New York SBDC Research Network

"Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of the Google Chrome OS according to Google's blog Post, " Introducing the Google Chrome OS ." "Google positioned the new Chrome Operating System as the 'natural extension' of Chrome, the Internet browser Google introduced to acclaim in 2008 and which now has 30 million users" according to " Google vs. Microsoft: Net giant readies own operating system ," a USA Today article. Google Chrome OS is an open-source operating system with clear goals: provide easy, fast access to the Internet, where computer users spend a lot of time. Google plans to release the open-source code later this year and the operating system might be seen on netbooks in 2010.

You've probably seen some silly or entertaining tidbit on youtube but the amount of truly useful information on there is growing. I was happy to find a demonstration of how to put my lawnmower together after I re-read the instructions and still wasn't clear on what they wanted me to do. I searched for the brand on youtube and up popped a video showing the thing. When I wanted to understand how cement patios were repaired I could watch someone talk through the process and explain the differences between the different products. It is a great resource for businesses to demonstrate how a product is used or assembled. Instead of leaving a help desk number as the only recourse when there is a problem, a web address for an informational video might be more useful. Complementary health practitioners could show how ear candling or neti pots work or a autobody work specialist can demonstrate how they remove dents. Instructional videos can be another loop in the business-owner's marke

Did you know that most entrepreneurs were married and had children when they started their businesses? Would you guess that a little more than half of new business owners had interest in becoming entrepreneurs during their college years? How about that the average birth order of entrepreneurs is 2.2 and the average number of siblings is 3.1? These are just some of the interesting factoids from the July 2009 Kauffman report, “ The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur : Family Background and Motivation .” This study examined the backgrounds, life histories and motivations of 549 company founders from a variety of industries, generating a different perspective on today’s entrepreneur . But what’s the future of entrepreneurialism in the U.S.? We’re counting on small businesses to help us out of the recession, but the age distribution of our population is getting older. What’s going to happen to entrepreneurialism in this country when there are fewer young people to start businesses? Do

"What was once known colloquially as Cash for Clunkers has been given the official government name of CARS – Car Allowance Rebate System . As soon as President Obama signed the bill, scammers were already thinking up ways to take advantage of the system. Here’s an explanation of how the new law works and how you can take advantage of it legally." Also From the official website - primary color, not shockingly, is green. While the CARS Act makes transactions on and after July 1 potentially eligible for credits under the CARS program, interested dealers and consumers may want to wait until all of the detailed issues that must be addressed in the implementing regulations are resolved and the final rule is issued. Issuance will occur around July 23. Important Things to Know *Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date *Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify *Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo

For many months after learning about the social networking tool Twitter, I failed to see its benefit for small business owners. I have since developed a new outlook on Twitter and its usefulness. In the past, when I discovered information that was not only incredibly pertinent to our clients and business advisors but also time-sensitive, I would ponder ways to distribute the information in a useful and timely manner. Now I "tweet". Below are articles that will help you "tweet" to the maximum effect. How to Tweet to be Useful, Helpful, and Get Re-Tweeted" Social Media is How You Need to Communicate A Businessperson's Guide to Using Twitter

I read an article in USA Today Written by Edward C. Baig, " Google vs. Bing: Bing holds its own in search-off ." In the article, Baig compares Bing and Google and identifies some pros and cons of each. He admitted he " Googled 'Bing versus Google'" but it did not occur to him to Bing the search. It seems Google users are conditioned; Googling is a way of life. It is, after all, a verb in the Merriam-Webster dictionary . When Bing entered the playing field, about a month ago, I ignored it due to my instinct to Google and my comfort with Google's familiarity. After reading Baig's article, I decided to take a closer look at Bing. To start, I Binged "Bing versus Google" and came across www.google-vs-bing.com . This site offers a side by side comparison of each search engine for users. After some time on both Google and Bing, Bing is starting to grow on me. I prefer the layout of Bing over Google; it is easy to navigate with fewer

Inc. Magazine has a tool called the Profitability Report or How Does Your Company Stack Up?, a calculator to determine whether or not your company is measuring up as compared to their compiled financial data on privately held companies across a number of industries. Put in your annual revenue and it will calculate what your numbers should look like. If you click on any of the industry links, it will run down gross profit margin, EBITDA margin, return on equity/assets, accounts receivable days, operating profit/sales. It is guide created by Sageworks who do benchmarks for private companies.