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12 Impactful Small Business Articles in 2013

  For this list of impactful, small business articles in 2013, we looked to six leading small business news publications.  We found their top-ranked articles on topics that make a difference in a small business’ bottom line - including how to make operations more efficient, how to make employees happier, and how to make more money. We also included articles on the three biggest changes that impacted every small business in 2013.

Three Big Changes That Impacted Every Small Business in 2013

“Health Care Law’s Aggregation Rules Pose a Compliance Nightmare for Small Businesses” By J.D. Harrison for The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/health-care-laws-aggregation-rules-pose-a-compliance-nightmare-for-small-businesses/2013/12/09/87b2dcc6-611d-11e3-bf45-61f69f54fc5f_story.html “’We, like most of the operators we know, participate in multiple restaurant entities, with various partners, often with family members’ Winstanley said during a recent hearing before the House Small Business Committee. ‘Though we consider each operation to be a small business, many of us are discovering that for the purpose of the health care rule, all of the businesses must be considered a single employer.’” “Five Ways the Government Shutdown Is Slowing Down Small Businesses” By J.D. Harrison for The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/five-ways-the-government-shutdown-is-slowing-down-small-businesses/2013/10/07/aff6f20c-2f5f-11e3-8906-3daa2bcde110_story.html “Small business owners and entrepreneurs from around the country have started to feel the ripple effects of the closure — some left waiting for contract updates, some left waiting for loans, and some left waiting to see whether customers are going to keep walking through their doors.” “For Small Businesses, Tax Law Has Become a Moving Target” By Conrad De Aenille for The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/business/yourtaxes/for-small-businesses-tax-law-has-become-a-moving-target.html “Businesses will have to make sense of a number of tax changes approved on New Year’s Day, along with some tax increases and other requirements approved earlier, notably in connection with health care programs.”

How to Make Operations Efficient

“Getting Software Tools to Work Together” By Joseph S. Adinolfi, Jr. for The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324136204578642321889029976 “For years, many small firms have been leaning on low-cost online programs to handle jobs like inventory, accounting and payment processing. But those services came with a big caveat: They couldn't share information with each other. So, if your order system rang up a sale, you had to record it manually in your inventory system.” “11 Barcode Generators for Managing Inventory – And for Marketing” By TJ McCure for Small Business Trends http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/06/barcode-generators.html “Keeping track of your products and assets manually is a chore. Why not barcode them? The technology to create them is accessible via the Web and there are tons of free apps for smartphone users that can serve as scanners.” “Can the Cloud Help Small Businesses?” By Cicely K. Dyson for The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323706704578230641145851624 “Data housed in the cloud is stored and processed in centers hundreds or even thousands of miles away from a company's headquarters. While this lets entrepreneurs decide how much storage and processing power they need, it can also be an added frustration for business owners.”

How to Make Employees Happy

“Do Business Owners and Employees See Eye to Eye?” By Kate Kudish for OPEN Forum https://www.openforum.com/infographics/do-business-owners-and-employees-see-eye-to-eye/ “Afraid you and your employees aren't on the same page? Our exclusive survey dives into the workplace POVs of bosses vs. employees.” "8 Ways to Conquer Your Leadership Blind Spots” By Bruna Martinuzzi for OPEN Forum https://www.openforum.com/articles/how-to-conquer-your-leadership-blind-spots-and-succeed/ “You don't know this, but there are some serious blind spots in your leadership skills. These 8 tips will help you see them clearly, and conquer them for good.” “Settling Is Not the Only Way to Resolve an Employee Lawsuit” By Adriana Gardella for The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/business/smallbusiness/tips-for-small-business-owners-to-avoid-employee-lawsuits.html “Many small-business owners respond to employee lawsuits with grudging acceptance that, regardless of whether the company broke any laws, the sooner it pays a plaintiff to go away, the better.”

How to Make More Money

“The Basics of Building a Budget for Your Business” By Entrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226157#ixzz2p116sO77 “There are so many financial fires to put out in a given week that it's hard to find the time to do any short-or long-range financial planning. But failing to plan financially might mean that you are unknowingly planning to fail.” “Where to Look for Grant Money for Your Business” By Entrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225775 “When most people think of grants, they think of money given free to nonprofit organizations. But for-profit companies, and frequently startups, can also win grant money. But how do you find these grants?” “What is ROI, or Return on Investment?” By Anita Campbell for Small Business Trends http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/07/what-is-roi-return-on-investment.html “As a startup entrepreneur, it’s going to be up to you to paint a picture of the potential return, calculate it realistically — and ultimately make sure there actually is a return on investment.” Your turn: which 2013 headline most impacted your business? We’d love to know in the comments below.