New York SBDC Research Network

The other day, it smelled really bad on the third floor of 22 Corporate Woods. Sewer maybe? It would have been really nice to open a window, but that's not an option. However, if you worked from home, you could open a window, and in the process improve your home office feng shui . Learn more about how color, desk placement, and sounds can improve the good energy flow of your workspace. Entrepreneur.com: Feng Shui for the Home Office About.com: How to Feng Shui Your Home Office Dummies.com: Using Feng Shui at Work: Private Offices and Cubicles

I was on Internet radio on Monday, October 5. Don't mind telling you that I was mildly terrified. Through a series of connections, involving the business.gov website , a woman named Barbara Weltman became aware of me and my connection with the NYS Small Business Development. Her producer, Gloria Luzier, e-mailed me and asked if I would appear on Barbara's radio show, Build Your Business Radio . I provided a few questions that she might ask me, about the SBDC, the State Data Center and blogs. I got a call about 4:20 pm to make sure I was actually at the appointed place, then again at 4:27. I never talked to Barbara herself before or after the show, but I was in contact with other friendly and helpful people, including Wade Taylor, wsRadio, Operations Officer and Assistant Program Director, who gave me information on how to provide the links below. SBDCs, State Data Centers, and the Curse of Blogging, Part I - Roger Green SBDCs, State Data Centers, and the Curse of Blogging, Par

I'm usually guilty of letting stressful situations get the better of me - quick temper, impatience with others, and other negative behavior. While there's nothing new in this article from last week's Forbes.com site, it serves as a useful reminder to me to heed its more direct suggestions: get exercise (it doesn't have to be marathon training), stay away from drive-thrus, etc. So, if you need a reminder as well, find the time & give it a read.

Last Thursday, Governor Paterson and the Governor's Small Business Task Force released the NYS Directory of Small Business Programs . According to the Albany Business Review, the handbook is a result of the work conducted by the Governor’s Small Business Task Force. The task force was made up of business leaders from across the state. The directory describes 143 state programs from 28 agencies aimed at helping New Yorkers start and grow their businesses. Categories include: Funding sources, technical assistance; and work force recruitment. “This directory will create a more open and helpful environment in which local businesses can grow and prosper, providing business owners and entrepreneurs with information on financing, tax breaks, and dozens of other topics,” Paterson said. Mike Elmendorf, New York director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses called the director “an important tool for small employers who currently struggle to navigate the maze of state resource

In today’s news, France announced plans to spend more than $2 billion (1.5 billion Euros) to create a battery-charging network for electric vehicles. In order to make owning and charging electric vehicles less onerous, the government would require charging stations in office parking lots by 2015 and in new apartment building complexes in 2012. This news reminded me of a very neat resource related to alternatively fueled vehicles in the U.S.. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (a national lab of the U.S. Dept. of Energy) offers a online GIS tool, the TransAtlas , with data on alternative vehicles and fuels. The TransAtlas can map alternative fuel stations, the vehicle density of hybrid-electric, flex-fuel and diesel vehicles (down to the county level) and the location of hydrogen, biodiesel and ethanol production facilities. You can query the system (use the Query dropdown in the top right) to find information on specific points (ie stations) or select a region to download more de

From the press release: The Small Business Development Center at Stony Brook University has successfully competed in a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Program Opportunity and was awarded $247,000 for its proposal entitled the “Stony Brook Energy Company Initiative”. The goal of the initiative is to facilitate the entry of new and existing companies into the renewable and clean energy business in New York State. The core of the Energy Company Initiative will be the traditional services offered by the New York State Small Business Development Center system. In addition, these basic services will be significantly augmented with a portfolio of activities including conferences, workshops, and counseling on funding opportunities specifically focused on renewable and clean energy business development. Further, an internet – based Early Stage Development Forum will be established to allow and encourage communication among energy company principals, and scien

This source offers a look at various factors that would demonstrate the relative ease or difficulty of starting a business in a great number of global economies. This is produced by the International Finance Corporation. These are electronic versions of the annual print reports on the regulations affecting business. The economies can be grouped by high or low or middle incomes, and will allow you to create reports. You can create a report on a number of topics, such as employment laws, enforcing contracts, property ownership, paying taxes among others. There are also sub-national reports for major metropolitan areas. Rankings Rankings of countries by various factors such as ease of doing business, or getting construction permits, getting credit and employing workers among others.