New York SBDC Research Network

Rick Leibowitz, director of our North Country SBDC, recently shared this with me: http://www.labor.state.ny.us/ui/dande/sharedwork1.shtm This looks to be something that is worth investigating by some of our clients. It describes a NYS Department of Labor program that encourages employers to consider shifting staff to a four-day work week, with the employee earning qualified unemployment wages for the fifth day. It argues that rather than making wholesale layoffs, a company might be able to cope during a down period by essentially reducing its payroll by 20% for a given period of time. The theory continues that, once business improves, a company isn't faced with the costs of hiring and training additional staff. Has anyone had any experience with this, or had clients who've given it a try?

Goodbye Credit Card Rate Hikes? The good news: The Federal Reserve passed new rules to improve disclosure and prohibit unfair interest rate hikes among card companies in December 2008. Specifically, the new rules will: --Require that consumers receive a reasonable amount of time to make their card payments --Forbid the use of payment allocation methods that unfairly maximize interest charges --Provide consumers protection from unexpected interest charges, including increases in the rate during the first year after account opening and increases in the rate charged on pre-existing credit card balances. --and more The bad news: the new rules don’t go into effect until July 1, 2010. In the meantime, go to this page to find credit card-related statistics -- including statistics on credit card debt, credit card delinquencies, credit scores, credit card interest rates, bankruptcies and more -- compiled by the CreditCards.com staff.

I've been doing more abstract research lately, particularly for people who'll be presenting on one macroeconomic topic or another. Recently, while handling one such query, I came across an article called " Marketing Your Way Through a Recession ," written by John Quelch, a professor at the Harvard Business School. This is precisely the kind of information that our advisors are seeking out during this recession, and I liked it quite a bit. These and other articles are indexed at the HBS' Working Knowledge website , a collection of articles on a wide breadth of business-related topics that were written by members of the School's faculty. There, you can browse articles by topic, by industry, or by date. They've an assorted collection of podcasts, and a nice overview of what they consider to be the best things they've featured in 2008. The articles don't read like required texts for MBA programs, and are rooted in real-life situations. The site wil

In today's rough economy, saving a few dollars on any purchase, regardless of the size of the purchase, is important. Before you buy anything, hold back and go to ShopLocal.com . The site compares prices found online versus in stores nationwide. Plus, you can type in your zip code to find the best deals in your area. On a completely different topic, next Tuesday is a big day for the United States. For a list of where to watch Barack Obama's inauguration online, click here .

The Foundation Center Proposal Writing Short Course Check out this site for advice on writing a proposal for funding. They offer some points to consider to begin planning and what you should be aiming for in terms of length and a suggestions on what you need to cover to best tell your story. They cover project description to staffing, and your budget. You can also find an summary of what should be inlcuded in a letter proposal.

There's been a lot of discussion about the Wii in the office lately (Congratulations to Erin, Camille, Molly and Alexis on their special Christmas gifts!), and it's not just about video game fans under the age of 18. Intuitively, we know that " Older folks like Wii , PCs and cellphones, too ," but now there's more evidence to support that fact. This article discusses Wii bowling leagues happening within retirement communities, but it also cites a Forrester report, revealing that "U.S. adults 64 and older who bought technology in a recent three-month period spent an average $365 on consumer electronics products and $429 on computer hardware and peripherals." The author also reminds those who might be interested in marketing technology products to the 55 + crowd to consider senior-friendly computers, smartphones for seniors, tools to keep the mind and body sharp, and the importance of simplicity.

The buzzword for the Obama campaign - besides "Change" of course - was "transparency". I suppose that's part of what the transition website has been all about. Likewise, just as it is important to be transparent with the outside world and potential customers, the same goes for your business's internal affairs as well. Be transparent with your staff. "It is all about internal communication and trust...[M]any companies are actually reducing communications just to cut costs...this is the last thing you want to do."