Blog
November 9, 2011 - 3:30pm
Accelerating innovation is the key to creating
more high-wage jobs. And the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
will play a significant role in helping federal labs and U.S. industry speed up
the innovation process under a new Presidential Memorandum issued Oct. 28.
Through its existing role coordinating the
Interagency Workgroup on Technology Transfer, NIST will help lead agencies with
federal laboratories to develop plans that establish performance goals to
increase the number and pace of effective technology transfer and
November 9, 2011 - 9:42am
It was a scary Halloween weekend for those living on the Eastern seaboard as many plans were pre-empted by a massive and unseasonably heavy snowstorm. Travel was halted as more than 30 inches of snow fell in some places. More than two million homes and businesses lost power as snapped tree branches toppled power lines, and several fatalities were reported. Just a few days earlier, parts of Colorado and southwestern Wyoming were hit by heavy snows, unusual for late October.
November 9, 2011 - 6:59am
Getting ready to enter the commercial real estate market? In an earlier article, I outlined 6 Tips for Negotiating a Commercial Property Lease without Getting Burned. If you are looking to rent or buy space for your small business, it’s well worth knowing some of the common terms that are used widely in this industry so that you and your real estate agent are talking the same language.
From abatements to zoning ordinances there are literally hundreds of commercial real estate terms that span the dictionary. Here are 10 of the most common terms you should acquaint yourself with.
November 7, 2011 - 7:17am
How does your business cope with the peaks and valleys of increased workload? By hiring the expertise of subcontractors, independent contractors, or freelancers to handle your extra work, your business can quickly scale up without creating a lot of additional overhead.
However, to realize these savings it’s critical that you understand the pros and cons of working with subcontractors, and the hows of finding the right one for your needs. Here are five tips and considerations to help you assess your hiring strategy.
How Much Money Can You Save?
November 3, 2011 - 2:52pm
Has the state of the economy affected your company’s bottom line? Sales down? Looking for new customers? Consider breaking into a huge new market by going global. After all, 95 percent of the world’s customers live outside the U.S.
You might be thinking: “Export? Me? I don’t think so.” Worried about regulations, currency exchanges, customs and international law? SBA is here to help.
November 3, 2011 - 8:55am
Many consider email marketing as the de facto way to generate leads—just think of the countless offers and specials you get in your personal Inbox daily. But email marketing is more than that, it’s a general outreach tactic that every business can benefit from to help improve brand awareness, promote events and compliment your social media efforts.
Is Email Marketing Still a Valid Tactic?
There’s been a lot of debate too about whether social media has replaced email marketing as a primary marketing communication tool for businesses. The truth is there is room for both.
November 2, 2011 - 5:00pm
Guest blog post by Assistant Secretary for Trade Promotion and Director General for the U.S.
and Foreign Commercial Service Suresh KumarI’m
proud to be speaking at the 30th District Export Council Conference
(DEC), in Las Vegas, Nevada. We have more than 40 DECs represented from
across the country at the conference this year. The DECs are comprised of
business leaders from around the country who are nominated by the U.S.
Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service (often in consultation with other
DEC members and local partner organizations) and appointed by the Secretary of
November 2, 2011 - 4:01pm
The idea behind surety bonding is simple and direct. One person, or entity, guarantees to another that a third person will perform a contract according to its terms. Historical records show a personal surety assuring Pharaoh that a farmer will place an agreed upon amount of grain, of a specific quality, and by a certain date, into Pharaoh’s coffers.
November 2, 2011 - 4:00pm
When President Barack Obama
signed the America Invents Act (AIA) into law six weeks ago, he did more than
just implement the largest patent reform since 1836. The AIA aims to help small
business secure patent protection for their inventions in a variety of ways.
The Act offers not only favorable legal provisions, but also establishes
studies and programs to further investigate how Congress may assist small
businesses in the future. The provisions in the AIA help simplify the patent
law, promote the disclosure of inventions, and establish procedures to remove
November 2, 2011 - 12:00pm
Cross
post by Commerce Chief Economist Mark DomsLast week’s gross domestic product (GDP) report confirmed that our economy continues to grow (2.5 percent
in the third quarter), although not as quickly as we would like. The
fears of a “double dip” recession didn’t come to pass (if anyone in the
DC area is interested in a triple dip, head to Ben and Jerry’s from 4 to
7 for their 3-dips-for-3-bucks special.). One reason why the economy
isn’t growing faster is that budget constraints are forcing continued
and historically deep contractions in state and local government