Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

  They say the technology has reached the point where it can effectively compete with traditional large scale manufacturing systems.    And systems like Desktop Metal's that allow the printing of metal parts greatly expands the market. 3D printing is actively used in a lot of industries to manufacture things. 

2017 161

2017 2012 UPS 161

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 28, 2017

We recently toured the facilities at the University North Dakota's Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.  "   We also learned the University of North Dakota was the first to offer degree programs in unmanned aircraft systems and has the largest drone pilot training program outside the military. 

2018 175

2018 2017 Equipment Training 175

Small Business Labs

MAY 21, 2020

.   Facebook is working with commerce partners like Shopify, BigCommerce, ChannelAdvisor, and others so small businesses can integrate their current backend and logistical systems with the Stores application. Facebook had already ventured into the commerce arena with Marketplace , which mostly is a Craigslist competitor. 

Facebook 219

Facebook 219

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 14, 2021

  Key quote from Edelman: After a year of unprecedented disaster and turbulence – the Covid-19 pandemic and economic crisis, the global outcry over systemic racism and political instability – the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals an epidemic of misinformation and widespread mistrust of societal institutions and leaders around the world.

2021 272

2021 Forms 272

Small Business Labs

NOVEMBER 25, 2019

Also close to becoming commonplace: humanoid (and animaloid) robots designed to socialize with people; a system for pinpointing the source of a food-poisoning outbreak in just seconds; minuscule lenses that will pave the way for diminutive cameras and other devices; strong, biodegradable plastics that can be fashioned from otherwise useless plant wastes; (..)

2019 143

2019 2020 2014 Travel 143

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 6, 2021

Advances in battery energy density, materials science and computer simulation have spurred the development of a range of personal flying vehicles (and the navigation systems that will allow them to run), from electric gliders to fixed-wing craft and quadcopter drones.

2018 262

2018 2020 Forms 262

Small Business Labs

MAY 25, 2017

Smart Irrigation : Systems that help monitor and automate water usage. Plant Data/Analysis : systems that help farmers understand plant composition (microbial makeup, genetic expression, etc.) Robotics and Drones : That cater to agricultural needs. Marketplaces : That are relevant to agriculture.

Health 165

Health Management UPS 165

Small Business Labs

APRIL 6, 2021

Employers are struggling to implement systems for tracking and compensating working and travel time for non-exempt employees, among other wage and hour concerns. Employment taxes and withholding become increasingly complex when the employer and Wandering Worker do not work in the same location.

Legal 221

Legal 2021 2020 Expenses 221

Small Business Labs

APRIL 18, 2018

Key quote from the report on their 2018 priorities: • Scaling our program to reach more people, given strong income results and favorable attitudes toward independent work, through partnerships with workforce systems, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions • Continuing to collect data to build an understanding of the long-term implications (..)

2018 145

2018 Training 145

Small Business Labs

MARCH 29, 2020

  Also, expect long wait times and slow websites - most of the state systems are overwhelmed with demand.   .  Details vary by state, so you need to visit your state's unemployment insurance site to see if you qualify.    

Policies 227

Policies 227

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 4, 2020

This will likely result in leaner staffing in retail stores, restaurants, factories, and other places where companies have invested in labor-saving automation systems.

Policies 208

Policies Clothes Restaurants Travel 208

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 7, 2017

Older farmers tend to have larger farms and use the traditional farm product distribution systems.  Louis Federal Reserve Bank study Harvesting Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities nicely covers this topic.    The St.

Networking 178

Networking UPS 178

Small Business Labs

APRIL 27, 2020

  And because of a variety of factors – virus fears, concerns about access to and the quality of developing world healthcare systems, travel restrictions, etc. .  But being nomadic is challenging when the world’s locked down due to a pandemic.  nomadic life will continue to be challenging even after countries open back up.  

Travel 204

Travel Lifestyle Interviewing Forms 204

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 26, 2021

Because of this, a large share of the online payments that go to creators flows through their systems. Their Stripe Connect platform  is used by most of the creator economy platforms and marketplaces. And they've aggregated data from 50 of the top creator economy platforms and used it to build a creator economy index.  

167

167

Small Business Labs

JULY 27, 2017

One reason is the use of LED lighting systems.  Aerofarms, BrightFarms, Bowery Farming, Freight Farms, Green Sense Farms and many others are all developing indoor farming systems. This allows indoor farms to dramatically cut the cost of lighting while also improving crop growth and increasing yields. 

Environment 150

Environment 150

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

Since 2016 they've been using drones (more properly referred to as  unmanned aircraft systems ) to deliver blood and medical supplies in the African nation of Rwanda. .  But the startup company Zipline is delivering much more important items with drones.

Medical 145

Medical 2018 2016 Expenses 145

Small Business Labs

APRIL 16, 2020

  This is a low estimate because some people who lose their jobs choose not to apply for unemployment and others have been unable to because state unemployment systems are overloaded.   Adding them to the 6+ million who were unemployed prior to the pandemic means about 17%-18% are likely currently unemployed. 

2020 179

2020 AT&T 179

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 8, 2019

SafetyPIN Technologies is a startup that has created a background check system and trust badge that lets people see at a glance if someone they met online - or elsewhere - is safe to meet offline.   Yet so far, most background checks and trust systems focus on only one party in a transaction or meeting - and mostly the sellers. 

Social Media 105

Social Media Confidence AT&T 105

Small Business Labs

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

  The VanLife App is an example of the growing support system of tools and services targeted at this growing group of travelers. The picture below is from the app's website. million Americans consider themselves digital nomads and many are VanLifers. 

Travel 161

Travel AT&T 161

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 12, 2019

For example, item 88 - Soft Skills - is described as: "Employees need abilities computers and automated systems don’t have – like creativity, adaptability and persuasion. The BBC's The 101 people, ideas and things changing how we work today really does cover 101 different trends, shifts, people and things impacting the future of work.

Skills 119

Skills 119

Small Business Labs

JULY 22, 2020

" After acquiring the firms, they integrate them into their systems and marketing programs.  In addition, more than $300 million in pro forma revenue and 6,000 products, makes Thrasio one of the top 25 sellers on Amazon."   This makes the individual firms more efficient and provides Thrasio with economies of scale. 

UPS 161

UPS 2017 161

Small Business Labs

MARCH 5, 2020

Delegate  — Find the right experts in the Gig Economy, communicate your expectations, set milestones, and establish reporting and check-in systems. Identify  — Clarify which work tasks you must do personally, and which tasks can be delegated to experts who can do them better than you. This is where the real magic happens.

Suppliers 161

Suppliers Forms Skills Management 161

Small Business Labs

DECEMBER 21, 2017

The game uses Ethereum's blockchain technology for it's ledger system. .  CryptoKitties  is a game by Axiom Zen lets users design and trade digital cartoon cats. The game allows players to trade or sell their digital kitties.

AT&T 170

AT&T Learning UPS 170

Small Business Labs

MARCH 28, 2016

The main areas where the system seems to fail are places where lanes are not well marked or shift in a major way. For example, the system was clearly confused by a tunnel where the pavement and line markers changed that also required a merge. The systems shortcomings point out a major problem for self-driving cars.

Expenses 100

Expenses AT&T Environment 100

Small Business Labs

MAY 24, 2018

There are still a number of major hurdles Uber and others have to get over prior to launching their air taxi system (air traffic control being a big one). .  Uber is planning on starting limited air taxi service in Dallas and Los Angeles in the 2020 time frame. They're also looking for more test cities.

Airborne 178

Airborne 2020 AT&T 178

Small Business Labs

APRIL 25, 2019

  Not surprisingly software developers, marketing managers and computer system engineers/architects are in high demand. The remaining 51% were for 872 other roles." " The report chart below (click to enlarge) lists some of the high demand roles.  So are sales managers and customer service reps.

2018 119

2018 Customer Service 2019 Management 119

Small Business Labs

APRIL 10, 2020

   You need to apply to through an SBA lender, a federally insured credit union, or a participating Farm Credit System institution.  .  This was because the final rules related to the self-employed weren't finalized until this week.  

Credit Card 118

Credit Card Payroll UPS 118

Small Business Labs

MARCH 29, 2018

We wouldn't exist without the ability to access through the cloud advanced analytical tools that even fairly recently were only available to firms large enough to afford the substantial expense of installing these systems in-house. 

Equipment 167

Equipment Expenses Management 167

Small Business Labs

MAY 1, 2018

Almost 1 in 5 small business are not using the cloud to run their business, a necessary first step to taking advantage of the benefits of most automation software and systems. Despite positive attitudes toward automation, a significant number of small business are not set up to take advantage of it.

Customer Service 162

Customer Service Forms Learning Management 162

Small Business Labs

MARCH 3, 2014

Key quote defining cognitive cooking: The idea of cognitive cooking is machines and humans working together—in this case, a very complex analytic system drawing from the vast collected knowledge of chemistry, food culture and taste preferences to help chefs break new ground.   Below is a short IBM video describing cognitive computing.

Twitter 100

Twitter Learning UPS 100

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 3, 2017

At a simple level, blockchain is a shared, distributed ledger system. .  For those not familiar with Blockchain, it's the underlying technology behind the digital currency Bitcoin. It creates a secure, public record of transactions and allows participants to inspect, audit and update these transactions. 

Management 150

Management 150

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 29, 2015

  A relatively new HR buzzword - " Total Talent Management " - is being used to describe systems and policies that  integrate all aspects of workforce management, from temporary agency workers and traditionally hired permanent employees to independent contractors and some types of outsourced services. 

Management 100

Management Agencies Policies Forms 100

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

And just as desktop publishing and desktop movie editing systems enabled the growth of small and solo media and entertainment firms, 3D printing will drive the growth of small and solo manufacturing firms. BCG expects this market to triple by 2020. and reach $350 billion by 2035.

2015 184

2015 2020 AT&T Networking 184

Small Business Labs

MARCH 7, 2019

" The article highlights Tesla's new Dog Mode , which keeps the car's climate control system working so pets are safe while left alone in the car. Now, brands beyond the pet sector are catering to this growing demographic of pet parents." It also displays a large notice to passerby's that the animal is safe. 

2018 119

2018 2023 119

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

" The article describes the variety of systems the author has learned "on the job" as a freelancer. It also describes the various sources the author used to learn new languages and systems. This echos what we often hear in our interviews and focus groups with independent workers. 

Skills 100

Skills Training Interviewing Learning 100

Small Business Labs

APRIL 7, 2014

.  Key quote from the article on what this means: The Industrial Internet allows us to fix things before they break, reduce waste, and optimize the performance of individual machines and entire systems like hospitals, power grids, and fleets of airplanes or trains. 

2020 100

2020 Training AT&T Learning 100

Small Business Labs

MARCH 24, 2014

A startup company, PetChatz , is about to release a video conferencing system that allows remote dog owners to video chat with their dogs. But the best part is the dog can call their owner by barking at the system. It also allows the dog owner to remotely release treats and scents.

100

100