Stocks coming off down week:

NEW YORK (AP) — It was a down week for stocks. Wall Street is hoping for better this week as earnings reports pick up.

In Friday trading, the Dow rose 57 points to close at 12,342. The S&P 500 index was up 5 points to 1,320. The NASDAQ composite added 4 points to 2,765.

For the week, the key averages were down between 0.3 and 0.6 percent.

WORLD MARKETS

Asia markets higher on US economic news

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stocks were mostly higher Monday, shrugging off yet another anti-inflation move by China after encouraging news about the U.S. economy.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index eked out a marginal gain of less than 0.1 percent after opening lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2 percent, while South Korea's Kospi slid 0.5 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3 percent.

Benchmarks in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and New Zealand were also higher. Mainland China's Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.3 percent. Taiwan's TAIEX was down slightly.

OIL PRICES

Oil near $109 as US gasoline prices jump

SINGAPORE (AP) — Oil prices fell to near $109 a barrel Monday in Asia as gasoline jumped to average $4 a gallon in six U.S. states and the District of Columbia, raising fears higher fuel costs will undermine crude demand.

Benchmark crude for May delivery was down 58 cents at $109.08 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.55 to settle at $109.66 on Friday.

In London, Brent crude for June delivery was down 33 cents to $123.12 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

ECONOMY-WEEK AHEAD

Reports on housing among those due

WASHINGTON (AP) — The week is fairly light for economic reports. A reading is due today from the National Association of Home Builders on builder sentiment. Tomorrow, the government weighs in with housing starts for March. Also due this week, existing home sales, new unemployment claims and the index of leading economic indicators.

NABE SURVEY

Poll: US economy improving despite global events

WASHINGTON (AP) — Economists say the U.S. economy is gaining strength despite political unrest in North Africa and the Middle East and last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

A survey from the National Association for Business Economics finds that economists are hopeful that the broader economy is substantially improving, with rising employment reported for the fifth quarter in a row.

The outlook for employment rose slightly, reaching a 12-year high. No firms reported significant layoffs, with the only reductions coming from already planned cuts.

Sales increased for the third consecutive quarter, profit margins continued to improve and the number of economists whose firms increased spending over the previous quarter held steady. Nearly all of the 72 economists surveyed, about 94 percent, now expect the economy to grow at least 2 percent in 2011.

GAS PRICES

6 states and nation's capital now at $4 gas

WASHINGTON (AP) — Six states and Washington, D.C., now have gasoline prices averaging more than $4 per gallon.

Triple-A says New York State joined the list yesterday, which also includes Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii and Illinois.

The next states could be Michigan, which has gas for $3.95 per gallon on average, and Indiana, where the average price is $3.94. Nevada, Washington and Wisconsin are close behind.

Hawaii has the highest price in the U.S. at $4.48 per gallon. Wyoming has the lowest, at $3.54.

The national average for gas has increased for 26 straight days, and is now at $3.83 per gallon.

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New Tool to Ease the Life of the Online Business Entrepreneur

Online Business entrepreneurs can now find the perfect .co.uk or .com domain name – thanks to a new free tool from web development company, Bird and Co Creative. The new domain tool is the fastest way to check if a domain is available. With thousands of new businesses starting up in the UK every month, this tool will be vital to many business entrepreneurs.

A website’s domain name is recognised as an essential piece of a company’s branding. The best names can change hands for thousands or even millions. One of the most expensive transactions was in 2009 when the domain name insure.com changed hands for a staggering $16 million.

Many popular terms have already been registered as domain names. So people setting up a new business often find it difficult to find the name that they want. In the past, checking to see if domains were free was a frustrating and time-consuming process. But that has now changed. With Bird and Co Creative’s domain tool it is possible to check the availability of domains instantly. As fast as a person can type, it is checking to see if the domain name can be registered.

The tool can be accessed by visiting the following web page:
http://www.birdandcocreative.co.uk/domainchecker/

The tool was created by the web developers at Bird and Co Creative, Bromsgrove. As Online Marketing Manager Paul Ajao explains “We initially developed this tool to be used in-house, as we create many online campaigns for our clients. Everybody that used it thought it was outstanding, so we decided to make it generally available.”

In today’s economic climate, there are thousands of business entrepreneurs looking to set up an online business. Some people are taking their redundancy money and using it to invest in themselves - they start an online business rather than just wait for another job to become available. The domain tool will help them create a branded website that will give them the best chance of success.
 source:http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=132907

‘Social Media for Business’ – Online Course for Marketers Launched by Oxford Learning Lab

‘Social Media for Business’

Facebook and LinkedIn, are heralding an enormous change to the way businesses market themselves. But are marketers keeping up with the important changes? Oxford Learning Lab, an independent digital publisher that works with renowned marketing experts, is launching a new online marketing course that illuminates how social media can work as a marketing tool for any business. Released to coincide with the launch of Oxford Learning Lab’s revamped website, the course - ‘Social Media for Business’ - is based around high quality video content and downloadable course notes. It is perfect for busy people and affordably priced.

Aimed at professional marketers, marketing students and marketing consultants who wish to increase their knowledge base, the social media course, 'Social Media for Business' provides high quality, flexible learning, round the clock, for the fraction of the cost of an instructor-led course and has the benefit of being eligible as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for marketers.

All course videos feature highly trained marketing professionals, including authors of popular marketing books, and most of the speakers are collaborating with The Chartered Institute of Marketing. The product is endorsed by Oxford College of Marketing, one of the largest providers of The Chartered Institute of Marketing courses.

Giorgio Burlini of Oxford Learning Lab comments: “The user bases of social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook have grown enormously in the last year or so and have become the biggest global channels to market. Businesses are winning work from Twitter and LinkedIn, while Facebook has become a vital advertising medium as well as a channel for direct customer communications. It’s important for marketers to understand the many applications and benefits offered to business by social media in engaging customers as well as benchmarking and measuring activities, and planning ahead with quantifiable, achievable objectives.”

P.L.A.Y. Launches New Business and Website Geared Toward Pet Owners

San Francisco retailer of unique dog beds presents a new option for environmentally conscious and fashion-forward pet owners.San Francisco, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) February 14, 2011

New online retail business P.L.A.Y. (Pet Lifestyle and You) just passed a successful one-month mark in its business, offering pet owners across the US and Canada an affordable, artistically-designed alternative in designer dog beds.

"We can honestly say that we love what we do, and starting this business is one of the best decisions we've ever made. Well, besides getting our own dog, of course," said William Chen, founder and owner of P.L.A.Y. "We've taken that love we have towards our pug and created products that dog-lovers everywhere can appreciate in terms of design, environmental-friendly materials, washable construction and price."

Recognized for its ergonomic construction made with recyclable fill materials, P.L.A.Y. makes designer beds for pets of all sizes. From small beds to extra large dog beds suitable for breeds up to 110 pounds, there is a wide selection of designs and styles, with more in the works.

After solidifying its online ecommerce store, P.L.A.Y. plans to work with brick and mortar retail stores nationwide to allow consumers to physically see and test its products before buying. With quality products and fashionable designs, P.L.A.Y. anticipates expanding into the international market to carve out its own reputation for excellence and care.

"We offer something that is unique," said Chen. "We understand that dog owners want to give the best to their furry friends, so we make that possible at a great price, which is different from many of our competitors. You can get an environmentally-conscious dog bed that is fashionable, made with quality construction and still affordable-all in one pet-friendly package."

About P.L.A.Y.
P.L.A.Y. (Pet Lifestyle and You) began with the mission to create the perfect dog bed for Momo, the pug belonging to P.L.A.Y. owner and founder William Chen. Collaborating with a manufacturer of infant and children products for the ultimate standard in safety and comfort, the company paired with San Franciscan designer David Collins to offer aesthetically pleasing, top quality designs. Each pet product is made with recycled materials, making P.L.A.Y. dog beds great for the environment, your pet and your interior design.

House Republicans lead charge to reduce regulations

WASHINGTON — House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa gaveled Thursday's hearing to order with two posters displayed behind him: "How do regulations block private sector job growth?" asked one. "We're listening," promised the other.

The problem, said Democrats on the panel, is whom the committee is listening to: business owners, their lobbyists and conservative think tanks who came with a built-in bias against federal health and safety regulations.

"We need to expand the scope of our inquiry to include the benefits of regulation, as well as the costs," said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the committee's top Democrat. "We also need to expand the groups we are seeking input from beyond those who want to repeal regulations."

The oversight hearing was part of a coordinated GOP effort to "expose job-killing regulations." A judiciary subcommittee held a similar hearing Thursday afternoon, followed by floor debate on a resolution requiring House committees to list and review regulations in their jurisdiction.

Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, the resolution's sponsor, said stronger oversight was necessary to "rein in big government and shine light on our federal regulatory process."

Democrats questioned the necessity, if not the goals, of the effort.

"A meaningless gimmick that only wastes time," said Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y. "Nothing more than a vehicle to rehash old politically motivated fights," said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif. "A feel-good resolution from the Republican majority," said Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va.

President Obama is conducting his own review of regulations. He told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday that he would work with business leaders to "get rid of regulations that have outlived their usefulness."

Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., said Congress should "weed out the hyperbole" and look at specific regulations.

Issa, R-Calif., agreed that more work remained to be done but said Congress first needs to raise awareness of the impact of regulations on jobs. "We think what we can be is the canary in the coal mine," Issa told reporters.

"It's easy to rail against regulations in the abstract. It's like railing against taxes," said Nicholas Bagley, a law professor who studies regulation at the University of Michigan. "But it's hard to sell to the American people that we should water down environmental or consumer protection regulations specifically."

Even if Republicans aren't successful in rolling back existing regulations, the effort could make regulators think harder about the costs of compliance.

Brasil Telecom S.A. - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review

Brasil Telecom S.A. (Brasil Telecom) is a holding company engaged in the provision of telecommunication services. It is principally involved in the business of providing local fixed-line telephone, long-distance services. In addition, the company offers broadband services to customers including fixed line telephone as well as mobile service, free Internet access data and voice, national and international long-distance, data center,


broadband and dial-up internet access. Furthermore, the company also involves in support services through call center. Brasil Telecom offers the package in bundled solutions to private, public and industrial accounts including home, corporate and city.

This comprehensive SWOT profile of Brasil Telecom S.A. provides you an in-depth strategic analysis of the company´s businesses and operations. The profile has been compiled to bring to you a clear and an unbiased view of the company´s key strengths and weaknesses and the potential opportunities and threats. The profile helps you formulate strategies that augment your business by enabling you to understand your partners, customers and competitors better.

This company report forms part of the ´Profile on Demand´ service, covering over 50,000 of the world´s leading companies. Once purchased, highly qualified team of company analysts will comprehensively research and author a full financial and strategic analysis of Brasil Telecom S.A., including a detailed SWOT analysis, and deliver this direct to you in pdf format within two business days. (excluding weekends).

The profile contains critical company information including*,

- Business description – A detailed description of the company´s operations and business divisions.
- Corporate strategy – Analyst´s summarization of the company´s business strategy.
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- Company history – Progression of key events associated with the company.
- Major products and services – A list of major products, services and brands of the company.
- Key competitors – A list of key competitors to the company.
- Key employees – A list of the key executives of the company.
- Executive biographies – A brief summary of the executives´ employment history.
- Key operational heads – A list of personnel heading key departments/functions.
- Important locations and subsidiaries – A list and contact details of key locations and subsidiaries of the company.
- Detailed financial ratios for the past five years – The latest financial ratios derived from the annual financial statements published by the company with 5 years history.
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Note*: Some sections may be missing if data is unavailable for the company.

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Small-business optimism in Canada

Sentiment among small- and medium-sized businesses in Canada was down slightly last month, according to a monthly survey.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business on Wednesday said its "business barometer" for January was 68.9, down from 69.3 in December.

Despite the decline, the CFIB said the results show the rise in optimism that took place late in 2010 has continued into the new year. The barometer spent most of last year in the mid-60s.

The CFIB says scores greater than 50 show most business owners expect conditions to improve over the next year. If the index is between 65 and 75, that's usually indicative of economic growth, it says.

Earlier this week, Statistics Canada said there was a 0.4 per cent expansion in gross domestic product in November, the most economic growth seen in eight months.

The CFIB said the current optimism among small-business owners is showing up in increased orders and intentions to invest in production equipment.

"It appears to be the business-to-business side of the economy that is powering this latest improvement," said CFIB chief economist Ted Mallett.

"After supporting the economy so well earlier in the recovery, the consumer-led sectors have remained in the background."

The strongest business sentiment is being seen in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and British Columbia. The weakest is in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The CFIB's January business barometer was based on web surveys with 967 businesses. The results are considered representative within 3.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.