New York SBDC Research Network

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has created a page that is a real time-saver. They've taken data that you can find from the Census Bureau - if you had LOTS of available time - and the built a useful Web site around it. The aim of the site is to provide data on a) consumer purchasing power and b) a workforce overview. Data can be found for specific ZIP codes, metro areas, or Census tracts. At this Web site http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/ETI/PurchasingPower/purchasing.htm , you'll find these options: Purchasing Power by Census Tracts for custom made printouts of purchasing power for 16 retail categories and data on the workforce population for any U.S. census tract. Purchasing Power by ZIP Code for data on retail expenditures for 16 consumer areas, retail and business establishments, and the available workforce for all residential zipcodes in the U.S. Purchasing Power Rankings for Top 100 Metro Areas for ZIP code rankings of each of the 16 retail expenditure categories for the 1...

This week, after completing a question for a business advisor, I realized that I didn't have a mailing address for the new outreach office. (1) I quickly logged into the Internal web site but found no information. (2) Then, I called the main regional center and left a message. So, the package sat on my desk until the next day. I waited and waited, but still no call back. I couldn't call the business advisor himself because his original request was via e-mail and did not list the outreach office phone number. (3) Finally, in late afternoon of the second day, I called the main regional center again and was able to get the phone number and address, but not the ZIP code. I thought this was the last step, but I had to (4) call the outreach center to get the ZIP code. So, after 4 steps, I managed to get the package in the mail. The point of all of this is my plea for all of you to take a look at your center's information as well as your personal contact information in the Interna...

Survey Says…Internet Pet Peeves: What Drives Consumers Away From Your E-Business Hostway Corporation Pet peeves about commercial websites or how to drive customers away. Top three: of course, pop-ups, required registration, and required installation of extra software “…more than 70 percent of consumers say they’re unlikely to purchase from, or even return to, a Web site after encountering these pet peeves..” All Merchants More of what not to do on your website including dead links, worn-out phrases and solid pages of text. A few points to consider when designing a web site while considering your audience.

For your clients in all lines of business, not just service and retail. For all except the first article, you will have to register with BNET, but the registration is free. BusinessWeek has a great interview/book review on the importance of details to customer service. Author Michael Levine says that operational details, such as limited hours and dirty bathrooms send a message to customers about the general quality of a business. These details have a more significant effect on customers than you might think: "The consumer mind has a logical and emotional part, and if you don't speak to both, you will lose them, especially when they're hungry, tired, angry, or lonely. "We're living in an age of anxiety. When people are not hungry, tired, angry, or lonely, the emotional side will win the debate with the logical part of the brain 80% of the time. When they're hungry, tired, angry, or lonely, emotion wins 100% of time. We are often hungry, tired, angry, or lonel...

Over the summer, I heard from someone at the Brockport SBDC. She was helping in the creation of a center newsletter, to be distributed among past clients & other friends of the program. She was looking for any sources of royalty- or copyright-free articles on the Web. If you're in the same boat, you might want to check out what I found: * http://www.articlecity.com * http://goarticles.com Both of these sites break down their content by subject, and both have a heading for "business". So if (or shall I say, when) you're pressed for time, check out these sites for possible content ideas.

Two librarians of the Research Network attended a program on competitive intelligence last week. Speaker Ellen Reen discussed the importance of ethics in any research and analysis whether for your employer or your own business. First and foremost, the issue of ethics in competitive intelligence must be considered. Always clearly identify yourself prior to first person interviews and avoid conflict of interest. It is important to establish policies for your organization to prevent unethical or illegal practices. Further research into the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 , the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals' Code of Ethics and Fuld's Ten Commandments can aid in developing standards for an organization. For example, the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 makes the theft or misappropriation of a trade secret a federal crime. If you or your employees conduct unethical or illegal activity, your business could be at risk. Ultimately, speaker Ellen Reen likes to ask, ...

Apparently more than 60% of small business owners feel that finding and retaining qualified staff is their number one problem. I poked around and found a few articles and books that summarize some of the issues and offer a few suggestions. Drive a Modest Car & 16 Other Keys to Small Business Success By Ralph E. Warner Nolo Press Suggests researching what similar jobs pay in your area, particularly those with lowest pay, “if you don’t, these penny-conscious employees are sure to feel slighted, and you’ll quickly lose the most efficient ones.” Warner also suggests looking at workers with comparable skills within your own organization; pay should reflect the level of skill and responsibility of the person in the job. Consistency and fairness will encourage loyalty and trust. Great Salespeople Aren't Born, They're Hired: The Secrets To Hiring Top Sales Professionals by Joe Miller, Patrick Longo(Editor) Demonstrates how to narrow choices among a variety of styles of salesperson...

One of the SBDC advisors called last week with a question. It happened that his client e-mailed him with a question about glass, but it didn't jibe with the rest of the question, which was about pottery and dinnerware. So he wrote back to the client and asked if perhaps she meant glassWARE; indeed, she did. The question is conveyed to the library and everybody's happy. Let's imagine if the advisor hadn't taken the initiative to clarify the query. The Research Network finds information about glass, sends it to the advisor, who passes it on to the client. The client is dissatisfied; that's NOT what she wanted. The beleaguered advisor has to contact the Research Network to ask them to redo that part of the question, which is frustrating to the librarian who wants to get it right the first time. It becomes a waste of time for all involved. Here's a good rule of thumb: If you get a question e-mailed or faxed to you, please read it to make sure it makes contextual se...

Once in a while, we'll get inquiries as to the names of venture capitalist firms that might be a potential source of financing for certain clients. To find them, we utilize a CD-ROM titled "Galante's Venture Capital & Private Equity Directory". It provides descriptions of thousands of VC firms either headquartered or with branch offices here in the U.S. All CD-ROMs in our collection have their own quirks, requiring us to know their unique whims in order to get the most out of them. This one is no different. Should you require such a search, it would be helpful for us to know the answers to as many of the following as possible: The funding stage at which the company is currently. In other words, does it need seed money, or is it a startup, or is it still in research & development? For what industry is the business seeking the funding? Galante's has 31 broad industry categories, including "Transportation," or "Medical Devices," or ...

Small Business Drives Inner City Growth and Jobs Small businesses are the drivers of inner city economies and job growth, according to a new study released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Read the SBA press release , the research summary or the complete 30-page report (in PDF format). - posted to PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance, Tue, 11 Oct 2005

Here’s a list of organizations whose business it is to track standards from various bodies, covering many industries with their descriptions attached. American National Standards Institute “The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit organization (501(c)3) that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system.” Master List of ISO Standards “ISO is the leading developer of International Standards. ISO standards specify the requirements for state of the art products, services, processes, materials and systems, and for good conformity assessment, managerial and organizational practice. ISO Standards are designed to be implemented worldwide.” The World-Wide Web Virtual Library--Standards and Standards Bodies “World Standards Services Network (WSSN), is a network of publicly accessible World Wide Web servers of standards organizations around the world. Through the Web sites of its members, WSSN provides information...

Recent reports from the Census Bureau : National and Regional Information on Financing of Homeowner and Rental Properties . Data is in 368-page PDF. (Released October 5, 2005) Sales of New One-Family Houses in August 2005 Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 1,237,000. This Is 9.9 Percent Below the Revised July 2005 Figure of 1,373,000. (Released September 27, 2005) New Orders for Manufactured Goods in August Increased $9.7 Billion Or 2.5 Percent to $395.2 Billion. (Released October 4, 2005). New Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods in August Increased $6.8 Billion or 3.3 Percent to $210.9 Billion. [PDF; 75 KB, 4 pp.] (Released September 28, 2005) Total Construction Activity for August 2005 ($1,108.5 Billion) Was 0.4 Percent Above the Revised July 2005 ($1,104.1 Billion) Figure. (Released October 3, 2005) Nation Adds One Million Self-Employed Businesses to Reach 18.6 Million, Census Bureau Reports. (Released September 30, 2005)

In the October issue of Grants Action News , the Department of State announced the availability of funding through the New York State Quality Communities Program which may be of interest to regional SBDCs. Under this program, funds are available for planning projects that revitalize downtowns, develop strong economies and protect environmental resources. Eligible applicants may apply for grants by submitting proposals that incorporate one or more of the following programs: Intermunicipal Growth, Community Growth, Community Open Space, Mountain Communities, and Community Center. ELIGIBILITY: Counties, towns, cities, villages, local public authorities, public benefit corporations, Indian tribes/nations, and not-for-profit corporations. FUNDING: Contact the Department of State for details. DEADLINE: December 5, 2005. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Requests for applications and forms along with other pertinent information are available for downloading from the Quality Communities Clearinghous...

From selling products online to selling relationships, businesses need to gain the trust of their customers. Whether they are buying a book or finding a roommate, the customer needs to know that their personal data is in safe hands. Especially for an older generation who are not at all comfortable with online retailing, our clients who are looking to this group as potential customers need to know how to address their fears. I am often surprised at vendors who offer no assurance of security on their websites and yet expect sales. Here are a few articles on the subject. Building Trust on the Internet Making Your Client's Privacy Your Business Inspiring Trust Online SitePoint By Jennifer Johnson VeriSign Probably the best known name in ecommerce security, they offer a widening number of tools for the online business, from payment processing to database tools. You will also find a number of guides on their site explaining the issues facing ecommerce businesses like: What Every E-Busine...

You might call them liquidators, or odd lot processors, but there is a whole industry out there called reverse logistics. From http://www.logisticstoday.com/displayStory.asp?nID=6417: Reverse logistics is the process of moving goods from their consumer destination for the purpose of capturing value, or proper disposal. It includes processing returned merchandise due to damage, seasonal inventory, restock, salvage, recalls and excess inventory, as well as packaging and shipping materials from the end user or reseller. Check out the main page cited above. You should also view a a 283 page report on Reverse Logistics trends .

Advisors across the state are no stranger to clients who've developed a product that could be the Next Big Thing, if only they knew how to get it to market. Not long ago, the Research Network purchased a compact, 45-page primer on this very thing. It's called "The Complete Guide to Marketing and Launching a New Product," and was published in 2004. Its author, Matthew Yubas, has been a marketing consultant to small businesses for 20 years. Sections in the article are short and simple, providing tidbits on such things as how to price properly; how to brand the product; a launch checklist; using direct mail effectively; and others. Often the text will direct a reader to other sources for additional information. Again, this is a brief introduction to the methods of bringing a product to market, and likely reiterates information that you provide your clients during the consultation period. However, clients who are simply bewildered at where to begin, and how to organi...