New York SBDC Research Network

Small businesses are especially vulnerable to the threat of any sort of disaster and certainly, we are now getting a glimpse of just how much businesses will be affected by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. As the spread of the disease moves quickly from continent to continent and across the country, we can see healthcare organizations and cities roll out their plan for emergencies such as this. But if there is a task that falls by the wayside for the small business owner, planning for business continuity is probably the one that falls through the cracks. Perhaps lessons learned from myriad climate disasters have prepared business owners for this new threat but if not, there is no time like the present. I've come across a few articles that offer some practical things that business owners can do to mitigate the damage.  ECONOMICS & SOCIETY How Chinese Companies Have Responded to Coronavirus by Martin Reeves , Lars Fæste , Cinthia Chen , Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak and Ke...

From SBA and SCORE The U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE Association will host a free, 3-Day Virtual Conference during National Small Business Week. The conference will take place Tuesday, May 1 – Thursday, May 3 between 12:30 pm ET - 6:30 pm ET each day. The Virtual Conference offers all the best parts of an in-person conference, but without the hassle of traveling. Watch 12 educational webinars, get free business advice from mentors, pick up free information and resources from sponsors and network with fellow business owners. The webinars include: Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints & Keep Your Customers Simple Steps to Choosing the Right Financing Addressing Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace Sharing Your Story Through Video Pop & Play: How Opening a Pop-Up Shop Can Help Launch Your Retail Brand How Changing Consumer Behavior Impacts Your Business How to Get New and Repeat Business On Autopilot with Email Marketing Cybersecure You...

From the Small Business Administration: The U.S. Small Business Administration will present a six-part, free webinar series to help small businesses navigate its Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone Program that will run from February to mid-March.  The hour-long webinars will cover the following topics:  February 7 HUBZone Contracting:  Make the Federal Government Your Customer 2-3p.m. EST Small businesses will learn about HUBZone contracting vehicles and regulations. Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 7 webinar begins: http://ems7.intellor.com/login/714969 February 14 HUBZone Joint Ventures: How to Partner with Other Companies for HUBZone Contracts 2-3p.m. EST Small businesses will learn how to enter into a HUBZone joint venture and the importance of having a well-defined joint venture agreement whether or not the agreement falls under the All Small Mentor-Protégé Program. Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 14 ...

From Small Business Administration : Are you a small business owner with an amazing success story to tell? If so, submit your nomination today for the 2018 National Small Business Week Awards. All nominations must be mailed or hand-delivered to the nearest SBA Office no later than 3:00 p.m. ET on January 9, 2018. Consult the Awards Guidelines for details. Awards Guidelines Consult the Awards Guidelines for a list of National Small Business Week Awards, eligibility criteria, selection process, evaluation criteria and how to submit a nomination package. Nomination Forms All nominees are required to complete SBA Background Form 3300. National Small Business Week award nomination forms include: Small Business Person of the Year Award Small Business Exporter of the Year Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery - Public Official Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery - Volun...

From:  SBA National Small Business Week 2017 kicks off at the end of this month with an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. where  national award winners  including the naming of this year’s national  Small Business Person of the Year  will be recognized and awarded for their achievements. National Small Business Week is being held from April 30-May 6 and is an annual event hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration to recognize the nation’s top small businesses, entrepreneurs, small business advocates and champions. In addition to the awards ceremony April 30 – May 1 in Washington, D.C. with  SBA Administrator Linda McMahon , a roadshow will take place in cities around the country, and several online events. Events throughout National Small Business Week are made possible thanks in part to the support of leading companies and organizers who serve as cosponsors.

The U.S. Senate confirmed on Tuesday, February 14 the nomination of Linda E. McMahon as the 25th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration . "Small businesses are the engine of our national economy," McMahon said upon her confirmation. "I will work to revitalize a spirit of entrepreneurship in America. Small businesses want to feel they can take a risk on an expansion or a new hire without fearing onerous new regulations or unexpected taxes, fees and fines that will make such growth unaffordable. We want to renew optimism in our economy.

If you are a small business siuccess, submit your nomination today for the 2017 National Small Business Week Awards. All nominations must be mailed or hand delivered to the nearest SBA Office no later than 3:00 PM ET on January 10, 2017. Consult the Awards Guidelines for a list of National Small Business Week Awards, eligibility criteria, selection process, evaluation criteria and how to submit a nomination package. National Small Business Week has served as our nation’s salute to small business owners. That’s more than 50 years of celebrating small business owners who create two out of every three new jobs for Americans. Many household names were previous National Small Business Week award winners, including Ben and Jerry’s, Calloway Golf, Chobani, Dogfish Head, Stoneyfield Farm, Pacifica and Tom’s of Maine. And in recognizing the changing face of America, the SBA’s National Small Business Week awards honor individuals and businesses that reflect our nation’s rich diversity. All n...

The SBA Office of Advocacy has updated its most widely used publication: "Frequently Asked Questions about Small Business." The Small Business FAQ is the place to go to for the basics – how many small businesses are in the United States, how many employees they have, and what their growth trends are. A related tool, "Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business Finance," is also being released. The Finance FAQ outlines the borrowing and lending universe for startups and exiting small businesses, provides demographic information, and touches on important trends in the amount and modes of finance. Small Business FAQ In 2013, there were 28.8 million small businesses. • Eighty percent, or 23 million, had no employees (termed “nonemployers”) • Twenty percent, or 5.8 million, had paid employees • There were 18,600 large businesses. The number of small employers has increased after a decline during the recession, while the number of nonemployers has gradu...

From SBA.gov: The WOSB procurement program website is undergoing a facelift. A new website, called SBA ONE, will allow for the electronic submission of SBA forms, as well as a streamlined location to monitor all certifications for your company including the repository. With the change, there are three things you need to know: 1. All WOSBs will need to create a new login for the new system. The new website is actually an entirely new system and as such all WOSBs will need to create a new account and login (but not reload all documents – see next). The SBA is also asking that after creating a new account, all WOSB/EDWOSB companies submit new Form 2413 (WOSB certification) and/or Form 2414 (EDWOSB certification) electronically. Businesses should do this as soon as possible. 2. The repository is being migrated, but is currently closed. This is important for two reasons: 1) your documents previously submitted should move to your new account and not require resubmission (ex...

The Office of Advocacy, an independent office within the Small Business Administration, has released a report investigating the differences in STEM entrepreneurship between U.S.-born and foreign-born college graduates. The study finds that differences in educational attainment along with differences in the distribution of U.S.–foreign-born demographic characteristics explain most of percentage the gap.  Among immigrants who earned their highest degree in the United States, the rate of STEM entrepreneurship is almost 4 percentage points higher than for otherwise-similar native-born citizens. The report is titled Imported Entrepreneurs: Foreign-Born Scientists and Engineers in U.S. STEM Fields Entrepreneurship and is written by the noted economist, Margaret Blume-Kohout. It suggests several opportunities for policymakers interested in spurring new business creation and startup employment in new ventures focusing in STEM fields. The  full report  and  resea...

This week, the Office of Advocacy released the Annual Report of the Office of Economic Research, FY 2015. This report details 26 OER publications and eight Small Business Economic Research Forums that were produced during fiscal year 2015. This year, OER produced research on the following topics: ·         Access to Capital ·         Employment ·         Innovation ·         Minority- and Women-owned Businesses ·         Veterans The report includes links to all the original documents. It can be found on Advocacy's website at https://www.sba.gov/advocacy/annual-report-office-economic-research-fy-2015

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has reopened the filing period for survivors in all states affected by Superstorm Sandy on December 2, 2015 to apply for low-interest disaster loans.  The new filing deadline for physical damage and economic injury losses is December 1, 2016.    “The additional time for businesses, homeowners and renters to request federal disaster loans will go a long way in continuing to support the rebuilding efforts of the communities affected by Superstorm Sandy,” said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet.  “I want to thank the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Small Business Committees for their leadership on this issue.  We look forward to working with them to make sure the needs of small businesses are met.” The recently approved Recovery Improvements for Small Entities (RISE) After Disaster Act of 2015 gives the SBA Administrator the authority to make disaster loans for Superstorm Sand...

This week, the Office of Advocacy, an independent office within the U.S. Small Business Administration, released an issue brief entitled “Small Businesses Key Players in International Trade.”  The issue brief spotlights the role U.S. small businesses play in international trade, and finds that small businesses are important to consider when assessing U.S. export potential and policy tools such as free trade agreements.”  Find the full Issue Brief  here . International trade makes up 30 percent of the U.S. economy, and U.S. exports of goods and services reached a record $2.3 trillion in 2014.1 While total exports have grown 44 percent since 2009, the pace of export growth has been slowing in recent years.2 U.S. businesses, particularly small businesses (firms with less than 500 employees), face a host of challenges when selling products and services abroad; these may include high tariffs, financial risks, and customs clearance delays. Despite the challenges, internati...

The U.S. Small Business Administration unveiled today a new cybersecurity webpage for small businesses at  www.sba.gov/cybersecurity  on the 12th Anniversary of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  The SBA launched the online tools and resources to highlight Cybersecurity at Work from October 5-9th and in recognition of President Obama’s annual proclamation to educate Americans about cyberthreats and cybersafety. “Cybersecurity is one of our nation’s most pressing national security priorities, and America’s 28 million small businesses, which create two out of every three new jobs in the U.S., are especially at risk.  Small employers are quickly becoming a larger target for criminals looking to access sensitive data because small businesses typically have limited resources for information systems security,” 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is proposing revisions to its regulations for determining affiliation under SBA’s business loan programs and its surety bond guarantee program.  These revisions are designed to simplify eligibility determinations and reduce costs and processing time.   The proposed revisions were published October 2, 2015 in the Federal Register.  The comment period will be open until December 1, 2015.  SBA seeks comments from the public on the proposed rule and will consider these comments in its development of a final rule.   The proposed rule would apply to affiliation rules for SBA’s business loan programs and the surety bond guarantee program, but would not apply to SBA government contracting, business development, or grant programs.  The affected programs would include: the 7(a) Loan Program, the Business Disaster Loan Programs (collectively, the Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Reservist Injury Disaster Loans, ...

Most people start a business with one key objective in mind – making a profit. Yet some companies seek out not only to profit but also to provide a tangible benefit to society and the environment. These companies, depending upon a few specific criteria, are classified as Benefit Corporations or Certified B Corporations. Confused by the difference between the two? Didn’t even realize there was a difference? You’re not alone – it’s one of the most confusing aspects of a recent movement for companies focused on giving back. Benefit Corporations and Certified B Corporations have a lot in common, but there are a few key differences.  Benefit Corps To date, 31 states (including New York)  as well as Washington, D.C. have passed laws creating a new type of corporation – the Benefit Corporation (often referred to as “Benefit Corp”).  Benefit Corporation status involves a separate process available to companies in every state. These companies pledge to think about people a...

First impressions. They’re worth so much. In franchising, the first impression you get when you start to look at a specific franchise opportunity, dictates how far you’ll go with your investigation.  These days, it’s  the franchise company website * that is often where people who are looking at franchises get theirs. According to website conversion expert  Peep Laja *, website visitors form their first impression in about 50 milliseconds. That’s not a lot of time. And, once you do get interested in a franchise opportunity, franchisors have to keep you interested. They do this in a number of ways. And, your impression of how they do it is crucial. Ways To Keep You Interested

Did you know that an important shift is occurring with card payment technology that might impact your business? Keeping up with the newest, most secure card payment technology is very important for small business owners. SBA has teamed up with Square to help small businesses navigate the upcoming transition from magnetic stripe to chip card technology. Webinar | What Small Businesses Need to Know About The Switch to Chip Card Technology Wednesday, August 26, 2015 | 2:00 pm ET REGISTER NOW !

The Office of Advocacy has released its Quarterly Lending Bulletin, Small Business Lending: First Quarter 2015 . This report shows that small business borrowing conditions continued to improve gradually in the first quarter of 2015. For example, the percent change in small business loans outstanding (in amounts of $1 million or less) remained positive or unchanged for the sixth consecutive quarter. Small business loans outstanding totaled $595 billion and remained relatively flat from the previous quarter, but year-over-year (Q1 2014 to Q1 2015) showed an increase of 1.7 percent. Small Business Lending: First Quarter 2015, can be found on Advocacy's website here.

By  Rieva Lesonsky What’s the first thing that prospective customers see when they approach your business? Your signage tells them where you are, draws their attention and attracts them into your business (or possibly drives them away). Summing up your business brand for the world to see, your business signage creates that all-important first impression. How can you ensure it’s a good one? Whether you’re developing signage for a new business, or updating signage for an existing business, here are some things to consider. What are the constraints affecting signage in your area?