Stocks rose in afternoon trading Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the U.S. is on track for long-term economic growth.

Trading volume was light, a sign that many traders were leaving the New York area ahead of Hurricane Irene. The storm is expected to reach the region late Saturday night. A spokesman for the New York Stock Exchange said trading is expected to open as usual on Monday.

Bernanke announced no new economic stimulus measures during his speech at a conference in Jackson Hole, Wyo. He left open the possibility of more action by the Fed if another recession looks likely.

Indexes fell sharply as the speech was released and it became clear that Bernanke was not promising additional support of the economy.

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There was a time when using visual aids during a presentation meant large print illustrations tacked onto cardboard and set upon a tripod. These bulky extras were a pain to create and lug around, but were a necessary evil when it came to making a punch with an important presentation to investors, clients, customers, etc.

However, then the magic of computer software came along, and Microsoft developed the saving grace to any presentation: PowerPoint. With PowerPoint, anyone can create stunning slides to give a striking visual element while making a speech by simply projecting it onto a screen or blank wall.

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Groupon has made significant waves in the online marketing, advertising, and promotion industry. While online SEO, PPC, and social media strategies are all helpful in trying to entice potential customers to simply view your business, Groupon gets them to reach right into their pocketbook and hand over the money.

To give you a brief overview, Groupon is a company where people in major cities across the US join up to receive notices of great deals, usually at substantial discounts. When they receive a notice of a deal each day, they have a limited time to buy. You get to name the minimum number of Groupons you wish to sell in order to make it profitable.

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Have you ever stood in line to try a sample of a product? And did you ever get the sensation that something given to you for free was the greatest thing? That’s the power of using free samples to effectively promote a product.

Some small business owners may think that they may as well be giving away money. After all, that is exactly what they are doing when they distribute a product without any compensation. However, consider free promotions from a different perspective. You have to spend money anyway to market your product, right? Rather than considering a free promotion strategy just giving away money, it is actually fiscally proper to mark the cost of a free promotion under a marketing expense.

The idea behind a free sample promotion is to get in touch with your target market base and have them try your product. W

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Many entrepreneurs are choosing to operate their newly formed businesses out of their homes. A tight economy combined with a desire to grow the business along and a need to keep cash flow positive, home-based businesses are as popular as ever.

Whether you are starting a new business or have been operating out of your home for a while, you still should consider the following tips to keep your business from having that “amateur” home business appearance.

1. Set Business Hours and Keep Them

When you work from home, you have a strong temptation to treat your business like a house guest. The kitchen is right there, and oh, leftovers are waiting. The

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Entrepreneurs and small business owners who work from home enjoy not having to pay high commercial rent for their place of business. With a spare bedroom, a remodeled garage, or even just a spare desk in the corner, many small businesses are successfully operated without the need to commute to work every morning.

However, there are many risks associated with working from home. One of the major risks that savvy business owners need to avoid is that of leaving their valuable and precious office and client data susceptible to cyber theft.

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Copyrights and trademarks can be a confusing lot for the small business owner. They are considered valuable assets by giant corporations and guarded vehemently.  However, small business owners should do the same. Do you guard your intellectual property properly?

Understanding Copyrights

A copyright is any artistic or creative material that is produced on a tangible medium. For instance, when you write and post a blog article, you have a copyright on those sentences and the way you present that content. No one can steal your blog post and print it elsewhere, or post it on another website.

Likewise, any printed materials, including catalogues, brochures, white papers, and sales letters, all have an inherited copyright that your business owns.

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