Latest Business News

With the stock market continuing to struggle to make any meaningful gains over the last decade, the typical investor’s appetite for risk has shrunk. Back during the technology bubble days of 10 years ago, riskier high return investments were all the rage. Nowadays, people don’t want to touch them with a ten foot pole.

Still, there is that dedicated group of investors out there – be they contrarians or people simply willing to take a chance – that are eager to take a chance on riskier investments with a high return potential. Now when I say “riskier investments”, I don’t mean your run of the mill small cap or international fund.

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Microsoft introduces new, easy to use website creation software

Microsoft recently made small business technology news by announcing that it was testing a website development tool-set in order to help design websites.

The WebMatrix, which is now available for download on Microsoft’s website, will be able to create sites in a fast and easily maintainable way, according to Small Business Computing.

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This year’s federal income tax rate is highly favorable to small businesses. If your company pays you a dividend in 2010, the maximum federal income tax rate will be only 15%. Likewise, 2010 corporate payouts or stock sales that generate long-term capital gains will be subject to a maximum 15% federal tax rate.

Those rates are set to expire after this year. Wall Street Journal columnist Bill Bischoff suggests three ways to take advantage of these low tax rates.

• Take Low-Taxed Dividends This Year
  If your profitable C corporation has a healthy amount of earnings and profits (or E&P), shareholders should consider taking dividends this year, instead of risking a bigger (though deferred) tax hit down the road.

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Two UK energy firms are being quizzed and investigated by regulators over differences in prices in different parts of the country, according to recent reports. Questions are being asked over why the energy providers are charging a particular price in one part of the country and a different price in another part of the country.

Amongst the discrepancies that appear to have been picked up is the fact that the price that the companies are charging in areas where they need to compete more is different to the price being charged in other areas.

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Elizabeth Echols was recently named SBA Administrator in Region.

There is breaking news for entrepreneurs – the U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced a new addition to its west coast operation.

Overseeing the SBA in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Guam will be Elizabeth Echols, who was recently named Regional Administrator in Region IX. In making the announcement, SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills spoke of Echols’ impressive record in public service.

“Both the SBA and small businesses of the region will benefit greatly from Elizabeth?s career in public service and commitment to innovation and business development,” said Mills.

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