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Small Business News: National Etiquette Week Means No Excuses!

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:37:39 -0400

Small business owners, entrepreneurs and home based business owners can heed advice from etiquette experts this week

Don’t you hate it when you’re in a meeting or even in a store and someone feels like they need to carry on an entire and loud conversation right in front of you? Or maybe you’re traveling by plane on a business trip and the 10-year-old behind you decides to use the back of your seat for kickboxing practice.

People who do not display proper etiquette in public situations can just drive you mad. But guess what? It’s National Etiquette Week, May 12-16. Who knew? It’s a week, according to The Etiquette and Leadership Institute (ELI), to recognize courtesy, civility, good manners and kindness as the way young people, leaders, business people and children around the country are called to act.

ELI asked etiquette consultants across the U.S. about their constituents’ hot button issues. They included:

Rude driving habits
Children kicking the back of theater or airplane seats
Loud, rowdy behavior in subways
Cellular phone usage in restaurants
Inappropriate dress at business functions
Poor handshakes

Here are tips to address those hot buttons, offered by ELI:

While driving, forget about juggling six things at once; just be gracious to other motorists.
Parents should brief socially active children about respectful behaviors. If they can’t be still due to their age, wait a couple of years before taking them to concerts or similar events. Also, make sure they know to keep their feet on the floor, away from others’ seats.
If you are uncivilized, discourteous or unpleasant in public, you will be treated in that manner. Treat others as you’d like to be treated.
A restaurant is for gracious dining, so keep the cell phones tucked away.
A firm web-to-web handshake accompanied by eye contact and a smile is a powerful leadership tool.

Mothers In The Workforce Celebrate Special Holiday

Sat, 10 May 2008 15:10:54 -0400

Home based business owners, entrepreneurs and small businesses benefit from working moms

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and if you haven’t already called the florist or made brunch reservations, now is the time to do so. Mothers, whether they are your own or someone else’s, deserve a day of recognition, for sure. After all, who else but a mom would have put up with all your shenanigans without being institutionalized or calling law enforcement?

Of course in the workforce, you can find mother’s all over the place. They’re everywhere! Which is fortunate, since babies tend to keep the population and future generations going.

So how do working moms see themselves when it comes to their career? Well, according to a survey by Adecco USA, most mothers (71 percent) said managing a career is actually easier than managing a family. As a mother myself, I can easily see this point of view. You can’t fire a family member if they continue to disobey your wishes, or say, show up late every evening for dinner. You can, however, fire an employee for not following company rules.

Here are other findings from the survey:

60 percent of moms feel they have the same work/life benefits as nonparents.
Only 44 percent of nonparents feel the same way, with 25 percent of the respondents saying that they have fewer benefits.
When it comes to working late and responding to e-mails after work hours, moms (71 percent) are just as likely as nonparents (73 percent) to do so.
59 percent of working mothers say motherhood has not had an impact on their career paths.
26 percent of working mothers say that motherhood has had a positive impact on their career paths.

The question of whether a working mom can really “do it all” continues to be a debatable one, but there’s no question that working moms all over the world make a positive impact in the workforce. So here’s to all the mothers of the world. Enjoy your special day!

Small Business Tips: Prepare For Summer Staff

Fri, 09 May 2008 09:58:27 -0400

Summer job trends present opportunity to prepare for season, be thankful for current business benefits

If you know anyone looking for a summer job, or if you have been in that situation yourself, you know that seasonal hiring has a life of it’s own. Pools need lifeguards, working parents need summer sitters, landscapers need beefed-up crews, and teenagers need something to keep them busy. No matter how you look at it, seasonal hiring for summer jobs is underway.

Those of us who run a small business may be preparing to hire an intern or assistant for the summer months in order to lighten the load and get more done. But watch out, because according to CareerBuilder.com’s latest survey of more than 3,000 U.S. employers, summer workers may be acquiring bigger paychecks. Twenty-four percent of employers plan to pay their summer hires and/or interns more this year than they did last year. Nearly half (47 percent) plan to dish out $10 or more per hour; 7 percent will pay $20 or more per hour. Twenty-nine percent anticipate paying between $8 and $10 per hour while 11 percent expect to pay less than $7 per hour.

The survey reports that the most popular summer positions being offered include:

Office support (28 percent)
Customer service (19 percent)
Landscape/maintenance (14 percent)
Research (14 percent)
Restaurant/food service (8 percent)
Construction/painting (8 percent)
Sales (8 percent)

So as we plan for summer support staff, it kind of makes you think of all the summer jobs that you might have had to endure in the past. For instance, probably the worst summer of my life entailed kitchen duty at a retirement home. The reason? I have a weak stomach, and scraping “used food,” from the plates into the garbage resulted in my gag reflex being on constant alert. So to provide some humor, the survey also revealed that opportunities arise in unconventional areas as well. When asked about the most unusual or memorable summer jobs they’ve ever held, workers shared the following responses:

Chicken wrangler
Caretaker for diabetic monkeys
Clown in an underwater theater
Bomb painter
Gopher hunter
Picked burnt potato chips off a conveyor belt
Erased pencil marks out of used books
Scrubbed rubber ducks for national rubber duck race

Small Business Management: Employee Retention

Wed, 07 May 2008 09:41:18 -0400

Small business tips for improving employee loyalty, increasing retention rates and keeping staff happy

When I had my first job many years ago, I remember how nervous I was not to make a mistake, to complete every project detail with precision and care, and to work above and beyond in order to make a good impression. I was hoping to thrive in my position, and stay with the company for years to come.

In today’s business climate, it seems like workers change jobs as much as their wardrobe. From a management point of view, this can wreak havoc in terms of training time and money, as well as morale and team unity. According to Dale Carnegie Training, evidence would indicate that a large number of employees in today’s workforce will change jobs every two years. In the first 10 years of their career, many younger workers may have as many as 8 jobs.

So, what can businesses do to retain top talent? Engaging employees is key. Peter Handal, chairman, president and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, believes there are certain steps businesses can take to keep employees engaged and evoke loyalty in order to cultivate strong talent. He provides the following suggestions when considering programs focused on engaging employees and developing high potential talent:

Support employees in building strong skill sets. By supporting employees in building both technical abilities and transferable skills (communication, confidence, leadership, and people skills) an organization can demonstrate their interest in the development of their employees. A more holistic approach to employee development is a key first step in employee engagement.

Prepare employees for, and support them during, times of transition. Individuals face transition in both their personal and professional life. Starting a new job, taking on a new role, moving to a new location are all times when the transition can overwhelm an employee. By helping employees prepare for job and role transitions, supporting them during the transition, and then recognizing their successes in the new situation, organizations can create a connection with employees that strengthens their engagement with the team and their willingness to help others during their times of transition.

Foster a sense of ownership within employees. The old encouragement to “act like you own it” is good advice. The challenge is making the adage practical. It is difficult to build a sense of ownership when the plans, activities, and details are dictated to you. Managers need to find ways to actively engage employees in contributing ideas to plans, activities, and outcomes.

Help employees see the link between current efforts and future opportunities. When employees view their efforts as a disconnected series of activities it is easy to begin looking for other opportunities where their work can be more meaningful. Providing employees with a clear line of sight between their work and the larger initiatives of the organization is a solid method of engaging employees and retaining top talent.

Small Business Marketing: Holidays Provide Marketing Opportunities

Sun, 04 May 2008 14:49:19 -0400

Small business tips for promoting business, community involvement and good public relations

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. Whether you really know what the day is about, we all love an excuse to celebrate another holiday, right? In fact, many have been celebrating all weekend, as restaurants, organizations and clubs have utilized this weekend as a pre-holiday build-up.

Holidays and observances present opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs to offer special deals, get involved with local events, and serve as sponsors or volunteers. This helps with increasing company awareness in your community, building better relationships with potential and current customers, and attracting new business.

So what exactly is Cinco de Mayo? Well besides the obvious - it being on the fifth of May, the origin of the observance goes back to 1862, when outnumbered Mexican troops defeated the invading French forces of Napoleon III at the battle of Puebla. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 28 million people of Mexican descent in the U.S., some 9 percent of the total population. Nearly 11 million of these live in California.

So now that you know why you drink tequila and dance to salsa music on this holiday, you also might find ways to make such observances work for you. For instance, you could offer one-day specials, an in-store party, or have a Cinco de Mayo theme for the week that ties in your products or services. If you sell a product, you could offer $5 off, or increments of $5 off, and tie it in with the fifth of the month. There are countless ways you can make a holiday or special observance, no matter how well-known or how obscure, an opportunity to bring attention to your business.

The trick is that you have to think of it well before the actual day is here. Actually, when such days occur, it’s a perfect time to conduct a little research to begin planning for next year. Take time out tomorrow to review your newspaper, or watch local news to find out what smart or creative things other businesses are doing to incorporate Cinco de Mayo into their business marketing. Bars and restaurants are masters at doing this, and sometimes you can borrow great marketing techniques by observing what they do.

Once you spot an idea or event that sparks your interest, brainstorm on some of the ways you could incorporate the same ideas, and write it all down. If you don’t already, you need to have a file that is specifically for future marketing ideas. Anytime you spot a great marketing or promotional idea, write it down, keep a copy of what has inspired you, and file it away for later. Then you can start planning how you’ll incorporate those ideas into next year’s marketing plan.

Just like Cinco de Mayo, we all love an opportunity to celebrate and have a good time. If you can combine that willingness to have fun with a business opportunity, you can have the best of both worlds.

Small Business Resources: New Book Helps Small Retail Businesses Compete With Big Business

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:56:42 -0400

As rebate checks give Americans extra spending money, small business owners can gain a competitive advantage

There are many ways that small businesses have an advantage over big businesses. You can offer specialized products, and you can build personal relationships with your customers. But you can also feel like you’re the underdog, in a nation filled with super centers and retail outlets. If you want to capture a piece of the market that big retailers have, you’ll be interested in a new book that explores this issue.

The questions is this? How can the small retail business owner capture a piece of the $43 million the National Retail Federation (NRF) recently predicted would be pumped into the economy in the coming months as Americans receive their tax rebate checks? 41 percent of Americans surveyed plan to spend their windfall. Even with President Bush's Economic Stimulus Package starting to take effect, most economic experts say we are now in a recession with the stock market all over the board and the cost of staples going up.

So, how does the small mom and pop business get its fair share of these second quarter consumer dollars when people are flocking to the "big boys" like Wal-Mart, Target or Costco to get the best bang for their buck? Authors Steve O'Leary and Kim Sheehan of the new book, Building Buzz to Beat the Big Boys say a small business owner's competitive advantage is word of mouth marketing (WOM).

According to the authors, today's marketing environment has changed. Traditional advertising such as television, newspaper and direct mail is still important to build awareness of a business -- but it is no longer enough. WOM is now the most effective form of promotion available as it combines the most modern strategies, tactics and channels with the most basic human behavior: People talking to people.

"The Internet -- web sites, blogs, and social networking sites -- is pushing this change in marketing to consumers and giving the consumer more control and choice," say O'Leary and Sheehan. "This change can provide the small business owner with an advantage over the big chains. There is a basic road map to the process of creating word of mouth and customer communities which we call the 4Cs -- customers, conversations, community and commitment."

Combined with WOM, the 4Cs can help owners of small retail businesses "beat the big boys":

Customers. Today's consumers are different from five years ago. They want more information, and they want opportunities to provide feedback to the store owner. These dialogues are the first step in enhancing relationships with customers.

Conversations. Word of mouth leads to "buzz." Identify "store Champions" who can help create the "buzz" for the store and its products or services.

Community. Community is a group of people who share social interaction and some common ties and who share an area (physical or cyber space) for some of the time. Local coffee shops and Starbucks have embraced and marketed this concept to build "store Champions." A store's online community is also a key element of its WOM marketing campaign.

Commitment. An online community should be the central focus of a store's community-building efforts. There are three different ways to support and enhance your online community: in-store, employee, and community outreach.

If you want more information from these authors or about this topic, visit http://www.grabbinggreen.com.

Small Business News: Small Firms Hit Hardest By Rising Energy Costs

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:12:05 -0400

Manufacturing and commercial sectors top the list of burdened industries

With presidential debates and primary results dominating the headlines, talk of the economy, rising energy costs and other top issues are at the forefront. It seems like small business owners are no exception when it comes to citizens worried about the future. In fact, small businesses might be feeling the crunch of the current economy a little more.

Small firms are hardest hit by rising energy costs, according to a study released by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The small manufacturing and small commercial sectors top the list of burdened industries, on an energy cost per value of industry shipments and an energy cost per sales basis.

"This report shows that, on a disaggregated basis, energy prices can affect different industrial sectors in different ways," said Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the Office of Advocacy. "Previously, most research in this area had focused on the macro level. With this report, the spotlight turns to individual industrial sectors and the small firms within them."

The report finds that for 10 of 17 manufacturing sectors for which data were available, small firms spent considerably more for energy than large firms did, on a per value of industry shipments basis. For food manufacturers, leather and allied products manufacturers, and computer and electronic products manufacturers, the costs per dollar of output were more than double those of their larger counterparts. The author also finds that in 26 of 31 commercial industries studied, small firms have higher energy expenditures on a cost per dollar of sales basis.

The report, Characterization and Analysis of Small Business Energy Costs, written by E.H. Pechan & Associates with funding from the Office of Advocacy, uses available data to analyze the impact of changing energy prices on various sectors of the economy. For more information, a complete copy of the report and tables of analyzed industry sectors, visit the Office of Advocacy website at http://www.sba.gov/advo

Small Business News: Small Firms Hit Hardest By Rising Energy Costs

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:12:04 -0400

Manufacturing and commercial sectors top the list of burdened industries

Small Business Owners: How To Celebrate Earth Day 2008, Part 2

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:37:07 -0400

Home based business and small business owners can help the environment, honor special day

Tomorrow is Earth Day, and like thousands of others, we can honor and respect our environment by acknowledging the day and taking extra steps to appreciate it. In the first part of this series, I shared different ways that you can get involved to save energy, replenish resources and take eco-friendly action. Here are some additional things to consider as you join Earth Day celebrations:

Reduce energy use. There are many ways to do this. Some of the most simple ways are to turn off your computer monitors, printers, office equipment and lights when they are not being used. Take the stairs instead of using the elevator. Don’t be afraid to ask coworkers, employees or friends to join in on your efforts. Check out www.eere.energy.gov/consumer for more energy saving ideas.

Buy smart. When you set out to buy office products, look for recycled content, remanufactured components or recyclable supplies. Also, make sure that you have a recycling program in place that is easy for staff to utilize.

There’s a small business guide to pollution prevention at www.epa.gov/ecycling.
Here are some additional tips found on www.epa.gov:

Clean Out Your Files and recycle papers you no longer need. Many organizations sponsor cleaning weeks; check with your office management staff.
Use spell check and proofread before you print or copy. Print double sided whenever possible. Minimize the amount of paper you use.
Buy reusable office supplies instead of disposable supplies.
Set up an area to store and exchange reusable office supplies, such as binders.
Recycle fluorescent bulbs properly to prevent hazardous mercury from entering the environment.

In addition to these items, check the Environmental Protection Agency's "At the Workplace" page http://www.epa.gov/epahome/workplac.htm

Small Business Owners: How To Celebrate Earth Day 2008, Part 1

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:44:00 -0400

Home based business and small business owners can help the environment, honor special day

Since 1970, when the first Earth Day was celebrated, citizens have been given a special day to take note of the environment, and find ways to preserve our surroundings. On April 22, we will all have a chance to take part in this day by taking steps to make a difference.

In this series, I’ll share some of the things you might consider for Earth Day celebrations. Who knows? You might even decide to make everyday an Earth Day:

Make it a commute. If you don’t already have a carpool, start one. Other options are to walk, bike or utilize mass transportation systems instead of driving. You can find out more about carpooling at www.commuterchoice.com.

Set an example. One of the best things you can do for your employees or coworkers is to lead by example. Whether you are the boss, and want to lead the way, or you are an employee, and want to encourage your head honchos to get more involved, try to make your workplace a “Best Workplace for Commuters.” Check out www.bwc.gov.

Know your stuff. Do you ever wonder how the daily trips you take to work affect the air quality? You can read all about it, and break it all down at www.italladdsup.gov.

Green up your office building. When an office building goes up, it affects natural resources, land and energy use, worker and public health, and community well being. By inhabiting a green office building, you can help protect human health, increase worker productivity, reduce costs and ensure future generations. Green Building principles equal harmony with the environment. Check out more at http://ofee.gov/sb/sb.asp.

Watch how you clean. Choosing the most environmentally friendly cleaning products can help reduce pollution. This is a simple way to make an immediate impact. Check out www.epa.gov for hints.

In the next part of this series, I'll share additional resources to help you have a fantastic Earth Day 2008.

New Business Resource: Small Business Owners Can Learn From Bizarre Decisions

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:37:29 -0400

New book studies behavioral economics, provides insights for business professionals and entrepreneurs

Making a living, no matter how you do it, provides countless opportunities to stop and say to yourself, “Everyone I work with is nuts!” And you might be right. In a new book, Predictably Irrational, author and economist Dan Ariely studies and comments on the bizarre decisions made by people at work, and in life. And in the entertaining process, we discover some surprising truths about the way people think.

In fact, the author has a fascinating website, www.predictablyirrational.com, that showcases his unique views on the decisions people make and how we all behave. Here is an excerpt from his website that explains the background of the book:

Do you know why we so often promise ourselves to diet and exercise, only to have the thought vanish when the dessert cart rolls by? Do you know why we sometimes find ourselves excitedly buying things we don’t really need?
Do you know why we still have a headache after taking a five-cent aspirin, but why that same headache vanishes when the aspirin costs 50 cents?
Do you know why people who have been asked to recall the Ten Commandments tend to be more honest (at least immediately afterward) than those who haven’t? Or why honor codes actually do reduce dishonesty in the workplace?
By the end of this book, you’ll know the answers to these and many other questions that have implications for your personal life, for your business life, and for the way you look at the world. As a bonus you will also learn how much fun social science can be, and how to see more clearly the causes for our everyday behaviors, including the many cases in which we are predictably irrational.

Ariely goes on to say that this book is his attempt “to take research findings in behavioral economics and describe them in non academic terms so that more people will learn about this type of research, discover the excitement of this field, and possibly use some of the insights to enrich their own lives.”

Ariely is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavioral Economics at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and at the Media Laboratory, a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight, and a visiting professor at Duke University. So the guy seems to be extremely qualified, to say the least.

This book serves as amusing, highly entertaining and provocative with content that can help any professional, entrepreneur or business owner see the world (and the people we work with) a little more clearly.

Small Business News: Business owners feel anxious, fear recession

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:51:30 -0400

New survey results show state of the small-business community

No matter where you live, or no matter what you do, it seems that a common topic of conversation centers around the state of the economy. Are we really in a recession? Should we start stocking away canned goods? The issues makes most of us anxious and uncertain, to say the least. And small business owners are no exception.

The past year has not been a good one for the small-business economy, and projections for the next twelve months are even less optimistic. The National Small Business Association just released the results of the 2008 NSBA Survey of Small and Mid-Sized Business, reporting on the state of the small-business community and business owner's opinions on a broad range of topics including economic outlook, employee benefits, financing, energy costs and public policy. In addition to most recent 2008 data, the survey also compares current results with past NSBA surveys and presents trend data dating from 1993.

"Our survey shows plain and clear how the economic slowdown is affecting small business. When asked last year about their economic outlook, a majority of small-business owners responded positively," stated NSBA President Todd McCracken. "This year, a whopping 71 percent have a negative outlook on the economy -- clearly small business is feeling the pinch."

Nearly half of all business owners (45 percent) expect a recession in the next year, while just nine percent say they anticipate economic expansion. Fifty percent cite "economic uncertainty" as one of the most significant challenges they face to the growth and survival of their business, with the cost of health insurance (35 percent) and lack of available capital (32 percent) rounding out the top three.

"Small businesses are buckling down, with nearly a quarter reporting no growth strategies planned for the coming year," reported NSBA Chair Marilyn Landis. "Sales and profits are down, and fewer jobs are being created in 2008 than at any period since 1993 when the survey began."

More than half (55 percent) of business owners surveyed said they have faced difficulty securing credit over the last year. Credit cards continue to be the largest primary source of financing for small businesses, yet 57 percent report that their credit card terms are worsening. Despite the many negatives, including a marked decline in the confidence small-business owners expressed for the outlook of their own business -- down from 81 percent in 2007 to 70 percent in 2008 -- the majority still expressed confidence.

"While the 2008 NSBA Small Business Survey finds that small businesses have a very negative outlook about the economy as a whole, they remain somewhat optimistic about their own prospects," said Glen Bolger, partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies. "This tracks closely with what we'd expect to see from self-starting entrepreneurs."

For more details on this survey, visit http://www.nsba.biz/docs/2008bizsurvey.pdf.

Small Business News: Business owners feel anxious, fear recession

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:51:29 -0400

New survey results show state of the small-business community

For more details on this survey, visit http://www.nsba.biz/docs/2008bizsurvey.pdf.

Small Business Owners: Suffering From Sunday Night Insomnia?

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:06:44 -0400

Workers worldwide report weekly sleeping problems, workweek anxiety and job stress

Do you find yourself waking up on Monday morning feeling like you’ve been running a marathon? Tired, anxious and exhausted? When it comes to getting a good night's sleep in preparation for the workweek, a majority of workers worldwide are hitting the ground yawning, according to a global poll conducted by Monster that asked, "Does the thought of going to work on Monday affect your Sunday night's sleep?"

Notable poll findings include:

Most workers across the globe report having sleep issues occasionally - 82 percent of respondents in the U.S., 85 percent in the U.K., 83 percent in France, 80 percent in Germany and 72 percent in Italy have problems sleeping at least some of the time.
Workers' sleep in the U.S. and U.K. is most frequently affected, with 51 percent and 53 percent of respondents reporting sleeping problems every week, respectively.
Italian workers have embraced the c'est la vie attitude - 28 percent of workers polled in Italy say thoughts of Monday never affect their sleep, compared to 17 percent of French workers.

"A consistent lack of sleep not only impedes a worker's ability to think clearly and decisively, it can actually perpetuate additional stress on the job, which can then lead to additional sleep problems," said Norma Gaffin, director of career content, Monster. "There are simple steps workers can take to reduce the workplace stress that keeps them up at night, however, if sleep problems persist, a person may want to examine his or her work situation."

To help workers reduce workplace stress and minimize those sleepless nights, Monster offers the following tips:

Focus on what goes well each day, rather than workplace problems. As you fall asleep, force yourself to review something good about the day.
Create a to-do list. Whether using an online resource or keeping tab of tasks in a spiral notebook, managing a to-do list can help you maximize your time and sleep better.
Take a vacation. If it has been awhile since your last vacation, consider taking some time off to de-stress.

Small Business News: Business Tax Index 2008 Ranks State Tax Systems

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:40:08 -0400

New rankings out for state tax systems for entrepreneurs and small business owners

All of us are well aware that this week millions of Americans will flock to the post office to mail off taxes. Whether it be with relief, bitterness or anticipation, we’ll nervously insert our sealed envelopes into the official postal slot, ready to forget the whole experience until next year. So in honor of April 15, "Tax Day," the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) published the Business Tax Index 2008: Best to Worst State Tax Systems for Entrepreneurship and Small Business, ranking the states according to the costs of their tax systems for small business start up and growth.

SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan said: "Entrepreneurs and small businesses have to struggle every day with the costs of taxation, which affect a wide array of decisions, including hiring, investment, expansion and location. While the federal tax burden and the complexity of that system is quite heavy, state and local taxes can add significantly to that load. The 'Business Tax Index' captures these costs, and provides businesses, investors and political leaders with a measurement of how the states stack up against each other in this regard."

According to the "Business Tax Index 2008," the 15 BEST state tax systems are: 1) South Dakota, 2) Nevada, 3) Wyoming, 4) Washington, 5) Florida, 6) Alaska, 7) Texas, 8) Colorado, 9) Alabama, 10) Mississippi, 11) South Carolina, 12) Tennessee, 13) Missouri, 14) Ohio, and 15) Virginia.

The 15 WORST state tax systems are: 37) North Carolina, 38) Nebraska, 39) West Virginia, 40) Hawaii, 41) Idaho, 42) Vermont, 43) Massachusetts, 44) New York, 45) Rhode Island, 46) Maine, 47) Iowa, 48) California, 49) Minnesota, 50) New Jersey, and 51) District of Columbia.

Raymond J. Keating, chief economist for SBE Council and author of the report, wrote: "In the end, taxes matter. They matter at the federal, state and local levels of government. They matter to consumers, entrepreneurs, investors and businesses. They matter in terms of a state's competitiveness. And they matter when it comes to economic growth and job creation."

To read the full report, and to visit the "Business Tax Index 2008" state interactive map, you can visit http://www.sbecouncil.org. Look for the "Business Tax Index 2008" image on the right hand side of the main page to access the full report, summary, and nationwide map of individual state rankings.