New York SBDC Research Network

Idea of the week: digital babysitters. It’s time we used technology to protect us from ourselves. Ever heard of drunk dialing? Know anyone who has made a call or sent a message when they really should have held back? Forgive my Apple commercial reference, but now, there’s an app for that. I heard a piece on the radio this morning from American Public Media’s Marketplace Morning Report on this very subject. One ingenious entrepreneur is selling a popular iPod application that prevents you from calling particular contacts during a period where you might be… out of it. And this product is not alone – Google’s “Mail Goggles” will ask you to complete math problems before allowing you to send a late-night email! Listen to or read the story here: " Technology can save you from yourself " And what about things that you should do? Email reminders are nothing new, but how about getting a message when the moisture content of your houseplant’s soil is too low? Yup, Botanicals will let

For the past four weeks, I have blogged about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. I don't know about you readers, but I need a change of pace. I recieve weekly emails from multiple business blogs and websites and when an article or guide catches my eye, I save it for future use. Today's blog contains general information on starting a business. Evaluating Your Business Idea - From the Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Centers. This 22 page pdf provides questions for you to answer to help solidify your business idea. SBA Small Business Planner - Includes sections devoted to planning your business, starting your business, managing your business, and, as a last resort, getting out. Small Business Startup Trends - Kauffman Firm Survey. "The KFS dataset provides researchers (and entrepreneurs) a unique opportunity to study a panel of new businesses from start-up to sustainability, with longitudinal data centering on topics such as how busi

Why are retail buyers as hard to locate as secret service agents? We have a shiny (and fairly new) directory of stores that promises buyer listings for a wide range of stores in the US which it only partially succeeds in providing. Even a 2009 edition has listings already out of date since apparently no-one stays in these positions for very long. Isn't this position comparable to an editor at a publishing house? I am sure editors are hounded by barely literate "authors" but still we can learn their names. Why not buyers? They must trust themselves very well to be on the cutting edge to catch wind of any trend on their own, not to want to be contacted by the young and innovative. It makes sense to me then why retail departments don't seem to change very much. The Chain Store Guide has apparently responded to user demand by creating an online version of their directory that updates weekly. Obviously I am not alone in my frustration.

Noted by our colleagues at the Hill Library : Where can you find data on how many US businesses open and close each year and the impact this has on the economy? Where can you track firm age, firm size, and firm performance over time at state and national levels? The Census Bureau recently launched Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) to track the changing landscape of entrepreneurial activity in the United States. BDS tracks business activity, annual changes in employment, and growing and shrinking businesses. It includes unique information on firm age and firm size and tracks firms over time. BDS currently includes data for 1976-2005. So use Business Dynamics Statistics today to access data for your industry or region.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. The bill contains $787,000,000,000 worth of relief funds. Below is information on how that money will be allocated, both at the federal and state level. Where is your money going? $288B - Tax Relief* $144B - State and Local Fiscal Relief** $111B - Infrastructure and Science $ 81B - Protecting the Vulnerable $ 59B - Health Care $ 53B - Education and Training $ 43B - Energy $ 8B - Other * Tax Relief - includes $15 B for Infrastructure and Science, $61 B for Protecting the Vulnerable, $25 B for Education and Training and $22 B for Energy, so total funds are $126 B for Infrastructure and Science, $142 B for Protecting the Vulnerable, $78 B for Education and Training, and $65 B for Energy. **State and Local Fiscal Relief - Prevents state and local cuts to health and education programs and state and local tax increases. New York State is expected to receive $24.6 billion of the federal

Either for financial or ecological reasons, more and more businesses are looking at ways to save energy and money. Most people by now have seen the The latest Entrepreneur Magazine has a feature articles called " Frugal is Back " by Tiffany Meyers that looks at ways companies can cut costs. Some suggestions are to turn off computers at night to save approximately $825 annually, switch to CFL bulbs and save $400 annually. Another article here: Five Ways to Save Money (Layoffs Not Included) By Darren Dahl Inc.com Nov . 11, 2008 This article offers some different methods to reduce costs for businesses.

Wondering what kind of advertising will give you the most bang for your buck? Of course there’s no magic formula, but the following resources can help you compare advertising media and choose which is right for your next campaign. Keep in mind that several of these resources come from industry trade groups with an interest in promoting their medium. Media CMP Comparison (from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America) Looks at the advantages and disadvantages of television, cable television, radio, newspapers, magazines, yellow pages, direct mail and the internet . Radio Advertising Bureau: Media Facts “ RAB's new Competitive Media section gives you complete access to the latest information profiling 10 competitive media. Each profile contains a complete whitepaper as well as the advantages, disadvantages and plus Radio for each medium.” Radio’s ROI Advantage (2005 – From the Radio Ad Lab) A comparison of television and radio ROI. Making Better Media Decisions (Advertising