The Healthcare Debate is raging on and small businesses have found themselves in the midst of it. Rather than sit back and wait for Congress to tell them what to do, many small business owners have taken their healthcare concerns into their own hands and begun working to make providing it more affordable right now.

The Baltimore Business Journal reported in a special section of the October 16-22 edition that a May 2008 Maryland Chamber of commerce survey found that 83% of members counted healthcare costs as the third most important issue behind only taxes and economic development. For many small business owners, providing their employees with adequate healthcare can cost more than their rent.

To combat this, many small businesses are creating healthcare incentive programs for their employees. All over Maryland, employers are offering discounts on insurance premiums for workers who quit smoking. Employees who go for an annual physical are being entered in drawings for flat-screen TVs and football tickets. Other small business owners are forgoing expensive group coverage plans in favor of covering the costs of individual plans workers obtain on their own.

Regardless of what you choose to do to save money on healthcare right now, the decision Congress makes is still going to affect you, your employees, and your business. As a small business owner, it’s time you let your voice be heard. Stay on top of the latest news in healthcare reform, visit www.healthreform.gov. You can find more information via the Washington Post’s Healthcare Reform Tracker that follows the most up-to-date developments available.

Mid afternoon fatigue, also known as the 3 o’clock blues. Anybody who works 9-5, 5-days a week can tell you they’re real. Every afternoon, around the same time, they hit. Here are a few tips to help you avoid them:

• Get out of the office. Even if it’s for five minutes, go outside, walk around. Get out of your chair and away from your computer.
• Do you follow the same routine every single day? If you do, stop! Switch up the time you eat lunch, take a different route to work. Get you brain off of auto-pilot and your energy will increase.
• Avoid sugary sodas and energy drinks. The more sugar or caffeine you take in during the morning, the harder you’re going to crash in the afternoon. Drink water or snack on fruit to keep your energy level up.
• Maintain your health. If you smoke, quit. The healthier you are, the better you’re going to feel and the more energy you’ll have naturally.

Believe it or not, there are ways to keep your energy levels up and stave off mid-afternoon fatigue. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish when you stop robbing yourself of energy.

In light of Newsweek’s “Green Rankings,” here are some tips for “greening” your office or small business:

1. Switch from disposable plates, cups, and silverware to ceramic or reusable plastic. Keep non-toxic, biodegradable, phosphate and phosphate derivative free dish soap on hand to keep them clean.
2. Invest in hand towels or bar rags to use in your office kitchen or lunchroom. These can easily be used several times, washed at home, and used again.
3. Reduce your energy consumption by turning off all electronics at the end of the day. You can also save energy by using the sleep feature on your monitor when you’re away from your desk.
4. Use paper that is at least 30% post-consumer recycled. Keep a bin by the printer and reuse single-sided copies as scratch paper.
5. Donate your old electronics or take broken ones to an E-Cycler. These electronics recyclers know how to properly dispose of unusable items.

Going green is not only one of the best things you can do for the environment, it also has the potential to save your business money in the long run. Just think about how much money you can save when you stop purchasing plastic silverware and plates every month. Go ahead, do something good for the environment AND your business.

Proper cash flow management is not just about the movement of cash into and out of your business. It is also about making sure that there is enough money to pay your employees, suppliers, taxes, and handle other expenses.

Simply generating revenue through sales is not enough to ensure that a business is profitable. Planning your monthly cash flow needs in advance is also extremely important. Every month, compare your forecast with the actual results and adjust your plan accordingly. Closely monitoring your short and long term case flow and planning ahead are essential to the survival of your business.

Short term cash flow management strategies require record keeping systems that offer easy access to revenue and expenditure transactions. Regular cash management reviews should be performed to monitor debt collection, sales, invoice status, and receipt and deposit of payments. In order to be effective, short term cash flow management does not need to be complex or confusing.

Long term cash flow management is not as simple as short term management, but these activities should go hand in hand with one another in order to ensure continued business success. Long term cash flow management should begin with keeping credit current and at a minimum. The less money you are owed, the better your cash flow. Keeping a close eye on your inventory and eliminating excess spending can also help boost your long term cash flow.

Often, managing cash flow can be as simple as having enough sales at the most profitable prices. You may purchase software to expedite and standardize financial information, but the ultimate keys to success are monitoring your monthly cash needs, planning your short and long term cash flow management strategy, and allowing for adjustments as necessary.

Cash flow allows you to provide your products and services to your customers, pay your bills, and expand and improve your business. In short, properly managing your cash flow is one of the best things you can do to ensure the future health of your business.