Archive: Business & Technology

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Small Business Administration made a record number of export loans in FY 2006 and surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time in the history of the program.

The SBA Office of International Trade reported 3,302 loans for $1.03 billion to small business exporters in FY 2006, doubling the number of export loans made in FY 2003. The dramatic increase in export lending reflects the general trend for SBA loan volume in FY 2006, which closed out a record year in its two most popular loan programs, 7(a) and 504.

CommonsCamAncient Wisdom Productions and the Ithaca Downtown Partnership to announced the introduction of the new CommonsCam, a webcam located on the third floor of Ancient Wisdom's downtown offices, offering a 24 hour, real time view of the Ithaca Commons. The camera is centered on the Bernie Milton Pavilion, and it is the only webcam to offer this view. Images from this webcam update every fifteen seconds, twenty-four hours a day, and are available to the general public at www.downtownithaca.com (under "Enjoy Ithaca"), as well as at www.exploreithaca.com.

 WebCams are small digital cameras that provide a live stream of images to visitors of a website. This camera was set up on January 12th, 2007. It's a Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX, attached via USB to a PC running Windows XP. A piece of software called TinCam, grabs a 640 x 480 pixel image from the webcam every 15 seconds and uploads the image to our main server.

(Ithaca, NY) The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday at Tree of Life Health and Wellness, located at 510 West State Street in downtown Ithaca.

Tree of Life is a unique health care practice with the mission of promoting optimal patient health by detecting and treating the cause of symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves. Unlike the traditional disease-specific approach to health, which is focused on symptoms, they concentrate on the causes. This integrative approach does not just use standard diagnostic tests but goes to the next level, investigating the structural, biochemical, and neurological interference that is likely to cause disease processes.

Washington, D.C - U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) shepherded legislation through the U.S House of Representatives today to allow for $1.3 billion in tax relief for small businesses. Arcuri introduced the Rule for consideration of The Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 (H.R. 976), spoke in support of the bill, and managed one hour of debate.

"I am honored, as a member of the distinguished Rules Committee, to manage the rule for consideration of such an important piece of legislation that will provide $1.3 billion dollars of tax relief for our nation's small business owners," Arcuri said. "Small businesses are the back bone of our economy, providing jobs and services in our communities. But by passing this bill today we not only help small businesses and family farms, we move forward to raise the minimum wage for millions of Americans who need it most. Ten years is too long for any hard-working American to wait for a wage increase."

Tompkins Trust Company President and CEO Greg Hartz and Cayuga Heights Mayor Walter Lynn wield the shears yesterday as local and bank officials look on at the opening of the Trust Company’s new financial center on Hanshaw Road. Trust Company customers now have one-stop shopping for mortgage, investment, and insurance services in the landmark Cayuga Heights building.

Pictured are: (from left) Beth Prudence, assistant vice president and trust officer; Sally Hoyt, assistant vice president of Tompkins Insurance Agencies; Jim Byrnes, Tompkins Trustco Board Chairman; Hartz; David Boyce, president and CEO of Tompkins Insurance Agencies; Steve Romaine, president and CEO of Tompkins Trustco; Lynn; Matt Oliver, commercial lending officer; Jean McPheeters, president of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce; and Craig Miller, vice president Residential Mortgage Services. (Photo by Gary Hodges)

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All of us would like to think we will enjoy a comfortable retirement. If you're a woman, however, you might be significantly more nervous than your male peers about life as a retiree. This fear may not be entirely justified, but, in any case, you can greatly improve your outlook for retirement by understanding where you are now - and how to get where you want to go.

But first, you may have to overcome both fear and a financial "gender gap." Consider these findings from recent surveys conducted by Harris Interactive:

RE/MAX IN MOTION  anounced that Sophie Zapala has joined their real estate team. Sophie was formerly associated with Audrey Edelman and Associates/REALTY USA and has been in real estate since 1992.

Sophie first worked in the information technology industry for 20 years in the New York metro area. In 1992 she first got her real estate license and worked in the city’s market part time. Two years ago she and her family relocated to Ithaca from Westchester, New York, and live on West Hill.

An IRA is certainly a great way to save money for retirement. But which IRA is right for you - "traditional" or Roth? As is often the case in the investment world, there's no one "right answer" for everyone - but the more you know before making a choice, the better off you'll be.

To begin with, you'll find two important differences between the IRAs. First, a traditional IRA has the potential to grow tax deferred, while a Roth IRA's earnings have the potential to grow completely tax free, provided you've had your account for at least five years and you don't begin taking withdrawals until you're 59-1/2. And second, contributions to a traditional IRA may be tax deductible (depending on your income and whether you or your spouse have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan), while Roth IRA contributions are never deductible.

If you are thinking of switching jobs - especially in mid-to-late career - you'll want to pay careful attention to the benefits offered by your new employer. At this stage of your life, you've got a lot to protect.

For starters, you'll need to take a close look at your new employer's retirement plan. If your new job comes with a 401(k), find out when you'll be eligible to contribute, if there's an employer match and if the match also applies to "catch-up" contributions you can make after age 50. You'll also want to find out if your new plan will accept a rollover of your old 401(k). If it does, and if you like the investment options that come with your new plan, you may want to make this move.

Landmark Building to Host One-Stop Shopping for Mortgages, Investments, Insurance, Financial Planning

Ithaca, NY – February 15, 2007 – Tompkins Trust Company will mark the grand opening of its new Tompkins Financial Center, 832 Hanshaw Road in Cayuga Heights, Thursday, February 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. The new office will provide mortgages, investments, insurance, and financial planning services for Trust Company business and personal customers.

The invitation-only opening will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the new facility; remarks by Gregory J. Hartz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tompkins Trust Company, and Stephen S. Romaine, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tompkins Trustco, Inc.; and refreshments and hors d’ouvres.

After a loved one dies, you'll have to cope with grief. And yet, if you have even partial responsibility for settling an estate, you have no choice but to focus on some financial matters. By handling these issues as efficiently as possible, you can help ease some of the strain that everyone in your family is feeling.

Ideally, of course, you should learn as much as you can about your loved one's financial affairs while he or she is still alive. This may not be a comfortable conversation to have, but it's necessary. If you have a good relationship, you should be able to ask sensitive questions, such as: Do you have a will? What about a living trust? Do you have a safe deposit box? What are the names of your brokerage and bank? The more you know about your loved one's situation, the better off you will be when it's time to deal with the estate.

Dr. Digit 'Splains It All Dr. Digit 'Splains It All

When I was a software developer it didn't take long to learn that you make your money in upgrades.  Once you have a decent sized user base you release a new upgrade at a reduced price when you need income.  Assuming you provide value each time, most users buy it -- or enough to make it worthwhile.  Microsoft has a mixed record in that regard.  For example, a lot of people thought Millenium Edition (ME) was released only because 2000 wasn't consumer friendly enough and XP wasn't ready.  My family still has a computer with ME on it.  Yecch!

But my inner geek always wants the latest and greatest.  Better looking, better working, newer, better gadgets.  Hardware and software.  So it was with some interest that I went to Best Buy with a friend last night to see what Vista looks like.  From all the hype I thought it might be too different, but from what we could see in an admittedly fast first look Vista is just Windows, but prettier.  Or should I say more graphically able?  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.