New York SBDC Research Network

From Inc The speed at which Pokemon Go has spread is unprecedented. Less than a week after launch, this augmented reality mobile exploration game has been installed on twice as many phones as Tinder, it has double the engagement of Snapchat, and it is eclipsing Twitter in its percentage of daily active users. People are spending so much time journeying around looking for Pokemon that getting sore legs from playing for hours on end has practically become its own meme. Smart businesses have caught on too. As Pokemon Go users traverse their towns in search of Pokemon, local stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and other businesses are capitalizing on this massive opportunity, driving huge amounts of foot traffic and conversions both with simple in-app purchases and creative marketing campaigns. To start turning the ambulating gamers around you into your new best customers, all you need is to know how to play the game.

From Zadar Storage Preventing a cyber attack should be one of, if not the main goal of your IT department. Your press releases need to focus on things like your outstanding awards, exciting new product lines, and the addition of stellar new industry talent to your roster. You don’t want to be issuing press releases trying to explain how you leaked 1,500 customer identities or allowed other sensitive data to be exposed to the deep recesses of the Dark Web (like the much feared and dreaded Panama Papers) — or worse, published on the searchable Internet at large (Sony and Ashley Madison ring any bells?). These kinds of press releases don’t start in your PR department, they begin at the IT drawing board. Security is no longer something businesses can afford to pile on to their existing IT infrastructures like icing on a cupcake. Security has to be included in the batter and baked into the IT infrastructure at the storage, application, and network levels. Only then is it ready to face ...

Daughter for Hire LLC, run by Kathleen Rutishauser and Denise Flihan, provides companion care services to senior citizens in Oneida, Madison and Herkimer counties. The company provides the types of services that allow senior citizens to remain living in their own homes, rather than move prematurely to a nursing home facility, including meal preparation, grocery shopping, assistance with medical appointments, medication reminders, laundry, housekeeping, companionship and advocacy. The company has evolved from a sole proprietor, home-based company into a partnership with an office in Clinton, and revenues that grew by more than 300% from 2013 to 2015. Kathleen and Denise project continued growth of 50% in 2016, which is well beyond the norm of 6% in the personal care industry. Their success is due to the fact that they present themselves as a more professional, polished and compassionate group of caregivers than their competitors. The SBDC has worked with them f...

From the New York Daily News The formula for business success is simple but not easy. At the core, once you have your product or service figured out, your marketing plan should be a natural progression. In fact, we would challenge the thinking that your business plan and marketing plan are one in the same to a certain extent. Some small businesses may say, "I don't really need any marketing right now, we are doing alright." While, you can't argue with a business that has a stable customer base, you have to consider the philosophy that extending the opportunity beyond the first transaction is where the lifetime value of your customer is increased. More sales equals more profits. After all, marketing is what you do to create awareness for your product or service, and that awareness should be continuous.

From Bplans.com You think an allowance will help kids learn about how to manage their money? Try being a business owner. Understanding both personal and professional finances is one of the most important life lessons to learn—the earlier the better. By having a good grasp on spending, saving, budgets, and margins, you show you’re knowledgeable and responsible with money. Nothing’s cuter than a tween (with the assistance of her father) handing you a contract and telling you that she will clean and service a machine every month if you give her rent-free space to place it. Truly understanding what you’re selling displays confidence and credibility, as does truly believing in it. Comprehending the ins and outs of your product and business shines through when speaking with customers and clients.

From NECTjobs , which offers a FREE "collection of resources and introductory articles will help guide you on your journey in recruiting new employees for your business." Depending on job market conditions, a single job posting could receive hundreds of applicants. That’s both good and bad. It’s good because the higher the number of applicants, the wider the prospective talent pool becomes. It’s bad because a higher number of applicants means more clutter. A large selection of candidates increases your chances of finding the best fit for your business. With so many candidates, you can stack up their resumes against one another and find the best of the lot. This scenario has significant advantages over a job posting with only a handful of applicants to choose from. Receiving a large number of candidates requires more effort on your side. Hundreds of job applications necessitates a lot of sorting to find top talent – After all, golden candidates may be buried at the botto...

From Bplans . Often, a business plan introduces a new technology that requires some explaining. On one hand, as a reader of business plans for investors, I see way too many business plans that ask a reader to wade neck-deep through technology to get to the business. That’s a great way make your reader run in the other direction! It’s a business plan, not a term paper or thesis. Establish technology as a differentiator, when it is. Tell me about it in relation to its importance to the business. Don’t force me to understand it when I don’t need to. On the other hand, as a writer, manager, and user of business plans as tools for steering a business, I believe you should discuss your technology in the plan for any business. Even if technology isn’t the driving force of your business or your main differentiator, these days, almost all businesses have to manage technology as part of branding, marketing, and communications. To the extent that technology matters, I want to see it in the...

From EOS : EOS®, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, is a complete set of simple concepts and practical tools that has helped thousands of entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses. Implementing EOS will help you and your leadership team get better at three things: Vision—getting everyone in your organization 100% on the same page with where you’re going, and how you plan to get there Traction®—instilling focus, discipline, and accountability throughout the company so that everyone executes on that vision—every day Healthy—helping your leaders become a more cohesive, functional, healthy leadership team Thousands of entrepreneurial companies around the world are running on The Entrepreneurial Operating System®. Their owners and leaders are getting more of what they want from the business, and you can too. The EOS Toolbox™ is a complete set of 20 FREE tools, addressing and strengthening all Six Key Components™ of any business. These management tools for busine...

For more than 21 years Topical BioMedics has dedicated itself to helping the multitudes of people suffering with pain  achieve robust healthy living. The company’s flagship product, Topricin® Pain Relief and Healing Cream, which was introduced in 1994, is now a leading natural therapeutic brand. Topricin was developed by Lou Paradise, a decorated Marine Corps veteran who is the company’s president and chief of research, to treat his own painful case of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and relieve the effects of traumatic injuries. Lou’s wife Aurora, the Chief Operating Officer, oversees the daily operations including staff management, purchasing, and inventory. The company’s warehoAuuse is populated by 17 full-time and two part-time employees. The Paradises first consulted the SBDC in the aftermath of 9/11 for help in applying for a disaster loan from SBA. Recently they’ve returned to the Mid-Hudson center to assistance with business expansion. So f...

From Bplans : For some people, coming up with ideas is as easy as spotting chewing gum on the sidewalk. For others, it’s nearly impossible. For me, new idea generation isn’t just easy, it’s something I’m doing all the time and often without trying. I do not believe this is an innate ability, but rather a “skill” that I’ve learned and practiced over the entire course of my life. While this “learning” has primarily been subconscious, as I’ve run into more and more people who struggle to come up with new ideas, I’ve made an effort to become conscious of how I do it and where I do it best. The fact that research on the subjects of creativity and innovation has become so popular certainly helps too. I fully believe that anyone who puts in enough practice and who makes a conscious effort to notice problems and identify needs, can improve their ability to come up with new ideas.

From Kresge Library Services Financial Reports and Disclosure Documents To obtain a better understanding of a business entity's current condition, examine the actual legal documents and financial statements filed with government agencies or regulatory organizations Note: Consult international company registers for U.S. private company information In the U.S. private companies do not have to disclose any information about their operations. However, the game changes when they are operating abroad. Some countries' legal framework might require them to be more revealing. International Every country and securities exchange has different company financial disclosure requirements. To locate filings and documents: Determine a company's country headquarters or the exchange where it trades stock Consult a country's business entity registration office, its securities regulatory commission and local stock exchange

From Ask A Manager - A reader writes: I manage a team, and part of their jobs is to provide customer support over the phone. Due to a new product launch, we are expected to provide service outside of our normal hours for a time. This includes some of my team coming in on a day our office is normally closed (based on lowest seniority because no one volunteered). One employee asked to come in two hours after the start time due to her college graduation ceremony being that same day (she was taking night classes part-time in order to earn her degree). I was unable to grant her request because she was the employee with the lowest seniority and we need coverage for that day. I said that if she could find someone to replace her for those two hours, she could start later. She asked her coworkers, but no one was willing to come in on their day off. After she asked around, some people who were not scheduled for the overtime did switch shifts with other people (but not her) and voluntee...

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics High-tech industries are an important part of the U.S. economy, employing nearly 17 million workers in 2014. While this accounted for about 12 percent of total employment, the high-tech sector contributed almost 23 percent of output. According to a study funded by the Workforce Information Council, the high-tech sector can be defined as industries having high concentrations of workers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) occupations. Although the term high-tech has been notoriously difficult to define, as technology changes all the time, this analysis provides an approach to defining jobs that are in in this sector. This issue of Beyond the Numbers applies the approach used by WIC to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on industry employment and output. It provides an overview of which industries make up the high-tech sector and analyzes historical and projected industry employment and output data from the BLS Employment ...

Each year the New York Small Business Development Center recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the  Staten Island SBDC  appears in our  2015 Annual Report .  Johnny, Ray and John Saylak Three Brothers Island Deli & Grocery Staten Island SBDC     Johnny, Ray and John Saylak opened Three Brothers Island Deli & Grocery in the fall of 2015. The deli offers Turkish, Greek and other Mediterranean specialty food products including unique regional teas, preserves and other packaged goods as well as traditionally grilled gyros and kebabs cooked in their kitchen. Two of the brothers, Johnny and John, are US Army veterans who continue to serve in the US military and work at the shop when their tours of duty allow; Ray owns a limousine service on Staten Island. Johnny, a 12-year army veteran, was stationed in Texas where he began creating a business plan with the assistance of the El Paso SBDC office....

From Disaster Resource Guide Once a crisis occurs, the bloviating begins, mostly by PR people. Most of these uninformed comments leave the erroneous impression that if you do maybe three things right, quickly; the problem is over before it begins. It’s sort of like when you were a kid, seeing a show where people were shot for the first time, and saying, “Why didn’t they just quickly jump out of the way the moment they heard gun fire?” The moment you know it’s a crisis, you have, in fact, been shot. What happens first is Mindless Crisis Management Commentary Errors, mostly made by PR people eager for the visibility such commentary provides. Seems many of our public relations brothers and sisters know a whole lot less about the patterns of crisis than they let on, including many who write and blog about the subject. Let’s start with the basic realities of crisis that the instant critics seem to miss or fail to care about. Or perhaps they are ignorant of what gives rise to crises...

From AIER : Small businesses are an important part of our economy and communities, but often we incorrectly assume that their small size is necessarily a competitive disadvantage. Numerous articles have proclaimed the end of Main Street, arguing that “mom and pop” shops cannot compete with the low prices and one-stop shopping of big-box chains. Others have touted the benefits of small business to local economies, emphasizing our duty to support small firms in our communities. In both lines of discussion, small businesses are seen as passive entities, handicapped by their size in our large and increasingly global economy. This brief takes a different view, showing that the most successful small businesses prosper because of rather than in spite of their size. These businesses often combine niche product offerings, superior customer service, a detailed understanding of local markets, and other attributes that larger firms are less able to capitalize on. After looking at some of the ba...

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics : The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) initiated the annual Employee Benefits Survey (EBS) in 1979, covering medium-size and large private sector establishments. Respondents to the survey provide data on the coverage and provisions that their plans offer employees, and BLS analyzes the data and publishes statistics on those plans in, among other places, the Review. Data from the EBS began coming in and, together with data from other sources, informed the Review’s pages throughout the 1980s. In 1915, when Commissioner Royal Meeker established the Monthly Review, the stated purpose of the new publication was to publish “the results of original investigations...[and] notices of labor legislation,” with attention paid to “the current work of this bureau [BLS], the other bureaus of the Department of Labor, or any other Government agencies dealing directly with labor matters.” In addition, the Review would “report [on] industrial accidents and occupat...

The US House of Representatives has passed HR 5485, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations for FY2017.  This bill, which funds the US Small Business Administration, includes $130 million in support for the 63 Small Business Development Center (SBDC) networks and their nearly 1,000 centers across the United States and in DC, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.   "We particularly want to thank Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman Ander Crenshaw for his support. This funding increase will enable SBDCs to expand and improve our ability to assist small businesses nationwide, small businesses that are the vital foundation of our national economy.  Every day small businesses face challenges with access to capital, sales, marketing, and a host of other issues. This funding will make sure that SBDCs are there to help them grow and create jobs"

From eMarketer It’s not surprising that personalized marketing is top-of-mind for many marketers. Personalization can drive engagement and conversions. June 2015 research from the CMO Council found that higher response and engagement rates were the No. 1 reason to use personalized content, according to more than half of senior marketers worldwide surveyed.

From Empire State Development The state has created several tax-free programs including START-UP NY and the Innovation Hot Spot Program. These programs assist businesses that are forming, expanding or locating to New York State for the first time. As part of both programs, businesses interact closely with universities and have the opportunity to operate taxfree for a specified amount of time in order to facilitate growth while promoting entrepreneurialism and job creation in communities across the state. New York State Certified Business Incubator and Innovation Hot Spot Program Administered by ESD’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation (NYSTAR), the New York State Certified Business Incubator and Innovation Hot Spot Program was enacted as part of the 2013-14 State Budget and provides financial support for business incubators in the state in order to support entrepreneurial activity. Through a competitive process, ESD has designated 10 Innovation Hot Spots (one for ea...

Each year the New York Small Business Development Center recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the  Onondaga SBDC  appears in our  2015 Annual Report .  Christopher R. Resig N.K.Bhandari Architecture & Engineering Onondaga SBDC Christopher R. Resig, became President and owner of N.K. Bhandari Architecture & Engineering, P.C. (NKB) in January 2015 after his brother Jim became ill. Chris has been with the firm for 18 years and he and his brother became co-owners in 2012. The firm acquisition was a private transaction that involved both financing by the seller and cash provided by the client. The seller also financed working capital with the client and the client secured a line of credit from Key Bank.  The sale saved 9 jobs and created 4 new jobs. Since becoming the owner, Chris has focused on growing and diversifying the business, and has been working with Advisor Joan Powers at the Onon...

From the Kauffman Foundation : Although the growth of young entrepreneurial businesses has increased it has not yet returned to pre-Recession levels, according to new research from the Kauffman Foundation. The Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship measures the growth of entrepreneurial businesses in the United States. In 2016, the index experienced the largest year-over-year increase in the last decade, according to its authors, Kauffman researchers Arnobio Morelix, E.J. Reedy, and Joshua Russell. Despite this uptick, however, entrepreneurial growth is still down compared to the levels experienced in the 1980s and 1990s.