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At the SMB Nation 2004 Fall Conference at the Red Lion in downtown Seattle, two milestones are still spoken about with reverence. First – there was the release of the Swing Migration Kit by Small Business Server (SBS) MVP Jeff Middleton. Second – there was a keynote by the Windows Secrets “king” Brian Livingston. Livingston shared his category killer insights from the first release of Windows forward with the SMB Nation audience. If you were there, you’ll remember well.

Fast forward the movie and it’s time for Livingston 2.0.

Lucy Handley

Does an ad campaign result in a company selling more products?

It's the ultimate question for marketers, in a world where chief executives and heads of finance want to see returns on investment and not necessarily softer marketing measurements such as "intention to buy."

An index of small business employment growth inched up as Main Street America added jobs at a steady pace this month.

The Paychex IHS Small Business Jobs Index rose 0.02 percent from July to a reading of 100.70, in line with the year-to-date average for 2016. A measurement above 100 indicates job growth.

I fancy myself as always trying to expand my horizons and lead by example. In that context, I’m thrilled to announce a new show on Northwest Digital News, a business/technology media outlet in Longview, WA (near Portland, OR). 

The reason for this is that there are other ways to reach small and medium businesses than only the MSP

Retaining your top employees isn't just about money. Making your staff members feel valued plays a critical role in their willingness to stay with the company.

There have been a series of dramatic shifts in work culture over the past 10 years. Traditional career paths are a thing of the past, with employees unlikely to stay in the same job for more than a few years.

Nowadays, the online market is oversaturated with various businesses. Since many people are online these days, businesses are also moving their operations to the digital world. Not only that, but the digital approach is much more convenient for both companies and consumers. However, new businesses that arrive on the market face certain difficulties and challenges.

H.R. expert weighs in on new findings and why the research is so troubling

A recent study has discovered that many employees are afraid to take their lunch breaks. Rather than appear ‘lazy’ before their manager or boss, they opt to skip their appointed lunch break…even though that can have a negative impact on their ability to perform as well as their general mood and well-being.

With one eye focused on the future, I see it as my fiduciary obligation to advise SMB Nation peeps on opportunities that can positively impact your professional lot in life. Happy to take on this labor of love as we pride ourselves with being right there with you – carrying the bag in the trenches.

I want to give a new spin to an old conversation: data and voice.

By: Nathan Sykes

As a small business, you’ll eventually be looking at expanding your reach, and that means crossing state lines. The act itself is pretty straightforward — you simply move or open new operations. Of course, it’s more involved than, that but you get the point.

Can you believe it – it was six years ago in early July that Microsoft discretely announced the end-of-life for Windows Small Business Server. And the world has never been the same since. Along with you, I certainly have strong opinions on this. Lord knows we hashed out our seven stages of grieving over these six years and, if a recent post-up to the “You Knew You Grew Up With SBS…” group on Facebook is any indicator, several of you still have resentments LOL.

But I really want to simply recognize that six years have passed.

By Tami Luhby, CNN

New York (CNN)The Trump administration is taking the final step Tuesday in its plan aimed at making health insurance policies cheaper for some small businesses.

But the move could weaken some of the Affordable Care Act's consumer protections for those buying these plans and make coverage more expensive for those who remain on the Obamacare exchanges.