There is a clear link between business travel and business growth as businesses are planning their 2010 budgets and federal policymakers are looking to stimulate the global economy. For every dollar invested in business travel, businesses experience an average $12.50 in increased revenue and $3.80 in new profits, according to a study by Oxford Economics. When companies reduce their travel budgets, there are negative consequences that we can now quantify, in terms of lost revenue and profit growth, and in terms of giving competitors a distinct advantage.

65% of all shoppers wait a day or more to complete a purchase, and the average delay is 33 hours and 54 minutes. Instead of panicking, e-tailers should understand the reasons for abandoned shopping carts and implement strategies to combat consumer fears, according to a study by McAfee. Every year e-tailers lose billions from consumers with purchase intent due to security fears, not price. 63% of consumers said that even in an attempt to get a good deal they won’t purchase from a Web site that doesn’t display a trustmark or security policy. In 2008, online retailers lost $21 billion in online sales due to identity theft and online shopping fears.

Americans are increasingly turning to online and radio sources for news and information, while relying less on daily newspapers and television. Daily newspaper usage dropped 4.1% and television usage dropped 3.6%, while radio usage increased 2.9% and online usage increased 1.9%. Credibility ratings for nearly all types of media rose slightly from a year ago. The national study of 1,000 adults conducted by ARAnet, measured the percentage of news and information Americans receive from various media sources each month. Consumers reported getting 31% of their news and information from television, and 19.4% from both radio and daily newspapers.