Jersey & Small Business health Insurance

Small Businesses Forced to Drop Health Coverage as Insurance Costs Soar 11.3 Percent in 2006, 80 Percent over Five Years
News Release:	Thursday, April 12, 2007
Contact:	Christopher Biddle, 609-393-7707, Ext. 227
Health insurance costs for New Jersey employers soared by an average of 11.3 percent to $7,561 per covered employee last year, NJBIA President Philip Kirschner said today in releasing the findings of the Association's 2007 Health Benefits Survey. This marked the fifth consecutive year in which actual or anticipated costs increased by more than 10 percent. Given the effects of compounding, the total average cost has grown by 80 percent over the last five years.* The survey found that fast-rising costs have taken a toll on the State’s smallest employers, those with 2-19 employees. Growing numbers of small businesses are dropping coverage altogether because they can no longer afford it. (click link for more...)

Entrepreneurs, cars and prescriptions. Time for you to save?

Entrepreneurs and small business owners today may lack sufficient medical insurance, especially when it comes to prescription medicine. But I bet they have a car. The car may have AAA coverage. If it does, guess what! You need to check out the prescription plan on the AAA site. No hassles, just discounts. Show your AAA card at your pharmacy and ask about discounts. The plan even includes a by mail 3 month supply with bigger discounts.

Have extensive lists of opportunities...?

Do you have small business resource links you'd like to pass on? Lists of 10 or more links may be emailed to wendy@thenationalnetworker.com . If there's nothing "questionable" I'll post them here and they may be included at a later time on The National Networker's site(s).

I love lists!

Lyro.com and Business Card 2.0

I received the following from Workface LLC concerning Lyro.com... I'll be doing further research here, and would love any feedback from our readers, as would the folkes at Lyro.com . - Wdk
wkovitz.lyro.com

Lyro.com Launches Business Card 2.0
New digital business card directory helps users brand themselves

Release date: March 29, 2007
Minneapolis, MN - We're introducing Lyro – the business card 2.0. You are part of a select group of blog owner/publishers that we are inviting to take an early “sneak peek” at lyro. We see your blog as a major delivery vehicle for news and information and hope you'll have a willingness to cover our launch (good or bad).

Today, most of us use email and the internet to connect with others and maintain effective business relationships. While a large amount of searchable data on people already exists on the internet, this information is not always well organized, easily locatable, user friendly, or under individual control in terms of what’s displayed and how. It remains difficult to get your hands on the necessary business contact information you need to grow your business, or to help you get more leads and close more deals.

Lyro makes it faster and easier for potential customers, business partners, colleagues and acquaintances to search, find, and safely & securely contact each other. Unlike other existing contact management and networking sites, Lyro allows basic business contact information – name, company, job title, address, phone number, and business URL (but not email addresses) – to be freely searched and exchanged over the Web. It also empowers people to control how that data is displayed. LyroMail (our anonymous messaging system) allows users direct contact with each oth! er witho ut disclosing email addresses. "We believe it is the right of individuals to have a say in protecting their privacy while also being able to enjoy the fruits of freely promoting themselves and their business," said Audie Dunham, leader of the lyro team.

Lyro is quickly gaining momentum in business circles. “With Lyro, I can get basic information about me out on the Web faster and easier than ever before. People can find me and make direct contact with me without the hassle of going through layers of their network or relying on information from second and third hand sources. Yet, my email address can remain as secure as I choose to make it.” said lyro user Chris Toal, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Amplifon USA / Miracle-Ear®.

"We aspire to become the world's largest repository of digital business cards – where everybody who’s anybody can be found if they so choose," said Dunham. Lyro is intended to help business people to more effectively brand themselves on the web.

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About lyro Lyro provides the world’s first open, fully searchable online business card. Lyro’s mission is to collect, organize, and facilitate the use of a digital business profile for everyone who has need for a business card, and make this information freely searchable and accessible across the Internet.

Publicity Hound: Free Articles

If You Have a Publicity Problem,

The Publicity Hound Has Your Solution

Publicity expert Joan Stewart shows you how to use free publicity to establish your credibility, enhance your reputation, position yourself as an expert, sell more products and services, promote a favorite cause or issue, and position your company as an employer of choice.

Free Tutorial: 89 Ways to Write
Powerful Press Releases
If you're writing press releases primarily for journalists, you're doing it the old way. Learn how to do it the new way--by writing direct-to-consumer press releases and posting them online so you can bring buyers directly into your sales funnel. If you want great public relations and publicity, you no longer have to rely exclusively on journalists--ever. And if they cover your story? Well, that's just gravy.


Joan offers among other things free articles and tutorials.

ThomasNet / ThomasResources: US Industrial Lookup

Another free site for investigating US Industries. Sign up for added benefits.

List of Free Article Submission Sites

This link takes you to Site-Reference.com
They have some great stuff in their newsletters.
Do a search on what interests you in their articles.
This article talks about getting your articles into syndication to increase web traffic and search engine rankings.

Visit your local library's website

Have an old library card in your wallet?

You might want to check up on your free benefits at your local, state or college library site.

Online lookups are super! Most are free. For smaller projects, you can't beat it. Maybe I'm just an info junkie, but FREE is great! I can spend hours just studying SIC # and descriptions. Brainstorming and marketing go hand in hand.

Information is Power.

MANTA - Free Business Resources

www.Manta.com

Explore their free business resources such as the bizblog, bizwiki, sample reports, and your free research tip of the day!

They have over 45 million business listings world-wide! Basic info is free. More sophisticated reports and details are available at a fee. This is a must check out!

Welcome

Hello, World!
It's me again. This time I'm offering up unbelievable free resources and lists for entrepreneurs, small businesses, students, activists or just plain inquiring minds looking to get ahead.

No gimmicks here. No strings.

As VP Research and Development for The National NetWorker (ezine/blog) I stumble over many, many great resources and lists. I would like to use this blog as a landing place for this useful, timely information. Feel free to post your own comments/advice or email me with a topic you'd like to start.