President Obama Announces New Jobs Initiatives for Rural America; Investments Boost Small-Biz Access to Capital, Job Training and Health-Care Services

Today, at the White House Rural Economic Forum, President Obama [pictured above, during yesterday's town hall meeting in front of the Seed Savers Exchange, in Decorah, Iowa] will announce new jobs initiatives recommended by the White House Rural Council for growing the economy and creating jobs in rural America.

The Council’s recommendations focus on key areas of need in rural communities -- including helping rural small businesses access capital; expanding rural job-search and training services; and increasing rural access to health-care workers and technology.

“These are tough times for a lot of Americans -- including those who live in our rural communities,” said President Obama. “That’s why my Administration has put a special focus on helping rural families find jobs, grow their businesses, and regain a sense of economic security.”

“Creating jobs and economic opportunity in rural America is a priority for the Obama Administration, and the White House Rural Council has used an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to leverage resources across the federal government to achieve that goal,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By bringing new capital, job training and additional investments to our rural communities, we are working to ensure the people who live in these towns have a better, brighter future.”

“SBA is pleased to announce that we will be doubling the capital going to rural businesses through the Small Business Investment Company program, with no cost to taxpayers,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said yesterday. “Small businesses of all kinds are thriving in rural areas, where they are creating jobs of the future and helping ensure the economic stability of the middle class.

“Half the people who work in America either own or work for a small business, and two out of three new private-sector jobs are created by small businesses. The Obama Administration and SBA have been committed to supporting rural businesses, which drive economic growth across the country and will continue to do so through the programs announced today.”

The Council’s recommendations, which leverage existing programs and funding, include committing $350 million in SBA funding to rural small businesses over the next five years; launching a series of conferences to connect private equity and venture-capital investors with rural start-ups; creating capital marketing teams to pitch federal funding opportunities to private investors interested in making rural investments; making job-search information available at 2,800 local USDA offices nationwide; making HHS loans available to help more than 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals recruit additional staff; and helping rural hospitals purchase software and hardware to implement health IT.

NEW INITIATIVES

Helping Rural Small Businesses Access Capital
* Doubling SBA Investment Funds for Rural Small Businesses Over the Next Five Years: As part of the Startup America Initiative, SBA recently announced the creation of a $1 billion Impact Investment Fund through its Small Business Investment Company [SBIC] Program. The Impact Fund will invest in distressed areas as well as in emerging sectors such as clean energy. SBA provides up to a 2:1 match to private capital raised by this fund, partnering with private investors to target “impact” investments. SBA and USDA will partner together to drive $350 million of investment capital through the Impact Fund and existing SBICs into rural small businesses over the next five years -- effectively doubling the current rate of investment.

* Connecting Rural Small Businesses with Private Investment Capital: To further achieve this goal, SBA and USDA will launch a series of Rural Private Equity and Venture Capital conferences nationwide to provide a platform for connecting private equity and venture capital investors with rural start-ups. USDA, SBA, Treasury, Interior and other relevant agencies will also create rural capital “marketing teams” that pitch federal funding opportunities to private investors. These “marketing teams” will leverage existing personnel with expertise about rural funding sources across all federal departments and agencies.

Expanding Rural Job Search and Training Services
* Expanding DOL Job Search and Training Services to 2,800 USDA Sites Nationwide: USDA and DOL will partner to increase access to existing job-search and training information for rural job-seekers by providing DOL employment information at 2,800 USDA field offices nationwide. This will significantly reduce the distance that rural Americans need to travel in order to access DOL job-search employment information.

Increasing Rural Access to Health Care Workers and Technology
* Increasing Physician Recruitment at Critical Access Hospitals: HHS will issue guidance to expand eligibility for the National Health Service Corps loan repayment program so that Critical Access Hospitals [those with 25 beds or fewer] can use these loans to recruit new physicians. This program will help more than 1,300 CAHs across the country recruit needed staff. The addition of one primary care physician in a rural community generates approximately $1.5 million in annual revenue and creates 23 jobs annually. The average CAH creates 107 jobs and generates $4.8 million in payroll annually.

* Expanding Health Information Technology [IT] in Rural America: USDA and HHS will sign an agreement linking rural hospitals and clinicians to existing capital loan programs that enable them to purchase software and hardware needed to implement health information technology [HIT]. Under current conditions, rural health care providers face challenges in harnessing the benefits of HIT due to limited access to capital and workforce challenges. Rural hospitals tend to have lower financial operating margins and limited capital to make the investments needed to purchase hardware, software and other equipment.

BACKSTORY: THE WHITE HOUSE RURAL COUNCIL

On June 9, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the first White House Rural Council to accelerate the ongoing work of promoting economic growth in rural America. The Council is focused on increasing rural access to capital; spurring agricultural innovation; expanding digital and physical infrastructure in rural areas; and creating economic opportunities through conservation and outdoor recreation.

On Aug. 12, the White House Rural Council released a new report, entitled Jobs and Economic Security for Rural America, which lays out the economic landscape rural Americans face today and highlights the Administration’s key accomplishments in rural communities. The Jobs and Economic Security for Rural America report focuses on five critical areas: creating jobs and promoting economic growth; improving access to quality health care and education; fostering innovation; expanding outdoor opportunities; and supporting veterans and military families. Link to full report here.

Today, President Obama and members of the White House Rural Council will host the White House Rural Economic Forum at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta, Iowa, as part of the President’s three-day Economic Bus Tour in the Midwest. The forum will bring together farmers, small-business owners, private-sector leaders, rural organizations and government officials to discuss ideas and initiatives to promote economic growth, accelerate hiring, and spur innovation in rural communities nationwide. The President will engage directly with a variety of rural leaders from across the nation to discuss the importance of growing small businesses and strengthening the middle class in rural America.

GoodBiz113's Take

These rural jobs initiatives are exactly what America's small businesses and communities need in order to boost our economy for the short- and long term. The Obama Administration and his Cabinet members are to be applauded for their innovative and cooperative approach to easing our country's economic woes.

Congress, take note: Collaboration is a productive and positive thing. Our nation would greatly benefit if you took the high road and followed the Obama Administration's synergistic example to prosper the greater good, rather than myopically focus on preserving and growing the fortunes of America's wealthy elite.

SOURCE: The White House [official photo by Pete Souza]
____________________

Plan for Success with Business Plan Pro. ^AF

Cabinet Members Meet with Families, Business Owners, and State and Local Officials in Alabama and Mississippi

Following President Obama's commitment on Friday -- i.e., that the federal government would do everything possible to help families and communities recover from the deadly tornadoes and severe storms that struck the Southeast earlier this week -- several members of his Cabinet are in Alabama and Mississippi today. They are there to meet with families and business owners affected by the storms; meet with state and local officials; and to view damage and assess the initial recovery efforts already underway.

Today’s travel party comprises: Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano; Housing and Urban Development [HUD] Secretary Shaun Donovan; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] Administrator Craig Fugate [pictured]; and Small Business Administration [SBA] Administrator Karen Mills.

Since the immediate impact of the storms, the President, Secretary Napolitano, and Administrator Fugate have been in constant contact with the governors of all the impacted states to ensure they have the support they need.

On April 29, the President signed major disaster declarations for Mississippi and Georgia -- in addition to the Alabama major disaster declaration signed on April 28 -- which make federal assistance available to individuals who suffered personal property damages or losses, and for public infrastructure; e.g., schools, fire stations and libraries.

Damage assessments are ongoing, and counties continue to be designated to receive assistance as damage assessments are completed. Additionally, FEMA has received disaster declaration requests from the governors of the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, and those requests are under review. Preliminary damage assessments are also being conducted today in Virginia.

"FEMA is part of a team that continues to work with communities to help them rebuild and recover," said Fugate. "This team includes the entire federal family, state, local and tribal officials; the faith-based and non-profit communities; the private sector; and, most importantly, the public.

"This Administration will bring the full support of the federal government and its partners to bear to support the states, families and communities devastated by these deadly tornadoes, for as long as it takes."

A housing mission planning team is on the ground in Alabama to support the state in meeting its objectives. This team -- comprised of housing and technical experts from FEMA, HUD, Army Corps of Engineers, SBA and voluntary agencies -- will assist the state-led housing task force in establishing housing priorities; seeking ways to maximize housing resources, such as apartments and rental units; and other resources, if needed.

As work continues to restore power and remove debris -- so that homes can begin to be repaired or replaced -- FEMA is working with HUD to identify available rental resources to help survivors find long-term housing solutions.

FEMA is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to provide temporary home repairs -- such as covering broken windows or holes in roofs -- and getting survivors back home more quickly; and working with SBA to help individuals and businesses apply for low-interest loans, so that they can more quickly rebuild or repair their damaged homes and replace lost property.

Additionally, FEMA is actively taking registration information through its call centers; has inspectors on the ground assessing the damages of those who have registered; and is approving financial assistance for housing [such as rental assistance and home repair money] and financial assistance for other essential needs [such as disaster-related medical needs, and replacing lost clothing, furniture and other necessary items].

Additional information on the coordination efforts of FEMA and its federal partners, updated as of 12 PM EDT today, can be found below:

Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]
* At the request of the respective states, FEMA currently has personnel on the ground in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee, and commodities strategically pre-positioned in the region -- including personnel in North Carolina as a result of the April 16th storms.
* FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams are currently located in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee to assist in coordination efforts as the states continue to respond and begin to recover from this devastating storm outbreak.
* An Incident Support Base has been established at the Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama to move supplies such as water, infant-toddler kits and tarps closer to the affected areas should they be needed, and additional resources continue to arrive.
* Mobile Emergency Response Support teams and equipment have been deployed to Alabama and Mississippi to provide voice, video and data capabilities in support of communication requirements identified by the Federal Coordinating Officer.
* FEMA Community Relations [CR] teams are on the ground in Alabama and Georgia, and additional CR teams have been deployed to meet with disaster survivors and explain the assistance available, and to help survivors register for assistance.
* FEMA partnered with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to create a joint Facebook page as an additional way to reach Alabama residents during the response and recovery efforts after the severe storms and tornadoes.

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance
* SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance's provides low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations to repair or replace real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, inventory and business assets that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster. For information, go to: http://1.usa.gov/DisasterAssistanceSBA.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC]
* Staff are monitoring the situation at the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant after the site lost offsite power early Wednesday evening due to severe storms that damaged power lines in the area. The plant is operated by Tennessee Valley Authority near Athens, about 32 miles west of Huntsville, Ala. The reactor units were automatically and safely shut down on April 27th.

American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Other Voluntary and Faith-Based Agencies
* Voluntary and faith-based organizations continue to locally offer and coordinate housing, food and other services as needed to support disaster survivors in the affected states.
* Open Red Cross shelters can be found on www.redcross.org.
* The Red Cross Safe and Well secure website provides a way for people to find information on people affected by the storms. To register, visit http://bit.ly/SafeAndWell.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]
* HHS has activated a Disaster Medical Assistance Team and a Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Assessment Team, which are ready to deploy as needed by the states.
* HHS is also providing information on post-storm health messages -- such as how to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning, tips on generator safety, and safety around downed power lines.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]
* NOAA has deployed survey teams to many affected states to begin assessing damage and conduct analysis in the coming days that will be utilized to assign Enhanced Fujita [EF] ratings.

Department of Defense/USNORTHCOM
* The Department of Defense [DoD] has activated a Defense Coordinating Officer to assist in the coordination of DoD resources needed to support state response and recovery efforts.

Air Force Auxiliary
* Civil Air Patrol pilots from Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia are flying over areas with major devastation, to assist first responders and state and local officials as they assess the damage to the region. The Civil Air Patrol, in its role as the Air Force Auxiliary, performs its missions for DoD and other federal agencies, as well as state and local authorities when assistance is requested.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
* HUD continues to provide federal disaster assistance supporting homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding this week. Read more about the services provided by HUD.

U.S. Postal Service [USPS]
* USPS is providing details on the status of open USPS offices -- including hours of operation and services provided to disaster survivors affected by the recent storms.

Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]
* The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued tips for workers and members of the public, to protect themselves from hazards that individuals may encounter during clean-up and recovery efforts.

U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA]
* USDA's Farm Service Agency [FSA] continues to issue information on the FSA programs that may be available to crop and livestock producers in affected states, to assist with recovery. Information on the services provided by FSA can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov.

Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
* The IRS has activated its disaster tax relief program, which includes providing tax filing and tax payment relief for individuals and businesses covering the period of April 15, 2011, to June 30, 2011. To learn more about the IRS disaster tax relief program, click here.

SOURCES: Federal Emergency Management Agency, The White House
____________________

Etón American Red Cross ARCFR160R Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Red) ^AF

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative Announced Today

Today, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke [pictured] joined seven other U.S. government agencies in launching a coordinated effort to promote renewable energy and energy-efficiency exports: the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative.

The initiative was developed through the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Working Group on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, which includes representatives from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy, State, and Agriculture. Other members include the Export-Import Bank of the United States [Ex-Im]; the Overseas Private Investment Corporation [OPIC]; the U.S. Trade and Development Agency; and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Through the initiative, the U.S. Government will support renewable energy and energy efficiency [RE&EE] exporters by offering new financing products; enhancing market access; increasing trade promotion; and improving the delivery of export promotion services to current and future RE&EE companies.

"The initiative lays the foundation necessary to help U.S. renewable-energy and energy-efficiency companies take better advantage of current market opportunities," Locke explained. "It also positions federal government programs to better support U.S. global competitiveness in these sectors over the long run."

Energy is a $6 trillion global market, and clean energy is the fastest-growing sector.

The initiative, which is described in a report being released today by the Commerce Department, comes on the heels of formation of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee, which is made up of industry leaders. Locke chaired the committee’s first meeting today. This committee will advise Secretary Locke on the development and implementation of programs and policies that will help to expand the competitiveness of the U.S. renewable-energy and energy-efficiency industries.

This initiative is the U.S. Government’s first-ever coordinated effort to support the promotion of renewable energy and energy-efficiency exports. Through the implementation of 23 inter-agency actions, the initiative is designed to facilitate an increase of RE&EE exports during the next five years, helping to meet the goals of the National Export Initiative and President Obama’s challenge to become the leading exporter of clean-energy technologies.

As part of the initiative, the federal government is launching a new online portal to provide renewable-energy companies easy access to U.S. Government export resources. Further, the Commerce Department is committing to an increased number of RE&EE trade and trade-policy missions.

Additionally, the initiative calls for:

* Creation of foreign buyers' guides for U.S. RE&EE technologies;
* Commitment by OPIC to invest an additional $300 million in financing for renewable-resource projects in emerging markets, plus additional new products for energy efficiency-subordinated debt financing and clean-energy technology equipment leasing;
* Streamlining of RE&EE financing applications at both OPIC and Ex-Im;
* Formation of a new subcommittee at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to address market access barriers facing the U.S. RE&EE industry in foreign markets; and
* Expansion of USDA’s Market Access Program [MAP] to include biomass wood pellets. [Currently, the program focuses on biofuel products, but not biomass.]

The report is available for download from the new Web portal at http://export.gov/reee.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce
_____________________

Top Travel Deals at Expedia.com [affiliate link]

Landrieu Letter to SBA: Support Small-Business Owners Impacted By Oil-Spill Disaster

Yesterday, United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu [D-La., pictured], chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, sent the following letter to Karen Mills, administrator of the Small Business Administration [SBA], in support of small-business owners who may be impacted by the BP oil-spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

* * *

April 30, 2010

The Honorable Karen G. Mills
Administrator
Small Business Administration
409 Third Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20416

Re: Disaster Loans and Financial Relief for Small Businesses Impacted by the April 20th Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Dear Administrator Mills:

I write to urge the Small Business Administration [SBA] to make available as soon as possible SBA disaster loans and all other SBA assistance to small businesses in Louisiana impacted by the oil spill. This request is strongly supported by the Governor of Louisiana and other state leaders. In anticipation of a declaration, I ask that the SBA organize a lending briefing on the coast of Louisiana for the fishermen and other impacted businesses, and to coordinate with other federal agencies -- including the Department of Commerce [Commerce] and the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] -- to make the recovery process as easy as possible.

As you know, a significant portion of my state’s businesses rely on the Gulf for their livelihoods, from shrimpers and oystermen to restaurants, processing plants, and shipping companies. With an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil a day spewing from the blown-out well underneath the Deepwater Horizon rig, it is urgent that SBA coordinate with the other agencies to assess the impact of the oil spill, issue the necessary declarations for businesses to access disaster loans, and make it as easy as possible for the harmed businesses to determine which agency will help them and how to apply.

Of particular concern is coordination between the SBA and USDA. In recent years -- for example, when Red Tide struck coastal communities in New England -- businesses have fallen through the cracks because SBA and USDA have not had clear policies about whether a fishing or shellfish entity is a business or a farmer, and therefore whether it is eligible for assistance through the SBA or the USDA. And, when it was eligible for assistance through the USDA, the assistance was more limited.

Following the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes, many Gulf Coast businesses also were deemed "too agricultural" for SBA and "not agricultural" enough for USDA, leaving them without sufficient disaster recovery assistance. I ask that you personally make sure that this process runs smoothly.

I also strongly support the State’s request to temporarily defer loan repayments for Louisiana coastal businesses that are impacted by the oil spill and have existing disaster loans, and am ready to help in any way to make that possible. To complement those deferrals, I ask for your support for legislation I have that would forgive a portion of the interest on outstanding disaster loans for businesses that are still struggling as Louisiana continues down the long road to recovery from the devastation of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike and Gustav.

More specifically, S. 2986, the Southeast Hurricanes Small Business Disaster Relief Act of 2010, would create a program to waive up to $15,000 of interest on 2005 and 2008 small-business disaster loans. It would be available over a three-year period and have the effect of significantly lowering the monthly payments owed by small businesses, so that they would have needed capital to keep operating and retain employees.

Thank you, in advance, for your prompt cooperation on these requests. I look forward to working with you to make federal emergency assistance available as soon as possible to the businesses in my state.

Sincerely,

Mary L. Landrieu
Chair
U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

SOURCES: GovTrack, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
____________________

Infusionsoft Is the Only Software That GUARANTEES to DOUBLE YOUR SALES. Get a FREE 15-DAY TRIAL to Email Marketing 2.0 Now.

Landrieu Urges Applications for Broadband Internet Grants; Deadline to Apply for Grants Is March 15

United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary L. Landrieu [D-La., pictured] today released two grant guides for small businesses interested in applying for the nearly $4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA] grants to bring broadband Internet service to unserved, underserved and rural communities across the nation. Applications for this second round of Recovery Act funding for broadband infrastructure are being accepted through March 15, 2010.

"Louisiana businesses have received millions of dollars from the grant program to expand broadband Internet service," Sen. Landrieu said. "These funds are being put into the hands of businesses dedicated to expanding this advanced technology to some of the most rural parts of the country.

"Increasing access to broadband Internet service will help to bridge the technological divide between rural businesses and competing companies that have long benefitted from access to high-speed Internet service. I encourage small-business owners to apply for these competitive grants. This is an historic opportunity to both improve our communities and U.S. competitiveness."

In June of 2009, Sen. Landrieu sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and others supporting their efforts to expand access to broadband technology for the benefit of small businesses. In the same letter, Sen. Landrieu asked that priority be given to applications deploying broadband in unserved rural areas.

The senator has been a longtime advocate for the expansion of broadband technology, and co-sponsored the Broadband Data Improvement Act that became law in October 2008. The law encourages the deployment of high-speed Internet access to areas that need it most, and authorized the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy to conduct a two-year report on broadband access and affordability for small businesses.

Sen. Landrieu's committee is monitoring the implementation of Recovery Act funding and the progress of the Advocacy report. In her June 2009 letter to Locke and Vilsack, Landrieu indicated that she plans to invite federal agencies before her committee to testify on the impact of Recovery Act broadband funds on small-business growth. To view a copy of that letter, go to: http://bit.ly/BroadbandLetter.

To view the guide for the U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunity Program [BTOP], please go to: http://bit.ly/SenateSmallBizBTOP.

To view the guide for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Broadband Initiatives Program [BIP], visit: http://bit.ly/SenateSmallBizBIP.

SOURCES: GovTrack.us, Recovery.gov, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
____________________

Intuit Online Payroll: 30-Day FREE Trial + Lock in Discounted Rate of $9.99/Month for First 2 Months

Landrieu Announces $12.4 Million in Broadband Internet Funds for Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company

United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu [D-La.] today announced more than $12 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funds for the Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company, based in Collinston, La. The funds made available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act can be used to bring broadband services to rural unserved and underserved communities.

“The Recovery Act Broadband Infrastructure projects bring small businesses in rural parts of the country one step closer to being true competitors in the global economy,” said Landrieu, chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “With the help of these funds, the Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company will be able to expand their coverage to more rural areas of Louisiana. The funding will also provide an economic boost to an area that has been recovering since the closure of International Paper last year.”

In a statement, Northeast Louisiana Telephone owners Rector Hopgood and Mike George wrote: “We are excited to be able to offer a new state-of-the-art communication system to the residents of Collinston, Bonita and Jones. With these funds, we will be covering our service territory with buried fiber optics.

“Our customers will have access to high-speed Internet, digital TV, as well as telephone service -- which will be a vast improvement over our current copper network. This is an exciting time for our customers and our company.”

The funds awarded to Northeast Louisiana Telephone include a $4,359,000 grant and a $8,124,600 loan to provide an active Ethernet system.

Sen. Landrieu has been a vocal supporter of expanding broadband services. To view more information on her broadband expansion efforts, please click here.

GoodBiz113 Tools
* Recovery.gov: http://www.recovery.gov/
* USDA Rural Tour: http://bit.ly/RuralTour
* U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: http://sbc.senate.gov/

SOURCES: U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Department of Agriculture
____________________

MaestroConference: The First Teleconference Service That Re-Creates a Real Workshop Environment Through the Phone. Start Your Free Trial Now.