Strictly Business

From Business Today:

Have you changed your driving habits because of the cost of gas?  Driving a little slower? Driving less? Are you a hyper-miler? If you have any clever ideas you'd like to share with our readers, please let us know at fin@buffnews.com. We're putting together a story on ways to squeeze every last mile out of a gallon and would like to hear from you.

John W. Howell is taking the task of recruiting businesses to the region into his own hands, starting a non-profit called NXTArrow to offer breaks on rent and professional services to small companies that relocate here. He spoke to downtown landlords at the Buffalo Place meeting, asking them to consider offering six years rent for the price of five. Howell also has solicited offers to help from some of the area's top firms in various fields: Hodgson Russ (law), Freed, Maxick & Battaglia (accounting), SKM Group (advertising) and Eric Mower and Associates (public relations). We've always said Buffalo is a great place to launch a business due to the affordable rent and excellent professional services. We'll see if NXTArrow hits the target.

Scientists with potentially great ideas for businesses are not usually very adept at bringing those ideas to market. To help, a group of venture capitalists called BioNetwork meet with researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Rochester to listen to their ideas and give advice about taking the next step to form a business. The hope is to build an entrepreneurial community around the University at Buffalo that will help nurture current and future businessess.

Who is getting hired, promoted and honored? 

Some gas price humor...