New ways to manage your money
Finovate 2008 introduced an assortment of new financial technologies, many aimed at small business owners.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- At this month's Finovate 2008 gathering in New York City, two dozen companies showed off new and upcoming financial services technology, some of it catering to the needs of small business owners.
This year's conference, the second annual outing for Finovate, was geared toward banks looking to improve their online banking options. While some presenters demoed technology aimed straight at consumers, like credit-card comparison tools and online lending platform, much of the technology was aimed at the banking market, offering features like better security and expanded mobile access.
"It was a good mix of traditional and new companies," said Kevin Lynch, senior vice-president of e-commerce at 1st Mariner Bank in Baltimore. "I'd like to take advantage of this stuff."
Jim Bruene, founder of the Finovate series, accepted 24 companies out of 50 applicants to present their product or service. (Companies accepted to the show paid a fee to participate.) The 400 audience members - twice last year's count - represented financial institutions, venture capital firms and high-tech enterprises.
"A lot of these tools are good for managing what you have better and more efficiently," said Bruene. "It's hard to look past the economic crisis, but it's nice to see there are so many good ideas."
For a look at 7 new services touted at Finovate that are tailored for small business owners, check out our roundup: "Optimize your budget" 
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