New York SBDC Research Network

Lately, I've had frequent occasion to use the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) to search for financial and tax incentives related to energy efficiency and renewable energy. This site from the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, provides a "comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency." It has been updated to reflect incentives in the Recovery Act, and I feel pretty confident in their coverage. There's also a page of links with the major renewable energy, green building, & government sites, and a library of "green" energy policy papers, reports and presentations.

From the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service In an effort to expand information available to exporters, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has added country pages to its Web site. Grouped into four regions – Western Hemisphere, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia and Oceania – these country pages provide essential demographic, economic and political information. The new country pages will allow users to find comprehensive links, all in one place, on import requirements for each country, as well as travel and market information, the status of trade negotiations, trade development and important contacts. In addition, the FAS Web site includes many searchable databases providing export, import, production, supply, and distribution data, as well as export sales reports and market reports from U.S. agricultural trade experts stationed in 97 offices around the world.

I'm not sure how many of y'all read Entrepreneur magazine, but here's an article from their April issue that describes how GPS is used as a money-saving device. Bar owners use it to keep track of just how their inventory is being used. Those with vehicle fleets use it to track how efficiently their sales & maintenance calls are being run. Restaurants use it to maintain proper portion sizes. Companies exist that provide this service to businesses, and they have found a niche that seems to be growing. It might be worth looking into for some of our clients.

Forgive my late blogging – I’ve just gotten back from the spring meeting of the Upstate New York Special Libraries Association meeting, right here in Albany. Our topic was “Career Building and Staying Relevant in Trying Economic Times" and we had a great variety of speakers, focusing on professional growth and managing your career. We had an information professional focus, but these topics are helpful for anyone, no matter what industry or employment status. These aren’t new totally new ideas, but it’s nice to be reminded and reinvigorated. Here are just a few things that I came away with today: Say “yes” to new opportunities, even if they are scary. Volunteer for them even. Spend a small amount of time, one hour a week, focusing on career development and building your network. Evaluate your skill set and compare it to what today’s job postings are looking for, even if you’re not on the job market. Determine professional development opportunities to fill in your gaps. Be p

On April 16, the New York State Department of Labor released March 2009 statistics on unemployment. Below is information from the website, along with links to valuable reports. "Since March 2008, the number of nonfarm jobs (private plus public sectors) in New York State decreased by 165,900, or 1.9 percent, and the number of private sector jobs decreased by 161,600, or 2.2 percent. Additional industry detail is presented in the table below." Industries With Job Gains: Educational & Health Services (+ 30,100) Other Services (+ 1,300) Industries With Job Losses: Trade, Transportation & Utilities (- 51,300) Manufacturing (- 37,000) Professional & Business Services (- 36,400) Financial Activities (- 30,200) Construction (- 24,300) Information (- 9,300) Government (- 4,300) Leisure & Hospitality (- 4,300) Natural Resources & Mining (- 200) "New York State's unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) was 8.1 percent in March 2009, down from 8.4 percent

There was an article in the April 2, 2009 Wall Street Journal entitled What Do Labels Really Tell You? - As Eco-Seals Proliferate, So Do Doubts by Gwendolyn Bounds. From the article: As green marketing has proliferated, so has the number of "eco-labels" competing to be the environmental equivalent of a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. According to the Web site ecolabelling.org, there are more than 300 such labels putting a green stamp on everything from cosmetics and seafood to bird-friendly coffee... Some label programs...require independent verification of product manufacturers' green claims. But many others don't, partly because of cost and manpower, they say. The result: increasing confusion among consumers about the veracity of green marketing promises and a growing sense that the federal government may need to take a stronger role in shaping standards people widely recognize and trust... Some advocating a federal role point to organic food as a potential mod

This week, I handled three separate requests for SBDC clients to locate venture capital firms who might be interested in their business concepts. This might be just a coincidence, or a reflection on difficulties each had in pursuing "conventional" lending avenues. Regardless of why it happened, it was a disconcerting coincidence to also read this week a press release from the National Venture Capital Association (whose website provides links to data cited in the release). It's a five-page document, but the gist of the message is grimly summed up in its title: "Venture Capital Investment Plummets in Q1 2009 to 12 Year Low" The decline was consistent across all the industries measured in the report, as well as across every business development stage. The comments of Mark Heesen, president of the NVCA, are meant to provide reassurance: "While this drop in investment is significant, we are not forecasting levels to continue to fall further. We would expect a