Trade Wars and Immigration Dampening the Business Mood

Are small businesses beginning to have feelings other than optimism as we near the end of 2018? Headlines this week suggest that the ebull...

Are small businesses beginning to have feelings other than optimism as we near the end of 2018?

Headlines this week suggest that the ebullient air among small business owners like yourself is being overcome by worry. Maybe it’s just the holidays?

Or maybe it’s just the flu?

This week, we learned that retailers across the country are already dealing with or preparing for an escalation in the trade dispute with China. As relations between Washington and Beijing continue to teeter back and forth, retailers here are reacting by cutting back on orders from the country.

At the same time, a new report from National Write Your Congressman (NWYC) finds that the top concern right now among small business owners is immigration to the U.S. This is a relatively new concern (or at least a recent one) for small business owners. It’s the first time in the history of NWYC’s index that immigration has ranked among the top 5 issues concerning small business in America.

It’s the end of the week and almost the end of the year. Try not to worry. Think about that holiday party you’ve got planned. Remember, though, if you’re hosting, don’t let it get out of control.

Also, check out what else made headlines this week for small businesses in our weekly news and information roundup below:

Management

Office Fantasy Sports Leagues Good for Company Culture, New Survey Reveals

Businesses are always looking for ways to cultivate the culture of their company with the goal of improving the overall performance of the organization. A new survey from Kimble Applications looks at how fantasy sports leagues can have a positive impact in that endeavor. In the survey, more than half or 54% said sport related activities have a positive effect on company culture.

Marketing Tips

BrandintheBox Offers Small Business Owners Brand Building for a Monthly Subscription

A new subscription-based tool can help you define and build your brand through a series of dynamic strategies designed to corral in the intangibles so you clients get a full experience. BrandintheBox also supplies a series of guides and actionable tools that spring from the tried and tested cornerstones of brand-building.

Retail Trends

Free Shipping, Smooth Shopping Experience Led to Spikes in Spending Cyber Monday

The power of discounts was on display yet again this year during the holiday shopping weekend as more people scrambled to snag online shopping deals for Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.

Small Business Operations

32% of Your Millennial Employees Work in the Bathroom – and it’s NOT a Good Thing

That is a sign your employees are working too hard? And while this might sound like a nice problem for a small business owner to have, a new study shows that millennials tend to be workaholics — a tendency that can be bad both for them and for your business.

Technology Trends

Zoho Inventory Goes Mobile with Benefits for Small Businesses

A little over three years after its launch, Zoho Inventory becomes available on your mobile device with an all-new Android App. The 28th product release under the Zoho umbrella, Zoho Inventory was launched in 2015 and is a boon for small businesses.

The New Dell Vostro 5000 Addresses the Needs of Small Businesses

When it comes to computing, small businesses have a wide range of needs. The new Dell Vostro 5000 line of laptops have been designed to address these many different needs while taking into consideration the budget of said small businesses.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Trade Wars and Immigration Dampening the Business Mood" was first published on Small Business Trends