Good news for small business owners: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama in February 2009, which is the first step in mending an ailing economy. The benefits of the bill will provide $730 million to the SBA to reach out to small businesses in need of funding in order to stay afloat or begin operations. The bill’s funding includes a number of lending and investment programs that will enable small business owners to flourish in an economy that lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008. The programs provided by the bill entail:

• $375 million for temporarily eliminating fees on SBA-backed loans and raising SBA’s guarantee percentage on some loans to 90%
• $255 million for a new loan program to help small businesses meet existing debt payments
• $30 million for expanding SBA’s Microloan Program, which is enough to finance up to $50 million in new lending and $24 million in technical assistance grants to micro-lenders
• $20 million for technology systems to streamline SBA’s lending and oversight processes
• $15 million for expanding SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee Program
• $25 million for staffing in order to meet demands for new programs
• $10 million for the Office of Inspector General

The Small Business Administration (SBA) (www.sba.gov) offers a variety of assistance through its website to provide business owners with the help they need in order to succeed in their journey. Among the top lending programs include debt financing (loans), equity financing, and surety bonds. Although the SBA does not provide grant money, which typically is given to non-profit entities, it does provide a multitude of helpful resources to obtain or apply for a grant. A grant may be something to consider in the future, but for any business that is in the process of commencing operations first needs financing in order to move forward. Loan programs such as “equity financing” and “surety bonds” may sound like a foreign language, but can be easily understood by visiting the SBA website or reaching out to a well-versed business mentor or coach.

SBA loan applications must obtain the following documentation for a loan request evaluation: a business profile, loan request, collateral, business financial statements, and personal financial statements. No need to panic – there are plenty of helpful avenues for assistance. Visit www.sba.gov, www.score.org, and www.recovery.gov to learn more and to begin the process of procuring capital for your business.

One of the most common misconceptions about going “green” is that it’s expensive.  It doesn’t need to be- in fact, conserving resources is also a great way to conserve cash.  We know- you’ve already heard that purchasing a recycling bin or emailing memos instead of printing them can add up to huge savings (yeah-just like you’ll be able to save for retirement in just a short while by skipping that daily $5 latte).  But a big impact doesn’t require big changes to the way you work already- it can be as simple as using your existing office copier to scan paper documents.  Here are a few quick and easy changes that can help you in your effort to go green(er) at the office:

Buy refurbished supplies. Keyboards, mice (mouses?) monitors, and other equipment can be purchased on the cheap from retailers that deal in refurbished equipment.  You can also go the DIY recycling route and look for deals on eBay and craigslist.  Or trade in used equipment when you’re done using it.

Buy earth-friendly materials.  You can’t plead ignorance anymore- you know what’s in that printer ink, and how much waste is created by throw-away cartridges!  Use “solid” ink and other earth-friendly materials: recycled paper, biodegradable packaging components, and other office staples usually cost the same as the less earth-friendly options.

Buy sparingly. Studies show that our consumption habits are based not so much on actual need, but availability of resources.  Office supply closet stocked with paper, ink, and toner at all times?  People will use it- and not think twice about accidentally printing a second copy.  Closet looks like it needs a refill?  People conserve.

Track use. Most office copier machines have tracking functions, where you can tell which department or employee is printing, and how much.  Use these features to your advantage by targeting the most wasteful offenders.

Bring your own dishes. Disposable food containers are one of the chief sources of non-recycled waste.  Americans alone reportedly throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles hourly. Keep real silverware and dishes on hand, and invest in a travel coffee mug- most coffee shops will even give you a discount for using it.

…Or walk to lunch.  Good rule: if the lunchtime taco/sushi/burger place is less than a mile away, walk there.  It won’t take longer than driving and finding a good parking space, and you’ll feel a lot lighter and more energetic when you get back to work.

Use less paper. Use printed sheets you no longer need as “scratch” paper for notes.  This is really easy- you can set up a “scratch paper” bin by the printer that anyone can take from as needed.  Bonus- stumbling on juicy office gossip when people accidentally discard emails they probably shouldn’t have printed (From: Kate in Payroll.  To: Jim in Sales. Subject: Last Night.  Hmm…)

Use less paper, part II. Get a credit card processing terminal that has an electronic signature capture device so you don’t need to print a receipt for every transaction.  Many customers will actually decline a printed receipt if asked- so ask them!

Send emails. Email marketing is cheap, easy, and fast.  Don’t waste paper when you don’t need to: email customer invoices, order summaries, and other correspondences.  They’ll probably thank you for making a dent in their junk mail pile.

Use online invoicing and payroll services. Instead of giving each employee a paper check inside an envelope twice a month, set up a direct deposit service with a payroll outsourcing company.  Most services start at as little as a few dollars per check- less than the cost of printing and mailing.

Turn off the lights. Yeah, it sounds like something your cheap grandpa would say- probably because it actually does save money on electricity costs.

Switch to electronic document storage. Download a free document management program and use your existing office copier to scan documents.

It’s that time of year again- Comic-Con descends on Southern California this week for it’s 40th Anniversary Convention.  Why all the fuss about trade show displays?  For one, Comic-Con is fun- from sneak television and movie previews to presentations by award winning authors, the show doesn’t have the feel of your typical industry convention.  So in the spirit of Comic-Con week, here are a few tips to make the most of your big trade show event:

Plan ahead for sales. Are you planning to sell products or take orders at the show?  If you already have a merchant account, make sure you have a mobile credit card terminal, or if your display is equipped with a computer and monitor, an online payment mechanism that customers can use.  At the last minute, you can always download a credit card processing application to your iPhone to accept payments.

Prepare a press release. Create buzz before the event by announcing a new product, a new partnership, a new strategy…you can submit press releases to media sources directly or use a paid service like PR newswire to get the word out.

Send e-mail blasts. If you can get a list of registered attendees or industry professionals that will be attending the show, send an email a few weeks ahead of time about your exhibit.  A general flier is okay, but personalized emails with an attached flier are better- especially for bloggers (who might write about your business) or current customers (who you want to build a relationship with).  Keep e-mail marketing materials compelling by including a special offer or discount if a recipient visits your display booth.

Put social media tools to work. This one is pretty obvious: Twitter, Facebook, and your business blog are all free and easy ways to publicize your show appearance.

Use old-school tactics, too. Sure, e-mail blasts and social media are great for building brand awareness, but old-fashioned strategies like direct mail marketing still work wonders.  Make sure you send mailers out well in advance (at least 4 weeks before the event) especially if you plan to offer special deals or product samples at the show.  Mailers should encourage attendees to visit your booth to redeem a special offer, check out a new product, register for a discount offering, etc.

Re-think promotional materials. Don’t just pay someone to hand out fliers without carefully considering their content and message.  At a trade show, everyone is handing out promotional materials- your goal is to stand out among the crowd by encouraging interaction at your display and conversation with potential sales leads, customers, vendors, and industry taste-makers.  Make sure anything you’re distributing is worth the cost to produce.

Plan your display. Whether you’re attending a nationally prominent event like Comic-Con or a smaller, regional show, you’ll need an exhibit that stands out to visitors.  If you’ve never attended a trade show before, this can be tough- check out our Buyer Guide to trade show exhibits to start, and then work with vendors to prepare your exhibit based on your requirements.  Once you’ve got all equipment, do a “test run” putting up and taking down a pop-up display, or do a run-through with your exhibit staff before the show if you have a larger, more complex display.

Get visitor information. At the show, make sure you have a method for collecting contact information from exhibit visitors.  Then extend your marketing efforts beyond the show itself: take pictures at the show and post them on your website, send follow up emails- re-connecting is easy if you plan for it ahead of time.

The best exhibits are those that aren’t overly focused on selling, collecting lead information, or following a specific script or procedure.  Be welcoming- make your exhibit a fun place to hang out.  Some shows- especially those like Comic-Con- have a large audience that’s just there for fun.  Planning ahead for your show efforts will ensure that you’re able to relax and have a great time.

Even if you missed Google’s official announcement last week you’ve probably heard by now: Google Chrome, an operating system designed to work seamlessly with the Google Chrome browser, will roll out in 2010.  Chrome is the company’s attempt to “re-think what operating systems should be-” it relies on cloud computing, and will be targeted at net books- inexpensive laptop computers purchased mostly for internet use.

It’s been a big year for Google.  In addition to announcing Chrome, they also unveiled Google Voice- by invite only, naturally- after purchasing the GrandCentral online phone service.  Google Voice isn’t quite as revolutionary as Chrome, though it has plenty of fans already.  Both Google Voice and Chrome are free, and provide most-if not more- of the features of competitors who charge for services.  A small business owner’s dream, right?  Cutting-edge services that offers professional functionality and easy user interface…for free?  Did Google just become your business’ new best friend?

Here’s an overview of these products and how they can have a big impact on your business:

Chrome- What Makes An Operating System So Important?
The operating system is one of the most basic components of your computer- chances are, you use a Microsoft OS if you’re using a PC (most business owners do).  The cost of the operating software alone can send the cost of a new computer into the thousands- you need to pay for the software itself, plus a license for each user.  Google Chrome, which uses cloud-computing technology, is free.

This means you can purchase net books, used, or refurbished computers- saving big on hardware costs.  Research company DisplaySearch has already reported a large surge in net books to retail outlets, anticipating that around 32.7 million will be sold next year- up from 16.4 million this year.

Using a cloud computing based OS (Operating System) is not only less expensive; it also allows more flexibility for business owners that travel or that work from the field.  You’ll have more data storage available at a less expensive cost, and are not tied to licensed products.  Ever tried to open a document that someone stored in WordPerfect?  A seamless OS/Browser experience eliminates this problem.  You can’t download WordPerfect or other Microsoft programs immediately, but you can install Google Docs or Open Office - two completely free office applications that create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations as easily as the Microsoft programs many of us are used to- in seconds.

Chrome isn’t available yet- it’s set to roll out at some point next year.  If you’re holding off making a computer purchase or upgrading operating software, waiting until then could be a good idea.

Voice- The Future of Phone Systems?
Voice is the new, Google-branded version of the GrandCentral technology the company purchased two years ago.  Google Voice works similarly to GrandCentral’s service model- you choose a phone number (the example on the Google blog shows how you can choose a number that spells out words) and program your own mobile devices or IP-enabled phones to ring when it is called, similar to most basic VoIP phone systems.

Voice has a host of cool features that are ideal for business owners: You can store voice messages and make calls using your computer, automatically transcribe voicemails for viewing as an email (enabling you to search emails and voicemails based on certain key words), and program certain phones to ring (office, home) based on who is calling.  Business owners who want a “mobile office” will be served well.  You’ll still need to pay for cell phone service in order to have your calls, texts, and data routed to your mobile device, similar to the way most other VoIP telephone systems operate.  Google Voice is currently available to past GrandCentral users and the general population by invitation only.

The New “Empire”?
Google’s motto, “Don’t be evil,” is often seen as sarcastic reference to Microsoft’s (the “evil empire”) industry domination.  A recent article in the Los Angeles Times pointed out this irony as Google introduces more and more products that are designed to work with other Google offerings.  Many worry about the security risks involved when one source is relied upon for every key business operation- especially when data is stored using cloud computing.  Time will tell if Google has plans to usurp Microsoft or even follow their established model for obtaining a customer monopoly over certain segments.  For now, enjoy the competition between the two- it seems to be producing better options for all small business owners.

While Microsoft is busy fighting the search engine war, it might be losing ground on another front: Use of Microsoft’s internet Explorer has dropped below the 60% mark, dropping from 62.09 % to 59.49 % in June.  It seems like some who jumped the Microsoft ship are switching to Firefox- the free, open-source, downloadable browser that launched version 3.5 weeks ago.  As Internet Explorer’s market share dropped, Firefox’s increased: from 28.75% to 30.33%.  One of the appealing features of Firefox is the add-ons, or plug-ins, that work with the browser.  Here are some top picks:

Brief: A tool for RSS feeds that makes following your favorite sites, bloggers, and news items as easy and uncluttered as possible.  Feeds are presented on a single page, where you can easily tag, bookmark, and modify the appearance of specific feeds- for example, headlines only.

Read It Later: Have you ever come across a page or article that didn’t quite warrant a bookmark, but that you didn’t have time to read immediately?  Enter Read It Later, a tool that allows you to save pages temporarily for later review.  You can read saved pages online and access your saved list from any mobile device.

Googlepedia: Automatically adds a Wikipedia search to to all of your google searches. Great for when you want to know what something is (a manufacturing process, a company, a brand name) rather than sort through blogs or sites that just talk about it.

Search Cloudlet: Displays the most used search words in a “cloud” on top of your google searches, giving you hints about what to search for next if a particular query doesn’t return the results you want.

TwitterFox: Adds a Twitter icon to your status bar that lets you “tweet,” plus keeps you up-to-date on friend’s Twitter status easily.

Tab Mix Plus: The ultimate tab manager, this tool lets you control which links open in tabs and windows down to the most personalized detail- you can easily keep track of which tabs you haven’t viewed, undo “close tab” in case you accidentally lose information, and much, much more.

XMarks: According to Firefox, it’s the #1 bookmarking add-on.  Xmarks allows you to keep bookmarks and passwords synchronized across all browsers, computers, and devices you use, as well as offering a host of search and social-media friendly features.

DownloadThemAll: A must for anyone who downloads big files or multiple files at once.  DownThemAll is the ultimate high-powered download manager, featuring download acceleration (up to 400 percent!) and the option to pause/resume downloads, among other features.

Download Status Bar: If you don’t need as much download power as DownloadThemAll provides, Download Status Bar is great- it allows you to see download status in your status bar, rather than a separate window.

SmarterFox: What business owner or entrepreneur doesn’t wish they had more hours in each day?  SmarterFox can’t suspend time, but it comes close in terms of adding minutes to your day.  This tool makes everything you do online faster- searching, copy-and-pasting, and bookmarking favorite sites, all take up less time than they would using a traditional browser without the add-on.

Speed Dial: Speed Dial works the same as on a telephone -you can quickly and easily access the websites you visit most often.

New Firefox add-ons are constantly being developed (you can check the add-ons tab on your toolbar for the most recent updates to yours), and this is by no means an inclusive list.  Feel free to remind us of any add-ons you’re using.