Business Generation

WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve said the economy grew at a slower pace in more parts of the country since the beginning of June as shoppers restrained spending and factory production eased.

“Economic activity continued to grow,” the Fed said in its Beige Book survey released Wednesday in Washington. “However, the pace has moderated in many districts.” Growth slowed in eight of the Fed’s 12 regions, compared with four in the last survey, the central bank said.

The report underscores Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s message to Congress earlier this month that maintaining record monetary stimulus is necessary to bolster the economy. Bernanke left the door open to additional action, including buying more government bonds, should the recovery appear in danger of stalling.

“Economic growth has cooled, not collapsed,” said James O’Sullivan, global chief economist at MF Global Inc. in New York. “The

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The recent volcanic cloud helped companies in the UK to discover the advantages of Video conferencing UK. Eliminating travel costs and accommodation and the need to spend time away from work, videoconferencing has been used by companies for years. Hopefully now they know exactly how to improve their chances of overcoming the economic storm ahead.

Being hundreds or sometimes even thousands of miles from the event is no longer a problem. This opens a huge amount of business opportunities. The distance was a problem but a high level of communication can be achieved easily today.

Many organizations can receive the same broadcast simultaneously and thus a much higher level of participation can be gained. For example, a lecture will be broadcast to students in many schools.

Videoconferencing is extremely easy to use. Read more…

Not quite a yo-yo, but Canadian Chartered bank lending volumes have been volatile during the past three months.

Through the beginning of 2011, Canadian businesses had borrowed about $5 billion in additional bank debt. In May, the outstanding level fell more than a billion, but things happily turned around in June. The $2.5 billion June increase represents the largest single monthly rise since last October, in fact. And September 2010 marked the nadir since I began to track these figures for you , so perhaps a big snap-back in October shouldnt come as a surprise.

In any event, our domestic banks have advanced almost $7.5 billion in new capital this year, according to data released by the Bank of Canada.

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PROVIDENCE – A dozen companies – half of them out-of-state businesses looking to relocate to the Ocean State – are lining up to take advantage of the same controversial loan-guarantee program that drew Curt Schilling’s video game company, 38 Studios LLC, to Providence.

Keith W. Stokes, executive director of the R.I. Economic Development Corporation, told the EDC board Monday about the 12 companies as board members were preparing to take a final vote on overhauling the $125 million Job Creation Guaranty Program.

The companies are requesting loan guarantees totaling $66 million and, combined, would create 636 jobs.

Because the EDC approved a $75 million loan guarantee for 38 Studios last year, only $50 million is left for guarantees.

On paper, some of the businesses appeared to be the type that economic development officials want to attract to Rhode Island, particularly to Providence’s Knowledge District.

One out-of-state company, an information technology services firm, requested a $10 million loan guarantee. In ex

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If you need small business advice, we’ve got it. And you can have it for free. We offer roundups everyday of the business week and ask only that you share something useful with someone else if you find it here. From startup to management to franchise and more, we hope to provide you always with the most useful news and information for your business. Let’s begin:

Simple Suggestions

Learning from your peers. What better way for small business owners to learn than from others who have experienced what they have, who have “been there done that” as the saying goes? This is one of the reasons for events like the recent #BBSMBchat on Twitter. If you missed the event go to the link above for highlights.

Sandwich franchise leaves bad taste. If you think a franchise is somehow safer than starting a business from scratch, think again. Franchi

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You’re working your butt off on your site and in your business. You’re blogging, you’re building a community by establishing expertise and you’re maintaining a dynamic Web site that users want to engage with. But to complement what you’re doing on-site and in your own community, it’ time to take it off-site and start using the power of other people’s communities to help grow your own.

Below are some ways that any small business owner can attract attention, links and press by taking advantage of off-site promotional opportunities. Which ones are you already doing?

1. Sit for Interviews

As a small business owner, interviews are a great way to establish authority and introduce people to your product or service. By setting up a simple Google Alert (Remember, I love Google Alerts) it can help you stay abreast of important industry topics and conversations. Once you’re i

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