Small Business

A new survey of the top financial leaders in America's businesses shows that they are becoming more strategic in their decision-making, and also relying more on financial planning when developing and guiding their corporate strategy.

The Masters, one of the world's most prestigious golf tournaments, starts this week. Held annually in Augusta, Georgia, since 1932, the event is more than just four days of the competition between the world's best golfers, it also has a very wide reach economically.

How we use them, however, varies greatly not only between people of different generations, but also by gender. A new study shows that men and women definitely use social media and their mobile smart phones for different activities.

For many employers, a zero-tolerance approach to drug use and random drug testing helps to ensure a safe, productive work environment. Yet more states are legalizing medical marijuana, and recreational use is legal in two others. A tangle of federal laws adds to the confusion. Being aware of the legal issues involved and the changing legal landscape is important for employers to ensure that their drug testing polices are legal and enforceable.

79 percent of companies with a business plan say they are better off financially compared to a year ago, while only a third of small businesses without a business plan can say the same thing.

Following an unusually severe winter that stagnated much economic activity, small and mid-sized business owners in the U.S. are now forecasting sunnier days ahead, at least for the next six months.

California remains home to the greatest number of women-owned businesses in the nation and is the only state to surpass the 1 million threshold, according to the latest American Express analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

U.S. small businesses will gain improved access to two major government-guaranteed loan programs once a final rule to that effect issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration becomes effective April 21, 2014.