WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Saturday urged Americans to show patience over the economy and argued that his just-concluded Asia trip was critical for U.S. exports, countering criticism he had returned empty-handed. With unemployment at a generation high of 10.2 percent and once-lofty popularity ratings down, Obama said a December White House forum will leave no stone unturned in the hunt for jobs. “Even though it will take time, I can promise you this: we are moving in the right direction; that the steps we are taking are helping,” Obama said in his weekly address, amid signs that the public is getting impatient for results. A Gallup poll on Friday showed Obama’s job approval rating had dropped to 49 percent, the first time he has fallen below 50 percent in this survey, as Americans express dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy and other issues. Obama’s remarks on the economy were his first in public since returning to Washington after an 8-day Asian tour where critics said he had failed to win significant concessions on trade or currency manipulation from partners like China. But Obama said that progress had been made with Russia and China in sending a unified message to Iran and North Korea about giving up nuclear weapons “or face the consequences,” while also maintaining pressure to stimulate growth. “Above all, I spoke with leaders in every nation I visited about what we can do to sustain this economic recovery and bring back jobs and prosperity for our people,” he said. U.S. growth jumped in the third quarter, ending the longest economic slump the country has suffered in 70 years, but this has not yet translated into a faster pace of hiring. Obama’s Dec. 3 jobs forum will gather leaders from business and labor to review how to boost credit to small business, encourage firms to hire and boost green jobs and other ideas. But the White House has already said it will not be about a second stimulus package, potentially limiting how much of a dent the initiative will be able to make in the 15.7 million Americans who were drawing unemployment aid in October. Obama signaled that any measures hammered out during the jobs conference would have to be fiscally responsible. “It is important that we do not make any ill-considered decisions — even with the best of intentions — particularly at a time when our resources are so limited. “But it is just as important that we are open to any demonstrably good idea to supplement the steps we’ve already taken to put America back to work. That’s what I hope to achieve in this forum,” he said. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Washington) (Reporting by Alister Bull ; Editing by Sandra Maler ) See the original post here: Obama asks Americans for patience on economy (at Reuters)

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The Toronto stock market was slightly higher Wednesday as investors took in another strong earnings report from the retail sector and data showed a slight rise in inflation. The S&P/TSX Composite Index approached noon ahead 40.73 points to 11,670.73. The index had finished the past three sessions in the green. Among consumer staples stocks, shares in grocer Metro Inc. rose $1.09 to $37.19 as the company reported net income of $84.4 million or 77 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 26. That was up from year-ago profit of $72.5 million or 65 cents per share. After excluding non-recurring costs of $2.3 million to convert some Ontario supermarkets to the Metro banner, the company posted adjusted net earnings of $85.9 million, up 18.5% from the year before. Same-store sales increased 2%. Metro also increased its dividends by 10% to 14 cents per share. The results followed a well-received earnings report Tuesday from Loblaw Companies Ltd. The base metals sector was unchanged as December copper rose two cents to $3.13 U.S. a pound. The gold sector was down, as Barrick Gold Corp. faded 53 cents to $46.95. The tech sector was the weakest area on the TSX as Research In Motion Ltd. gave back $1.59 to $62.94. In other corporate news, a weak lumber market combined with a deterioration in the newsprint sector caused Tembec to post a quarterly net loss of $17 million or 17 cents per share, up from a $4-million loss a year ago. Revenues totaled $451 million, down from $629 million last year and its shares were down three cents 95 cents as the company also said it expects the decline in the forestry industry to continue to impact earnings for several more quarters. Cosmos Capital Inc. has raised its hostile takeover offer for advertising agency Cossette Inc. to match a friendly deal the company signed last week with a U.S. private equity fund. Cosmos said it would pay $7.87 per share for the shares of the advertising agency the company does not already own, matching the offer by Mill Road Capital LP that values the company at $131.5 million — and suggested it might go higher. Cossette shares ran up 20 cents to $8. Seacliff Construction Corp.shares surged $1.51 or 15.9% to $10.99 after it said Tuesday it has signed a deal to buy the Broda Construction Group for $50 million in cash, shares and assumed liabilities. Silicon metal producer Timminco Ltd. announced Wednesday it will receive $10.6 million in financing from AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group to support its turnaround plan. Its shares rose 10 cents to $1.68. On the economic front, consumer prices rose 0.1% in October compared with October 2008, following a 0.9% decline in September, according to Statistics Canada. Still, inflation rose at a slightly slower pace than forecast. Economists were looking for an annual increase of 0.3%. The Canadian dollar gained 0.15 cents to 95.25 cents U.S. ON BAYSTREET Of the 14 TSX subgroups, nine remained positive at noon, led by consumer staples, up 1.1%, real-estate and metals and mining stocks, ahead 0.7%. The five losers were weighed by information technology, down 1.6%, health-care stocks, off 1%, and global base metals, sliding 0.7%. The TSX Venture Exchange gained 12.73 points to 1,398.77, while the Nasdaq Canada index slid 8.94 points to 664.10. ON WALLSTREET In New York, stocks slumped Wednesday after a disappointing report on the housing market overshadowed higher oil and gold prices. The Dow Jones Industrials stumbled 37.49 points by noon to 10,399.93. The S&P 500 index moved down 2.66 points to 1,107.66 while the Nasdaq composite index surrendered 16.01 points to 2,187.77. Stocks have rallied some 30% from the lows of early March, but investors have become more reluctant to push the market higher as the economic outlook remains unclear. Goldman Sachs said Tuesday that it is launching a $500-million U.S. initiative aimed at propping up small businesses. Obama administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, are due to meet Wednesday to address the small business lending drought. Economically speaking, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that housing starts fell more than 10% to an annual rate of 529,000 in October, the lowest level in six months. An annual rate of 600,000 housing starts was expected, according to a forecast from Briefing.com consensus. The revised rate for September was 592,000. The government reported that the annual rate of housing permits fell 4% to 552,000 in October, from the revised September rate of 575,000. This was lower than the 580,000 permits expected for October, according to Briefing.com consensus. The government also said initial construction of new single-family homes fell to a six-month low in October. A separate report showed consumer prices rose last month, but were essentially unchanged from a year ago. The annual rate of housing permits fell 4% to 552,000 in October, from the revised September rate of 575,000. This was lower than the 580,000 permits expected for October, according to Briefing.com consensus. What’s more, the government reported its Consumer Price Index, a key measure of inflation, rose 0.3%. The CPI was expected to rise 0.2% in October, according to a consensus of economists surveyed by Briefing.com. The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.2% in October. That was slightly more than the 0.1% increase expected for October, according to Briefing.com consensus. Treasury prices dipped, raising the yield on the benchmark 10-year note to 3.34% from Tuesday’s 3.32%. Prices and yields move in opposite directions. The price of a barrel of oil gained 87 cents to $80.01 U.S. Gold prices took off yet again, adding $8 to its record heights, to $1,148 U.S. an ounce. See the article here: TSX still above water

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ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With only a few days remaining before the November 23, application deadline for physical disaster loans, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces that it has approved 1,085 disaster loans for $40,361,300 to Georgia homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profit organizations affected by the September 2009 severe storms and flooding. “We want to thank all of our federal, state and local partners, as well as the volunteer organizations and individuals that helped the SBA to provide financial assistance to the victims,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East. “However, there are nearly 20,000 people who have not returned their SBA loan applications. These individuals have until November 23 to return completed applications for physical damage to the SBA. Homeowners or renters who do not qualify for a disaster loan may be referred to FEMA for grant consideration. Interest rates are as low as 2.750 percent for homeowners and renters and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition. These loans are for uninsured or uncompensated losses up to SBA’s loan limits. All Disaster Loan Outreach Centers and Business Recovery Centers in the disaster area will cease operations at the close of business Monday, November 23. Victims in the following counties in Georgia are eligible to apply for SBA’s physical disaster loans: Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker.   SBA Center locations and hours of operation are as follows:   Disaster Loan Outreach Centers Cherokee County     Cobb County     DeKalb County Cherokee County Parks & Recreation Gym     The Threadmill     Browns Mill Recreation Center 7545 Main Street, Building 200     5000 Austell/Powder Springs Rd, Suite 120     5101 Browns Mill Road Woodstock, GA 30188     Austell, GA 30106     Lithonia, GA 30058 Open: Mon-Fri; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.     Open: Mon-Fri; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.     Open: Mon-Fri; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Douglas County     Fulton County     Gwinnett County Old Douglas County Court House     Fulton County Government Center     Mountain Park Depot 6754 Broad Street     141 Pryor Street SW     5050 Five Forks Trickum Rd. Douglasville, GA 30134     Atlanta, GA 30303     Lilburn, GA 30047 Open: Mon-Fri; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.     Open: Mon-Fri; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.     Open: Mon-Fri; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.           SBA Business Recovery Centers Cobb County     Douglas County     Fulton County Powder Springs Library     Douglas County Chamber of Commerce     Government Service Center 4181 Atlanta Street – Bldg. 1     6658 Church Street     7741 Roswell Road Powder Springs, GA 30127     Douglasville, GA 30134     Atlanta, GA 30350 Open: Mon-Fri; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.     Open: Mon-Fri; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.     Open: Mon-Fri; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.   Anyone unable to visit one of the Centers may obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (or 1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov . Business loan applications may be downloaded from www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance . Applications may be returned to any of the Centers or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155. Georgia disaster victims may visit SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ to apply for disaster loans. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is November 23, 2009 . The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 24, 2010 . For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Programs, visit our Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disaster assistance . Release Number: 10-087, GA 11886/11887 More: Nearly 20,000 SBA Loan Applications Yet to be Returned; November 23 is Deadline to Apply for Physical Damage (Business Wire)

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By The Associated Press NEW YORK – Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said Tuesday it is teaming with billionaire investor Warren Buffett to invest US$500 million to provide thousands of small business owners across America with college scholarships and boost their access to capital. The move comes as the company has been criticized for setting aside billions for employee paycheques despite the continuing weak economy. Goldman’s philanthropic effort, called “10,000 Small Businesses,” includes a $200-million contribution to community colleges, universities and other institutions to give grants to small business owners to further their education. The New York-based bank also will invest $300 million through a combination of lending and charitable support. Goldman said the money will be funnelled through community development financial institutions to boost lending and technical assistance available to small businesses in underserved communities. In addition, Goldman Sachs executives, in partnership with national and local business organizations, will aid small businesses with advice, technical assistance and professional networking opportunities. An advisory council co-chaired by Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein will oversee the program. Legendary investor and Goldman’s largest shareholder, Warren Buffett, and Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter will serve as co-chairs as well. “Our recovery is dependent on hard working small business owners across America who will create the jobs that America needs,” Buffett said in a statement. “I’m proud to be a part of this innovative program which provides greater access to know-how and capital – two ingredients critical to success.” The initiative comes as Goldman has started to see a rebound across many of its businesses even as the broader economy and consumers continue to struggle with rising unemployment and mounting loan losses. The bank, which has outperformed other financial companies for years, has been the strongest in its industry throughout the financial crisis. It had less exposure to toxic mortgage-backed securities than other companies and also has been more aggressive in its trading. Its continued strength throughout the downturn allowed Goldman to quickly repay the $10 billion government bailout it received at the height of the credit crisis. That repayment was also done, in part, to rid the bank of restrictions on annual compensation that were attached to the loan. Goldman set aside $16.71 billion through the first nine months of the year for compensation, including salaries, bonuses and other benefits. The potential payouts its workers may receive for 2009 have drawn criticism from lawmakers and others. Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, on Monday led a protest in front of Goldman’s Washington, D.C., offices to try to sway the bank to redirect part of its anticipated $23 billion bonus pool to families facing foreclosure. David Viniar, Goldman’s chief financial officer, has said the bank is “very focused on the economic climate” and will take that into account when decisions about workers’ bonuses are made at the end of the year. 10,000 Small Businesses, which has been in development for nearly a year, is a five-year program modeled on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative, which creates partnerships between academic institutions and non-profits to provide business and management education to women around the world. Other Council members include George Boggs, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, Glenn Hubbard, dean of Columbia Business School and Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, among others. The first community college to participate will be LaGuardia Community College in New York City’s Queens borough, which houses a Small Business Development Centre. The first community development financial institution to receive financing from Goldman Sachs will be New York-based Seedco Financial Services Inc. See the article here: Goldman Sachs teams with Warren Buffett on effort to help small businesses

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By Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government says it will not harmonize its sales tax with the federal GST despite mounting pressure from the business community. “We’ve done a lot of work to look at what the benefit is, what the hit will be for our consumers, and, on balance, we believe that implementing this would be more of a negative,” Finance Minister Rosann Wowchuk said Tuesday. “It’s our view … that this (would) be very negative for our consumers.” The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, however, believes the province will experience job losses and a sluggish economy unless it follows the lead of Ontario, British Columbia and other jurisdictions that have merged their sales taxes. Blending the two offers big breaks to businesses that currently pay the provincial sales tax on goods they purchase. But a harmonized tax, like the GST, does not apply to such goods. That bonus, along with the reduction in red tape that comes through paying a single levy, makes provinces with a harmonized tax much more attractive for business, the chamber suggested Tuesday. “We cannot sustain our economy with that kind of differential in tax,” chamber president Dave Angus said. “We have to have an environment that’s going to attract investment and jobs.” Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island are the only provinces with sales taxes that have not agreed to harmonization. Quebec and three of the Atlantic provinces merged their taxes in the mid-1990s, while Ontario and B.C. plan to switch to the single tax next July. Alberta has no provincial sales tax. The move has not gone over well with consumers, because a harmonized tax applies to many items not subject to a provincial sales tax. That list varies from province to province, but usually includes gasoline, heating fuel, children’s clothing and more. Premier Greg Selinger has said harmonization would cost Manitoba consumers up to $400 million a year and has promised he won’t agree to any blending of taxes that hurts consumers. But the chamber feels Manitoba has no choice. “As other provinces get more competitive, we lose opportunities,” Angus said. Wowchuk pointed out the government has cut other business taxes, including the small business income tax and the corporate capital tax. She is not convinced the lack of a harmonized tax would prompt Manitoba companies to uproot and move to another province. “It’s not my sense, if you look at Nova Scotia, that they’ve had a huge influx of business from when they moved to harmonization.” Read more: Chamber of Commerce calls on Manitoba to harmonize its sales tax with Ottawa

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NEW YORK (AP) — Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said Tuesday it is teaming with billionaire investor Warren Buffett to invest $500 million to provide thousands of small business owners across America with college scholarships and boost their access to capital. Goldman’s philanthropic effort, called “10,000 Small Businesses,” includes a $200 million contribution to community colleges, universities and other institutions to give grants to small business owners to further their education. The New York-based bank also will invest $300 million through a combination of lending and charitable support. Goldman said the money will be funneled through community development financial institutions to boost lending and technical assistance available to small businesses in underserved communities. In addition, Goldman Sachs executives, in partnership with national and local business organizations, will aid small businesses with advice, technical assistance and professional networking opportunities. An advisory council co-chaired by Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein will oversee the initiative. Legendary investor and Goldman’s largest shareholder, Warren Buffett, and Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter will serve as co-chairs as well. “Our recovery is dependent on hard working small business owners across America who will create the jobs that America needs,” Buffett said in a statement. “Im proud to be a part of this innovative program which provides greater access to know-how and capital — two ingredients critical to success.” The initiative comes as Goldman has started to see a rebound across many of its businesses even as the broader economy and consumers continue to struggle with rising unemployment and mounting loan losses. The bank, which has outperformed other financial companies for years, has been the strongest in its industry throughout the financial crisis. It had less exposure to toxic mortgage-backed securities than other companies and also has been more aggressive in its trading. Its continued strength throughout the downturn allowed Goldman to quickly repay the $10 billion government bailout it received at the height of the credit crisis. That repayment was also done, in part, to rid the bank of restrictions on annual compensation that were attached to the loan. Goldman has been criticized for setting aside billions for employee paychecks despite the continuing weak economy. 10,000 Small Businesses, which has been in development for nearly a year, is a five-year program modeled on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative, which creates partnerships between academic institutions and non-profits to provide business and management education to women around the world. Other Council members include George Boggs, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, Glenn Hubbard, dean of Columbia Business School and Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, among others. The first community college to participate will be LaGuardia Community College in New York City’s Queens borough, which houses a Small Business Development Center. The first community development financial institution to receive financing from Goldman Sachs will be New York-based Seedco Financial Services Inc. Read the original: Goldman Sachs, Buffett to help small businesses (AP)

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WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairwoman Mary Schapiro today announced that President Barack Obama has established by Executive Order an interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to strengthen efforts to combat financial crime. The Department of Justice will lead the task force and the Department of Treasury, HUD and the SEC will serve on the steering committee. The task force’s leadership, along with representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities and inspectors general, will work with state and local partners to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, address discrimination in the lending and financial markets and recover proceeds for victims. The task force, which replaces the Corporate Fraud Task Force established in 2002, will build upon efforts already underway to combat mortgage, securities and corporate fraud by increasing coordination and fully utilizing the resources and expertise of the government’s law enforcement and regulatory apparatus. The attorney general will convene the first meeting of the Task Force in the next 30 days. “This task force’s mission is not just to hold accountable those who helped bring about the last financial meltdown, but to prevent another meltdown from happening,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “We will be relentless in our investigation of corporate and financial wrongdoing, and will not hesitate to bring charges, where appropriate, for criminal misconduct on the part of businesses and business executives.” “Through the Financial Fraud Task Force, we are making clear that the Obama Administration is going to act aggressively and proactively in a coordinated effort to combat financial fraud,” said Treasury Secretary Geithner. “It’s not enough to prosecute fraud only after it’s become widespread. We can’t to wait for problems to peak before we respond. We’re seeking comprehensive financial reform to create a more stable, safer financial system and stepping up our enforcement strategy. Doing so will help to stop emerging trends in financial fraud before they’re able to cause extensive, system-wide damage to our economy.” “To give American families the protection and peace-of-mind they need, it’s clear the federal response must be as interconnected and multi-dimensional as the challenges we face,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “No one agency is going to be able to stop financial fraud. This Task force will build upon many of the inter-agency collaborations already underway to protect consumers and restore confidence.” “Many financial frauds are complicated puzzles that require painstaking efforts to piece together. By formally coordinating our efforts, we will be better able to identify the pieces, assemble the puzzle and put an end to the fraud,” said SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro. The task force is composed of senior-level officials from the following departments, agencies and offices: the Department of Justice; the Department of the Treasury; the Department of Commerce; the Department of Labor; the Department of Housing and Urban Development; the Department of Education; the Department of Homeland Security; the Securities and Exchange Commission; the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; the Federal Trade Commission; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; the Federal Housing Finance Agency; the Office of Thrift Supervision; the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; the Small Business Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Social Security Administration; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations; the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the United States Secret Service; the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement; relevant Offices of Inspectors General and related Federal entities, including without limitation the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program; and such other executive branch departments, agencies, or offices as the President may, from time to time, designate or that the Attorney General may invite. In addition, the attorney general will invite representatives of the National Association of Attorneys General, the National District Attorneys Association and other state, local, tribal and territorial representatives to participate in the task force through its Enforcement Committee. # # #   http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2009/2009-249.htm Read the r est here: President Obama Establishes Interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force

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SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DocuSign ® , the leading provider of on-demand electronic signature solutions, today announced Second Century Ventures (SCV) has made a strategic investment in the company. As part of the investment, the president of Second Century Ventures and chief executive officer of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Dale A. Stinton will join the DocuSign Board of Directors. “DocuSign is an ideal portfolio company for Second Century Ventures, and we see huge potential for its fast-growing ESIGN services across the residential and commercial REALTOR landscape,” said Dale A. Stinton, president of SCV and chief executive officer of NAR. “Our capital investment and guidance will serve as a catalyst for this company to become the standard and meet the market demand for legally binding electronic signatures that help REALTORS close more deals at a faster rate, and offer the convenience and flexibility buyers require.” The funds are invested to accelerate and extend DocuSign’s leadership position as a core technology solution for residential and commercial real estate professionals. DocuSign joins an exclusive group of SCV portfolio companies including ePropertyData as well as representative investments made by NAR in Move Inc., zipLogix and SentriLock, that all provide leading technology solutions for REALTORS ® . Second Century Ventures is the strategic investment arm of the National Association of REALTORS ® (NAR), America’s largest trade organization with more than 1.2 million members. “Second Century Ventures’ strategic investment underscores the success and value of DocuSign’s electronic signature service to the real estate community and will assure we can meet the growing demand for our technology solution across the industry,” said Matthew J. Schiltz, CEO and president of DocuSign. “We are looking forward to working with SCV, the National Association of REALTORS and their members as their best-in-class ESIGN provider.” More than 18,000 real estate professionals have used DocuSign to accelerate their business, with thousands more subscribing each month. Rather than driving across town to get a signature or forcing their clients to find a fax machine, real estate professionals use DocuSign to execute agreements with buyers and sellers electronically, eliminating the old process of printing, faxing, and waiting for the return fax. DocuSign real estate professional subscribers achieve higher sales, increase client satisfaction and maintain a competitive edge. Safe and secure, the DocuSign e-signature process is also easy to use and legally compliant. About Second Century Ventures Second Century Ventures (SCV) is a venture capital fund focused on promoting innovation in the real estate industry and helping to enable the entrepreneurial spirit of real estate thrive. SCV has been fully capitalized by the National Association of Realtors ® (NAR). With over 1.2 million members, NAR is the largest trade association in the country. NAR can provide immediate strategic value to Second Century Ventures’ portfolio companies by allowing them access to the vast resources of a 300-person organization with expertise, influence and power that comes only by being ingrained in an industry for over 100 years. About NAR The National Association of Realtors ® , “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The annual REALTORS ® Expo is the largest industry showroom in the nation with 400 exhibiting companies featuring oceans of new ideas and productivity tools to save time, help REALTORS work more efficiently and make more money. REALTORS see their referrals and sales increase significantly from the networking and education they gain at the REALTORS Conference & Expo, the industry’s premier event. More than 20,000 real estate professionals and guests from around the world attend this yearly event to learn about industry trends, new technology, and innovative products and services. About DocuSign Inc. DocuSign, Inc. is the leading provider of on-demand software services for electronic signature. DocuSign empowers individuals, small business and global enterprises to operate faster and more efficiently, with greater profitability, enhanced security and compliance. DocuSign is the only Web-based service to securely automate and control the entire electronic document signing process. To date, more than 48 million signature events have been executed using DocuSign. To learn how DocuSign can accelerate your business, visit www.docusign.com or call (866) 219-4318. Subscribe to the DocuSign blog at www.docusign.com/blog . Follow DocuSign on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DocuSign . DocuSign and the DocuSign logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of DocuSign, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Originally posted here: Second Century Ventures Makes Strategic Investment in DocuSign (Business Wire)

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PETALUMA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The following is a statement by the American Small Business League: On November 18, the Obama Administration will hold a small business forum to “determine what additional steps we can take to get credit flowing to small businesses that want to expand and create more jobs.” As of the close of business on Friday, November 13, at 5 p.m. PST, the administration still has refused to publicly release any information on the event’s specific time, location, agenda or attendees. Despite claims that the event will play host to, “regulators, congressional leaders, lenders and small businesses,” the American Small Business League (ASBL) is concerned the meeting will actually consist of the same old cast of characters from Congress, federal agencies, venture capital and big business. A cast of characters that for more than 7 years has failed to stop the yearly diversion of billions of dollars in federal small business contracts to some of the largest corporations in the world. Additionally, the ASBL is concerned that the event will silence legitimate small businesses, small business advocates and the media by omission. The ASBL is concerned the meeting could actually result in: – A loophole that would divert federal small business contracts away from legitimate small businesses and into the hands of wealthy venture capitalists under the guise of “increasing access to capital” for legitimate small businesses. – A worst-case scenario in which the Obama Administration attempts to actually wind down federal small business contracting programs under the guise of bolstering the SBA by combining it with the U.S. Department of Commerce. On several occasions senior Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have attempted to pass legislation to change the definition of a small business as “independently owned” to include firms owned and controlled by venture capitalists. On September 27, 2007, the House passed H.R. 3567. If signed into law, the bill would have allowed firms majority owned and controlled by wealthy venture capitalists to hijack federal contracts earmarked for legitimate small businesses. The ASBL maintains that such a change would put legitimate small businesses at a dramatic competitive disadvantage, cost thousands of jobs and further inflate the national unemployment rate. “He put a venture capitalist as the head of the SBA and the SBA Office of Advocacy, you don’t have to be clairvoyant to see where this sham small business conference is going,” ASBL President Lloyd Chapman said. “I think Barack Obama is going to try to sell America’s small business contracting programs to his buddies in the venture capital industry.” Please click here to watch a short clip about the ASBL’s concerns regarding the Obama Administration’s small business conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JvT7Btd_9s Continued here: Obama Small Business Forum Could Create Loophole for Venture Capitalists, According to the American Small Business League (Business Wire)

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