Dashboard
A daily roundup of small-business developments.
What’s affecting me, my clients and other small-business owners today.
The Economy
• Services expanded in July at their fastest pace since 2005.
• The trade deficit narrowed more than expected in June thanks to a decline in petroleum imports.
• A report from Standard & Poor’s says income inequality is holding back economic growth.
Finance
• Big banks continue to increase their loan-approval rates for small businesses.
Family Business
• A New England supermarket chain continues to reel after a family feud.
Management
• This is the manufacturer’s checklist for “reshoring” — bringing the production of goods back to America.
• The chief executive of Borderfree explains how his company helps retailers expand abroad and look to new markets for growth.
• Keep your brain alert: Eat fish!
Marketing
• Here are some thoughts on finding the best small-business associations.
• And here’s why building a Facebook community will never trump a great newsletter.
• Here’s how to set marketing goals you can actually achieve.
Employees
• What if Walmart’s chief executive took a pay cut for his workers?
• A beauty shop employee accidentally shoots a fellow employee with her boss’s gun.
• Here’s a crash course for hiring your first employee.
• A bakery cupcake bouncer talks about his life.
• Paychex introduces a payroll card program that allows employers to directly deposit their employees’ wages on to a prepaid debit card
Washington
• The Small Business Administration failed to meet its target for awarding 5 percent of contracts to women-owned small businesses.
Start-Up
• Here are a few reasons some doctors are turning to start-ups.
• A start-up uses the web to help towns market their properties.
Taxes
• The president is weighing executive actions to limit tax inversions.
• But maybe we should just eliminate corporate taxes (and tax shareholders more).
• Or maybe the United States should start taxing soda the way it taxes cigarettes and alcohol.
Around the Country
• As demand for same-day delivery rises, dozens of distribution centers are popping up around New Jersey.
• A 5-year-old loses his bid for a third consecutive term as mayor of a tiny Minnesota tourist town.
• Business confidence surges in Massachusetts.
• At the age of 51, Michael Jordan, owner of the Charlotte Hornets, shows he’s still got his shot.
Around the World
• President Obama announces $33 billion in commitments for Africa.
• How car rationing in Beijing could help Uber’s new nonprofit ride-sharing service take off.
• Japan’s “selfie stands” take tourist photos to a whole new level.
Health Care
• Newly hired employees who don’t sign up for health insurance on the job could have it done for them automatically under a new provision.
Entrepreneurship
• This merchant is selling flowers seven days a week
• A 22-year-old taxidermist eats her subjects.
Ideas
• A venture fund sinks money into a new and improved nuclear reactor.
• This company wants to sell you “husband-hunting” shoes.
Technology
• Here are 12 ways to make your Mac run faster.
• Google is changing its Gmail service to cater to a more global audience.
• The Android operating system has surpassed Apple’s iOS in web traffic.
• Apple says July was a record-setting month for its app store revenue.
• Here’s an estimate that Microsoft has lost $1.7 billion on the Surface.
• Microsoft says goodbye to major Windows releases.
Gene Marks owns the Marks Group, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa., consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. You can follow him on Twitter.