The holiday season brings with it joy, new beginnings and gatherings of family and friends. This is the time of year when harmony and happiness fill our hearts, and our calendars are filled with many things to do and lots of places to visit.

Amid all of this, however, many small business owners wait in hopes to see a boost in their sales and experience a successful holiday season.

Here at America’s Best, we want you to be able to enjoy your holiday season and relax with family and friends, and not let worries that the economy’s deterioration will hurt your otherwise healthy business.

In this issue, we share 365 ways to improve 2009. Take a proactive role as a small business owner by incorporating changes that will make a difference both at work and at home, and will help you adapt to the new economic realities. Plus, Charles Cooper shows you how to build an online community on your business’s website and how to spot counterfeit currency. Cheryl Sowa, meanwhile, takes us inside some of the most successful seasonal businesses in the U.S. We also help you get the most out of your tax deductions.

It’s important to stay positive, keep an optimistic viewpoint, and seize the opportunities that come your way to keep your business healthy and your customers happy.

On a personal note, I love this time of year! From the day after Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, I can’t seem to get enough of anything even remotely associated with the holidays.

I still enjoy listening to Christmas songs and watching classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas, both films in which small business owners are portrayed in a positive light.

It’s a Wonderful Life stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, who runs a small bank in Bedford Falls. The movie shows how this good-hearted small business owner has a huge impact on the lives of everyone in his small town.

Another holiday movie classic, White Christmas, stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, who play a couple of army buddies who team up after the war is over to become a top Broadway act. The duo decides to move their whole Broadway show to a struggling Vermont Inn to help the owner, who just happens to be their beloved former general from the war, turn the business around.

We hope this issue will prove to be both helpful and informative. As always, we welcome your feedback in the form of suggestions, submissions, and yes, even constructive criticism. Please contact me at
lynn@gowithabc.com.

Thank you for your continued support and readership of America’s Best. Best wishes for a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season and a smooth transition into a prosperous New Year.

All the best,

Lynn Celmer

Managing Editor