this product to you.  I guarantee it was at breakfast, lunch time or just before dinner time.  Why do they do that? ...

The Rule of 1% is simply defined as adding to your customer service one percent at a time. Before you can do this you must have your consistency perfected or it will never work. This one percent may seem small, but if you approach the vision for your company with...

Why is cash flow so important? Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Cash is absolutely critical in the growth and well being of a business. Business owners must plan and prepare for all future events and market changes. The most important aspect of planning is effective cash flow management....

Why starting small may be the right thing for you? “Big dreams, to do big things” These word simply describe just how each and every one of us entrepreneurs start off. Most of us want to change the world, bring an innovative product into the market that will grow into a...

Wellness programs are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace, as employers realize the direct correlation between healthy employees and overall company happiness. Having healthy and happy employees leads to increased productivity, reduced sick leave, reduced health care costs and higher talent retention. Although organizing wellness programs for employees will require time...

We often hear the cliché, “Just be yourself.” What does it really mean to be “your authentic self” and why is it so important? Everyone, at some point in their lifetime, looks in the mirror and does not recognise the reflection. We realise that we are strangers to ourselves and begin...

“Just let me close off and finish everything before year end and I will get back to you next year” echoes through the phone lines around the world. This got me thinking that we live in increments of 12, further divided into smaller, bite size increments which assist us cope with stresses though-out our lives – we are well conditioned that January arrives like a knight in shining armor with a clean slate in hand and a plethora of new beginnings! So lets do exactly that, unwrap the New Year box and allow a fresh start and new look at how we can do things better in 2012!

A JOURNEY OF INTROSPECTION
TO SELF HEALING
Shahah's Ladder is a seven day program that takes the participant on an internal journey to find the healer within. This allows one the opportunity to heal many illnesses, at physical, mental and emotional planes. This program is in effect a planned journey undertaken to try to un-manifest the toxic nature that covers who you really are and helps to rediscover that which is you and yours once again, in abundance.

Using size filters on Google Images can help you find pictures that are the perfect fit for your task. For example, if you're searching for a new desktop background like [jellyfish wallpaper], you'll want a rich, crisp image. Under Search tools, filter for large images, such as Larger than 2...

These days your business website is often the first impression new potential customers will have of your business. So it really makes sense to spend some time thinking about how best to present your business information, products or services and also how visitors to your new website will interact with this...

Work from home opportunities are a dime a dozen these days, and deciding on just one system can be a daunting task. But, you can be successful and grow your work from home business opportunity if you have a comprehensive model to follow. Working from home opportunities seem to be...

The internet had truly changed the way people around the World interact, discuss issues and do business. We are truly closer to each than ever before in the history of our modern world. From the internet came about web 2.0I will be talking about web 2social networking sitesblogswikisvideo sharingsites, hosted services,...

It�s time to join the World�s most successful social media website after google. The Facebook phenomenal. Social had changed the way we communicate and do business in the internet age and Facebook is at the full front of this change. Never seen before a social networking site created for students...

INGOING AND OUTGOING INSPECTIONS

What are ingoing and outgoing inspections? Do they have to be done when letting a property? Who must do them? When? What must be inspected? What happens if they are not done? To answer these questions...

ENLISTING A LETTING AGENT...

Why use a Letting Agent? What do Letting Agents usually charge / what is the cost involved? How do I choose a Letting Agent? What should I look for? To answer these questions...