New York SBDC Research Network

WASHINGTON— Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the availability of a preparedness guide designed to assist small businesses in planning for the possibility of an H1N1 flu outbreak this fall. "Small Business owners should take the time to create a plan, talk with their employees and make sure they are prepared for flu season," said Mills. "For countless small businesses, having even one or two employees out for a few days has the potential to negatively impact operations and their bottom line. A thoughtful plan will help keep employees and their families healthy, as well as protect small businesses and local economies." Outbreaks of H1N1 flu are occurring now across the country and will likely coincide with the return of seasonal flu this fall and winter. The preparedness guide offers small business employers tools and information to help them plan for and respond flexibly

Here's an article that appeared in yesterday's "Small Business" section on CNNMoney's website, titled " What's Your Idea Worth? " It features a website called the USA National Innovation Marketplace , the result of a partnership between the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Planet Eureka!, the website of a consulting firm started by a private entrepreneur named Doug Hall. There are no shortage of matchmaking sites on the web. The stated innovation of this site is its use of a proprietary business simulation system known as Merwyn. In the words of the article, it "uses algorithms and human analysts to estimate the business potential of new product designs". The site also presents descriptions of inventions in plain language, avoiding the "geekspeak" that is an occupational hazard (and hindrance) to those seeking manufacturers of their creations. The site also enables manufacturers to seek technologies that will enable them

According to a May 2009 report from The Radicati Group, there are 1.4 billion email users in 2009, with some 247 billion emails are sent each day in 2009. But how many of these emails are effectively communicating the intended message? We have all heard about problems that can arise from using email, including loss of context and information overload. Writing an email that not only makes the point that you were going for, while also being short and sweet, is an art form. Below are articles that can help you write an email to deliver the intended message. Email Writing Tips Five Tips for Writing Email that Gets Read What Your Sign-off is Really Saying

Tired of the same old clip art? Bored with the usual stock photo people? How about a Garbage Pail Kid card to brighten up your blog post? (This one didn't seem too tasteless, and I am cold.) Even if Garbage Pail Kids aren't your thing, check out Mashable's list of 13 Fantastic and Fun Image Generators . Creating your own warning signs, magazine covers, movie posters, presidential seal, or comic book page, may be just what your next publication calls for.

From Hill Library : The Internet Intelligence IndexTM can assist you in gathering information to support your competitive intelligence efforts. It contains information from a variety of sources, including links to over 600 intelligence-related Internet sites, covering everything from macro-economic data to individual patent and stock quote information. The Internet Intelligence IndexTM is divided into three main categories: General Business Internet Resources, Industry-Internet Resources, and International Internet Resources. The Index is compiled by Fuld & Company, a top research and consulting firm in the areas of business and competitive intelligence.

Clients come to the NYS SBDC with business ideas ranging from the norm to the weirdest business you can think of, and then some. While we never want to discourage an individual from following their dream, the reality is that not all small businesses will succeed. Often times the more specialized business ideas have more of a chance than the norm because the norm is what everyone else is doing. Yahoo Small Business recently published an article on the 7 Most Overrated Businesses . "The problem: Many would-be entrepreneurs are drawn to businesses they like to patronize or the ones that are cheapest and easiest to start. Instead, experts argue, aspiring entrepreneurs should create firms in which they have professional experience so they have a competitive advantage in the market." So if you were thinking about starting one of these types of business and I have now discouraged you, what can you do now? Well, you can check out the Most Successful U.S. Startups 2008 . Or, if you ar

The collection of document templates on Google Docs seems to have increased - or I haven't been paying attention. For those with streamlined resources, they have a number of nice small business invoice templates on there, business plan impact statement, 24 month sales forecast, a presentation, project managament schedule , work schedules, budgets, business cards, cover sheets, and a "contact us" website form. Even with no money, a new business owner can pull a pretty sharp package together, even if it means sifting through some junk.