New York SBDC Research Network

From FTC.gov Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission, jointly with the offices of eight state Attorneys General, the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, two U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Better Business Bureau (BBB), announced the results of Operation Main Street: Stopping Small Business Scams, a law enforcement initiative targeting operations seeking to defraud small businesses, and an education outreach effort to help small businesses protect themselves from fraud. Operation Main Street - Stopping Small Business Scams (24 Law enforcement actions nationwide; 12 Partners in law enforcement, including the FTC, brought these federal and state actions; 6+ Types of scams - including unordered merchandise, business directories, fake invoices, and imposters - collected more than $290 million from businesses in these cases) - Go to ftc.gov/smallbusiness.The agencies are announcing a total of 24 actions involving defendants who allegedly perpetrated scams against sm...

A gentleman from the Better Business Bureau gave an online talk to NY SBDC advisers about how BBB will get businesses in their database if ther business applies to do so, even if the business is NOT a BBB member. The obvious advantage is greater visibility. So if your business gets an A rating from BBB, it'll be listed on the BBB site right below the members who get an A. For folks in the Metropolitan New York, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson Region, go to http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city , hover over FOR BUSINESS, click on Update Your Business Information , then click on the like-named picture . For folks in the Albany, Buffalo, Rochester & Syracuse regions, go to http://www.bbb.org/upstate-new-york/ , then click on Update Business Information . Also, check out the Non-Accredited Business Resources .

The USPS will be displaying this poster nationwide from Feb 19 - May 31, 2010. When a “warning” from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) about how to avoid census scammers started circulating on the Internet, many educated and otherwise savvy people bought the message and passed it along. Several well-meaning friends sent the missive to me, asking in an innocent effort to be helpful (and maybe to impress their census-crazed friend), “Is there anything we should add before sending to our e-mail list?” My answer: TRASH IT, before this doctored message hoodwinks more unsuspecting readers! More here .

Following last weeks' topic, this blog will also be dedicated to the Economic Stimulus Package and how the monies will impact small businesses. Below are the links to multiple articles that discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and Small Businesses. Press Release: SBA Applauds Stimulus Bill, Planning Underway For Broadest, Quickest Small Business Impact - This release highlights the SBA's key initiatives that have been impacted by ARRA, including a 90% loan guarantee, deferred payment business sabilization loans, and more. The 2009 American Recovery and Reintestment Act Tax Provisions for Individuals, Businesses, and Other Key Items of Interest - A summary of the major tax provisions that were included in the act, about halfway down the page is a section titled "Tax Provisions Affecting Businesses". BBB Explains Stimulus Package Benefits for Small-Business Owners - A summary provided by the Eastern North Carolina BBB that highlights sev...

On a listserv I monitor, I saw a post about someone receiving notice that he or she had been given an award by the US Local Business Association . the question was, "Is this a VALID organization? or a 'scam' to get companies to buy their award plaque?" Frankly, I didn't want to spend an inordinate amount of time on the question, since it wouldn't count in my monthly statistics,. But I did venture to the Better Business Bureau website, went to the national page, and found this about USLBA: The BBB does not have a current report on this company, which means it has not had frequent enough inquiries or a reason to open a file. The red flags that the BBB sees with this organization's pitch are: *There is no way to contact this company other than via email. *Web site domain registration information is privately registered via Go Daddy. We consider this to be a red flag. *Organization states that you have been awarded, and then presents you with the option of p...

With gas prices continuing to rise with no end in sight and unemployment rates slowly rising due to the worsening economy, now would be the perfect time to get a "work from home" job. Unfortunately, the majority of "work from home" jobs are scams to make money off of people who don't have the money to spare. To find legitimate "work from home" business opportunities that are available, you just need to know where to look. Here are a few of the sites that can help. - bbbonline.org – Click on "For Consumers" when you want to research a specific business opportunity. - WomenForHire.com - Offers resources and ideas on working from home. - FTC.gov - Type "work at home" in search box for good and bad business opportunities, as well as information on how find a legitimate business.