Entrepreneur.com: Tom Travis, managing partner of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., a leading international trade and customs law firm, recently penned a piece highlighting some changes in US laws that could adversely affect businesses that deal in the import/export business. Travis writes, "Two new laws affecting importing and exporting enacted this summer impose some of the most burdensome requirements American importers have faced in years. While the intent of these two measures is noble enough--improving protections against unsafe consumer goods and preventing the illegal logging that's devastating a number of developing countries--the way they're being implemented is changing the way importers structure their operations and deal with the federal government. And the first deadlines for complying with the new rules are approaching quickly." To learn more about these laws and how to stay on the good side of them, read New Rules, New Headaches for Importers.

Extremepreneur: Remember that very memorable scene of Slim Pickins riding the nuclear bomb down to Russian soil from the apocalyptic movie, Dr. Strangelove? Well, one blogger has it that there is something to love about the recent bombing of the world financial scene, much in the way that Slim learned to love the bomb. William Volk, gaming industry expert and serial entrepreneur, details such a situation in his timely post, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Crash. Volk details the tale of two similar startups with a focus on Apple iPhone applications and shows how a smart venture business can still make it in today's tough market through cost cutting, quality product, and an eye on cash flow. Getting past the beginning of a new business might be more difficult these days, but a good solid idea is still just that and there is, and will be, money for these types of unflappable ideas.

Los Angeles Times: Let's all shed a tear for the unfortunate, and increasingly depressed, Wall Street wives who have had to cut down their indulgent, properly-capitalistic spending in these difficult times. I mean, come on now, they've had to cut back on maid service, McMansion size, and meals out, people! And, horror of horrors, some have even resorted to discount toilet paper to make ends meet; "the scratchy stuff," if you can believe such deprivation is not against the tenets of the Geneva Convention. This is devastating and important! At least the sympathetic author of a purporting piece of journalism entitled Wall Street wives had the richer, now they're a bit poorer thinks so. So, break out your tissues and shed a tear or two in the name of those poor, little rich wives who are suffering like the common man. You are using "the scratchy stuff" these days, aren't you?

The Huffington Post: News of the on-going fraud perpetrated by large businesses on the US taxpayer-funded small business Federal contract system has taken a new turn, according to Lloyd Chapman in his recent articledated October 27th, 2008. Chapman lays out the scene: "Since 2003, over a dozen federal investigations have found billions of dollars in federal contracts earmarked for middle class firms have been diverted to Fortune 500 companies. A recent story in the Washington Post found over 40 percent of government small business contracts actually went to Fortune 500 firms. Even though the diversion of government small business contracts was first exposed in 2002, Congress has not passed a single piece of legislation to address the problem." What follows is a comprehensive and possibly controversial list of ways that this multi-billion dollar problem could be addressed, although some of them are sacred cows and would be difficult to enact. For example, the no-compete Alaska Native Program, which allows huge government contracts to be awarded without the proper bidding process to a very small and inordinately powerful group. The list is worth reading, if only to get a better send of the injustice and scope of the fraudulent Federal contract system.

SFGate.com: Two entrepreneurs hope their business can weather the economic downturn through its  inexpensive startup funding model, and if current successes are any mark of what the future holds for the San Mateo-based investment firm. Author Deborah Gage reports on Tandem Entrepreneurs, with their modest office furnishings as a background. "The amount of money Tandem invests in startups is also small - around $850,000 - and it only takes on as many companies as the three founders can comfortably handle. Right now, they're working with five startups that all have a good chance of making it on their own with no additional funding, Renert said. Tandem has raised $15 million and has no plans to raise more money soon.Much of what Tandem provides for its companies is sweat equity. While the startups' founders - many of them engineers, some recently out of college - work on building products, Renert, Bhargava and Wijaya are the marketing team, the technology advisers, the deal makers and whatever else is needed." Small, agile and basic are three terms that describe Tandem Entrepreneurs and because of this, the firm stands poised to capitalize on shrinking credit and the many smaller companies that will fall between the cracks in the "large exit "strata of venture investing.