Now that the temperature is rising maybe you've noticed your electric bill going up too. HomeBiz, a new program from Silicon Valley Energy Watch and partnered with PG&E, can help home-based businesses lower utility bills. HomeBiz is offering free energy audits, $250 worth of free energy saving equipment, and rebates on building upgrades.

Starting on the first Wednesday in June, you’ll have the opportunity to learn Mandarin in a free class. The class is part of a six-week session held at the Bascom Branch from 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Why learn Mandarin? There are a number of reasons you might want to give it a try.

• Travel: So much history, art and food to discover! San Jose Public Library has a number of travel guides as well as books that provide insight into the Chinese Culture.
• Business: Bloomberg Rankings list Mandarin as one of the most useful languages for business. With nearly 848,000,000 first-language speakers in the world China is a huge market that companies may be looking to expand their business.
• Fun: Challenge yourself! Give this free class a try. You may have a knack for languages that you haven't realized. Besides, learning new things may be good for your brain.

The government wants to make your life easier...well, at least in terms of finding government data. Data.gov, spurred by President Obama's Open Government Initiative, aims to improve access to Federal data.  The site is regularly adding new data but right now you can access datasets about business, states, health, and more. Check it out and you might find some interesting statistics that may help with your business plan or the direction of your business.  You might also be interested in exploring these two other government data sites: Recovery.gov (shows how Recovery Act monies are being spent) and USASpending.gov (shows Federal grants and contracts spending).

A customer was interested in starting a mobile app business and wanted to find information about the industry and how to get started.

First, I checked our Library Catalog and used keywords "app" and "business". I found a few titles that would be useful: The Art of the App Store by Tyson McCann, The Business of iPhone and iPad App Development by Dave Wooldridge, and Build Your Own App for Fun and Profit by Scott La Counte.

Next, I checked one of our online business resources, Business Source Complete, to search for industry news or statistics. I used keywords "mobile" and "app". I found an article titled "Games and Diversions Dominate Mobile App Use". This short article had great information and led me to Flurry’s website that tracks mobile app data and statistics. This site had lots of great statistics and information about how app users spend their time and what these users look like (demographics). Another website I suggested to the customer was Pew Internet, this site has great reports and data on technology trends and other topics.

See more Questions of the Week!

Are you behind on paying your business tax or maybe you have never paid but should have been? The City will be accepting applications for its business tax amnesty program until the end of May 2013. You still have time to apply! "The program will forgive long-term past due penalties and interest when businesses pay their recent past-due business taxes owed to the City for the current year and up to 3 prior years."

This is a great opportunity for San José businesses to start with a clean slate with the City. For more information contact the City of San José Finance Department at 1-408-535-7055.

Join speakers from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the World Intellectual Property Organization, & Mayor Chuck Reed at the San Jose Museum of Art to celebrate Silicon Valley World Intellectual Property Day. This event takes place Friday, April 26, 2013 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM.  This is the first Silicon Valley World IP Day that aims to promote and celebrate intellectual property achievements in the region.

This event is free to attend but please RSVP in advance.