uschamber.com Magazine September 2005

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• Cover Story: Energy, Trade, and Transportation Bills Become Law
  Within a 48-hour span, Congress approved three major pieces of legislation that will eventually help small businesses reduce their gasoline and energy bills, open new markets, and relieve congestion on the highways.
• In Your Backyard
  News across the nation.
• In Your Corner: The Future of Organized Labor: Opportunity for New Employer-Union Relationship
  The recent decision of some major labor unions to split from the AFL-CIO illustrates that organized labor has lost its way and has failed to adapt to a changing environment.
• Face-Off: Dealing With the Terrorism Threat: How Should Resources Be Distributed?
  Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) and Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA) debate how to deal with the terrorism threat.
• Census Shows Growth Among Small Firms
  The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its Survey of Business Owners showing that small businesses are growing in both numbers and earnings.
• Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy: Small Businesses Unaware of Threat
  Increasingly, counterfeit and pirated goods are infiltrating small businesses' supply chains and the impact can be staggering, even life threatening. Still, most small businesses have no idea that the threat of counterfeited goods is real.
• Health Fairness Act Would Cut Costs, Improve Options
  The U.S. Chamber is strongly encouraging the Senate to pass The Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005 as soon as possible, following the House's approval on July 26. This bill would help more small businesses afford health care coverage.
• Medical Liability Bill OK'd by House: Reforms Would Reduce Frivolous Lawsuits
  The U.S. House recently passed medical liability reform legislation that would curb frivolous lawsuits and cap noneconomic damages, and the U.S. Chamber and its Institute for Legal Reform are making passage in the Senate a top priority this fall.
• Chamber Promotes Family Day
  The more often teenagers eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, and use illegal drugs. That's the reason why The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse created Family Day--A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children.
• Emergency Planning Checklist for Small Businesses
  As many as 60% of small businesses that face a disaster never reopen their doors. You can improve your chances of survival by creating a commonsense emergency plan before disaster strikes.
• New Small Business Council Chairman
  The U.S. Chamber recently named Jim Wordsworth, owner of J.R.'s Goodtimes, Inc., chair of its Small Business Council. Ninety-six percent of the Chamber's members have 100 employees or fewer.
• It's National Preparedness Month: Is Your Business Prepared for a Disaster?
  September is National Preparedness Month, and the U.S. Chamber is encouraging business owners to take extra steps to confront the realities of running a company in the 21st century.
• Finding Office Space to Rent: Small Businesses Need Short-Term Space
  Renting space, especially for the first time, represents a major milestone for small businesses. Find out how to attain the right office space for your small business.
• State Incentives And Tax Guide Now Available
  The 2005 State Business Incentives and Tax Guide, is an essential tool for answering your questions about tax laws and workforce statistics in your state.
• Small Business Forms and Templates for Free
  More than 150 free templates are available for downloading by U.S. Chamber of Commerce members at www.uschamber.com/sb/forms.
• Health Care CEO Able to Cut Costs
  "There are very few choices of health insurers for small businesses like mine, and the cost of employee premiums seems to double every year," says Anthony Montville, president & CEO of HealthTek Solutions in Norfolk, Virginia.
• ECON 101: Labor Day 2005: Reporting Good News
  The first Monday in September this year will be a Labor Day that workers can celebrate because economic growth is solid, inflation is under control, and more jobs--and good jobs--are being created every month.
• Small Business Matters: The Innovation Revolution: Surviving in the Midst of Change
  The current business landscape favors speed, flexibility, and innovation. Entrepreneurs earn increased profits and sales growth by improving product value or by reinventing themselves in response to a changing marketplace.
• Tech Tools: Analyze Your Sales Data: Help Identify Your Best Customers
  How do you define what makes a "best" customer for your business and, more importantly, what do you know about your customers and their buying habits?
• Working For You: Experience Counts
  Arthur Rothkopf recently joined the Chamber as senior vice president and counselor to Tom Donohue, Chamber president and CEO. Rothkopf has held high-level positions in academia, public service, law, and finance.
• e-sources September 2005
  Links of interests for the September 2005 edition of uschamber.com