D.C. gridlock seen as big threat to small business

By John W. Schoen, Senior Producer

Michael Osborn, president of Pie 'N Burger International, at his restaurant in Pasadena, California. Small businesses are worried about the economy in 2012, and many blame Washington for the problems.

 

 

Corey Shaker is hoping to sell a lot more cars next year. The biggest roadblock he sees is the ongoing political gridlock in Washington, D.C. Shaker, CEO of Hometown Auto Retailers, a dealership chain based in Waterbury, Conn., has reason to be optimistic about 2012. After falling sharply in the 2007-09 Great Recession, car sales are bouncing back. New high-mileage models are drawing owners of aging clunkers to his showrooms. The downturn forced many of his competitors out of business, generating higher sales for dealers left standing.

But Shaker said some potential customers may have second thoughts about buying because of government gridlock and bickering among lawmakers.

“Consumer confidence moves the economy,” he said. “The biggest single thing they can do (in Washington) to boost the economy is to boost confidence. And to do that, consumers have to believe that there is leadership that can get their act together to make the spending cuts on stuff we don't need.”

To read the entire article, click here: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/19/9563940-dc-gridlock-seen-as-big-threat-to-small-business

10 Winter & Holiday Travel Tips to Melt Your Worries Away

It's no secret that winter and holiday travel can be the most stressful occasion. Especially when the hustle and bustle of holiday travel starts, people become more distressed with long waits and unexpected challenges. If you travel by air or car during the cold season, you can count on more delays than you'd experience in the summer. Once bad weather appears during the peak times for air travel, we end up with the lengthiest flight delays, cancellations and missed connections of the year.

On the other hand, road travel has its share of annoyances and risks. There may be road closings, slower speeds due to snow or sleet, traffic accidents and other obstacles to throw you off track. However, don't let the winter and holiday travel season make you blue. Become a smarter and happier traveler for your next winter vacations — use TravelSense's winter travel tips to make life easier as you journey to and from your destination.

To read the entire article, click here: http://www.travelsense.org/tips/wintertraveltips.cfm