Blogs

The U.S. Small Business Administration, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis will hold a series of free workshops on “Uniform Commercial Codes: Bringing Business to Indian Country.”

The Uniform Commercial Codes workshops will help tribal affiliated organizations, tribal governments and Native American businesses understand how adopting a secured transaction code can increase economic development opportunities.

The workshops will demonstrate how to compete in the marketplace; identify roadblocks and solutions to secure---- business transactions in Indian Country; explain the significance of commercial laws to borrowers; and discuss why lenders must have the ability to secure loan transactions.

Today, I held a series of conference calls with MBDA staff and stakeholders to announce congressional approval of our proposal to realign our regional office structure.  This change will enhance the efficient delivery of funds and services to our mission critical programs—particularly, the MBDA Business Center grassroots network that interacts directly with minority business owners on a daily basis.

Establishing a safe and healthful working environment requires every employer -- large and small -- and every worker to make safety and health a top priority. The entire work force -- from the CEO to the most recent hire -- must recognize that worker safety and health is central to the mission and key to the profitability of the American company.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) job is to provide leadership and encouragement to workers and employers to take that responsibility seriously. We continue to help employers and employees focus on reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities and to increase their commitment to improved safety and health.

OSHA can help small businesses and others through a variety of tools, including partnership, consultation, compliance assistance, education and training, outreach, and plain language regulations.

Why is safety and health important for a small business owner like me?

Safety is good business. An effective safety and health program can save $4 to $6 for every $1 invested. It's the right thing to do, and doing it right pays off in lower costs, increased productivity, and higher employee morale.

As an employer, you have a duty to protect your workers from injury and illness on the job. Protecting workers also makes good business sense. Accidents and injuries are more expensive than many realize. Costs mount up quickly. But substantial savings in workers' compensation and lost workdays are possible when injuries and illnesses decline. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can help you.

Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy and while Indonesia’s annual growth slowed down to 4.5% in 2009, it expanded to 6.1% in 2010. Some economists predict that Indonesia’s economic growth may reach 8% in 2011. During the difficult global conditions of 2009, Indonesia’s economy was among the top worldwide performers. Stock market valuation was up 87% in 2009 and 46% in 2010 and from 2000 until 2010, Indonesia’s average annual GDP growth was 5.17% with a stable currency and improved sovereign credit status.