Even for business to business companies, brand value is usually the largest component in a company's market value. As reported annually in Business Week, the value of the Coca-Cola brand is 58.9 percent of the market capitalization of the entire company and the IBM brand is 39.1 percent of the market cap. Still, for the most part, in today's capital markets the value of brands is greatly underestimated. These facts are not only important to large corporations and famous brands. In fact, the same proportions apply to small and medium-sized companies (SMB), both public and private.

A recent national study reported on the opinions of small business managers and owners on how national and international issues could impact their businesses in the coming year and the results showed marked differences in separate regions of the country.Advertisement

A survey conducted of men and women who work in the Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB) segments revealed that working habits differ between the sexes. The survey of 314 men and women was conducted in the last quarter of 2006 by Broadwick Corporation.

In what may be a cautionary notice to auditors of small public companies, recent research shows that financial report restatements are increasing at small businesses that have been exempt from the onerous 404 provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) accounting reform act, but dropping for companies that do follow 404.The number of restatements filed by public companies to correct accounting errors during the first nine months of this year versus the same period in 2005, rose 45 percent for small “micro-cap” companies, that have been exempt from 404, according to a recent report.

In the heightened regulatory environment of the post-Enron business world, a majority of companies have instituted formal anti-fraud programs and controls, according to an online poll released earlier this month by Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP (Deloitte FAS).

Christopher Cox, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman, said Monday that regulators were still working on revisions to its rule requiring companies to adopt internal controls and procedures for financial reporting but said he was “confident” that the result would “improve the reliability of public company financial statements and better protect investors,” the Washington Post reports. The SEC will issue its proposed revision on December 13.

Volunteer bell-ringers in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, want to bring in enough donations to help pay for holiday food baskets for 900 needy families in the region this year, says Major Marie Harris, Community Relations and Program Development Officer in Williamsport. Fifty local businesses have joined in the fundraising effort by participating in the Festival of Trees, donating and decorating trees in the Lycoming Mall that will be auctioned in mid-December for the benefit of the Salvation Army.

Spurred by the growth in small business owners since 2001, up 4 percent to 5.9 million, and the business potential of the 90 percent of small business spending not on credit cards, American Express, Visa and others are marketing new cards designed for the small business owner.

Megachurches with memberships in the thousands and budgets in the millions are hiring more staff and consultants with business experience as they look to implement corporate management and accounting methods for their congregations.Advertisement