Latest Business News

Gmail has been popular with small businesses because it’s easy, affordable and has a lot of functionality. But you really aren’t getting everything you can out of Gmail until you start taking advantage of some of the many third-party apps that make Gmail even more powerful. Some Gmail apps require a download; others plug into the Web version.

Regardless, if you find yourself spending a lot of your workday in Gmail, check out these apps that will make your Gmail experience even richer:

Rapportive: Rapportive kills the annoyance of sorting through windows to look up your contacts on social media while you are in Gmail. The

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Tags: Business

Franchises are poised to benefit from increases in small business lending, according to the Entrepreneurs Source business coaching company.

Pointing to recent Greenwich Associates and Capital One surveys, the Source said demand for small business loans is up, and credit is becoming easier to access. Greenwich Associates found 59 percent of small business respondents to its survey had applied for a loan within the last year, with a 57 percent success rate. Capitol One found 85 percent of respondents had been able to obtain necessary loans, up 15 percent from a year ago.

Brian Miller, president and COO of the Entrepreneurs Source, and Jeremy Ames, CEO and co-founder of Guidant Financial, said franchises are well-positioned to be approved for loans.

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Tags: Business, Small Business

Small business lenders and credit unions need not collect demographic information from business borrowers as conveyed by Mark Sekula, Executive Vice President, at Randolph-Brooks FCU. Credit unions are chartered to serve their members.

Regulatory data collection is meant for institutions that can serve anyone; credit unions should not fall in the same category. Seluka also supports a move to repeal provisions in the financial overhaul bill that was introduced last year. The bill requires financial institutions to collect the same demographic data for business customers as is applicable for people who seek mortgages.

Representatives of the ABA and Independent Community Bankers of America came to Seluka’s support. B

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Tags: Business, Small Business

Whether you’re just getting started or have been in business for many years, every business at some time or another will need a little outside financial help. Equipment breaks down, you outgrow your space, or maybe you want to invest in infrastructure. Whatever the reason, it’s nice to know you have options when it comes to financing the growth of your business.

When it comes to injecting money into your business, you typically have four options:

1. Cash, either from you personally or from your business
2. Gifted funds from family and friends
3. Investor funds: this is cash in exchange for ownership/portion of net income
4. Borrowed funds

There are pros and cons to each option, and you will need to weigh them against your current situation and your goals in order to determine which option is best for you.

Cash

We all know that cash is king, but in a young business cash may not be as readily available as it is in a mature business. Eve

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Tags: Business

Here are some legal and policy issues small business owners should be aware of this week. Be sure to check through this legal and policy news roundup for the issues directly affecting your small business or entrepreneurial venture.

Trends

No-match letters a new headache for entrepreneurs. No-match letters from the Social Security Administration are back. The letters are issued when an employee’s name doesn’t match an existing social security number. The implications are obvious. But what should you do if you get one of these in the mail? 

Wage and hour lawsuits the lates threat. There were 40,000 of these in 2010, up 15 percent over the previous year. And on

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Tags: Business, Policy News, Small Business