New York SBDC Research Network

From the United States Census Bureau Minority-owned employer firms in the United States increased by approximately 4.9 percent in 2015 to 996,248 from 949,318 in 2014, according to findings from the U.S. Census Bureau’s  2015 Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs . Payroll and employment for minority-owned employer firms in the nation also increased from 2014 to 2015 by approximately 7.0 percent ($237.5 billion to $254.0 billion) and 6.2 percent (7.6 million to 8.0 million people employed), respectively. Receipts for minority-owned firms in 2015 were estimated at $1,168.5 billion — not statistically different from the 2014 total of $1,089.7 billion. “California led all states in the number of minority-owned firms with approximately 228,148 (22.9 percent of the U.S. total of minority-owned firms) and the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA metropolitan area led the 50 most populous metropolitan statistical areas in the number of minority-owned firms (approximately 127,736 or 12.8 perc...

The New York Small Business Development Center is pleased to recognize the boldest, brightest, and best small companies and enterprising individuals in New York State.  Eight small business owners were honored at the 2017 Client Awards ceremony on April 24, 2017.  Read all their stories here.  At Cueva Interior Innovations they believe that space matters. Laura Cueva and her staff help businesses, educational facilities and medical facilities enhance employee productivity through creative space planning and cost-effective furniture solutions designed to promote employee well-being in the workplace. Laura first consulted the SBDC for assistance in starting her business, and later worked with SBDC to complete the paperwork required for MWBE certification and as approved in 2014. Most recently, Laura consulted with Roxanne Mutchler about marketing and procurement issues. With SBDC assistance, Laura submitted an application to the NYS MWBE Bridge-to-Success Loa...

If you are a company that may qualify for a waiver of the one year in business requirement (typically licensed professionals going into business for themselves who can meet all the qualifications, are generating revenue, etc, but haven't been in business for a full year), here are updated guidelines from the ESD Certification Help Desk on how to make that request and what's required as support documentation: A one year waiver for a business entity requires the following documentation before it can be forwarded to the Executive Director for final approval: 1. A letter requesting the one year waiver for the business entity in question to the NYS ESD Division of Minority and Woman Business Development explaining the services or products you provided leading up to the start of your new company; 2. The majority owner(s) current resume(s) typically listing training, and dates of employment history with brief explanation of role and responsibilities; 3. If applicable, any re...

Percy Caraballo, the son of Cuban immigrant parents, saved pocket change stored in 5-gallon water containers, as seed money to start Cutting Edge Lawn Service and Landscaping. He had one lawn mower and one landscape trailer when he launched his business. Percy’s fleet is valued in excess of $1M today, and comprises 13 trucks, seven trailers, four chippers, and a stump grinder. Cutting Edge provides lawn service, landscaping, tree trimming, tree removal, stump grinding, and snow plowing/removal for regional, municipal, public authorities and commercial accounts. Over the past eight years, Percy has managed his operations without an accident, earning him an award for sustaining a 100% accident-free safety record. He has 28 PT/FT employees providing year-round services. Percy consulted the SBDC for procurement assistance that led to his obtaining MBE Certification. Advisors Vanessa Primus and Cynthia Clune also provided solicitation reviews, helped interpret co...

For more than fifty years, the SBA has helped entrepreneurs start, grow and succeed in their business ventures. For all kinds of business owners across the country – including in traditionally underserved communities – SBA provides resources and access to capital they need to flourish. Here's how SBA helps entrepreneurs and business owners who are:   Minorities : Interested in government contracting? The  8(a) Business Development Program  helps small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the marketplace. Women : From registering your business to hiring your first employee, SBA is here to help you launch your small business.  Native Americans : SBA has opportunities and programs designed to help Native American entrepreneurs start and manage their businesses. Veterans : From the military world to the business world, SBA has customized resources to help our veterans succeed. 50+ Entrepreneurs : Are you nearing retirement and exploring new opportunities? S...

Hispanic Business : Minority entrepreneurs who feel their road to success is more difficult than others may not be imagining things. Sterling Bone, an assistant professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, said research he has completed shows that entrepreneurs who are minorities face more obstacles to success and deal with the rejection they sometimes experience differently than their Caucasian counterparts. Bone's conclusions were recently published in the Journal of Consumer Research, a top academic publication. He collaborated on the paper with Glenn L. Christensen, Garrett Research Fellow, and associate professor of marketing at the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, and Jerome D. Williams, the Prudential Chair in Business and research director of the Center of Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development at Rutgers University. Their research included sending "mystery shoppers" to banks seeking inf...

The Dynamic Small Business Search is generally a self-certifying database. The SBA does not make any representation as to the accuracy of any of the data included, other than certifications relating to 8(a) Business Development, HUBZone or Small Disadvantaged Business status. The SBA strongly recommends that contracting officers diligently review a bidder's small business self-certification before awarding a contract.

In FY 2013, Advocacy produced 22 contract and internal research reports on a variety of topics including access to capital, small business exporters, entrepreneurship, and minority- and women-owned businesses. In addition to these reports, Advocacy economists participated in roundtables and conferences about various small business topics and conducted presentations to audiences that included policymakers, academics, and/or the media. These outreach efforts are important for small business stakeholders around the country. This document describes the 2013 research and provides links to the publications on Advocacy’s website .

An Issue Brief published by the Office of Advocacy shows the changing makeup of America’s business owners. The composition of U.S. business owners shifted slightly between 2007 and 2012. During this five-year period, the share of minority and Hispanic business owners had a moderate increase. These changes largely reflect the growth of Hispanics and minorities in the overall U.S. population and workforce. Meanwhile, women’s business ownership rates were stable. Read Advocacy’s Issue Brief #2: Demographic Characteristics of Business Owners . For press inquiries or to speak with Advocacy’s Chief Economist Janemarie Mulvey, Ph.D., contact Elle Patout, Public Affairs and Media Manager, at (202) 205-6533 or elle.patout@sba.gov.

Red Castle Bakeries was founded in 1996 by Marco and Lucille Minuto. The Minutos started this business after Marco was laid off from a 15 year sales and marketing career with a beef patty company located in NYC. The two decided to start their own manufacturing and distributing company delivering beef patties throughout the Long Island and NYC region. They moved their growing business to their own building in Bayshore in 2007 and grew to employing 25 local residence. Shortly after the expansion, Mrs. Minuto was left a widow. She was faced with selling the business or to continue as the new President and running the operations with her sons. She felt compelled to stay as so many employees and her own children were so vested in the business. She and her son Marco continued to operate and work hard to preserve what had been created. Mrs. Minuto came to the Small Business Development Center in Farmingdale on November 14, just 15 days after Super Storm Sandy devastated so many...

The availability of capital is crucial for small business startup, survival, and growth. This study investigates how the youngest small firms, especially high-tech firms and firms owned by women and minorities, were financed during the evolving financial environment of the Great Recession. Get the full report or summary . Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Victoria Williams at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov.

From the Brooklyn SBDC: Ariel Barbouth recognizes New York City as the culinary capital of the world. Ariel started Nuchas in 2008 after visiting his native Argentina and re-discovering restaurants there that only sold empanadas: pastries stuffed with a variety of meats and vegetables originally from Latin America. After returning from Argentina, Ariel developed the Nuchas concept - selling empanadas as convenient, natural handheld food with an ethnic twist. His experience as entrepreneur in a previous venture in the food industry helped him quickly develop the concept. Nuchas started baking and distributing empanadas wholesale. Nuchas’ empanadas quickly became a success and were picked up by gourmet stores across the city. Ariel contacted the Brooklyn SBDC in January 2011 for business plan assistance to grow his business and open his first retail outlet. As the Brooklyn SBDC and Ariel worked on the plan, a Request For Proposal was published by The Times Square Alliance and NYC...

Empire State Development, New York City Small Business Services and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have joined up to make the certification process even easier. One application to submit for all three MWBE certification programs. Complete instructions are included in the Standard Application . If you are currently certified as an MBE, WBE, MWBE, DBE or are part of the Federal 8(a) Business Development Programs you may be able to use the Fast Track Certification Applications . 2012 Incentives for MWBE Growth New MWBE Regulations New York State Contract Reporter is New York’s official publication of state procurement opportunities from state agencies, public authorities and public benefit corporations. Check out the website .

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has unveiled a new program to eliminate some of the challenges minority and women-owned businesses face when bidding for state contracts. Cuomo's program, launched Feb. 21, provides MWBEs and small businesses with surety bond assistance. Surety bonds, or letters of credit from insurance companies, act as promises the insurance companies will cover a specific amount of a contract cost, should contractual obligations go unmet. Two A-plus rated surety bond companies, Travelers and ACE, are taking part in Cuomo's program, ensuring companies contracting to MWBEs up to 30 percent of the principle contract cost. In addition to surety bonds, New York state is collaborating with intermediary lenders to create more working capital loans for contractors. Cuomo says entrepreneurship, innovation and diversity are New York's strength. More HERE .

And the SBDC was cited: Harry C. Alford's presentation to the Signage Foundation Inc.; Mr. Alford is the President and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce In these turbulent economic times, small businesses rely on effective signage to help ensure the continued viability of their companies. While regulations are a necessary part of a complex society, regulatory flexibility is needed to ensure that businesses have the ability to attract new customers and bring back existing ones. Every law and regulation should be evaluated against its impact on jobs. On premise signs[are particularly important to black-owned business, especially those located in economically disadvantaged areas. Therefore, policymakers should develop and implement zoning laws and regulations for signs in a commonsense, business-friendly manner. More HERE NOTE that 10 of the 57 footnotes, starting with #13, are to New York State Small Business Development Center, What’s Your Signage? How On-Premise...

In 2007, minority-owned firms numbered 5.8 million, up from 4.0 million in 2002, an increase of 45.5 percent, more than double the 17.9 percent increase for all U.S. businesses, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 Survey of Business Owners. Receipts of minority-owned firms increased 55.0 percent to $1.0 trillion over the five-year period, compared with the 32.9 percent increase for all businesses nationwide. In 2007, more than one-fifth (21.3 percent) of the nation’s 27.1 million firms were minority-owned. Of the 5.8 million minority-owned firms, 766,533 had paid employees, an increase of 21.7 percent from 2002. These firms employed 5.8 million people, a 24.4 percent increase from 2002, and their payrolls totaled $164.1 billion, an increase of 42.2 percent. Receipts of minority-owned employer firms totaled $860.5 billion, an increase of 54.3 percent from 2002. In 2007, minority firms with no paid employees (nonemployers) numbered 5.0 million, an increase of 50.0 percen...

A couple years ago, someone from Empire State Development came to our offices, asking us to help them in the process of getting businesses certified as minority- and/or women-owned. Someone (probably me) asked what the turnaround was, and we were told it was 8 to 10 months. Yikes. At the NYS SBDC staff training a couple months ago, the same question came up, and we heard that the processing time was half the time it used to be, with even more improvements expected, thanks to the efforts of the Lieutenant Governor's office. Here's the application . The things I found most encouraging is the fact that applications from other entities, such as Port Authority, are now being accepted by ESD. Here's the applicable legislation and a website with more information .