WE Inc. Journal

Enews

February 22, 2010

• WBENC Announces Annual Listing of America's Top Corporations for WBEs

• Statement from Administrator Mills on Continuing Support For Small Businesses through SBA Recovery Programs

• NAWBO's "The Power of One" Women's Business Conference 2010, June 9-10

• Obama Administration Details "Healthy Food Financing Initiative"

• SAVE THE DATE: Virginia Small Business Summit, March 25-26, 2010

• Growth Without Barriers Rewind: "Accessing Capital 2010" and the Policy Outlook for Small Business

• Barbara Weltman's Tax Idea for February 2010

• Trade Alert Highlights

• SCORE Helps Minority Entrepreneurs with Online Resources at http://www.score.org/

• 11th Annual DOE Small Business Conference & EXPO, May 10-11, 2010

• Knowledge@Wharton enews, February 3-March 2, 2010

• Important IRS News

• Business Tips and Trends News

WBENC Announces Annual Listing of America's Top Corporation for WBEs

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) recently announced its annual listing of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises, the only national award honoring corporations for world-class programs that create level playing fields for women's business enterprises (WBEs) to compete for corporate contracts.

"Our Top Corporations are world-class leaders generating growth through partnerships with women's business enterprises," said Linda Denny, president and CEO of WBENC, the leading authority on and advocate for women's business enterprises as vendors and suppliers to the nation's leading corporations.

Top Corporations programs offer equal access and result in a high volume of business with women's business enterprises. The 2009 listing includes such corporations as AT&T, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, UPS, Verizon and Marriott International.

To read the full press release announcing the listing, please click here.

Statement from Administrator Mills on Continuing Support For Small Businesses through SBA Recovery Programs

SBA issued the following statement on February 19 from Administrator Karen Mills regarding efforts to ensure continued funding for two key provisions in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009:

"SBA's most popular ARRA provisions - the increased guarantee and reduced fees in the two largest lending programs - have helped engineer a significant turnaround in SBA lending. Continuing those ARRA provisions is SBA's top priority.  Through the original $375 million and the additional $125 million appropriations for these two provisions, SBA has supported more than $20 billion in lending to small businesses across the country and seen its average weekly loan volume increase by nearly 90 percent since February 2009. Through ARRA we brought nearly 1,100 lending institutions back to the SBA's programs that had not made an SBA loan since at least 2007.  All told, these steps have benefitted tens of thousands of small businesses and supported hundreds of thousands of jobs during these tough economic times. However, we know there is still more work to be done.  As the President has requested, we will continue to work with Congress to extend these programs through September 2010. 

"The additional $125 million appropriation approved in December to extend SBA's 7(a) loan guarantee to 90 percent and reduce or eliminate borrower fees on both the 7(a) and 504 loans will be used faster than expected.  Loan volume has surged since earlier this week when an Information Notice was released to lenders.  SBA communicated with its lending partners today that it will re-activate the Recovery Loan Queue no later than Monday, Feb. 22.  The Queue is an efficient and transparent process that will ensure that every remaining dollar possible is made available to help small businesses drive economic recovery across the country."

SBA's ARRA Programs:

SBA received $730 million in ARRA to support economic recovery programs for small businesses. Included in the appropriation was $375 million to support raising the government guarantee to 90 percent on SBA's 7(a) loans and reducing some lender and borrower fees on its 7(a) and 504 loans, the agency's two largest lending programs. The funds for these popular provisions ran out in November 2009.  SBA received an additional $125 million appropriation in December 2009 along with authority to continue both of the programs through February. 

SBA's 7(a) and 504 ARRA Transition Plan:

SBA is in the process of finalizing the plan for transitioning its 7(a) and 504 programs back to their pre-ARRA terms and communicating those plans with its lending partners. This plan, when implemented, will include re-activating the Recovery Loan Queues no later than Monday, Feb. 22, 2010.  The Queues will operate in the same manner as when originally implemented in November 2009.  Sometimes previously approved loans are later cancelled or never disbursed for a variety of reasons.

The Queues take this into account and beginning on the transition date will allow eligible small businesses, in consultation with their lenders, to choose to be placed in the queue for possible approval for an ARRA loan if funding becomes available. Small business owners and lenders will have transparent access to the queue via www.sba.gov/recoveryq and will be able to remove themselves from the queue at any time to be considered for a non-ARRA SBA loan with all applicable fees and, for 7(a) loans, standard guaranty levels.

The authorization for the 90 percent guarantee on 7(a) loans ends Feb. 28, 2010, though funds may be exhausted sooner.  Furthermore, applications in the Queues after Feb. 28, 2010 will only be eligible for decreased or eliminated borrower fees when funds become available.

To learn more about SBA's ARRA programs and other resources for small businesses, please visit http://www.sba.gov/.

NAWBO's "The Power of One" Women's Business Conference 2010, June 9-10

NAWBO celebrates its 35^th anniversary this year. It will host its annual conference in the city it was founded - Washington, D.C.  Don't miss out on this opportunity to celebrate NAWBO's heritage and re-invent or expand your business through high-level education, tangible takeaways, and valuable connections - and discover how one woman, one business and one collective NAWBO voice can and will make a difference... and build a legacy of success for others to follow. For more information about the conference, or to register, please click here.

Obama Administration Details "Healthy Food Financing Initiative"

The Obama Administration released details of an over $400 million Healthy Food Financing Initiative on February 19, which will bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities across America. The initiative is a partnership between the Departments of Treasury, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services.

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative will promote a range of interventions that expand access to nutritious foods, including developing and equipping grocery stores and other small businesses and retailers selling healthy food in communities that currently lack these options. Residents of these communities, which are sometimes called "food deserts" and are often found in economically distressed areas, are typically served by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer little or no fresh produce.

To help community leaders identify the food deserts in their area, USDA recently launched a Food Environment Atlas (www.ers.usda.gov/FoodAtlas/). This new online tool allows for the identification of counties where, for example, more than 40 percent of the residents have low incomes and live more than one mile from a grocery store. Nationwide, USDA estimates that 23.5 million people, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income areas that are more than a mile from a supermarket. Of the 23.5 million, 11.5 million are low-income individuals in households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the poverty line.

This initiative is part of a broader Obama Administration commitment to promoting economic recovery, including support for small businesses and job creation. It is also part of the Administration's efforts to revitalize neighborhoods and communities by employing place-based approaches-strategies that target the prosperity, equity, sustainability and livability of places.

Through the joint initiative, which was included in the President's Budget for 2011, Treasury, USDA, and HHS would make available more than $400 million in financial and technical assistance to community development financial institutions, other nonprofits, and businesses with sound strategies for addressing the healthy food needs of communities. The initiative will make available a mix of federal tax credits, below-market rate loans, loan guarantees, and grants to attract private sector capital that will more than double the total investment. Federal funds will support projects ranging from the construction or expansion of a grocery store to smaller-scale interventions such as placing refrigerated units stocked with fresh produce in convenience stores.

SAVE THE DATE: Virginia Small Business Summit, March 25-26, 2010

SBE Council and Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies, LLC are hosting Virginia Small Business Summit 2010 in Fairfax, Virginia, March 25-26, 2010.  In addition to great networking and sessions focused on helping your business grow, the summit will be dedicated to developing a business agenda to keep the Commonwealth economically strong and competitive.

The summit will focus on six core issues that are important to the small business community:  energy, technology, transportation, healthcare, economic development (taxes, regulations, etc.) and workforce preparedness/education.  These are working sessions so expect to roll up your sleeves!

In addition, summit attendees will hear from experts regarding important business trends in 2010, including accessing capital and strategies for growing your business in a challenging and competitive business environment.

Governor Bob McDonnell has been invited to receive the summit's findings - 2010: A Small Business Blueprint for Virginia's Future.  Lt Governor Bob Bolling has already agreed to provide a keynote address on the morning of March 25. Registration is open!  To learn more about the summit, please visit the SBE Council landing page dedicated to the conference.

Growth Without Barriers Rewind: "Accessing Capital 2010" and the Policy Outlook for Small Business

On January 28, SBE Council and Jones Day brought small business viewers another exciting and interactive Growth Without Barriers webcast. Hosts Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, SBE Council/WE Inc. Founder and Andrew Sherman, renowned business growth guru and partner at Jones Day, covered a range of issues including the availability of capital and credit in the coming months, as well as the legislative and policy outlook in 2010 -- particularly given the Massachusetts election results. They also discussed President Obama's State of the Union speech, analyzing his small business initiatives and other proposals to help the economy.

You can view the webcast in its entirety by clicking here. Karen and Andrew took questions from every corner of the country. Here is a sampling of the questions:

• Based on what you heard last night in the State of the Union Address and your Washington experience with how things really work, what if anything will come out of that speech that will affect small business....good or bad?

• Regarding capital formation...is there truth to the rumor that with the recent stock market rise, there's a lot of pent-up capital on the sidelines?

• Is this a good time or bad time to sell a business?

• Is strategic investment the best kind of capital to go for with the current market conditions?

• In this economy, are venture capitalists having trouble raising new funds?

• Regarding commercial real estate - should we renew our lease, or buy?  Commercial property is priced very attractively right now, and we are considering buying space.

• Karen, when you were at the White House, did any of the advisors mention what they think will happen with the health care plan now that it's stalled, as it relates to small business?

...and more!

Andrew covered key trends in the capital markets, the state of the angel nation, what it will take for the credit markets to start lending again, and understanding traditional Venture Capital.

We had a great time answering all your questions. Your participation has made the webcast the dynamic hour that it has become! Please send us your topic ideas for the next webcast! Again, if you would like to view the broadcast, here is your webcast link.

Barbara Weltman's Tax Idea for February 2010

WE Inc. Tax Advisor Barbara Weltman's February 2010 tax idea focuses on "Post-Year Tax Elections To Cut Your Tax Bill."  Even though the tax year is over there are still certain decisions that you can make now to favorably impact your tax liability. She lists some elections and actions that can be helpful when you file your tax return for 2009. To read the tax idea, please click here.

Trade Alert Highlights

The following trade resources and information are brought to you by the U.S. Commercial Service, Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration:

COMMERCESECRETARY GARY LOCKE UNVEILS DETAILS OF THE NATIONAL EXPORT INITIATIVE:  New effort central to President Obama's goal of doublingU.S. exports and supporting new jobs. Press release: www.trade.gov/press/press_releases/2010/nei_020410.asp

Getting Back to Basics 95 percent of the world's buyers are located outside the U.S.  It's time to sell to them.  The Trade Information Center of the U.S. Commercial Service is offering its popular A Basic Guide to Exporting webinar series. Interact with experts on a range of must-know topics.  Register for more than one webinar and get a free copy of A Basic Guide to Exporting. http://www.export.gov/basicguide/eg_main_020109.asp

 Your Opinion Counts! Join the ADBProcurement Survey In an effort to improve public procurement among its developing member countries, the Asian Development Bank has launched the Asia Pacific Procurement Partnership Initiative.  The initiative aims to promote policy dialogue and enhance knowledge and capacity toward meaningful procurement reform.  To begin the process, ADB is requesting stakeholders to participate in a needs assessment survey which will help guide the process that will lead to a partnership platform for exchange of information among public procurement officials in ADB developing member countries.  Your thoughts and opinions are welcome.  Please view the survey questionnaire at: http://adbprocurementforum.net/?page_id=474. U.S. firms wishing to participate in ADB business opportunities are urged to contact: The U.S. Commercial Liaison Office for ADB, email: manila.adb.office.box@mail.doc.gov; tel: (632) 8871345/46; website:  http://mail.sbecouncil.org/Main/www.buyusa.gov/adb.

Palestinians Get First Private Equity Fund Two Arab investment companies have announced the launch of the first private equity fund designed to boost the Palestinian economy. The semiofficial Palestine Investment Fund and Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj Capital, said Sunday that they will invest in small and medium-sized businesses. They say they will provide an initial $15 million, and hope to raise a total of $50 million this year. In 2009, the West Bank economy grew more than 8% and this year similar or faster growth is expected. For more information on the West Bank economy and opportunities, please contact Assad Barsoum (assad.barsoum@mail.doc.gov).

China will go "Green" with the help of U.S. Companies The El Camino College Center for International Trade Development teamed with the Department of Commerce on a 3-year Green Export Enabler Program (GEEP) for China. The program applies a proven, 7-step Export-Enabler model to prepare clients for market entry and help them find partners, exhibit at trade shows, and make export sales. Why China? China not only has enormous needs for greener buildings and cleaner energy, air and water, but is also the country best able to afford the massive investment and imports to meet the need. The $1,000 GEEP entry fee will be credited up to $2,500 in subsidies for trade shows, Gold Key matchmaking, consulting and training. Participants must be registered as suppliers of goods or services in environmental (clean) technology, renewable energy equipment, or certified green building materials. First priority is for California suppliers, but some subsidized GEEP services will also be open to non-California companies. Register at http://www.greenexport.org/ and/or contact Kerry L. Bonner, GEEP Project Manager, kbonner@elcamino.edu, 310.973.3161 for more information.

Getting Into China's Clean Energy Market On Wednesday, March 3, at 11am EST join a webinar to find out what export opportunities exist for U.S. SMEs trying to enter the China clean energy market, what services are available from the Department of Commerce to assist you with market entry, and learn market entry strategy and discover tips for entering China's clean energy market. Contact kristie.dilascio@trade.gov to register.

Say "No" to Knock-Offs  How can you protect your IPR in China?  What can the Department of Commerce do to help you in this area?  Learn about China's current IPR environment, the protection of IPR in China, and how the U.S. Government can help with information resources.  Join a webinar on Wednesday, March 10, "Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights in China".  Contact kristie.dilascio@trade.gov to register.

Are your business secrets safe? The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that American businesses lose $250billion to corporate information theft annually.  On February 25, 2010, in Rosemont, IL speakers from the National Security Agency, FBI, Secret Service, U.S. Commerce and State Departments will brief on how to protect your business interests from bad actors in the U.S. and around the globe. Joined by experts from Baker & McKenzie and DuPont, gain insight into minimizing exposure, liability and risk for you and your organization. Topics include: Latest Trends in Cyber and Traditional Espionage Methods; Protecting Electronic Data &Trade Secrets; Vetting New Hires and International Partners. Register at http://www.buyusa.gov/midwest/324.html or contact monica.toporkiewicz@mail.doc.gov, 312-353-8059.

China's Patent ExaminationGuidelines and Patent Implementation Rules China's Third Amendment of the Patent Law and the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Patent Law and the Patent Examination Guidelines were each becomes effective February 1, 2010.  Join us on Tuesday, February 23, at 10am EDT for a free webinar on this topic with China-admitted lawyer Lizhu Zheng of the Beijing firm of King and Wood.  To register for the program, please send your contact information to janice.wingo@mail.doc.gov.

Partner with the Commercial Service in Europe to stimulate exports and jobs! The U.S. Commercial Service selected the annual Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Conference as the venue for the Euro Trade Forum, May 3-5, 2010, in Orlando, FL.  The Forum, designed to help manufacturers and other firms become active exporters to Europe, will feature 28 Senior Commercial Officers from U.S. Embassies throughout the Western and Central/Eastern Europe/Russia Regions in seminars and counseling sessions designed to highlight export opportunities, provide expert guidance and address the challenges of this large, exciting and diverse marketplace.  The annual MEP Conference attracts more than 600 MEP site partners, center managers and companies.  For program information and details on how to become a Global Export Partner at the Euro Trade Forum at the MEP National Conference, please contact Judy.Reinke@trade.gov or Reginald.Miller@trade.gov

Cleaning Up China and Indonesia U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will lead clean energy business development missions to China and Indonesia, May 15-25, 2010. The missions will promote exports of leading U.S. technologies related to clean energy, energy efficiency, and electric energy storage, transmission, and distribution. The missions will make stops in Hong Kong; Shanghai and Beijing, China; and Jakarta, Indonesia

Bank $1.5 Billion in New West Bank City  A new, modern high-tech Palestinian city called Rawabi just broke ground a few miles north of the West Bank's leading commercial city, Ramallah, with an initial investment of $700 million. Total investment in the project is expected to reach $1.5 billion within 5 years. Rawabi is being developed by American-owned Massar International and Qatari Diar in Qatar. The new city will include 5,000 affordable housing units, 23 residential buildings, schools, commercial center, a hotel, a cinema, and will be home to 40,000 Palestinian residents. The new city will offer good export opportunities for U.S. exporters of residential building products and construction materials and equipment. If you are interested in bidding on contracts related to this mammoth project, please contact Issa.Noursi@mail.doc.gov

Multi-Million Dollar Opportunity to Sell Niche Coal Poland's key importer/exporter of coal is purchasing ever increasing amounts of niche coal, a product which has more demand than domestic producers can supply in Poland. In the past year the firm imported approx 9million ton of coal into Poland. The firm is looking for supplies to ensure it can meet its customers' demands in Poland and throughout its EU-wide distribution network as well. The firm wishes to diversify its chain of suppliers for niche coal, and has expressed an interest in purchasing U.S. sourced niche coal. Please contact Piotr Nowak, Manager of the Foreign Coal Trading Department at Weglokoks, e-mail: p.nowak@weglokoks.com.pl,and Nathan Halat at the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow, e-mail: halatns@state.gov

Looking for Cheaper Fees, Less Restrictions on Flying Cargo to Central Europe? Katowice Airport in southern Poland is embarking on several major structural upgrades at an airport that serves the most populous urban conglomeration between Berlin and Moscow. To finance the new cargo terminal scheduled for completion in 2014, the airport is considering establishment of a new company with funding directly from cargo carriers. Please contact Leszek Budka, Vice President of the Upper Silesian Aviation Group, e-mail: lbudka@gtl.com.pl,and Nathan Halat at the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow, e-mail: halatns@state.gov

Architects Make Your Mark! Compete to Design Landmark Museum in Poland The Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk announces an International Competition for the development of the architectural conceptual design of the building to house the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk. Scheduled for completion in 2014, this museum will become a new landmark of the City of Gdansk. Deadline to register your intention to compete is March 26, 2010. http://muzeum1939.pl/?str=11&lang=en

Electronic Document Records Management System is Needed in the West Bank Funded by USAID, CHF International in the West Bank is implementing a local governance development program, Local Democratic Reform (LDR), which aims at building the capacity of several Palestinian Government Units to govern more effectively and responsively meet citizens' needs. As part of the development of a one-stop shop for a number of selected LDR Program's, CHF is seeking the services of qualified U.S. consulting firms to undertake the responsibility of "Design, Development, and Implementation of an Electronic Document Records Management System." Interested U.S. companies should contact Assad Barsoum at Assad.Barsoum@mail.doc.govby March 4, 2010.

Expand Your Exports Into Canada-Participate in RepCAN 2010 Vancouver June 9-10, Toronto June 14-15 and Montreal June 16-17.  The U. S. Commercial Service in Canada is organizing RepCAN 2010, a three-stop trade mission and exhibition open to U.S. companies in all industry sectors.  It is designed to provide small-to-medium-sized U.S. companies (SMEs) with a highly efficient and cost-effective platform to establish profitable business ties with prospective agents, distributors and end-users. U.S. companies can participate in any one, two, or all three, of Canada's major regional markets. For RepCAN 2010 information and registration visit our website at:  http://www.buyusa.gov/canada/en/repcan2010home.html

Bringing Asia to You (along with a few others.) The Asia Pacific Business Outlook conference, hosted by the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with the full support of the U.S. Commercial Service, is the longest-running, most successful regional conference focusing specifically on Asian markets. From April 19-20, 2010, U.S. companies can meet fourteen U.S. Department of Commerce Senior Commercial Officers from the Asia Pacific region, India and Mexico. They will present country outlooks, speak in small workshops, meet with companies in one-on-one consultations, and advise about current challenges and opportunities.  If you are doing business or looking to do business in Asia, this is the conference you can't afford to miss.  For more information: http://www.buyusa.gov/pacificsouth/apbo.html

Associations: Receive up to $400,000 for Projects that Increase Exports and Jobs: Trade associations and other non-profit industry groups can receive up to $400,000 in federal funds for MDCP projects that last up to three years. The competition may open in a couple of weeks with applications due as early as late March.  Visit trade.gov/mdcp for dial-in instructions and application tips.

Get Government Support for Overseas Proposals: The U.S. Department of Commerce's Advocacy Center helps American exporters level the playing field, overcome foreign government influence, and enhance the transparency and fairness of overseas tenders.  In cases where a foreign government is the direct or indirect decision maker, commercial diplomacy by USG officials can be essential to ensuring that U.S. exports get full and fair consideration.  If companies are interested in obtaining USG support for a proposal, they may complete a simple Advocacy Questionnaire and, after approval, the Advocacy Center will work with the company to develop an effective advocacy strategy.  For any questions, feel free to contact individual regional managers within the Advocacy Center or dial 202-482-3896 to speak with a member of the Advocacy Center staff.

11th Annual DOE Small Business Conference & EXPO, May 10-11, 2010

Register Now! The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, presents the 11th Annual DOE Small Business Conference & Expo, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA, May 10-12, 2010. The event will feature plenaries, educational workshops, an Exhibit Hall with 200+ exhibitors/sponsors, as well as business matchmaking sessions. Over 1,600 attendees will represent all levels of federal, state, and local government agencies, the small business community, large/prime contractors, and many more! For more information, please visit http://smallbusinessconference.energy.gov/ or call the Conference Hotline at 1-877-837-9147.

SCORE Helps Minority Entrepreneurs with Online Resources at http://www.score.org/

SCORE offers online resources for minority entrepreneurs at http://www.score.org/. SCORE provides articles, tools and mentoring that can help minority small business owners grow a business and recover from the recession.

Find the following resources at www.score.org/minority.html:

• Insights for Minority Entrepreneurs offers key articles on business licensing, protecting your idea, generating income, and business financing.
• Resources for Minority Entrepreneurs lists more than 30 organizations, groups and web sites that offer news, information and advice.
• Stats on Minority Entrepreneurs provides research and data about African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American businesses.
• How SCORE Can Help You highlights SCORE's free online and face-to-face mentoring and workshops.

SCORE provides Spanish-language materials at www.score.org/hispanic.html and www.score.org/guides.html. SCORE also offers online workshops in Spanish.

Knowledge@Wharton enews, February 3-March 2, 2010

Strategic Management
(Podcast with Transcript)
Paid vs. Free Content, Publishing Pains, Apple Tablets and All That ...
Two recent events have rocked the publishing world. First, The New York Times said it would abandon the practice of providing free online content and start charging regular readers beginning in 2011. And second, Apple's much-hyped tablet -- the iPad -- made its appearance. What implications will the Times' decision have for newspaper publishers and other providers of free online content? How will the iPad re-define what a book means, as well as how it is produced, marketed and delivered? Wharton professors Peter Fader and Stephen Kobrin weigh in.

Marketing
Brands on the Brink: Marketing in a Down Economy
Among other victims of the recession, brands have taken a beating. Private labels have gained market share. Consumers are cutting back. Retailers are turning up the heat. According to panelists who gathered to discuss brand strategy at a recent Wharton Marketing Conference titled, "Connecting with the Evolving Consumer," marketers need to be especially innovative when it comes to making sense of the shifting economy -- and profiting from it. As one panelist noted: "I think we're finding now that [no products are] recession proof."

Managing Technology
Apple's iPad: A Gadget Killer -- or Just Another Gadget?
Apple, which brought consumers such hits as the iPod and iPhone, is wading into a new product category with the launch of its iPad, a touch-screen tablet computer that CEO Steve Jobs has said puts "the Internet in your hands" -- and apparently much more. In fact, Apple has positioned the iPad as a universal device that not only functions like a laptop but also can play music, movies and video games, show pictures and hold a library of books. That puts it in direct competition with netbooks and popular single-use gadgets like Amazon's e-book reader, the Kindle. Will iPad be the one device that fits all, or will it just become one more gadget to juggle?

Special Report
First-hand Perspectives on the Global Economy
In this special report, students from the Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies analyze some of the most exciting economic, business and technology developments helping to shape today's world. Taken together, the 16 articles offer perspectives on a range of dynamic economies and identify existing opportunities for conducting business in countries such as Brazil, Egypt, China, Senegal, Germany, Japan, Spain and Russia, among others. The articles are part of the Lauder Global Business Insight program.

Managing Technology
Grab Your Goggles: Will 3-D Be the Next Wave in Home Entertainment?
James Cameron's three-dimensional (3-D) film Avatar -- now the highest-grossing film of all time -- is helping to set the stage for what could be the next wave in home entertainment: 3-D televisions and other electronics that aim to bring an immersive experience to mainstream living rooms. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, Sony and other companies unveiled plans to launch 3-D compatible televisions and other products, and 3-D content is already under development at networks such as ESPN. Still, Wharton faculty and other experts say it's unclear whether consumers, who have spent recent years upgrading to high-definition television, will reach for their 3-D goggles just yet.

Leadership and Change
'Don't Hide in the Corner': A Page from the Life and Career of Hearst's Cathie Black
For Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines, new approaches to delivering content -- such as the Kindle, Apple's new iPad and other devices -- strike at the core of her business, which for generations has been built around text, graphics and full-color photography on thick, glossy paper. Yet Black isn't worried. As she stated during a keynote address at the recent Wharton Women in Business conference, magazines will continue to offer "aspiration and inspiration." She also noted that Hearst has unveiled its own device and content delivery service targeted to e-readers.

Human Resources
Putting a Face to a Name: The Art of Motivating Employees
Could a simple five-minute interaction with another person dramatically increase your weekly productivity? In some employment environments, the answer is yes, according to Wharton management professor Adam Grant. Grant has devoted significant chunks of his professional career to examining what motivates workers in settings that range from call centers and mail-order pharmacies to swimming pool lifeguard squads. In all these situations, Grant says, employees who know how their work has a meaningful, positive impact on others are not just happier than those who don't; they are vastly more productive, too.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Borderless Innovation: Stretching Company Boundaries to Come Up with New Ideas
Two heads are better than one, according to speakers at a recent conference on "Borderless Innovation" at Wharton's Mack Center for Technological Innovation. Representatives from Procter & Gamble, General Electric and Vodafone, to name a few, highlighted how top multinationals are changing the way they harness new ideas by drawing on all kinds of resources, including new technological developments, their vast global business networks and even competitors' know-how. But while these tools may make global collaboration easier than ever before, there is still plenty of work left to do to make innovation deliver, the speakers said.

Important IRS News

Updated Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop Teaches New Small Business Owners Their Federal Tax Rights and Responsibilities The IRS's Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop is an interactive resource to help small business owners learn about their federal tax rights and responsibilities. This dynamic educational product, available online and on CD, consists of nine stand-alone lessons that can be selected and viewed in any sequence. A bookmark feature makes it possible to leave and return to a specific point within the lesson.

IRS Seeks Members for Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee The Internal Revenue Service announced it is accepting applications to fill vacancies on the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC), which provides feedback on the policies, programs and procedures of electronic tax administration.

Taxpayers in Nine States and the District of Columbia File with Different Centers this Year The Internal Revenue Service announced that some taxpayers who file paper income tax returns will send them to different processing centers this year.

Free Tax Help Available Nationwide Nearly 12,000 free tax preparation sites will be open nationwide this year as the Internal Revenue Service continues to expand its partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations performing vital tax preparation services for low-income and elderly taxpayers.

IRS Marks EITC Awareness Day; Highlights Expanded Tax Credit An expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) means larger families will qualify for a larger credit, offering greater relief for people who struggled through difficult financial times last year.

Haiti Relief Donations Qualify for Immediate Tax Relief People who give to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti can claim these donations on the tax return they are completing this season, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

IRS Announces Qualified Disaster Treatment for Haiti The Internal Revenue Service issued guidance that designates the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 as a qualified disaster for federal tax purposes. The guidance allows recipients of qualified disaster relief payments to exclude those payments from income on their tax returns.

IRS Headliner 286 IRS e-file Security, Privacy and Business Standards mandated as of January. 1, 2010 The IRS has mandated six new security, privacy, and business standards to better serve taxpayers and protect their information collected, processed and stored by Online Providers of individual income tax returns.

Business Tips and Trends News

"Retires Trade Work for Rent a Cash-Poor Parks," New York Times, February 18, 2010. "An itinerant, footloose army of available and willing retirees in their 60s and 70s is marching through the American outback, looking to stretch retirement dollars by volunteering to work in parks, campgrounds and wildlife sanctuaries, usually in exchange for camping space."

"U.S. Cracks Down on Contractors as a Tax Dodge," New York Times, February 17, 2010. "Federal and state officials, many facing record budget deficits, are starting to aggressively pursue companies that try to pass off regular employees as independent contractors."

"Older Entrepreneurs Target Peers," WSJ.com, February 16, 2010. "Mr. Koff figured that many of his age-group peers needed a diversion or some extra income, too. So in 2003, he launched RetiredBrains.com as a niche job board for older Americans."

"Rise in Home-Based Businesses Tests Neighborliness," WSJ.com, February 16, 2010. "The recession is causing a growing number of people to venture into home businesses, a boost for the economy but a nuisance for neighbors."

"Does Social Sell?", Brandweek.com, February 14, 2010. "For all the excitement about social media, there's a specter hanging over its use by companies. Is all this Tweeting, blogging and Facebooking paying off?"

"Buying Local on a Large Scale," BusinessWeek, February 12, 2010. "From Cleveland to Tempe, economic developers are convincing institutions with big spending power to shift more dollars to small businesses in their communities."

"How I...Formed My Own Networking Group," WSJ.com, February 11, 2010. "Women Inspiring Women throws biweekly functions that range from luncheons to panel discussions to inspirational speaking events to cocktail parties. After getting the ball rolling, Ms. Sturgeon discovered that there was plenty of interest from women in the region. ‘I can't believe that I've gone from a [contact] list of 500 to 3500 in just 3 years.'" 

"Dubai's Young Women: Single and Educated," Bloomberg.com/HarvardBusiness, February 2, 2010. "The world over, well-educated young women are choosing different pathways - in their careers and their lives - than their older peers. This is particularly striking among young Arab women, a group thought to be more embedded in - and confined by - traditional values and cultural restrictions."

"Consumers Party on for Major Brands," Brandweek.com, February 1, 2010. "Call it a modern-day Tupperware party. Big, mass marketers like Microsoft, Kraft Foods, Ford, Verizon, Nestle and S.C. Johnson are going grassroots, enlisting consumers to throw parties in their homes to sell their products."

"How to Advertise on Facebook," Inc.com, February 1, 2010. "Four tips for advertising a small business on social networks."

"Asset-based lending grows in popularity," Wall Street Journal, February 2, 2010. "Asset-based lending, once considered a last-resort finance option, has become a popular choice for companies that don't have the credit ratings, track record or patience to pursue more traditional capital sources."

"The Biggest Small Business Competitions," Forbes.com, January 26, 2010. "Have a dream but starved for start-up capital? Enter one of these 15 university-sponsored contests."

"The Best and Worst Industries of the Next Decade," Inc.com, January 25, 2010. "Entrepreneurs have enough to worry about with managing their companies' daily operations, but what if in the next decade, your entire industry is, as the British say, made redundant? A new report by the market research analysis firm IBISWorld, projects a long-term look at which 10 industries will be the strongest and the weakest."

"How to Use Social Networking Sites to Drive Business," Inc.com, January 25, 2010. "Advice for small businesses on using social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, and how to integrate these tools into the marketing and recruiting efforts of your small business."

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