Business

Rasmussen Employment Index Up Slightly in January

The Rasmussen Employment Index made a modest gain in January to reach 77.2.

SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: "Royalty Financing": The New, New Thing in Venture Capital

"I have a successful retail business that I want to take online with a killer website and a social media marketing campaign on Facebook and Twitter. The problem, of course, is money. I need to raise $100,000 to build the website and launch the campaign, but am having trouble finding the money.

Confidence Among Small Business Owners Rebounds in January

After falling in December, confidence among small business owners rebounded in January as more see the economy and economic conditions for their businesses improving, according to the Discover(R) Small Business Watch(SM). The monthly index rose to 91.0 this month, up 9.4 points from December 2010 and 5.5 points higher than one year ago, the highest the index has been since December 2007 when it stood at 92.7.

Voters Continue To Favor Lower Taxes, Less Spending

In his State of the Union speech this week, President Obama refrained from using the term “government spending,” calling it "investment" instead, and made sure to highlight his support for extending the Bush tax cuts.  Most voters continue to feel that cutting taxes and reducing government spending are best for the economy. 

Americans See Brighter Employment Picture

The overwhelming majority of Americans continue to know someone who is out of work and looking for a job, but the number who believe unemployment will be higher one year from now is at its lowest level in over a year. Confidence in the current job market also has reached a recent high.

Majority of Voters Oppose Federal Bailouts for States

While a number of states now face serious budget shortfalls, most voters continue to oppose federal bailout funding to help them out.?

Most Voters Oppose Letting States Declare Bankruptcy

States are currently not allowed by law to file for bankruptcy, but former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and others have argued that bankruptcy might be the least painful alternative for taxpayers in heavily debt-ridden states like California, Illinois and New York. Voters aren't thrilled with the idea, but they like it better than higher taxes, and they're even more supportive if told government employees might have their pensions reduced in the process.

60% Trust Business Leaders More Than Government To Create Jobs

President Obama argued strongly in his State of the Union speech last night for a bipartisan effort to create jobs, but most Americans think the best thing government can do is get out of the way.

27% Likely To Buy An Electric Car in Next 10 Years

Despite renewed concerns about the price of gas, most Americans still aren’t likely to buy an electric car in the next 10 years.

Voters Wary of State of the Union Spending Proposals

President Obama is expected to call for targeted new government spending for education, transportation and technological innovation in his State of the Union speech tonight, but voters are lukewarm to the idea.

SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Raising Capital Is Tough When You've Got Nothing To Lose

"For the past couple of years, I have run a brick-and-mortar retail store specializing in customized merchandise. I really want to take this business to the next level by building a website that will enable customers nationwide, and maybe even internationally, to customize our merchandise online. We have a proprietary technology for customizing our clients' orders that our attorneys tell us can be patented. We also have one of the best software developers in America wanting to work with us to develop the website.

Just 22% Say Obama Likely to Meet 2009 Goal of Cutting Deficit in Half

Deficit reduction is expected to be a key part of President Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight as it has been since early in his presidency, but few voters expect him to hit his goal of cutting the deficit in half by the end of his first term.

Ford Holds Slight Edge Among Likely Car Buyers

Americans are no more inclined to buy a new or used car now than they were a year ago, but among those who are in the auto market Ford comes out just ahead of its American competitors.

 

47% Fear Government Will Help Economy Too Much

Voters still view the economy as issue number one but worry that the government will be more of a problem than a solution as it tries to fix things.

41% Like Boycotts to Protest Bailouts

A surprising number of voters unhappy with government bailouts are ready to act themselves rather than rely on Congress.

Gas Prices Up for Nearly All; 70% Expect $4-A-Gallon Gas by July

Nearly nine-out-of-10 Americans say they are paying more for gas than they were last summer and expect to pay even more six months from now. Most say $4-a-gallon gas is likely by July 1.

SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Three Ways Technology Is Killing Businesses

It's been more than 30 years now since the first personal computers, and more than 15 years since the Internet, gave us all a digital life. Who today can remember what it was like to do business in the days before e-mail, PowerPoint, laptops, BlackBerries, iPhones, iPods, iPads, mobile apps, Facebook and Twitter?

Only 51% Say Home Worth More Than When They Bought It

The number of homeowners who say their home is worth more now than when they bought it has plummeted in the past two-and-a-half years.

Americans View Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Unfavorably

Congressional Republicans are likely to take a closer look at government-backed mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as they continue to consume billions of taxpayer dollars to cover bad loans. While many Americans have benefited from Fannie and Freddie loans, a majority don't hold high opinions of either one.

53% Say Bailouts Have Been Bad for the Country

Most voters still aren’t convinced that government bailouts have been a good idea.