New York SBDC Research Network

The national unemployment rate rose to 7.2% in December, reaching a sixteen year high with over 11 million Americans unemployed. The New York Times published an article today that predicts that the "rapidly deteriorating economy promised more significant losses in the months ahead". According to information released today by the U.S. Labor Department, 2.6 millions jobs were lost in 2008, the most since 1945 when 2.8 millions jobs were lost. To find statistics on the unemployment rate for previous years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides Labor Force Statistics in graph form.

I've come across a few sites that offer a little help with pronunciations in several languages. I'm sure you have come across times when you are sure you or your colleagues are butchering a word or name. Here's a way to check and learn the correct pronunciation. You can even offer your own version of the truth by recording yourself saying the word or name. And then you can risk seeming pretentious by your peers. Forvo.com A helpful site where you can look up a word or name, either by language or freely if you are not sure of the origin. Rather than a phonetic spelling of the word, you can hear the sound recording. For my daughter's name I found several interpretations which did not surprise me. At least you can eliminate some options rather than settle on a single pronunciation. Inogolo offers itself as "English Pronunciation Guide to the Names of People, Places, and Stuff" Inogolo, we are told means "not-to-butcher". This site appears to use the s

Whenever we have questions related to internet use I frequently check the Pew Internet & American Life Project . I’ ve used reports to answer questions on a whole range of topics, including online dating, social networking, online shopping, video game demographics and health information seeking, etc. If you’re just looking for some good, up-to-date internet trends, take a look at their “ Latest Findings ” page. As of today these reports were updated in December 2008, and include internet user demographics, online activity reports, and internet adoption rates.

Before any employee, even a part-time temporary student, begins working at an NYS SBDC office, he or she is required to sign a conflict of interest form that, among other things, promises confidentiality with regard to the clients the SBDC deals with. (Staff should expect to file an annual renewal of that document this week.) Doing business ethically is not just a theoretical good thing - it can be a very concrete good thing for your bottom line. Ethical business practices build long-term trust and relationships with customers and partners. The Business Ethics Links Library from UC Boulder provides links to businesses that are operating ethically. Use the navigation at the left of page to find company codes of ethics, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and more. These provide insight into specific companies, and may be used as a roadmap for building your own ethical business plan. If you need help with that plan, or have questions about business ethics, check out the Hill L

I think the reasons why so many New Year's resolutions bite the dust is a lack of energy (and not a lack of will). By the end of the work day, after the caffeine has worn off, I don't have the drive to get to the gym, nor the wherewithal to take the time to make a better meal. As I've written before , we all could use a bit more sleep - specifically, an afternoon nap. It's not an idle fantasy (except, perhaps, in the mind of Jim King). Here's a website that advocates the services of Dr. Sara Mednick, who founded a consultancy called Take a Nap as a means of spreading her belief that American work productivity can be improved by brief power naps in the afternoon. She states that companies annually lose millions of dollars in absenteeism, illness, and just plain dopiness caused by employees who are too zoned out to get things done efficiently throughout the work day. If you live in the metro New York area, you could duck out mid-day and visit Yelo . This company

Ah… January 2. How are those New Year's resolutions going? If your resolutions include getting fit and working harder, I have just the thing for you. The treadmill desk! That’s right, you can work and exercise at the same time. Read more in this NYT article , learn how to build your own , or read a review of one currently on the market . If anyone would like to give me a few thousand dollars, I’d be happy to let you know how it works out (I already asked Tammy. She said no.)

These are resolutions to improve one's e-mail marketing campaign in 2009: 1. Clean your email list. Can be used for your personal use as well.