Monday, November 12, 2012

Week 6!
Business Source Complete 
1. Do a search for available information on FM radio. Pay attention to the types of sources found.
Whoa, lots of technical stuff surfaced. However, I was intrigued with an article which said  that many talk-based traditionally AM stations (sports, all-news, etc.) are heading to FM because of the sound quality and the broader audience for FM.  For some reason, AM radio hasn't been on my radar for ages...not since I was a teenager back in the, um, late 60s and early 70s. I actually didn't realize that most of the programming there is talk-based, not music. Duh. 

2. Look for the visual search option and try it. Does it make searching easier or harder?
Visual search was pretty slow to load on my computer at home and seemed pretty confusing. I played with it for a while but didn't really get the advantages. I have to admit, I am the "try it first, then read up on it if I can't figure it out" type of learner. So off to the Help section which made the Visual Search much clearer. This time when I searched "fm radio" I looked at both the column and the block displays. I found the block display to be easier to use, especially to see the article titles without having to scroll way to the bottom of the screen. I also filtered by date for the most current results. Nifty. 

EconLit 
1. Complete a search to find resources for small business owners.
I did a search for "marketing Maine" and was pleasantly surprised to find articles written by economics experts in other countries on Maine potatoes and lobsters! 
2. Complete a search for items that pertain to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and small businesses.
This is a subject close to my heart and wallet, since my husband's schooner business and small shipyard must conform to lots of government environmental regulations...wastewater management, runoff from cleaning boat hulls on the marine railway, paint disposal, etc. I was interested to find a study which said that the larger the business the higher the expenditure per unit for pollution abatement: "We model establishments' PAOC intensity--that is, their pollution abatement operating costs per unit of economic activity--as a function of establishment size, industry, and year. Our results show that PAOC intensity increases with establishment size. We also find that larger firms spend more per unit of output than do smaller firms." 
Becker, Randy A., Carl, Jr. Pasurka, and Ronald J. Shadbegian. "Do Environmental Regulations Disproportionately Affect Small Businesses? Evidence From The Pollution Abatement Costs And Expenditures Survey." (2012): 35 pages. EconLit. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
3.Complete a search for items that pertain to tax policy and small businesses.
Here's another subject which hits close to home. I found an article entitled: Can State Tax Policies Be Used to Promote Entrepreneurial Activity?
Evidently Mainers believe that they can! Recent legislation has now exempted Maine windjammers from having to pay sales tax on supplies directly related to the operation of the vessels. This has just gone into effect. 

Regional Business News 
1. Pick a nationally known company. Search under the company’s name and look at the results.
Being a Mac addict, I searched under Apple to read up on the change of leadership in the company. 
It seems as if the decision to change leadership was well founded, and I learned some of the reasons why from a very direct article. I also learned the term "skeuomorphism," the inclusion of certain design elements that were once functional but remain simply for decoration

2. Narrow the regional search to something more appropriate for this area of the country.
Searching under Maine and technology, I was immediately envious to learn that Verizon has expanded to 4G internet services in Augusta and Waterville. Come on, Verizon! The midcoast is waiting! And you promised! Jealous. 
3. Choose a Maine company to see what information is available about either the company or its industry.
Although it is based in Canada, I searched TD Bank and was pleased to see that the bank has been planting trees from Maine to Florida, cutting down on paper use, and encouraging summer reading for kids! Way to go!

Value Line
I was interested to read that sales of seasonal beer brews are outpacing regular beer sales. We recently toured the Sam Adams Brewery outside of Boston, and we are fans. Looks as if their seasonal offerings are paying off. 
I love the phrase used in Value Line when your search is unsuccessful:  Try to relax constraints above.
I'm trying!
3. Pick a well-known stock such as Starbucks, General Motors, Apple, etc., and do a company search using either the general search box at the top of the page or “company look up.” 

Glad to see that Apple has a financial strength rating of A++. In their full report, the opening line is "Apple is still king of the hill." Talk about a positive outlook!

Wall Street Journal
Couldn't resist searching for Apple iPhone 5 to see what the buzz is all about. Apparently there are several key features which other phones offer, and Apple needs to step up to be competitive against the android phones. Bill payment and sharing media (near-field communication) are lacking. I think I'll wait for the next incarnation!
Still, sales are strong! 

1. Using the advance search feature, look for articles on small business and health care.
Lots of articles on why Romney lost the presidential election...
2. Look at how the results are returned and the suggested limiters offered by the site. What might a small business person be interested in?
I sorted by date, most recent to least. It seems as if timeliness is key.
I read an interesting and very clear article about the impact of the health care act on small business:

What The Health Care Decision Means for Your Small Business

Maltby, EmilyWall Street Journal (Online) [New York, N.Y] 28 June 2012: n/a.



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