Best of the web 27 August 2010

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Here is this week’s summary of useful news for small businesses owners and entrepreneurs:

The 50 Best Twitter Applications and Resources for Small Business Owners 

Wendy Kenney, known as a Buzz Building Expert and for being the Founder and CEO of 23 Kazoos, has written a post for Startup Nation listing the 50 best Twitter applications and resources for small business owners. Her post is a must read by any small business owner who uses Twitter.

What Kind of Business Owner Do You Consider Yourself? 

Scott Messinger, a former and current business owner, has written an article for Noobpreneur asking what type of business owner you are - a hands on business owner or someone who is more of a big picture operator that does not get involved in the minutia of the business. He then noted that the majority of small business owners are a hybrid of these two ownership styles.

15 Fantastic Home Offices 

Patrik Larsson, a freelance designer, blogger and expert reviewer, has written a post for the Freelance Switch which includes 15 pictures of fantastic and inspiring home offices. He also invited readers to post a link to pictures of their own home offices.

What You Need to Consider Before Opening a New Office 

John Warrillow, the author of Built to Sell: Turn Your Business into One You Can Sell, has written an article for Inc. Magazine concerning how multiple office locations might make you look important but they could actually hurt the value of your business. He also included lessons learned from Treehugger.com's Graham Hill.

How to Choose the Right Name For Your Small Business 

Josh Spiro has written an article for Inc. Magazine concerning how entrepreneurs and small business owners often angst over the perfect name for their business. Hence, his article will serve as a guide to help new entrepreneurs and small business owners choose a defensible trademark plus a search-friendly and easily recognisable name.

How Small Business Names Can Spark Big Lawsuits 

Emily Maltby has written a great article for the Wall Street Journal about how some start-ups and small businesses have gotten mired in costly trademark scuffles with bigger firms. The article is a must read by anyone who owns a small business or who is thinking of starting one.

5 Ways to Improve the Cash Flow of Your Small Business 

Matt Quinn has written a useful article for Inc. Magazine listing 5 ways to improve your small business’s cash flow. However, he also noted that these five ways will not offer a quick fix for any cash-flow problems. Instead, they will help you make important and strategic changes in how you operate your business.

5 Simple But Fatal Mistakes That Will Hold Back a Start-up Business Owner 

Melinda Emerson, who hosts #Smallbizchat for emerging entrepreneurs on Twitter, has written a great post for Small Business Trends listing the top five simple but fatal mistakes that hold back start-up entrepreneurs. These mistakes included not appreciating social intelligence, not having a professional business website, not making sure that your email address is branded with your company name as well as working, not investing in your brand and not having a real phone number for your business.