The Washington Post reports on a survey that looks at why women start fewer businesses than men. Among the findings: it's easier for a woman in a developing economy to be an entrepreneur because they are not giving up a steady paycheck and reliable hours; in fact, they are often starting a business out of necessity.

It's point-counterpoint time at The Wall Street Journal, which asked executives from Wells Fargo and a small business loan advising company to answer the question: "Are big banks lending enough to small businesses?"

Still haven't gotten a gift for the boss? Check out Business News Daily's 10 Unique, Sometimes Strange Holiday Gifts for the Boss. Our favorite: the Corporate Snobs' Star Decision Maker, the CEO's version of the Magic 8 Ball. Relieves stress and procrastination.

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Each year we're presented with the opportunity to show our clients how much we appreciate their business, their loyalty and their referrals. However, with this opportunity comes many gift-giving-etiquette questions and like most business opportunities, you can easily look foolish if you're not aware of the strategy involved. Read this first if you're planning on giving your clients holiday gifts this year, it might save your business' reputation!

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Many questions arise when it comes to business gift giving including, if you can't afford to give gifts to all your clients, how do you decide which clients should receive one? How much should you spend? What type of gift is appropriate and what type is tacky? What if you have several contacts at one client's office? What kind of gift should you give if you not only want to show your appreciation for your client's business, but also want to continue to promote your business as well? Is it OK to give a gift that does both?

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CNBC

It could be an uneasy start to the new year in the venture capital world. But for President Obama, life could be good.

A survey conducted by the National Venture Capital Association and Dow Jones VentureSource reveals that venture capitalists and CEOs, while still somewhat optimistic about the U.S. economy, are less certain about how much it will improve in the coming year.

But Obama doesn’t suffer from their cautious outlook. According to the sixth annual survey, which polled more than 500 VC professionals and CEOs of venture-backed U.S. companies, VCs and CEOs predict that it will be Mitt Romney vs. Obama come fall, with Obama the eventual winner by a nose.

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More piling on daily deal sites: Entrepreneur warns small business owners about "The Three Worst Daily Deal Mistakes and How to Avoid Them."

And more piling on Amazon: after it was revealed that the site's comparison shopping app encouraged shoppers to share prices of items found in local stores in exchange for a discount, author Richard Russo polled bookstore owners (including his daughter) about what it means to be a small business owner up against an internet behemoth.

Fast Company reveals its Innovation Agents for 2011 — 28 change agents across a variety of sectors and geography. Enjoy.

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Los Angeles — More puppies are sold at pet stores during the holiday season than any other time of year. Now the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other groups are stepping up efforts to stop these sales, saying many of these dogs come from puppy mills.

Forty billboards in Los Angeles this month encourage people to fight puppy mills by boycotting pet stores and websites that sell puppies. More than 50,000 people have signed a pledge on the ASPCA's website vowing to uphold the boycott, and the ASPCA has an online database of targeted stores at nopetstorepuppies.com encouraging consumers to shop elsewhere. Consumers can also report a store to the ASPCA, and the organization will verify the source of its puppies, Menkin said.

"We are not just saying `Don't buy a puppy,' but `Don't buy anything in a pet store that sells puppies," said Cori Menkin, senior director of the ASPCA's anti-puppy mills campaign. "If pet stores are not able to turn a profit, they will stop selling puppies."

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First things first — your startup needs a name! This may seem a silly and frivolous task, but it may be the most important decision you make. The name of your business has a tremendous impact on how customers and investors view you, and in today's small world, it's a world-wide decision.

Please don't send me any more business plans with TBD or NewCo in the title position. Right or wrong, the name you choose, or don't choose, speaks volumes about your business savvy and understanding of the world you are about to enter. Here are some key things I look for in the name, with some help from Alex Frankel and others:

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Drew Brown had trouble getting Abundant Healing, his Fort Collins, Colo., small business, up and running. His local bank abruptly asked him to shut down his account. The next bank did the same. Taking care of other basic start-up logistics wasn’t any easier.

“Dealing with credit card merchant accounts, landlords that would allow us to do what we do, trying to get insured,” he says. “Just dealing with all of the discrimination, the way people look at this like you’re the scourge of the earth, a criminal. It never ends.”

Add the fact that a lot of people consider what Brown does to be illegal—or at least immoral—and you have the life of a medical marijuana dispensary owner.

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GUEST AUTHOR BLOG by Geoffrey James author of: "How to Say It: Business to Business Selling."

Selling for a small firm is harder than selling for a large one. Your customer may never have heard of your firm, there’s probably not much sales support, and you likely can’t spend big money to develop and close an account. Nevertheless, it’s not just possible, but downright easy, to outsell the big guys.

All you need are these simple rules:  » Read More