By Rieva Lesonsky

Did you miss any of my blogs and articles around the web this week? Here’s a roundup if you want to catch up:

If you’re feeling the spirit of the holidays and starting to feel a little optimistic about next year, don’t forget to show your employees your appreciation for sticking with you. Read my reasons why you need to host a holiday party on Small Business Trends this week. Then click on over to Network Solutions’ Grow Smart Business to get some great party ideas.

And if you want to know what really gets online shoppers to buy, check out the results of this recent AOL Survey. Then find out what gets consumers to engage with your brand online at the AT&T’s smallbusinessInSite.

There’s been a lot of recent talk about banks lending more to small business. While the reports are promising, that’s not the whole story. Read more at Small Business Trends.