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January 4, 2013 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise Business Finance Today  Fate of Dodd-Frank might be decided this year, analysts say Because rhetoric over the Dodd-Frank Act has softened and political alliances across the aisle have formed, 2013 could be the year that meaningful regulation comes out of Congress, analysts say. "There is no repealing Dodd-Frank, but there will be efforts to eliminate duplicative parts of the law to avoid unintended consequences," said Jaret Seiberg, senior policy analyst at Guggenheim Partners. The Washington Post (1/2)       Holiday retail sales in U.S. saw solid gains, data indicate Many national retailers saw a solid holiday shopping season, sales data indicate. Sales rose 4.5% in December at the 17 apparel chains tracked by Thomson Reuters, based upon figures for stores open a year or longer. Industry analysts had predicted 3.3% growth. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/3)       Your Bottom Line  Survey finds more optimism from CFOs on earnings, sales Finance chiefs predict an average earnings increase of 10.9% and sales growth of 5.6% over the next 12 months, according to the latest Deloitte CFO Signals survey. In the previous quarter, CFO predictions were 8% for earnings and 4.8% for sales. However, CFOs maintained dim views on capital expenditures, research and marketing, the survey finds. The Wall Street Journal/CFO Journal (tiered subscription model) (1/3)       3 questions small companies need to ask before outsourcing Small companies must consider three questions before they use outsourcing services, write Mark Neibart and Gerry Mendelbaum of Camber Advisors: "Can we gain economies of scale?" "Do we need specialized skills and/or complex systems that are not core to what we do?" and "Do we need new technologies to spur growth?" CFO.com (1/2)       In the C-Suite  Are you unconsciously rejecting qualified candidates? Hiring for "fit" forces you to rely on what psychologists call your "adaptive unconscious," which unfortunately is influenced by biases and irrational instincts, Laurie Ruettimann writes. To find out whether your hiring decisions are being unduly influenced by your adaptive subconscious, analyze payroll and other data to see whether you're only hiring certain types of people, she suggests. The Cynical Girl blog (1/2)       Get started on the road to becoming a better leader in 2013 There are plenty of ways to improve your leadership in the new year, writes Daniel McCarthy. A few ideas: Improve your presentation skills, seek out better feedback, pledge to hold yourself more accountable or simply reach out to and thank your mentors. "Don't overdo it -- just pick one and commit to it," McCarthy advises. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (1/1)       On the Move  Steve Bowers has been appointed CFO at Chemring Group. He was CFO at Umeco. Bloomberg (1/3)       Anthony Folger is Carbonite's new CFO and treasurer. He joins from Acronis, where he was CFO. American City Business Journals/Boston/Startups & Venture Capital blog (1/2)       Off the Charts  IPads, more hyperlocal food may be coming to a table near you House-cured meats, artisanal cheeses, gourmet lemonade and hyperlocal items such as vegetables raised in restaurant gardens will be the "in" cuisine at restaurants in 2013, according to the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Industry Forecast. Technology also is expected to be big with restaurants this year, especially iPad-based menus. National Public Radio/The Salt blog (1/3)       SmartQuote  Instead of focusing on the cost advantages associated with moving jobs overseas, smaller businesses are using outsourcing to punch above their weight in critical business functions, including IT, transportation and logistics, and procurement." --Mark Neibart and Gerry Mendelbaum of Camber Advisors, writing at CFO.com       SmartBrief delivers need-to-know news in over 100 targeted email newsletters to over 3 million readers. All our industry briefings are FREE and open to everyone—sign up today! 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