BTW Articles

ABA's Curriculum Guide on BookWeb.org offers member booksellers more than 100 free educational resources, covering everything from formulating a business plan and conducting a store survey to creating killer events and stocking a graphic novels section.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has extended its increased loan funding and reduced fees for loan applications through April 30.

The extension allows SBA to continue a higher rate of lending in its 7(a) and 504 loan programs, following the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "These programs have been successful in helping jump-start our economy, which is why we will continue to work with Congress on a longer extension of the increased guarantee and reduced fees," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills.

This week, American Booksellers Association staff traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with key legislators and other associations to discuss sales tax equity and other policy issues. Over a two-day period, ABA CEO Oren Teicher, Content Director Dan Cullen, and Senior Public Policy Analyst David Grogan met with senior staff from the offices of Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA), and with representatives of the National Retail Federation (NRF) and AARP. In addition, they attended the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) American Associations Day 2010.

On Tuesday, March 23, President Obama signed a landmark health care bill into law that, among its many goals, seeks to ease health insurance costs for small businesses. Following passage of the bill by Congress on Sunday night, the Small Business Majority released a summary of the measures in the health care bill that will affect small businesses.