Relying on Part-Timers to Stay Nimble

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January 5, 2011
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NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY Relying on Part-Timers to Stay Nimble While past recoveries were led by small companies adding full-time workers, some owners say they'll rely on part-time help as they wait for demand to improve

Inside: This Week in SmallBiz As the U.S. economy gains momentum, small-business employment is lagging behind other drivers of the recovery. While past rebounds were led by companies with fewer than 500 people adding full-time workers, some owners say they'll rely on part-time help and push their staffs to be more productive as they wait for demand to improve. This Bloomberg story takes a look at the trend. Also on tap: SBICs provided $1.59 billion to small businesses in 2010, the highest single-year volume in the program's 52-year history. Karen Klein explains how this breed of venture capital firms work, and how to approach them. Then hear Veronique de Rugy's take on lobbying and Eric Hippeau's case for mentoring. Finally, catch a review of a book chronicling hip-hop's evolution into a branding and marketing phenomenon. Enjoy. --Nick Leiber SEND FEEDBACK  |  E-MAIL A FRIEND  |  GET RSS  |  NEWSLETTERS

MORE SMALLBIZ NEWS SMART ANSWERS Small Business Investment Companies Explained Driven by stimulus money, SBICs provided record funding to small companies in 2010 THE STACK The Business of Hip-Hop, and How It Grew Dan Charnas' The Big Payback details the genre's origins and evolution into a branding and marketing phenomenon FEATURES Will Richard Branson's Virgin America Fly? The fun carrier has shown promise, despite byzantine regulations, powerful rivals, and airlines' tendency to hemorrhage money during recessions and spikes in fuel prices. But Virgin is at a turning point, and its future is far from certain Why Businesses Can’t Stand Free Markets: Veronique de Rugy To avoid the gritty work of fighting it out in a free market, organized private interests lobby the government for special regulations, preferential tax treatment, and laws that keep out competition   SMALLBIZ SLIDE SHOWS SMALL BIZ Twenty Billionaires Who Started With Nothing Many of the richest individuals in the U.S. started at the bottom of America's economic ladder and fought their way to the top—without passing "Go" in the Ivy League Twenty Rugged Survivors in Dying Industries For small business owners in struggling industries across the country, survival strategies range from severe service cuts to bold expansion SMALL BIZ 20 Small Businesses of the Future The most successful entrepreneurs are those who don't follow the herd but anticipate the needs of the market earlier than the competition BEST ENTREPRENEURS 25 AND UNDER 2010 Finalists: America's Best Young Entrepreneurs Check out 25 promising businesses founded by entrepreneurs in the U.S. aged 25 or less America's Most Promising Startups Meet new companies from across the country that embody the creativity and resilience common among today's entrepreneurs   SMALLBIZ SPECIAL REPORTS ENTERPRISE Focus On Entrepreneurs, November 2010 From Bloomberg Businessweek, a roundup of news, trends, and ideas for business owners ENTERPRISE Focus On Entrepreneurs, October 2010 From Bloomberg Businessweek, a roundup of news, trends, and ideas for business owners America's Best Young Entrepreneurs 2010 Who are the country's most promising young entrepreneurs? With help from our readers, we set out to answer that question in our sixth annual roundup ENTERPRISE Focus On Entrepreneurs, September 2010 From Bloomberg Businessweek, a roundup of news, trends, and ideas for business owners SMALLBIZ  BUSINESS DIRECTORY Need Help? Find experts in your area in: Accounting Advertising and Marketing E-Mail Marketing Legal Services Public Relations Search Engine Marketing Web Design Web Marketing Web Hosting  BW MALL  SPONSORED LINKS Buy a link now! This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2009-2010 by BLOOMBERG L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Terms of Use | Privacy Notice

SMART ANSWERS KAREN E. KLEIN >> Small Businesses Should Focus on Exports Although exporting is traditionally considered the domain of multinationals, Kathleen Brush says small and midsized companies have plenty to gain from selling overseas SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO KAREN >   VIEWPOINT ERIC HIPPEAU >> To Boost Growing Small Businesses, Start Mentoring Connecting entrepreneurs with successful CEOs will help existing companies revitalize and expand our economy, says Eric Hippeau View all articles for Eric Hippeau   Advertisement Today's Tip Sales & Marketing What is it you and your customers like about other communication materials you consider effective? Bear these points in mind when working on your own materials. --Dale Cook, Product Marketing Manager, Serif READ MORE > Advertisement