I’ve been searching for some new tools to help me save time and money this year. (Who isn’t?)

And a new site has caught my eye. It’s called FastDue and I think it may help a lot of people keep their business running in tough economic times.

It’s official. We’re in a recession. But the real news is… surprise, surprise… that the US has been in a recession for nearly a year. That’s according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

And the good news? You’ve made it this far. Sure, things might get worse, but you already have a handle on it. If you don’t, here are some suggestions:

1.  Know that there are many things you can control, despite an economic downturn. There are many things in your budget that you make a choice on every day. Make a choice that will help the bottom line long-term.
2. Allocate your resources thoughtfully.
3. Focus on current and past customers. They take less time to reeducate.

Spend more time talking to your customers and less time listening to thedoom and gloom.

People are still going to buy things no matter what the economy. It’s your job to give your customers multiple chances to choose you over someone else.

It’s always a big problem. You’re in start up mode and the few staff you have are vying to have time off for the holidays.

But now, with the recession here, every hour means $$. Combined with the usual productivity slack off, it can lead to a lack of a festival mood for some business owners.

But you’ve got to be careful and not wear your own nervousness as a holiday decoration.

My suggestion, however, is to be honest of wear your business is at with your employees - and what you expect from them. Tell them if you can’t afford a holiday party or a year-end bonus.

If you need staff to work during busy holiday times, perhaps you can work out a flex schedule or even a work-at-home option. That way, it’s a win-win for everyone.

I love Guy Kawasaki, and am excited to read his new book.

But what I really love about Guy is that he offers so much information to help entrepreneurs and startups.

Take a look at this new video.  Yes, it does promote his new book, but his tips are so good, I needed you to see this.

It’s seems starting s small business became one of the highlights of last’s night’s final presidential debate.

Joe the Plumber, a man who wants to start his own plumbing business, wanted some answers on how his taxes would be affected with the candidates’ economic plans.

Regardless of politics, Joe the Plumber represents all of us: people who are in or want to start a small business. So I was listening intently.

I was hoping for answers too. But it seems things got muddy quickly and both McCain and Obama really didn;t outline how they would be helping small businesses and startups as president.

So I am not sure what the plans mean for startups. Did you really hear any answers last night?

In case you missed it, here were some of the most commented posts last month on Startup Spark.

• New small business bill approved, but will it really help?
•  Why you shouldn’t start your own business
• Unemployed to entrepreneur: don’t believe the hype
• What happens when someone royally screws up?
• Need to get a Free Buzz?
• Monday Media Marketing Minute: Get Referrals
• Is the new SBA chief really small business oriented?

Take a few minutes and check them out!

Yesterday, I told you the (sad) story of my friend who believes he can simply start a business and see the cash roll in.

Today, I wanted to share with you what I think it takes to be an entrepreneur.

• You need to understand being an entrepreneur does not equal a steady paycheck at first (or in some cases ever). I’ve interviewed tons of successful people who have created major companies. All have on thing in common… they had a bog dream, but realized it would be tough at first. Some actually lived in their offices, eating ramen noodles and barely scraping by. Others started their businesses while working for someone else. In any case, it ‘ain’t’ easy or fast.
• You need to be a risk taker. Most businesses fail within the first 5 years. You need to know that going in. And you need to know how you are going to deal with it, learn from it and move on.
• It’s lonely. Being an entrepreneur won’t help your social status. Let’s face it, working in a bigger businesses than you own affords you a social outlet. You may hate your co-workers, but working in a team setting has some benefits (even if it gives you someone to complain about).
• You need to be extremely organized. Ok, not extremely, but when you are you’re own boss (especially if you are working from home, which many do), you’ll find a lot to distract you from the task at hand. How you handle those distractions can make or break your business.

I’ve been wondering about your opinion on something.

If you haven’t heard, on June 25^th President Bush appointed a new chief of the Small Business Administration (SBA). The thing is, for the third time in a row, the appointed chief, Sandy Baruah, has very little small business experience. 

Not only has he never run a company of his own, his closest connection to small business would be a consultant job for a Performance Based Consulting Group in Oregon. The group helped improve medium and large-sized firms.

The SBA has constantly struggled with hitting targets and has had tons of problems with loans for small business owners.

Now, he’s not in just quite yet, as he is awaiting confirmation by the Republican Senate. I recommend you do some research on the subject. If you do or do not want him representing the administration, you can change the entire situation by letting your representatives know.

What do you think? Does it matter that Baruah has little experience?  Will it make a difference?

I’m still surprised to find so many clients and customers thinking that there product or service caters to everyone.

Find out why that’s so wrong in today’s Monday Media Marketing Minute.

As part of Success Secrets, this and every Friday, we talk with entrepreneurs and other professionals about building a business.

This week, I’m featuring good friend Shel Horowitz, from FrugalMarketing,com. Shel & I had a good time talking about starting a business and how to market on the cheap,
(Image courtesy of Shannon Cherry of BeHeardSolutions.com)