Business Generation

The stakes are high: in our inter-dependent world, we really are all in this together. Greece’s difficulties are our difficulties, and if a solution is not found, the consequences could be extremely serious. Serious, but eerily familiar.

Dawn Holland, an economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, told Channel 4 News: “The worst that can happen is a return to what we saw in 2007-08 in the banking sector. The banks ceased to lend because they were on the brink of bankruptcy. This brought the investment cycle to a standstill.”

This tipped several economies, including Britain, into recession – and it would be the same story if Greece is not dealt with and market confidence restored, she said.

Politicians have to get a handle on Greece.

Channel 4 News asked Paul Kavanagh, a partner at stockbrokers Killik and Co, to imagine the worst.

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Consumer confidence in the economy has dropped for the fifth consecutive month, according to a trade association survey.

The Arlington-based Consumer Electronics Association said its CEA Index of Consumer Expectations fell to its lowest level since the group began tracking consumer sentiment in January 2007. The index stood at 156.8 in September, down two points from last month and six and a half points below this time last year.

Sentiment took another step down in September as deep drops in equity prices stymied any hope of a return of consumer optimism, Shawn DuBravac, CEAs chief economist and director of research, said in a statement. The ensuing European debt crisis and the news of additional quantitative easing have consumers mired in uncertainty.

Consumer interest in technology also fell in September.

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Facebook has received mixed reactions to its latest update from people using the social network, but the changes could prove crucial for many online media companies, according to The Boston Globe.

As the scale of Facebooks user base has increased, the company has attempted to streamline the fast-paced flow of new comments, updates and activities. Now a new feed along the side of the page offers the fastest stream of information to date, with the added feature of incorporating the growing number of media apps and services.

The feed lists when a users friends are listening to a song or watching a video, with a link to the service. Some of these services are free and clicking the link automatically signs users up, while others are for-pay and the link offers users the opportunity to sample what their friends are listening to.

“The more you help people discover music, the more social it is, the more they will be engaged,” Jon Irwin, president of Rhapsody, told the Globe. Read more…

The new Boeing 787 will be delivered to its first customer this week after lengthy delays postponing release over three years. The new Boeing airplane features more comfort, a mostly carbon fiber exterior, and best of all, better fuel efficiency.

Over 800 of the new 787s, being called the dreamliners, have been ordered by airlines. The first one will be delivered to Japan’s All Nippon Airways. The airplane runs at an amazing price of $185 million to $215 million, that’s per airplane. But the dreamliner may be worth the price. It is up to 20 percent more fuel efficient than current airplanes and will allow airlines to open up more routes that are popular, but don’t fill larger planes.

The benefits of the plane don’t just stop with the airlines. Customers will also notice and appreciate the difference in the planes. First, the windows will be larger and higher, allowing for easier viewing of the world below.

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The world of insurance can be confusing and when you’re a small business, it can be the last thing on your mind. However, without certain types of insurance you would be liable to cover the costs of any claims brought against you, which could be devastating and lead to the collapse of your business.

Public liability is a type of insurance that will cover you in the event that a member of the public or customer brings a claim against you due to damages or injury, whilst you are at their site or they are at your premises. But, if you are self-employed or are a sole trader, do you need public liability insurance?

The legal answer is no, but the best answer would probably be yes. Although it’s not a legal requirement, claims made against a small business cannot be absorbed as they can with a large corporation, so you will end up footing the bill for the claim and all the legal costs yourself. Dep

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The US Department of Treasury has approved an application for the grant of $18 million in federal loan support for the Virginia based Small Business Financing Authority. The money has been authorized a year ago. This is part of the larger federal program so as to encourage banks to start lending to businesses once again.

Sen. Mark Warner worked to make the funding available last year. Warner feels that the fund is meant to mitigate the risks that banks are confronted with. Warner’s intentions were to make use of existing small business loan programs instead of creating a completely new one.

But small business lending is still in a depreciated state. Small business owners are still yelling that they cannot find credit from banks. Credit is vital for their sustenance. Small businesses are found to generate two out of every three jobs.

Most of the ‘$15 million’ fund will be utilized for ‘gap financing’ for small businesses. The idea

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