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	<title>FastUpFront Small Business Blog &#187; small business</title>
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	<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog</link>
	<description>Small Business News, Tips, and Information</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:12:26 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>5 Things You Must Do Before Hiring a Virtual Assistant</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/human-resources/5-things-you-must-do-before-hiring-a-virtual-assistant/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/human-resources/5-things-you-must-do-before-hiring-a-virtual-assistant/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:08:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[virtual assistant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=1179</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If your to-do list is fast becoming unsustainable, you do not have to wait till you are literally drowning in tasks you do not have the time, skills, nor expertise to accomplish. You could hire a virtual assistant (VA) to help you. As small business profit margins stay slim and trim while sales continue to [...]]]></description>
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		<title>The Key to Main Street Small Business Success: Focus on the Customers Who Count</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-tips/the-key-to-main-street-small-business-success-focus-on-the-customers-who-count/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-tips/the-key-to-main-street-small-business-success-focus-on-the-customers-who-count/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Sep 2011 08:49:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Express Open]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NFIB Small Business Optimism Index]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=1139</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As countless brick and morter small business owners fish for ways to survive a whirlwind of sluggish sales, creeping inflation, and economic uncertainty, many may be making decisions that are actually hurting their companies.   According to a recent survey conducted by American Express Open, the majority of Americans seem to realize the value of [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Deeper Than the Downgrade: July NFIB Optimism Survey Points to More Fundamental Problems</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-economy/deeper-than-the-downgrade-july-nfib-optimism-survey-points-to-more-fundamental-problems/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-economy/deeper-than-the-downgrade-july-nfib-optimism-survey-points-to-more-fundamental-problems/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:25:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[capital investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GDP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NFIB Small Business Optimism Index]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unemployment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wall Street]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=1129</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When it comes to the U.S. economy, sometimes it seems that everyone loves a good scapegoat- especially when the “everyone” is desperately trying to turn a blind eye to some ugly, fundamental problems&#8230;   As economic analysts try to make sense out of Wall Street&#8217;s recent nose dive, there are so far several suspects in [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Tempted to Hire a Temp Worker for Your Small Biz? You May Want to Think Again&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/human-resources/tempted-to-hire-a-temp-worker-for-your-small-biz-you-may-want-to-think-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/human-resources/tempted-to-hire-a-temp-worker-for-your-small-biz-you-may-want-to-think-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2011 01:02:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employee Loyalty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Temporary Employees]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=1043</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When times get tough, companies increasingly look to temporary employees to fill their needs- at least that&#8217;s what this recent article over at CNN suggests.   As a small business owner, relying on temporary or contractual hires may seem like a quick and cheap solution to getting a particular job done, and these days with [...]]]></description>
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		<title>The Most Problematic Commodity Price Increases Effecting Small Biz in 2011</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-economy/the-most-problematic-commodity-price-increases-effecting-small-biz-in-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-economy/the-most-problematic-commodity-price-increases-effecting-small-biz-in-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 May 2011 09:52:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodity prices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cotton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crude oil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soyabeans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sugar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wheat]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=1040</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even as the stock market continues its heady rally and some economic indicators suggest that the economy is improving (albeit slowly), the surge in commodity prices, many of them unavoidable staples, has wreaked havoc on small business profit margins. But, the pain is certainly not being felt equally by all. Some industries have been hit [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Turning to the “Crowd” for Your Freelance Needs? Proceed with Caution!</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-tips/turning-to-the-%e2%80%9ccrowd%e2%80%9d-for-your-freelance-needs-proceed-with-caution/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-tips/turning-to-the-%e2%80%9ccrowd%e2%80%9d-for-your-freelance-needs-proceed-with-caution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:35:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crowdsourcing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelancer workers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=989</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In previous posts, such as this one, I&#8217;ve discussed some of the unique opportunities crowdsourcing offers for small business owners- especially in the areas of business finance and market research. But there is a flip side to these benefits. If you do not exercise your due diligence, at best, you can end up forking over [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Five Tips to Avoid Burnout on the Job</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-tips/five-tips-to-avoid-burnout-on-the-job/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-tips/five-tips-to-avoid-burnout-on-the-job/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:28:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business-management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employee Burnout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=848</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As any small business owner will tell you, the onus of responsibility for the business’ success or failure falls squarely on his or her shoulders. Stress seems to come with the territory when you are trying to set up your own company, particularly when the general economic environment is uncertain.   How can you avoid [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Five Consumer Trends That are Changing our Economy</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-economy/five-consumer-trends-that-are-changing-our-economy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-economy/five-consumer-trends-that-are-changing-our-economy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:12:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer Trends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=776</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the begining, when Americans were still reeling from the after shock of a freshly burst credit bubble and a crash in the housing market, to mention the term Recession felt almost dirty. Only the brave few dared to mention the “R” word for fear of persecution or being labled as a doomsday party-pooper. Most [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Using Skype in Your Small Business</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-technology/using-skype-in-your-small-business/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-technology/using-skype-in-your-small-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:01:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Skype]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=758</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ever since Skype rolled out its Skype 4 and Skype SIP in 2009, numerous small businesses have been using the service in order to keep overhead costs to a minimum. In May of this year, Skype released it&#8217;s 5.0 beta version packed with several great features particularly appealing to small businesses, such as video conference [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Tips for Co-Running a Business With Your Spouse</title>
		<link>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-tips/tips-for-co-running-a-business-with-your-spouse/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/business-tips/tips-for-co-running-a-business-with-your-spouse/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:35:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sreditor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working with spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fastupfront.com/blog/?p=756</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cost-cutting needs have produced the latest trend: spouse-run businesses. According to the Kauffman Foundation, 8% of new small businesses in the U.S. are co-owned by husbands and wives.   Both marriage and business co-ownership are relationships with potential for conflict. How can a couple successfully work together without compromising their marriage? Here are some of [...]]]></description>
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