GE Partners With Avery Dennison To Commercialize Radio Frequency Sensor Technology
GE, acting through its Technology Ventures operation, recently announced its intent to commercialize GE’s Radio Frequency Sensing technology (RFS) through a commercial license to the RFID division of Avery Dennison
Read more on RFIDSolutions-RFIDSolutionsOnline

Buffalo Grove, IL (PRWEB) April 28, 2005

A majority of small businesses are feeling the heat of higher fuel costs according to the latest International Profit Associates Small Business Research Board (IPA SBRB) poll. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the small businesses responding to the nationwide IPA SBRB poll said they are feeling the impact of rising fuel costs.

However, small business owners and managers are split on whether to pass on the increase to their customers with 48% saying they are passing on part or all of the increase and 52% indicating they are not, according to the IPA SBRB poll. This means about one-third of all those surveyed say they are passing on higher fuels costs to their customers.

A variety of comments from the small business owners surveyed indicate that they are aware of the impact of increasing fuel costs and looking for ways to deal with the issue. Some businesses are passing on at least part of the increase by adjusting the cost of service or materials or adding a specific fuel surcharge. Some businesses say that tight competition prevents them from passing on the increases. One of the poll participants, a business with a truck fleet, is replacing trucks with more fuel efficient models. Many owners indicated that for the present time they are absorbing the increased costs.

“Small business owners and managers are caught in an environment where costs are escalating and margins are being squeezed,” said Gregg Steinberg, President of International Profit Associates, the largest privately-held provider of management consulting services to small and medium-size businesses in North America. “As we celebrate National Small Business Week, small businesses need to proactively implement variable pricing strategies to maximize both revenue generation and profit potential.”

The International Profit Associates Small Business Research Board ascertains the opinions of small business owners and managers on a wide variety of topics related to their own businesses as well as national and international issues that may impact their operations.

Participants in the poll provide feedback on significant issues and allow for real-time insight into the state of small businesses nationwide. The universe of participants is developed from among small businesses across the United States. More than 220 small businesses owners and senior managers participated in this IPA SBRB poll. The IPA SBRB study is a voluntary survey conducted via phone and email. The poll was structured and supervised through an independent resource.

The latest information about the IPA Small Business Research Board can be found at www.ipasbrb.com.

International Profit Associates, Inc. ( IPA ) is the largest privately-held provider of management consulting services to small and medium-size businesses in North America. IPA and its more than 1,800 professionals offer a wide range of proven and innovative methodologies to help businesses grow and prosper regardless of the economic cycle. IPA either provides directly or through its affiliated companies a comprehensive array of business advisory services, tax and estate planning services or merger, acquisition and other financial advisory services in the United States and Canada.

More information about IPA can be found at www.ipa-iba.com.

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Buffalo Grove, IL (PRWEB) February 3, 2006

As 2006 begins, American small business is nearly as confident as it was at the beginning of 2005, reversing a pessimistic trend that had gained momentum during 2005, according to a new study from the International Profit Associates Small Business Research Board (IPA SBRB).

Small business expectations about revenue growth, the general economy and hiring are now measured in the IPA Small Business Confidence Index (IPA SBCI). In the current survey, the index stands at 52. Small business is nearly as confident as it was in the first quarter of 2005, when the index stood at 55.3. The IPA SBCI now becomes a component of all future IPA SBRB surveys.

“We developed the IPA Small Business Confidence Index to provide an ongoing view of the business climate from the small business perspective each quarter,” said Gregg Steinberg, President of International Profit Associates, the largest privately-held provider of management consulting and professional services to small and medium-size businesses in North America. “The index will also show how small businesses are reacting and responding to swings in economic and business conditions over time.”

Small business is far more optimistic about the economy than in the last quarter of 2005. In the current survey, 49% say the general economy will be better for the next twelve months compared to just 26% in the previous survey. This is slightly less confident than the 53% who saw a better economy for 2005 at the beginning last year.

Small businesses expect to increase hiring during 2006. In the current survey, 40% say they expected to increase hiring in 2006. This doubles the number from the October 2005 IPA SBRB survey when only 20% of small business owners and senior managers felt they would increase hiring during the following twelve months. This is slightly less than a year ago in the January 2005 IPA SBRB survey when 42% said they would be hiring during 2005.

In the current survey, 67% of small businesses feel their revenue will increase in 2006.     At the beginning of 2005, 71% felt their revenue would increase for the year. In the current survey, 56% said their revenue actually increased for all of 2005.

Fuel and energy costs are firmly entrenched as a major concern to small business. Fuel costs are cited by 13% of the respondents as the single issue that will have the greatest impact on their businesses this year. When asked which single issue will have the greatest impact on their business in 2006, the small businesses surveyed identified these as their top concerns:

Economic conditions 27%

Energy/Fuel costs 13%

Finding quality employees 13%

Healthcare costs 11%

Taxes 11%

“A year ago, fuel costs were not even on the list of top issues for small businesses,” Steinberg said. “Small businesses now say that it ranks with healthcare costs, finding quality employees and taxes as significant issues. It is imperative that small businesses are aware of how to control their true costs to compete in an ever-changing environment. Business must be ready to react to the unexpected.”

The International Profit Associates Small Business Research Board ascertains and reports the opinions of small business owners and managers on a wide variety of topics related to their own businesses as well as national and international issues that may impact their operations.

Participants in the poll provide feedback on significant issues and allow for real-time insight into the state of small businesses nationwide. The universe of participants is developed from among small businesses across the United States. More than 270 small business owners and senior managers participated in this IPA SBRB poll. The IPA SBRB study is a voluntary survey conducted via phone and email. The poll was structured and supervised through an independent resource.

The latest information about the IPA Small Business Research Board can be found at www.ipasbrb.com.

International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA) is the largest privately-held provider of management consulting services to small and medium-size businesses in North America.    IPA and its more than 1,800 professionals offer a wide range of proven and innovative methodologies to help businesses grow and prosper regardless of the economic cycle. IPA either provides directly or through its affiliated companies a comprehensive array of business advisory services, tax and estate planning services or merger, acquisition and other financial advisory services in the United States and Canada. More information about IPA can be found at www.ipa-iba.com.

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Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s Industrial & Environmental Section, today stated, “A newly released economic analysis shows that oil prices and speculative investments by hedge funds in agricultural commodity futures are playing the largest role in driving up food costs.”

A new study recently released by the Agricultural & Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University demonstrates that higher energy costs and $100-per-barrel oil have had the most significant impact on food and grain prices by increasing the cost of production. It also shows that speculative investment activities have increased price volatility within grain markets, raising prices for food. Due to these factors, the analysis concludes, relaxing the new Renewable Fuel Standard and reducing production of biofuels would not lower grain prices. The study is available at: http://www.afpc.tamu.edu/pubs/2/515/RR-08-01.pdf.

The 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard caps conventional ethanol production at 15 billion gallons and requires the production and use of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2022. The combined total of 36 billion gallons will amount to about 20 percent of U.S. transportation fuel needs. Next-generation biofuel technologies that use cellulosic feedstocks are currently being commercialized.

On April 18, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announced selection of pilot projects for increasing production of advanced biofuels from paper pulp, switch grass and corn residue. The small-scale biorefinery projects will develop and test new conversion technologies that can be scaled up for increased production.

“These pilot projects will utilize the newest advances in biotechnology and help to make large-scale production of biofuel from non-food sources a near-term reality,” Erickson said. “With these three projects, there are now 29 advanced biofuel refineries planned or under construction. This continuing research and development is vital to meeting the Renewable Fuel Standard’s challenge for bringing increased amounts of advanced biofuels to American consumers over the next 15 years, which will help reduce the reliance on oil that is now, ironically, affecting food prices.”

The “Advanced Biofuels & Climate Change Information Center” presents the latest commentary and data on the environmental and other impacts of biofuel production. Drop in and add your comments, at http://biofuelsandclimate.wordpress.com/.

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

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