Chase to Lower Loan Interest Rates for Some Small Biz

Chase bank said Wednesday it will lower the interest rate on a new Chase Business line of credit by 0.5 percentage points for up to three new hires made by a qualifying small business borrower.

“We encourage businesses to take advantage of the lowest interest rates in years and to create more jobs for the economy,” said Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase. “We know how important it is to help small businesses because they are core to the U.S. economy.”

The company estimated that including the discount for a new business checking account, a small-business owner could save about $4,000 over three years on an outstanding balance of about $65,000.

The offer is available to business owners who are approved for a new Chase Business Line of Credit up to $250,000 or existing business customers who increase their line of credit by $10,000 or more. Chase business checking customers will receive an additional half percent discount on their loan rate.

Chase last year announced plans to increase small-business lending by $4 billion in 2010 to $10 billion.

WomenOnBusiness Offers Free Press Release Feature

WomenOnBusiness.com has launched a new featuring allowing any woman working in the business world to submit a press release publicizing news about her business.

It's a free feature and registration is not required to submit a press release at http://www.womenonbusiness.com/submit-a-press-release/.

Press releases submitted to WomenOnBusiness.com are published in the new Business Women News section of the site: http://www.womenonbusiness.com/category/press-releases/.

“The new Business Women News Press Release Submission feature on WomenOnBusiness.com enables women to share the amazing work that they’re doing across the social Web,” said Susan Gunelius, owner of the WomenOnBusiness.com blog. “It’s a free feature that is offered for the sole purpose of helping women establish their roles as thought leaders and contributing members of the business world.”

Is Your Business Ready for International E-commerce?

The Federal Trade Commission offers a handy checklist for business owners to review when considering if they are "consumer-friendly" for international electronic commerce:

Do You Clearly Disclose on Your Web Site

About You
What kind of business you operate
Your physical business address

About the Sale
What you are selling
A list of total costs you'll collect from the customer and the currency used
Restrictions or limitations on the sale
Warranties or guaranties associated with the sale
Estimation of when the buyer should receive the order
Details about convenient and safe payment options

About Consumer Protections
Your return policy
Where a customer should call, write or e-mail with complaints or problems
The opportunity for a customer to keep a record of the transaction
Your policies on sending unsolicited e-mail solicitations to customers, including an option for consumers to decline these offers
Information about dispute resolution programs your company participates in

Do You Use Fair Business, Advertising and Marketing Practices
Do you provide truthful, accurate and clear information on your web site
Can you back up the claims you make about goods and services
Do you disclose who is sponsoring an ad if it's not otherwise clear to consumers
Do you respect consumers' choices not to receive e-mail solicitations
Do you take special care when advertising to children

Do You Use Fair Information Practices Including
Notice to consumers about information collection practices, such as personally identifiable information
Choices about how personally identifiable information is used and whether it is shared
Procedures to ensure accuracy
Security measures appropriate to the transactions on your web site

DC Goodwill Accepts Old Computers in Partnership With Dell

For any of my D.C.-area friends, Goodwill of Greater Washington has entered into a partnership with Dell, allowing Goodwill to accept any brand of computer and computer equipment.

The computers and parts are then sold to Dell, which recycles them and so keeps the electronics out of landfills.

All proceeds from the sale of these computers to Dell will support Goodwill job training. The donations are usually tax deductible. More info is at www.dcgoodwill.org.

List of Small Business Contacts at Government Agencies

If you're a small business looking to get into government contracting, it helps to know where to start and who to call.


Government agencies must put together a list of federal agency contacts acting as a liaison between the agency and small businesses, thanks to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002.

The law also requires the Office of Management and Budget to coordinate with the Small Business Administration to publish on the Internet a list of compliance assistance resources available at federal agencies for small businesses. That list (click on the link above) is a super and up-to-date resource that is posted on the Business.gov web site.

My Phone - It Takes a Lickin' But Keeps on Tickin' (But Not for Much Longer)

I know it's time to upgrade my phone. I have been pushing it off for a while but recently had a conversation that went something like this while we were driving in the car with my family:

Me: Yes, I did get that lollipop at the bank but you can't have it now. I'll get you another lollipop when we get home.

Hubby: She can have the lollipop, although it looks a little melted.

Me: But I need it.

Hubby: What? What for? I know you race around a lot from interview to event to home again, but how about a granola bar. That lollipop has seen better days.

Me: I'm using it for my phone. (I get the look from my nuclear engineer husband that I know so well. It's the look that says probably about now, yes now, the space ship will come and take her back to Planet Venus because seriously, what the hell is she talking about? Why didn't I marry someone normal like a chemical engineer?)

Me: Um, yes, I lost my stylus for my phone and that lollipop works like a charm, but I can't break off the candy part because then the stick might get stuck in my phone. I need to get a new phone anyway since it's really old and doesn't work so well. I didn't want to get a new stylus.

OK, my husband and kids are silent. The kids are still angling for the lollipop, but my husband is quiet. Thank goodness he knows how to pick his battles.

Hubby: That's really...innovative. Maybe we should have named one of our kids "Invention" and change your name to "Necessity." (Yeah I get it. Necessity is the mother of invention.) And maybe this isn't the time to bring this up, but don't you report a lot about telecom and tech?

So now I have to upgrade my phone. I liked Wired magazine's one-page graph in its July issue, page 32, that aims to answer the question in something of a tongue-in-cheek kind of way "What kind of smartphone should I buy?" If I follow the chart, it tells me to get an iPhone.

I'm not sure. That means major money, changing providers and a contract cancellation fee.
I'll keep you posted as I go on my new phone journey. It's a big purchase for me - as a reporter I'm on the phone all day, all over town.

P.S. Listen up Real Simple editors, sure I thought you were smart when you told me that I could dry a sweater in a salad spinner, but I bet I'm the first one to come up with a new technological use for a lollipop.

Saving on Energy Costs a Big Priority for Small Biz Owners

Saving on energy costs is a big priority for small business owners, shows a new study from the National Association for the Self-Employed.

50 percent of micro-business owners have made efforts to reduce their energy costs by implementing energy-saving measures in their home and business, according to the data.

40 percent of respondents indicated they had implemented energy-saving measures in their home only, while only nine percent of respondents indicated they had not undergone any energy-saving changes in their home or business.

49 percent of survey respondents indicated they were willing to undergo and pay for the implementation of energy-saving measures in their home and/or business. Of those that were unsure or unwilling to implement these measures, 46 percent indicated that this was due to cost.

59 percent of small business owners believe that policymakers should prioritize a national energy policy.

80 percent of survey respondents favored tax credits to individuals who implement specific energy-saving measures in their homes

76 percent favored grants and tax credits to small businesses to help them afford implementation of energy-saving measures in their business.

60 percent favored increasing the use of nuclear power and the creation of new power plants

61 percent favored tax subsidies to energy companies to encourage the expansion of alternative energy sources.

58 percent of respondents opposed the creation of a cap-and-trade system that would limit emissions of greenhouse gases.

Lawmakers Unveil Swipe-Fee Compromise

Lawmakers have unveiled a compromise over how to address swipe fees, the charges assessed by large banks and credit card companies on merchants that accept debit and credit card payments from their customers.

Swipe fees have long been a problem for many small businesses.

The National Small Business Association says that although the compromise doesn’t go as far as NSBA would prefer, it does offer some relief for small businesses.

“The conference committee’s swipe-fee compromise is not ideal,” said NSBA President Todd McCracken, “But at the end of the day, we’d rather take some steps forward than watch the anti-competitive interests of large banks win out over small business yet again.”

Swipe fees have been a sweet spot for major financial institutions, even in the downturned economy, as just 10 credit and debit card issuers raked in more than 80 percent of the $48 billion earned by the industry in swipe fees for 2008 alone, according to the NSBA.

NSBA said it's pleased that the compromise still includes language directing the Federal Reserve to ensure that swipe fees charged for debit card transactions are “reasonable and proportional” to the actual costs incurred to process the transaction. Another NSBA-supported provision that made the final cut will allow merchants to offer discounts for a particular form of payment, i.e. cash or check. Additionally, the compromise language still allows merchants to set a minimum transaction amount—$10—for payment by credit card.

The compromise would not allow merchants to offer discounts to customers using lower-fee credit and credit cards.

Senate Confirms New SBA Deputy Administrator

The Senate today confirmed Marie Collins Johns to be deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, made the following comment on the confirmation:

“Marie Johns comes to the SBA with an impeccable record of leadership and public service. At a time when this agency is undergoing enormous transformations, Marie will be an invaluable asset to Administrator Mills and her team as they continue to put small businesses at the forefront of our economic recovery. I look forward to working with Deputy Administrator Johns in her new capacity, and am glad to have her working on behalf of small businesses across the country.”

Last month, the small business committee held a confirmation hearing for the deputy administrator. To view more information from the hearing and testimony from Marie Johns, click here and you will go to the small business committee web site.

House Passes Bill to Aid Small Firms in Securing Capital

The House this week passed legislation designed to aid small businesses in securing capital through new community bank incentives, support for state lending initiatives and by opening venture capital markets.

The Small Business Lending Fund Act, H.R. 5297, was approved by a vote of 241-182.

"As our most prolific job creators, small businesses will be central to the recovery of the U.S. economy," said Rep. Nydia Velázquez, chairwoman of the House Committee on Small Business.  "However, for entrepreneurs to expand and create jobs, they need access to financing.  The measure we approved today will make both credit and equity capital available for small firms."

The legislation would establish a new $30 billion lending fund for community banks, which proponents say would provide $300 billion in lending to entrepreneurs.

Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Va., added language during debate on the bill requiring banks to boost their small business lending to qualify for funds. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., added an amendment that would establish a new borrower assistance program, providing additional funds to small businesses who take out loans. The funds can be used at the entrepreneur's discretion to reduce their interest rates, defer their loan or cover monthly payments.

The legislation contains provisions aimed at reinvigorating investment in small startups.  By establishing a new "Small Business Early Stage Investment program," funds from the Small Business Administration will be paired with private capital to invest in small startups.

"In a world where revolutionary new products are conceived in dorm rooms and companies are born in garages, we need new ways of meeting businesses' capital needs," said Velázquez.  "The Small Business Early Stage Investment program recognizes this fundamental shift, taking steps to meet the capital needs of new businesses and helping them create jobs."

Here Comes the Sun-Tan Tax

I love the sun and think modern sunscreen is just about one of the most fabulous inventions of the last 20 years. I'm a high SPF kind of girl who loves the outdoors but wears a hat and couldn't really get tan if I tried.


I've never tried a tanning salon, but those services are provided by thousands of small businesses across the United States. Unfortunately for them and their fans, their getting hit with a sizable tax.


To help fund the recent $940 billion health care reform plan, a 10 percent tax on individuals receiving indoor tanning services was included in the bill. The initiative is expected to generate $2.7 billion over 10 years.


The IRS last week issued regulations outlining the administration of the 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that becomes effective July 1.


The agency says providers of indoor tanning services will collect the tax when the purchaser pays for the tanning services.


The tanning salon is expected to pay over these amount to the government quarterly, along with IRS form 720, known as the Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return.

The tanning tax will apply to electronic products designed for tanning that use one or more ultraviolet lamps with wavelengths between 200 and 400 nanometers. Spray tans and tanning lotions will not be taxed.

"This is going to close tanning salons," Joseph Levy, vice president of the International Smart Tan Network, which has 3,000 member salons, told CNN Money. "You can't just pass on a tax like this to customers and not have it hurt your bottom line."


The tax does not apply to phototherapy services performed by a licensed medical professional on his or her premises, says the IRS. Those kind of services are often used by dermatologists for various skin conditions. The agency added that the regulations also provide an exception for certain physical fitness facilities that offer tanning as an incidental service to members without a separately identifiable fee.

The IRS and Treasury Department invite comments.

Digital Tools Help Neighbors and Businesses Stay Engaged in Community Happenings

Anyone who has ever faced the prospect of a school snow day - and we had a lot of those in the nation's capital last winter - know how important it is to be informed. A great way to do it is by signing up for local e-mail alerts. I use them all the
time for our local school system. I also find out about local business happenings through a neighborhood list serve.

It's also a great reporting tool for me, and in turn could be a great resource for small businesses that need to know what their community is talking about or want to promote a special event. I wasn't too miffed to get a notice in a list serve recently announcing free ice cream samples for a week at my local candy cafe.

I recently wrote a profile of a new community pharmacy for a local business magazine. I posted a message on the local parents list serve to ask if any of the pharmacy's customers would be willing to talk about their experiences there. I was inundated with responses from supporters of the business.

A new study from Pew shows that Americans use a range of approaches to stay informed about the goings-on in their communities, and internet tools are gaining ground.

Face-to-face encounters and phone calls remain the most frequent methods of interaction with neighbors, the report found, but it also shows some important emerging trends.

• 22% of all adults (representing 28% of internet users) signed up to receive alerts about local issues (such as traffic, school events, weather warnings or crime alerts) via email or text messaging;
• 20% of all adults (27% of internet users) used digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues;
• 46% of Americans talked face-to-face with neighbors about community issues;
• 21% discussed community issues over the telephone;
• 11% read a blog dealing with community issues;
• 9% exchanged emails with neighbors about community issues and 5% say they belong to a community e-mail listserv;
• 4% communicated with neighbors by text messaging on cell phones;
• 4% joined a social network site group connected to community issues; and
• 2% followed neighbors using Twitter.

Additionally, 22% of adult Americans have signed up to receive alerts about community issues via text or e-mail. This includes anyone who has signed up for alerts about one or more of the following issues:

• School events, such as school closings (13% of all adults have signed up for such alerts)
• Warnings about bad weather (11%)
• Crime in one’s neighborhood (5%)
• Traffic congestion or road closings (4%)

Senators Offer Bill to Improve Small Business Government Contracting Program

Two senators this week who are members of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship introduced a bill that seeks to improve access to federal contracts for socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses by improving the Small Business Administration's much-beleaguered 8(a) contracting program.

Sens. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who chairs the committee, offered up S. 3458, the Section 8(a) Improvements Act, which is the third in a series of steps that the committee is taking "to address the disparities and inequalities that currently exist in the federal procurement process."

“As a nation, we need to create jobs and the way to create jobs is to help small businesses,” said Cardin. “Ensuring that small businesses have access to government contracts is one of the most effective ways to expand opportunities and create jobs. But many small firms have been locked out of competing for valuable federal contracts. Our legislation continues our efforts to level the playing field for small businesses so they can more fully participate in our economic recovery.”

According to the Federal Procurement Data System, the feds missed their 23 percent goal by .992 percent in fiscal year 2007 and 1.51 percent in fiscal year 2008. That represents more than $3.74 billion and 93,500 for 2007 and more than $6.51 billion and 162,700 jobs in 2008 lost for small businesses.

“The reality is that small businesses need all the help they can get when it comes to accessing federal contracts,” said Landrieu. “Despite the fact that the federal agencies have a statutory goal to spend 23 percent of their contract dollars on contracts to small firms, in recent years the government has fallen short. By increasing contracts to small businesses by just 1 percent, we can create more than 100,000 new jobs.”

I'll Read Your Blog - A Cautionary Tale

As a journalist, I do research before heading out on a scheduled interview. Yes, it's true! I may read a company's financial statements if it's relevant, I may research previous businesses an entrepreneur has started, I may find out other people they've worked with.

When I profile a small business or entrepreneur, one of the first things I do is read the company blog, which is often written by the company's owner. It gives me a good feel of how the small business leader communicates and what is on his or her mind.

Recently, I interviewed a firm for a business magazine for a profile piece and had done my prep work. I was all set to talk to the owner in-depth about it's first government contract it had scored with an agency of the Defense Department. The company owner had blogged several times about the firm's excitement in scoring its first role as a subcontractor.

We had a great interview - until I asked about its government contract. The two firm executives had exuded confidence, talked graciously, eloquently and with passion about their firm - until my question about its entrance into the field of government contracting. (I wrote a primer for the New York Times on how small firms can get into the game, if you're interested.)

Suddenly, the interviewees looked panicked, they exchanged glances, they lost their air of cool.

They said they couldn't talk about that. Their client didn't want them to. They weren't ready. They pleaded with me not to mention it. The contract was not the focus of my piece and ultimately I decided not to call it out in the profile.

But if the company owner is going to blab in a blog about scoring a contract, that's public info. However, I didn't want to be a jerk, per their request, and I respect the fragility of a nascent firm.

They are not alone. A year ago I was prepped to interview two company founders of what I thought was a really innovative, altruistic firm. I read the owners' blogs. One of them wrote at length of how he felt he was "descending into hell," among other things because of all the difficulties of starting the firm. That's probably something any entrepreneur has felt in some degree at some time or another.

During our interview, I asked him if he had any concerns or difficulties about getting the firm off the ground. "None whatsoever," he said. "It was go go go all the way."

I asked him the same question a couple of different ways, but he stuck with the optimistic attitude - one of my favorite traits of entrepreneurs.

Finally I said: "On one of your first blog entries you said you felt like you were descending into the "7th level of hell" because it was so hard to get the company going.

Silence.

Finally, he opened up and talked a little bit about his challenges. There's nothing wrong with challenges; I actually think talking about them is very helpful to fellow entrepreneurs and can be very helpful as lessons learned. Just be sure you want other people to know about them or don't put them on a web diary.

Pay attention to what you put in your blog. It's public material. As a blogger myself, I take that to heart too.

Book Review: Who Killed Change?

Who Killed Change?

A body lies dead on the floor with no apparent injury. Agent McNally races to the scene of the crime, the ACME organization. It was his third homicide case of the month all with the same last name – Change.

In a book written in the style of a Detective Colombo-style whodunit, motivational speaker and uber management author Ken Blanchard addresses the different factors in an organization that can maim or kill change.

Nearly 70 percent of all change initiatives within a business fail, according to Blanchard, who co-authored the book “Who Killed Change?” with leadership consultant John Britt. Some die quickly while others die protracted, painful deaths that can dry up a company’s morale and resources.

With so many businesses trying to navigate their way through this topsy-turvy economy, it’s a timely book.

It’s a quick read and probably not your style if you like meaty, analytical business management books. But if a fun read in a clever fashion suit you, the book does a good job of outlining how to effectively lead people through change without disenfranchising them.

The book opens with the death of Change and follows with McNally’s interviews of characters such as the myopic Victoria Vision, perennially late manager Ernest Urgency and Clair Communications, who is stricken with laryngitis.

Bailey Budget tells Agent McNally that she’s a firm believer that the amount of money invested in a given Change should be directly proportional to the investment of effort and quality of work being done by members of the team such as Spence Sponsorship, Perry Plan and Carolina Culture.

“If these characters aren’t doing what’s necessary to enable Change, there is no reason for me to commit any funds to a Change that’s destined to fail,” she tells McNally. 

After the mystery is solved, the 143-page book offers a helpful chapter exploring the best practices and related questions identifying where a given change is set up to succeed and where it might fail.

For example, when looking at the issue of “sponsorship” related to change, it defines a sponsor as “a senior leader who has the formal authority to deploy resources toward the initiation, implementation and sustainability of a change initiative. It then recommends how to strengthen sponsorship of change by taking action like making sure that sponsors are modeling the behavior expected of others. There are accompanying questions on the issue. For example, if your sponsors are not using the behaviors listed above, do they know they are expected to use those behaviors?

It’s a fun, lighthearted book that puts a new spin on a timely topic – solving the mystery of leading people through change.

Convenience Is Key, but Price Matters

It was time. The family dog couldn't take it any more and was experiencing the dog days of summer in May thanks to his scruffy coat. Magellan (Gelly) is a lhasa apso. It's awesome that he doesn't shed but his fur grows as fast or faster than human hair. He's been a great dog - a stray many years ago who now puts up with a lot as you can see.

I tried to be his groomer but the little guy just won't sit still for me. We both ended up the worse for wear. There are probably eight to 10 groomers within three miles of my house. They all charge more than a woman's haircut in the area - and they all appear to be busy.

It's what the market will bear. However, not my bank account. I drive about 12 miles to go to a groomer that is one-third the cost of those in my neighborhood.  A lot less than the gas I spend to get there. I do all kinds of things to support my neighborhood economy - farmer's market, coffee shop, gym, restaurants, volunteer work - but some things just have to give.

My kids and I make it an outing on "Gelly day" by going out to lunch while waiting for the "hair" cut. I was chatting with a neighbor this morning who also gets her dog groomed and found out she drives about 15 miles or so to get a lower price for a groomer. (This is far when you live in an urban area right outside of D.C.)

Since I've lived in my neighborhood it's gone from being an up-and-coming area to a well-heeled it's-arrived area. It's a super place and loves it's small businesses and I love that.

But what happens when a neighborhood gets something of a split personality - high incomes versus low incomes? Are businesses in tune with that? I hope some small firms ask themselves if it always makes sense to go for the gold or to try to be more inclusive.

I'm glad I'm helping out another region's economy but I wish I didn't get priced out of my own neighborhood.

Bank of America Pledges to Buy $10B in Small Biz Products and Services

Bank of America today announced it will increase its spending with small, medium-sized and diverse businesses by pledging to purchase $10 billion in products and services from those companies over five years, with the spending amount expected to grow by an average of more than 5 percent each year.

“What businesses of all sizes are telling us they need most right now is more business,” said Bank of America President and CEO Brian Moynihan. “In addition to extending credit and providing technical assistance and a full range of banking services to our clients, we want to increase our support by purchasing more of their products and services, particularly from small, medium-sized and diverse businesses – coast to coast and across a wide range of industries. We hope other large companies will do the same.”

Small, medium-sized and diverse businesses provide the bank with a broad range of valuable services and products, including advertising, furniture, cleaning, courier service, home inspections, legal services, landscaping, maintenance, photography, security and software, according to a statement from Bank of America.

Souvenirs - A Remembrance of Things Past

I recently enjoyed a trip to the Bahamas and one of my least favorite, yet quite memorable moments was when my 3 1/2-year-old son stormed into a very small hotel gift shop, threw a fabulous tantrum, flung a tacky looking canoe-shaped magnet on the floor and broke it. (He then proceeded to throw all of the pillows off the hotels sofas and chairs onto the floor, but I digress.)

I paid the nice price of $5.95 for this canoe thingy (tax included!) which is now glued back together and silently sails through our Frigidaire art gallery in all its glory.

If only I had been in the southern Italian town of Rivello, perhaps I'd be singing a different tune.

The town is rebelling against generic, not-made-here products, according to a report in the Springwise newsletter. The town hopes to attract 149 artists to come visit and reshape the souvenir concept.

As artists in residence they will be charged an accommodation fee of about 90 euros a week for a minimum stay of one week in July or August.

The organizers of the Unconventional Holiday Market hope that the visiting artists will frequent the beaches before they visit town to exhibit alternatives to what the marketplace managers call "trivial, mass-produced objects, quite often camouflaged as fake local handicrafts."

Kudos to Rivello for thinking outside the box.

I do have a favorite souvenir from my family vacation - a conch shell that my daughter picked up while snorkeling. My now much-calmer son said to me recently: "Did you know you can hear the ocean in there?"

Fancy that.

NFIB Free Webinars Address Business Growth, Partnerships and Harassment in the Workplace

Small business association the National Federation of Independent Business released its June schedule of free webinars for small business owners:

• “Harassment Prevention for Small Business Owners: What You Don’t Know or Aren’t Doing Can Hurt You,” June 16 at noon Eastern time. James Howe and Robin Rapino of Vubiz will outline the steps employers should take to prevent harassment in the workplace. The presenters will discuss the various types of discrimination prohibited by the laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They also will cover policy guidance, best practices and review important questions and answers for employers about employer liability for harassment.

• “Operating Your Business at Its Full Potential by Eliminating Your Blind Spots,” June 23 at noon Eastern. David Riveness, author of “The Secret Life of the Corporate Jester: A Fresh Perspective on Organizational Leadership, Culture and Behavior,” will discuss the concept of a corporate jester and how it’s used by organizations such as Pfizer, JetBlue Airways and the BBC to increase results, enhance collaboration and sustain a culture of effective decision making. He will illustrate how the concept can be applied to small business leadership.

• “How to Get Customers Through Business Partnerships,” June 30 at noon Eastern. Ron Kunitzky, founder of Geyser Marketing, will discuss how to find the right marketing partners to drive customer acquisition and distribution, as well as leverage partner marketing programs to increase the social and commercial capital of a brand. This session will feature case studies and tools for prospecting, pitching and negotiating your marketing partnerships. Kunitsky will also provide insight on partner marketing models that work.

Global Internet Traffic Expected to Quadruple by 2014

Internet communications firm Cisco Systems is predicting that global internet traffic will more than quadruple by 2014, thanks to a surge in use of video online.

The company, based in San Jose, Calif., said video likely will surpass 91 percent of global communications in consumer internet traffic by 2014. The jump in internet traffic is being fueled by Improvements in bandwidth capacity and internet speeds and the popularity of high-definition television.

Cisco said the almost 64 exabytes of global, monthly internet traffic forecast for 2014 is equivalent to 16 billion DVDs, 21 trillion MP3s or 399 quadrillion text messages.

The highest IP-traffic generating areas will be North America (19.0 exabytes per month), Asia Pacific (17.4 exabytes per month), Western Europe (16.2 exabytes per month) and Japan (4.3 exabytes per month).

The fastest growing IP-traffic regions are Latin America (51 percent compound annual growth rate), the Middle East and Africa and Central Europe.

The company also expects that global Internet video traffic will surpass global peer-to-peer traffic by the end of 2010.