VerticalResponse has introduced new features and tools in its email software to help small businesses streamline their email and social media marketing initiatives.

Small businesses using VerticalResponse systems to send emails will now be able to include direct links to their social media pages in the body of emails. By clicking on these links, customers will be able to share the content of the message via social media channels like Facebook and LinkedIn, while small businesses will be able to see which recipients click through these links and which sites they access.

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Witnesses from the financial industry testified before the U.S. Senate today that President Barack Obama’s proposed cyber-security enhancements are a good step forward, but that additional measures need to be taken to protect consumers against financial data breaches.

The hearing before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs addressed the proposed Cyber Security Enhancement Act of 2011, which calls for national standards for cyber security.

The witnesses said the government’s proposal is an important and necessary step in addressing the recent data breaches that have plagued companies such as Citigroup, Sony, and Bank of America.

“My view is that the laws currently in place don’t provide adequate protection to paying customers,” said Marc Rotenberg (pictured), president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

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Here are some legal and policy issues small business owners should be aware of this week. Be sure to check through this legal and policy news roundup for the issues directly affecting your small business or entrepreneurial venture.

Trends

No-match letters a new headache for entrepreneurs. No-match letters from the Social Security Administration are back. The letters are issued when an employee’s name doesn’t match an existing social security number. The implications are obvious. But what should you do if you get one of these in the mail? 

Wage and hour lawsuits the lates threat. There were 40,000 of these in 2010, up 15 percent over the previous year. And on

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I really can’t complain. My Google Adsense earnings have GONE UP since Google’s latest algorithm changes.

The problem is that still – for many – well performing pages on “authority” sites like Hub Pages got slammed and made the Hub Page folks overreact and anger their writers. I know they made me mad!

For many, this may be good news. I just hope

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Verizon Wireless and Payfone, a mobile payment platform, have teamed up to let customers shop online and pay for items by adding the purchase price to a cell phone bill. Shoppers complete online transactions by entering a cell phone number, and the purchase is added to that number’s bill; smart phones, tablets, and PCs can all be used.

Verizon customers can also link their Payfone accounts to a credit card or debit card. This might be handy since larger purchases may exceed transaction limits. And the service will have a way to intelligently route payments to the right funding source based on rules and preferences.

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Is compound interest preventing you from paying down your credit card debt?

Would a card with a super long 0% intro APR period on both purchases and balance transfers get your attention?

I’m sure it would because zero APR credit cards is a great way to pay down the balance by simply transferring it from your high interest card to a new 0 percent interest card.

But you want to make sure that you pay off the balance before the introductory rate ends. M

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