Posted: 25 Jan 2010 04:43 AM PST

More Small Business Owners See Economic Conditions for Their Businesses Improving and Plan to Start Spending on Business Development

RIVERWOODS, Ill., Jan 25, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

--HEALTH CARE: 58% of Owners Expect Their Health Insurance Situations to be Worse if Congress Passes Reform Legislation

--FUNDING: 43% Need to Raise Money This Year to Stay in Business

America's small business owners expressed higher economic hopes in January, largely due to increased expectations that conditions for their own businesses would improve in the next six months, according to the Discover(R) Small Business Watch(SM). The Watch index jumped to 85.5 from 77.0 in December.

More small business owners are planning to increase business development spending over the next six months, with 25 percent noting they will spend more on activities such as advertising, inventories and capital expenditures. This number is up from 18 percent in December. Further, 28 percent plan to make no changes, while 45 percent will decrease spending, down from 51 percent in December.

"We measure small business insights and expectations about the larger economy as well as on the local level, so it's good to see confidence rise on Main Street," said Ryan Scully, director of Discover's business credit card. "January showed us the first month-to-month increase since August in the number of small business owners who plan to increase spending on business development. Self-investment is a healthy sign in the small business economy."

Other January Indicators:

-- 29 percent of small business owners see conditions for their own businesses getting better in the next six months, an improvement from 22 percent in December and 19 percent in November; 43 percent see conditions getting worse, 23 percent expect things to stay the same, and 4 percent aren't sure.

-- The number of small business owners who think the economy is getting better rose to 31 percent in January, up from 25 percent last month; 46 percent see the economy getting worse, down from 49 percent in December; 18 percent see the economy staying the same and 4 percent are not sure.

-- 8 percent rate the economy as good or excellent, up from 4 percent in December; 34 percent rate the current economy as fair, and 58 percent rate it as poor.

-- 51 percent of owners have experienced cash flow issues in the past 90 days, unchanged from December; 46 percent of owners have not experienced cash flow issues, and 3 percent are not sure.

HEALTH CARE POLL: Majority of Small Business Owners Aren't Looking Forward to Health Reform

When asked how their health insurance situation would be affected by health care reform, 58 percent of small business owners say it will become worse, 23 percent think their situation will be better, 15 percent see no impact and 4 percent are not sure.

Eighty-one percent of small business owners say they do not offer health insurance to their employees, down from 85 percent in January 2009, but still above the 77 percent in January 2008 and 74 percent in January 2007. Among owners who offer health insurance, 29 percent have considered discontinuing it because of the cost.

"Health care continues to be a concern for most small business owners as they try to balance cost with other business obligations," Scully said. "In terms of relief from the pending health insurance reform legislation, they aren't holding their collective breath for anything to change soon."

Other health care findings:

-- 21 percent of owners are uninsured, down from 25 percent in January 2009. Of those who are insured, 34 percent of owners receive their coverage from another family member's plan, 32 percent purchase it separately and 12 percent get it through a company plan.

-- When asked if any of their employees go without health insurance, 28 percent of owners say yes, while 53 percent say no, and 19 percent are not sure.

-- 68 percent say that it is "very difficult" or "somewhat difficult" to obtain affordable health insurance.

-- 62 percent of owners say that the cost and concerns over health care will prevent some people from starting a small business.

-- 60 percent say that the cost of health care has an impact on their business, with 34 percent saying that the impact is "major."

FUNDING POLL: 43% of Small Business Owners Have Funding Needs

Forty-three percent of small business owners say that they will need to raise money this year in order to keep their business going, up from 32 percent in January 2009. Forty percent will not have to raise funds for their business, while 17 percent are not sure.

For those who need to find funding, owners chose the following as their first choice of a source:

-- Personal savings, 25 percent, up from 19 percent in January 2009

-- Bank loan, 20 percent, up from 18 percent in January 2009

-- Friends or family, 13 percent, down from 20 percent in January 2009

-- Home equity loan, 9 percent, up from 1 percent in January 2009

-- Credit cards, 4 percent, down from 9 percent in January 2009

-- Some other way, 19 percent, down from 24 percent in January 2009

-- Not sure, 10 percent

The views and opinions expressed by small business owners and consumers who participate in the Small Business Watch survey are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Discover Financial Services or its affiliates.

About the Small Business Watch

The Discover Small Business Watch is a monthly index measuring the relative economic confidence of U.S. small business owners who have less than five employees, a segment that consists of 22 million businesses producing more than a trillion dollars in annual receipts. The Watch is based on a national random survey of 750 small business owners. It is commissioned by Discover Business card, which strives to offer the best business credit card for American small businesses, and is conducted by Rasmussen Reports, LLC (www.rasmussenreports.com), an independent survey research firm. The numeric index is calculated by assigning values to responses to a set of six consistent questions. The base value of the Watch was established at 100.0 based on surveys conducted in August 2006. In addition to generating the index, the Small Business Watch surveys small business owners every month on key issues, and polls 3,000 consumers four times per year to gauge purchasing behavior and attitudes towards small businesses. For past results and survey data, visit www.discovercard.com/business/watch. For information on Discover Business card, visit www.discovercard.com/business.

About Discover

Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a leading credit card issuer and electronic payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company operates the Discover card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers student and personal loans, as well as savings products such as certificates of deposit and money market accounts. Its payments businesses consist of Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discoverfinancial.com.

SOURCE: Discover Financial Services

Jon Drummond Discover Financial Services 224-405-1888 jondrummond@discover.com or Amanda Bonzo Robinson Lerer & Montgomery 646-805-2060 abonzo@rlmnet.com

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Companies and Brands Can Benefit From the Evolving - and Growing ... - TMCnet

Posted: 25 Jan 2010 05:55 AM PST

--(Business Wire)-- Sometrics: WHAT: In a year when investment money was hard to come by for most sectors of business, the virtual economy blossomed.

According to the 2009 Virtual Goods Investment Report, compiled by Engage Digital Media's VirtualGoodsNews.com, $1.38 billion was invested in 87 virtual goods-related companies in 2009 - more than three times the amount of money invested in the virtual goods space in 2008. GamesBeat reports that $598 million of that came from venture capital.

As more and more media outlets and business leaders turn their attention to this thriving sector, virtual economy insider Ian Swanson is available to discuss the business models that keep the real cash flowing in these virtual worlds.

Swanson can address: • The various methods of monetization for online games and virtual worlds, including the direct sale of virtual goods, micro-transactions, advertiser-based cost-per-action offers that allow users to earn currency by taking an action, in-game shopping feeds and more.

• Top trend predictions for the sector in 2010 - possible acquisitions, shifts in gaming demographics, changes in monetization models, challenges facing the industry, and more.

• How recent Facebook (News - Alert) platform changes will affect the space overall.

WHEN: Ian Swanson is available immediately for media interviews.

HOW: To schedule an interview with Swanson, contact: Ken Greenberg, Edge Communications, Inc.

ken@edgecommunicationsinc.com (818) 990-5001 WHO: Ian Swanson is co-founder and CEO of Sometrics (www.sometrics.com). Sometrics pioneered social intelligence - combining deep, relevant social analytics with precision-targeted ad serving capabilities to help developers and brands monetize the social web. The company has adapted its advanced targeting and optimization expertise to give online game developers the first-ever full-service offer and payment management solution.

Before launching Sometrics, Swanson was business development manager for Userplane, an AOL (News - Alert) company that provides social media apps to hundreds of thousands of online communities, supporting millions of users daily. Swanson was instrumental in helping the company extend the reach of its hosted chat, IM and other communications apps, and in building the company's ad network. Before Userplane, he was an executive with Sprint (News - Alert) and helped launch two mobile web startups.

Swanson actively advises several successful social networking applications, Fortune 500 companies and startups with their brand and marketing strategies within the social media ecosystem. He is often invited to share his insights at industry events and has addressed audiences at the IAB's Leadership Forum - Audience (News - Alert) Measurement; SNAP/SWAT Summits; Graphing Social Patterns, User Generated Content Conference, among many others.

[ Back To 4g-wirelessevolution.tmcnet.com/wimax's Homepage ]

Interest Up in Students Learning Personal Finance - Education Week

Posted: 25 Jan 2010 07:06 AM PST

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Living the High Life Is Risky Business for Toads Under Threat from ... - Science Daily

Posted: 24 Jan 2010 08:58 PM PST

ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2010) — Midwife toads that live in the mountains are highly likely to die from a serious fungal infection, called chytridiomycosis, whereas their infected relatives in the lowlands are not, according to new research published January 24 in Ecology Letters.

The authors of the study, from Imperial College London, the Zoological Society of London and the BiodivERsA project RACE, say their findings suggest conservationists may be able to limit the impact of the disease in the mountains by ensuring tourists do not transfer it between lakes.

During the five year study, the researchers found that no midwife toads at low altitudes died as a result of fungal infection, whereas up to 100 per cent of those at high altitudes died. The mortality rate of toads at high altitudes fluctuated over the five years.

The fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), also known as chytrid fungus, grows in the skin of amphibians, causing a disease called chytridiomycosis. The fungus has caused many species of frog and toad to become extinct and human activity has spread the fungus across the world, affecting an estimated 50 per cent of amphibian species.

Although infection usually is invisible to the naked eye, it can cause skin discolouration and ulceration and lead to convulsions. Previous research shows that infection kills amphibians by causing heart failure. The fungus is particularly prevalent in Australia and the Americas, where its spread is well studied. However, little was known about Bd in Europe before this study.

In the new study, the researchers found no dead toads at low altitudes. However, in mountain regions up to 100 per cent of infected toads died of the fungus infection, and the disease is known to have caused the extinction of some of the populations in the region. The authors of the study, which was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and BiodivERsA, say this means it is vital for conservationists to ensure that the fungus does not spread to new mountain ranges, as it could be devastating to the toad populations living there.

In the new research, the scientists studied the spread of Bd in midwife toads (Alytes obstetricians) living on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain and Portugal. Midwife toads are common in Europe and are a vital part of the ecosystem, providing predators with food and preying on insect pests. The new study shows that the disease is spread patchily across much of the area but in some locations, such as the Pyrenees, the disease is found in clusters, where it is threatening local toad populations. Although the researchers found no link between the presence of infection and climate, they did show that the disease is much more dangerous for toads living at high altitudes. Although no midwife toads died at low altitudes in the region covered by this study, the disease has been fatal to other amphibian species in lowland areas around the world.

Dr Matthew Fisher, corresponding author of the study from the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London, said: "Chytridiomycosis is a serious problem for amphibians all over the world and the disease is causing extinctions at a shocking rate. At the moment, we have no prevention or cure for Bd infection in the wild so we need to act fast to stop it from spreading to otherwise healthy populations.

"We identified infected midwife toads across the Iberian Peninsula, but the infection was much more likely to be fatal in toads that live at high altitudes, such as in mountain ranges. These areas are often tourist hotspots, and if people are walking along footpaths and visiting different lakes, they may be spreading the infection unwittingly.

"In order to limit the devastation this fungus could potentially cause, we need to invest money and expertise in stopping it from spreading. Simple measures, such as disinfecting tourists' boots when they cross infected areas, and providing them with uninfected sources of water so they don't spread fungal spores between lakes may be effective ways of tackling this problem. We are also concerned that stocking high-altitude lakes with artificially-reared fish may be introducing the disease to uninfected areas, and would like to see further research to investigate whether this is occurring," added Dr Fisher.

For this study, the researchers took skin swabs of 3016 tadpole and adult midwife toads from 126 locations across the Iberian Peninsula between 2003 and 2008. They analysed the samples in the laboratory, using a sensitive molecular technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and found Bd infection at 31 of the sites.

The researchers looked at the genetic fingerprints of the fungi causing a cluster of infections and deaths in the Pyrenees and found they were all identical. This suggests that the disease was introduced to the area relatively recently.

The researchers then used mathematical models to determine whether environmental factors, such as minimum and maximum temperatures, rainfall and altitude affected the probability of infection or the risk of fatality. The results showed no link between environmental factors and probability of infection, but infected toads living at high altitude were more likely to die as a result of their infection than those living at lower altitudes.

The authors of the study say the increase in risk of mortality could be because the toads are less able to fight off infection in the mountains, where temperatures are colder, or that the fungus is better adapted to cold environments. The researchers now plan to investigate this further.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by Imperial College London, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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Sprucing up the dead is big business in Taiwan - The Guardian

Posted: 24 Jan 2010 06:13 PM PST

ANNIE HUANG

Associated Press Writer= TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Turns out that designing computer chips and marketing flat screen televisions are not the only desirable jobs in Taiwan, one of Asia's high-tech hubs.

There's also embalming.

When a funeral home advertised 10 openings recently, some 2,000 people applied.

The main attraction: the money.

A licensed embalmer with a college degree earns up to New Taiwan dollars 1.2 million ($37,500) a year at Lung Yen Life Service, the upscale funeral home that was seeking new workers. That's equal to the pay for a junior engineer in Taiwan and more than twice as much as a hairdresser. It's almost as much as the average pay for an embalmer in the U.S., where incomes are much higher.

The industry has also run advertising campaigns in recent years to try to change the perception that the business of handling corpses is unpleasant.

"In the past, if you told your parents you wanted to work in the funeral business, they would have passed out," said Fung Chia-li, a manager at Chin Pao San Group, another Taiwanese funeral home. "Now it is considered a decent job, though probably not as respected as teachers or engineers."

Funerals are lavish in Taiwan, often involving weeks of ceremonies and elaborate processions with brass bands, dancing girls and hired mourners, who are paid handsomely to weep their hearts out for someone else's deceased relative. Embalming can include massaging the body with perfumed oils or a new hair style — anything from conservative to punk.

According to the Interior Ministry, the funeral industry on this island of 23 million people generated about NT$50 billion ($1.6 billion) in revenues last year. That was more than $12,000 per corpse — about 75 percent of the average annual income — an indication of how seriously Taiwanese take their funerals.

Cremation has overtaken more expensive burials in recent years, but funeral homes have kept revenues from falling by upgrading their services and building lavish structures to house the ceramic urns containing the ashes of the dead, Fung said.

The bodies are still embalmed for the funeral service before cremation.

Her funeral home sells a shoebox-size urn space for up to NT$500,000. The urns are placed in towers with marble-paved lobbies in a 247-acre (100-hectare) cemetery facing the Pacific Ocean. When lit up at night, the towers look like monuments.

"The funeral process is a unique part of Chinese culture, a form of filial piety extended to ancestor worship in the belief their spirits can protect offspring in generations to come," Fung said.

There are about 1,100 licensed embalmers in Taiwan. Their work often includes other funeral-related services and ceremonies as well.

Big money was one of the things that drew Yuan Cheng-yi, 43, to a job at Lung Yen Life Service some five years ago. That was when the former beautician discovered that working on dead bodies paid more than working on live ones.

Sprucing up the dead requires more skill than helping the living get ready for the big night out, said Yuan, who would not reveal how much she now makes.

"The skin of an iced body is extremely fragile and will peel off if not handled with care," she said. "And only a first-rate massage can relax a dead body and bring a peaceful expression to its face."

Embalming is widely performed in the West, but Taiwanese funeral parlors — known for meticulous customer service — seem to have refined the art to new levels. Lung Yen offers what sounds like an upscale spa treatment. Priced at NT$55,000 ($1,700), it includes shampoo, oil massage, liberal applications of makeup, and a haircut of choice.

Relatives can watch.

After sitting through the two-hour process of bathing and massaging her 91-year-old mother-in-law at a morgue recently, Wu Ai-hua said the short-lived embalming before the cremation was well worth it.

"We were very moved ... to see her getting this last measure of peace and dignity," she said.

Another factor drawing people to the funeral industry was the Japanese film "Departures," said Samantha Niu, a manager at Lung Yen Life Service. The 2009 Oscar winner for best foreign film tells the story of a jobless cellist finding dignity and self-fulfillment in tending to the dead as an embalmer.

Lin Yun-chi, 32, a newly-recruited embalmer at Lung Yen. believes she has what it takes to do her job well.

"It's not that I'm so much bolder than others," she said. "But I want to make the deceased look good on their final journeys."

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Business

Monday, January 25, 2010

“Discover(R) Small Business Watch(SM): Small Business Economic ... - Stockhouse” plus 4 more

“Discover(R) Small Business Watch(SM): Small Business Economic ... - Stockhouse” plus 4 more

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