By Rieva Lesonsky

Rieva LesonskyDid you miss any of my blog posts from around the Web this week? Here’s a quick roundup:

In last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama proposed tax credits and other programs to aid small businesses in creating jobs, plus new steps to help with small business loans. Find out all the details in my post on Anita Campbell’s Small Business Trends.

Maybe people aren’t hiring yet, but if you think that means you can treat your staff badly without worrying that they’ll bail, think again. Read my AllBusiness.com column to find out what smart entrepreneurs are doing now to ensure their key people stay loyal when hiring picks up.

It’s sad but true–in an effort to cut costs some franchisors have abandoned their diversity efforts. Find out why this is a big mistake—and what savvy franchisors are doing to ensure women and minorities equal access to business ownership—in my AllBusiness.com Franchise Blog.