In separate interviews, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) indicated that progress had been made late Saturday in conversations between the White House and congressional leaders on a debt-ceiling plan that could meet with enough support from both parties to move to President Obama‘s desk by Aug. 2.

McConnell, on CNN’s “State of the Union,” described a $3 trillion package that included cuts in discretionary spending, caps on future spending and a vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment. A special joint committee would be formed to consider further cuts and entitlement reforms that could be put to a vote in Congress this fall.

The debt ceiling would be raised until after the 2012 presidential election – a key priority for Obama.

“This deal has not been finalized but I think we’re very, very close to something I could comfortably recommend to my members, and I believe the Democratic leadership will be doing the same,” McConnell said on CBS’ “Face The Nation.”

“I have a much more positive feeling than I did 24 hours ago,” he told “Fox News Sunday.”

“There is active negotiation underway,” he continued. “I think some of the things that are coming forth hold promise. Key elements are still being resolved. … We want to move this forward.”

Asked if the two sides have reached a deal, a top White House advisor said no.

David Plouffe, a senior advisor to Obama, said Sunday morning that Republican and Democratic negotiators “still have some work to do.”

Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Plouffe said that a credible enforcement mechanism – a “trigger” – is needed to compel the newly-formed congressional committee to act.

On the show, interviewers pressed Plouffe repeatedly on whether spending would be cut across the board if the committee failed to act. While Republicans would welcome a trigger along those lines, many Democrats want one that would also include revenue increases. In the past, Obama has said he wants a “balanced” approach to deficit reduction that includes both spending cuts and revenue increases.

Plouffe did not give a firm answer. “We’re talking about a variety of options here,” he said.

If negotiators have not reached agreement by the Tuesday deadline, Plouffe said the White House would be open to raising the debt ceiling by a day or two to work out final details.

The Senate was set to vote Sunday afternoon on the emerging plan — a vote that may be pushed back as details are still being worked out.

A House GOP leadership aide said that “discussions are moving in the right direction, but serious issues remain.”

“No agreement will be final until members have a chance to weigh in,” the aide said.

Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

By Michael A. Memoli, Katherine Skiba and Peter Nicholas: LA Times

Well one company has amassed a top-notch team of financial experts, and is offering quality service at a tremendous discount by leveraging modern technology such as VPN, remote hosting, file sharing, and video conferencing. Now, Compu-Count can operate as seamlessly as an in-house accountant but without taking up space in your corporate office.

This company does everything from Financial Statement preparation, bank reconciliation, budgeting, and even financial projections. Their CEO Aaron Joshua is a former manager at New York Life, and started Compu-Count almost 23 years ago. ‘We’re as much a technology company as we are an accounting firm’ said the CEO, ‘we’ve invested a lot of money to be able to handle anything an in-house accountant can but remotely’. According to the CEO Compu-Count has been at the forefront of accounting technology for years, and is now launching a series of services aimed at small, and web based companies.

You can check our Compu-Count at their new site at Compucount.org.

You’d have to live under a rock to miss this trend in social media and local search advertising. It’s changing the game for companies as small as Jax-automart to big players like Mcdonalds. But one company is ‘sharing the wealth’ says Grant Deken, the Marketing Director of Twidget Media. Twidget’s Work from home program is generating wealth for hundreds of people all over the country. They work with you to find an opportunity thats beneficial for both of you, then they teach you how you to leverage it.

According to Grant ‘ it’s easy. we make it easy. We’ll send you material, we’ll create a script if you want… you just have to tell people they should check us out, and when we do what we do, you get paid’.

Twidget is seeking relationships from real estate agents, commercial leasing agents, property Managers, web designers, and many more.

For more info on the Twidget ‘Work From Work’ program check out Twidget Media

• 75% of the Earth’s population don’t speak English*

• 40% of the Internet’s population are based in Asia

• China alone has 30% more internet users than the US

• Over 50% of all web searches are in a language other than English

So for any organization that’s looking to make inroads into international markets, here are a few tips on how to make your website global…and it’s all about thinking local.

Research your markets

Brazil, Russia, India and china (BRIC) are often cited as the countries with the fastest-growing economies – emerging markets in other words – and good places to set up shop. But your target markets will depend on what it is you’re selling.

A little online research will help you determine what countries have a demand for your service/product offering. Research similar companies to yours – when they were established, what their turnover is, where they export to. There may even be gaps in the local services that you can exploit – but be wary if there are too many businesses operating in your target country, as penetrating an already-saturated marketplace can be difficult.

And don’t try to target too many countries at once – start small, and grow. You’re best focusing on one country at a time, especially in your early days of globalising.

Going local: mind your language

Whether you’re selling car-parts to Columbia, or sail-boats to Spain, proper website localisation means you have to think beyond language to the exact dialect of your target market.

For example, in Spain the word for car is coche, but in many Latin American countries coche is a baby-stroller. In the UK, a baby-stroller is a pram or a buggy…and if you’re from Canada, a buggy is likely to be something you put your groceries in. The point is, you need to be wary of differences between dialects – this requires local linguists with local knowledge.

Multi-lingual SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) underpins most modern online marketing campaigns and if you’re targeting consumers in France, for example, you’ll want to rank highly on French search engines. The one golden SEO rule of thumb is this: never translate your keywords. Always research the key search terms used locally for each country.

A French linguist can translate all your content effectively, but they probably won’t know what words people use to search for your product or service in France. Local consumers may use abbreviations, synonyms or acronyms. You may need to use the services of a specialist internet marketing company who have access to native linguists with keyword research knowledge.

English is still the dominant language of the web in terms of content, but over half of all searches aren’t in English. This figure is likely to rise as online populations grow across the globe, such as in China, Russia and Brazil. Given that online competition for key search terms in foreign languages is much less fierce than in English, many businesses find that they can attain high positions on country-specific search engines, with much less effort than in English.

Localisation and SEO go hand-in-hand for any business looking to increase their international revenue. And having researched your target market(s) thoroughly, you stand a good chance of success.

Source: Microsoft

You can also create rules that send messages into file folders automatically, advises Duncan. For example, if you receive a newsletter on Tuesday that you don’t have time to read until Friday, have it automatically filed. You can do this by setting up a rule. In Outlook, you’re able to create rules to do the following things:

•    Move messages from one source to a folder. This option allows you to move messages that come from a specific sender or distribution list into a file that you select.

•    Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder. This option, for example, allows you to redirect all the messages with the words “invoice” in the subject line directly to the invoice file.

•    Move messages sent to a distribution list to a folder. This option allows you to file messages you’ve sent to a specific person or distribution list to a file that you select.

•    Delete a conversation. This option allows you to delete any incoming message with the words “great deal,” for example, automatically.

•    Flag messages from someone with a colored flag. This option allows you to flag any message from a specific sender, such as your sales manager, with a specific color

Excerpt:Inc.

Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed. There is an effective way to process and organize your inbox; it is indeed possible to empty your inbox, says Peggy Duncan, a personal productivity expert and author of Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2007. The key is learning a bit more about your software. Whether you’re using Microsoft Outlook 2003or 2007, Entourage, or something else entirely, almost any e-mail system provides the ability to flag, file, delete, save, and drag your way to a tidy inbox. Inc.com senior editor Nicole Marie Richardson spoke with Duncan about seven simple ways to improve your e-mail habits.

Source: Inc.

If your company wants to connect with private-sector buyers, the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)’s certification can be a real asset. The organization has an impressive list of corporate members that includes IBM,Microsoft, and Marriott. The council helps these companies connect with the more than 17,000 minority-owned suppliers in its database. Seventeen states and 25 cities also accept NMSDC certification for programs designed to help minorities win public-sector contracts.

Who is eligible: For-profit enterprises of any size that are located in the United Statesand are owned, operated, and controlled by minority group members who are U.S. citizens.  For the purposes of NMSDC’s program, a minority group member is an individual who is a U.S. citizen with at least 25 percent Asian-Indian, Asian-Pacific, Black, Hispanic, or Native American heritage. Documentation to support the claim is required. Additionally, at least 51 percent of the business or the company’s stock must be owned by such individuals, and the management and operations must also be controlled by such individuals.

How to apply: Start by contacting one of the NMSDC’s 37 regional councils. Your council will provide you with a standardized application and request documents to support your minority status claim. Unlike most minority-owned certification programs, the organization will make a mandatory visit to your company to verify the information on your application. If your certification is denied, you can appeal within 30 days. If you lose the appeal, you can reapply after a year.

Perks: In addition to being listed in the Regional Council Minority Supplier Database and NMSDC’s national database, NMSDC certified companies can participate in an advanced management training program, qualify for the Business Consortium Fund’s working capital loan program, and attend NMSDC business opportunity fairs.

Cost of Certification: About $350-$1,200, depending on region.

Excerpt from: Inc

Levin, who for years has pushed for a tough law to fight tax evasion among corporations, has enlisted some small businesses to back his so-far unsuccessful proposal to close loopholes letting companies legally avoid taxes by keeping income abroad.

“There are too many small businesses now paying more than their fair share,” Levin told reporters on a conference call. “It creates a very unfair competitive situation.”

Levin wants to attach some of his proposals to help fund a bill that sets up a $30 billion fund for small business. Levin has tried to attach his initiative to other bills in the past without success.

The coalition of small companies favors banning the use of overseas tax havens, which are generally unavailable to smaller firms.

“We pay our taxes and don’t run off to greener pastures,” said Frank Knapp, president of the South Carolina small business chamber of commerce.

The coalition says about several hundred businesses have signed onto a petition requesting action on legislation like that sponsored by Levin.

Policy changes sought include a ban on transferring intellectual property abroad to evade taxes, and repeal of a rule letting companies pay no U.S. taxes when 80 percent of their revenue is earned overseas.
Source: MSNBC

One way to conquer e-mail overload is to eliminate spam and other unwanted messages. If you are getting an inbox full of spam, take these steps to end it.

•    Use a reliable Internet service provider. Your ISP should be using the best technologies to block spam on the server side, Duncan says. Also, make sure your Web host meets the same requirements.

•    Keep your clickable e-mail address off the Web. “There is no valid reason for putting your live, clickable e-mail address on the Web,” insists Duncan. Spambots scour the Internet (they even look at online PDFs) looking for the @ symbol and all that comes with it. Instead, spell out the “at” when you post your contact information.Google all of your e-mail addresses to see where they show up, and then remove them, says Duncan. “Then sign up for Google Alerts so you’ll be notified if they show up anywhere later,” she adds.

•    Avoid using auto responders. Out of office replies are common but contribute in a real way to e-mail overload. “You’re auto responding to the spammers,” say Duncan. “You’re letting them know that yours is a legitimate e-mail address.” Only use an out-of-office message when you are away for very long stretches of time, not for every day off you take to go to the dentist.

•    Get a powerful spam blocker. Invest in proven technology such as Cloudmark Desktop. “It works in the background and doesn’t challenge valuable people who want to reach me,” says Duncan.

•    Turn up the security volume in your e-mail software. Set your security at High.

•    Get a new set of e-mail addresses. If after all this you’re still getting a lot of spam (which is not likely), try changing your company’s e-mail addresses, and start over.

Excerpt: Inc.

The health-care reform law, all 2,400-plus pages of it, won’t be fully implemented until 2018. While some self-employed people and small employers won’t see any effects for a few years, others will feel the impact almost immediately. Here are some milestones entrepreneurs will want to watch.

2010

Businesses that pay more than half of employees’ health benefits and have fewer than 26 employees and average annual wages of less than $50,000 can claim a tax credit of up to 35% of the cost of premiums.

Self-employed people with medical conditions will be able to buy insurance at reduced rates, and this fall insurers will no longer be able to put lifetime limits on coverage.

2011

Companies with fewer than 100 employees will be eligible for grants to set up wellness programs. Employers can offer bonuses of up to 30% of the cost of insurance to workers in those programs.

Employers will be required to disclose the value of health-care benefits on workers’ W-2 forms. Starting in 2018, employees with the most expensive plans will pay taxes on those benefits.

2013

The wealthy will see Medicare taxes rise to 2.35% (from 1.45%) on earnings over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for married couples. Tax-exempt contributions to flexible spending accounts for medical expenses will be limited to $2,500 per year.

Employers’ tax deductions for the cost of retirees’ Medicare drug benefits will be eliminated.

2014

All citizens and legal residents must have insurance, and individuals and small businesses with up to 100 employees will be able to shop for coverage in new health exchanges. Insurers will be barred from rejecting people with preexisting conditions.

Companies with 50-plus employees that don’t offer insurance could face penalties of $2,000 per uncovered worker.

Source: Business Week