New York SBDC Research Network

According to a recent survey from the University of California, San Diego, U.S. household consumed about 3.6 zettabytes of information in 2008. A zettabyte is 1,000,000,000 trillion bytes, and last year's 3.6 zettabytes are the information equivalent of thick paperback novels stacked seven feet tall over the whole U.S., including Alaska. So that's a lot of information. More interesting is where that information is coming from. Computer games, TV and movie-going were the largest sources of information consumed, and Americans spent 16% of their information hours on the internet , second only to their 41% watching TV . Read the full report here: How Much Information? 2009 Report on American Consumers

'Tis the season to point out The Bloom Report , a website that covers the toy industry that was pointed out to me by Walter Reid (in our Farmingdale office). Walter, who had worked in the toy industry for several years, calls this "the best free resource for information on the toy industry that I have come across." If it's that good enough for Walter, then I feel obliged to pass word of it on here. The site (which requires free registration) is useful mostly for its dedication to linking to nearly every toy-related item in that industry's trade publications. Philip Bloom, its creator, has been in the toy industry in some capacity since the 1950s, and this website seems to be a new outlet for the knowledge that he's accumulated. Yes, registering for it will require yet another user ID and password, but please keep this site in mind to refer to any toy store (or toy invention) clients that you meet.

The last two years have seen a decrease in business loans from lending institutions, despite the best efforts of the government and other organizations that assist businesses with securing financing. Below are some articles that can help you secure a loan for your small business. Come Prepared - Small businesses can improve the chances of getting a bank loan by laying the groundwork (The Albany Business Review) Trust Me - For entrepreneurs looking to gain credibility, it's often the little things that count (The Wall Street Journal) How to secure financing for your small business (SmallBusiness.com)

Spending may not be where it was, but it looks like we are inching up ever so slightly with upper incomes leading the pack as would be expected. Apparently we are now in the "new normal". You can see this Gallup research here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/124634/Upper-Income-Spending-Reverts-New-Normal.aspx They are not especially optimistic, saying this may be the look of things to come for some time. For retailers, small businesses, and the companies that supply and support them, a new normal spending pattern can mean complex changes involving downscaling, upselling (people taking advantage to buy upscale for less), inventory management, and people-related adjustments. The U.S. economy is designed to allow the private sector to make such adjustments in order to optimize performance when faced with such a rapidly changing business environment. Of course, the same does not apply to maintaining the social safety net, particularly in the face of double-digit unemployment and e

Children of all ages are now able to track Santa live through a variety of social media services and OnStar, thanks to updates to the North American Aerospace Defense Command's annual Santa tracking public service. New this year, children and the young-at-heart can track Santa through mobile devices and the Internet via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, TroopTube.mil and OnStar. To follow Santa on these Web sites, users should type @noradsanta into the search engine. Dedicated Santa trackers who are also OnStar subscribers can follow the jolly old elf in their vehicles by pushing the blue OnStar button to get status reports on Santa’s whereabouts. The NORAD Tracks Santa Web site, www.noradsanta.org , is now live and features holiday games and activities that change daily. The Web site is available in seven languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese. On Dec. 24, the Web site will stream videos, captured by NORAD “Santa Cams,” from cities along Santa

I'm taking a break from traditional posts directly relevant to our small business clients to mention that I began my holiday shopping in earnest last Saturday afternoon. Like most folks, I find myself unable to think of something worthwhile for certain people in my family. They're usually recipients of a gift card (given with love, of course). Being a librarian, though, I should have realized that research has been done on the various types of gift cards. This chart shows the features of the most popular types of cards (such as whether it's renewable, whether it requires a PIN, whether it expires, and so on). And, remember, it's the thought that counts.

Running a family-owned business certainly has it's appeals and drawbacks. Working day-in and day-out with your closest relatives creates the opportunity for honest dialogue and a wonderful team environment where everyone knows their duties. It can also lead to disagreements over minute business decisions, constant bickering both at work and at home, and in a worst case scenario, even the failure of the business. Below are a few articles I have read recently that discuss owning a family-owned business and how to work AND get along with your family. Family Business - Something Has to Change, So Do It (Baltimore Business Journal) Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (Inc.) Running a Family Business is Tricky, But You Can Do It (USA Today)