Business Consultant's Digest April 3rd, 2012 | arc mercury

by Derek Greer

As a business consulting firm we focus on small businesses, startups and the middle class entrepreneur.? Knowing the value of time, here we share news items that we believe have the deepest impact on small business.

Top stories being reported today in the Wall Street Journal:

• U.S. manufacturing picked up steam in March as a broad cross-section of industries reported rising output and strong orders for coming months. American consumers are helping offset softer demand affecting factories in other parts of the world.
• Dire figures on unemployment and manufacturing activity in the euro zone?s weakest members dimmed hopes for the bloc?s growth prospects.
• Stocks rose to multiyear highs in the first session of the new quarter, with the Dow industrials gaining 52.45 points, or 0.4%, to 13264.49.
• A shakeout in the storefront-loan business may make credit even tighter for millions of borrowers with less-than-stellar credit histories.
• Employees, Measure Yourselves-Encouraging workers to keep track of what they?re doing can make them healthier and more productive. New tools are making it easier for them to do that.

US Manufacturing is making a comeback, bringing the Dow up 52.45 points. ?Lets hope this momentum continues and brings us closer to recovery rather than just create another spike in the charts. ?The euro zone is still struggling which could sneak up again and slow down US momentum, however, with good ole fashion American consumerism making a comeback, the US continues to weather the storm. ?Credit is still tight for some would be borrowers, but Americans saved a few dollars over the last 3-4 years easing the effects of this continued credit crunch.

Wishing everyone a productive day from arc mercury business consulting!

by Derek Greer

As a business consulting firm we focus on small businesses and the middle class entrepreneur.? Knowing the value of time, here we share news items that we believe have the deepest impact on small business.

Top stories being reported today in the Wall Street Journal:

• Even as the European banking crisis shows signs of easing, lenders across the Continent are engaging in a variety of maneuvers to avoid, or at least delay, coming to terms with potential problems lurking on their books.
• Rising interest rates aren?t threatening the economic recovery, but a sudden spike or sustained jump this year could eventually pose a problem.
• Global Payments, the credit-card processor that reported a significant security breach Friday, said that hackers stole account numbers and other key information from up to 1.5 million accounts in North America.
• NEW YORK?U.S. stocks traded higher on the first session of the new quarter, as domestic manufacturing data edged out expectations.
• California Gov. Jerry Brown?s proposed ballot measure this fall to raise taxes and restore funding to an array of state programs faces unlikely opposition from a prominent Los Angeles lawyer who supported Mr. Brown?s election only 17 months ago.

Lenders are in denial, this is nothing new, but what does this mean for small business and the individual?? If 2008 was any lesson, this is a warning sign.? The question remains about interest rates and their future direction, up or down?? Is the Fed sticking around or will they be forced by an improving economy to let rates rise?? These are the types of questions we are all asking ourselves as we look to navigate the future economic terrain as business owners.? Only time will tell, however, regardless we either continue to reap the benefits of lower rates or the economy picks up momentum, not bad either way.

Wishing everyone a productive day from arc mercury business consulting!

by Derek Greer

As a business consulting firm we focus on small businesses and the middle class entrepreneur.? Knowing the value of time, here we share news items that we believe have the deepest impact on small business.

Top stories being reported today in the Wall Street Journal:

• Best Buy, its business model undercut by Web shoppers, plans to close 50 of its big-box outlets and test remodeled store formats.
• A late-day surge pushed the Dow industrials to their first gain in three days, with the blue chips rising 19.61 points, or 0.1%, to 13145.82.
• Junk-rated companies are piling into the debt markets, seizing on some of the lowest borrowing costs in history and strong investor demand.
• The Brics group expressed concern over the slow pace of change at the IMF and criticized Western policies for causing market instability.
• The House passed a GOP budget calling for tax cuts and a Medicare overhaul. It almost certainly won?t become law due to Democratic opposition.
• Junk Bonds Feed Hungry Market-?U.S. companies with junk credit ratings are piling into the debt markets at a record pace, seizing on some of the lowest borrowing costs in history and strong demand from investors craving higher returns.

It seems that brick and mortar is getting a run for it?s money from online retailers as more people flock to e-commerce solutions. ?With technology advancing at an alarming rate, entrepreneurs are taking advantage of low overhead, online retail start-ups while consumers are becoming more comfortable buying goods online. ?It is definitely a sign when a company the size of best buy is planning to close over 50 locations. ?This could be good news for small businesses, as the barrier for entry gets smaller when competing for business online. ?Even though big retailers like Best Buy have marketing budgets the size of Texas, the playing field, to a degree, is leveled online. ?These days, it doesn?t cost an arm and a leg to build an online business, all you need is an idea, an e-commerce website, some merchandise, a little search engine optimization and some social networking and you are ready to take on the big guys. ?Obviously I am?oversimplifying?a little, however, you get my point. ?You no longer have to lease out a building for three years, put up billboards and hope to sell something to keep the lights on.

Wishing everyone a productive day from arc mercury business consulting!

by Derek Greer

As a business consulting firm we focus on small businesses and the middle class entrepreneur.? Knowing the value of time, here we share news items that we believe have the deepest impact on small business.

Top stories being reported today in the Wall Street Journal:

• New applications for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level since April 2008. Separately, the economy?s fourth quarter expansion was unrevised at 3%, while corporate profits moderated.
• It turns out that the hottest growth area for new businesses isn?t something sexy such as software or biotechnology. It?s construction. More entrepreneurs are setting up construction companies, according to a report released earlier this week.
• Big Firms Mentor Start-Ups on Their Image.?Programs Connect Entrepreneurs With Marketers, Ad Agencies for Help on How to Sell Their Brand; Companies Benefit Too.
• Under a bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday and that?s expected soon to be passed into law, start-ups can raise up to $1 million a year by pitching to thousands of small-dollar investors online with little disclosure beyond a rough business plan. (They can raise up to $2 million if they provide audited financial statements.)
• The Senate approved, by a 73-26 margin, the bill easing corporate-governance and financial-reporting requirements for initial public offerings, the measure?s last major hurdle before being signed into law.
• Hearing: Start-Up Investors Key to Job Growth-Federal efforts aimed at creating jobs should focus on helping fast-growth start-ups raise cash, a group of small-business owners and researchers told a House committee Wednesday.?Their remarks come as Senate lawmakers remain divided over a wide-ranging bill that would roll back regulations on small firms seeking capital from outside investors.

Small business to the rescue. ?We hear it a lot these days, the key to job growth- freeing up small business to grow and hire. ?Given the news today, start-ups are in the lime-light, showing signs that with proper management, a?Goldilocks?amount of regulation, and the right access to capital,?entrepreneurs?can do what they do best and create jobs. ?Whether this will all pan out is yet to be seen, but America?s business owners are not giving up and neither are we.

Wishing everyone a productive day from arc mercury business consulting!

by Derek Greer

As a business consulting firm we focus on small businesses and the middle class entrepreneur.? Knowing the value of time, here we share news items that we believe have the deepest impact on the global and local economic horizon.

Top economic stories being reported today in the Wall Street Journal:

• Just over 80% of Greece?s private-sector creditors had agreed by a Thursday deadline to turn in their bonds for new ones with less than half the face value, touching off a massive debt swap.
• Stocks climbed on?optimism about the completion of the Greek debt deal. ?The Dow?industrials added 70.61 points, or 0.6%, to 12907.94.
• More than 200,000 financially strapped households will have a chance to sharply cut their mortgage balances under a deal struck by BofA.
• Americans ramped up their borrowing late last year for the first time since the depths of the recession, data from the Fed showed.
• The house passed a bipartisan bill aimed at easing business regulations and creating jobs, but critics said it loosened investor protections.

The markets are feeling good, with the Dow up two days in a row based on relief that Greece may finally have a way out, given that private-sector creditors agreed to swap their debt out for half the value. ?Good news on the home front with 200,000 struggling households getting mortgage balance cuts from BofA. ?Positive news for small business and the unemployed, the housed passed a bill that will ease business regulation helping companies hire more.

Wishing everyone a productive day from arc mercury business consulting!

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