New York SBDC Research Network

 If you need a reason to start a business, the gender wage gap may be a factor. The Census has created a new visualization of the disparity between male and female wages. I checked out the map and had a peek at New York State which has a nearly $9000 pay gap. This article acknowledges contributing factors to the discrepancy including age, hours worked, children, and level of education as well as the types of jobs held.

Annual Report on the State of Small Business Empire State Development 2019 Annual Report on the State of Small Businesses In accordance with section 134 of the NYS Economic Development Law, Empire State Development (ESD) is required to compile an annual report on the state of small businesses, particularly businesses with less than 25 employees which are often referred to as “microbusinesses.” Please note that the data provided in this report are the most recent available. The data includes such topics as:  Growth & Economic Trends of Small Businesses Employment and Economic Data of Small Businesses in New York State Programs to Improve Small Business Growth in NYS Employment in New York State Small Businesses with 0 - 19 Employees, By Industry (4th Quarter 2017*)  Improving the Business Climate State & Local Business Regulations

The Empire Center for Public Policy is an independent, non-partisan think tank based in Albany, NY. Their project, De/RegulateNY exists to improve policies in NYS to promote small businesses. De/RegulateNY gave small business owners a chance to nominate state laws that owners believe hinder the progress of new businesses. This February, the winners were announced and in particular, two votes went to a law that requires new LLCs to buy ads in local papers to announce their organization. This rule ignores progress that has been made in business communication and burdens the new business owner with additional expense. You can read more about the award and the project  here .

From the Empire Center Tables summarizing the latest Census Bureau population estimates for towns, cities, and villages in New York State have been posted in the Data section of the Empire Center’s website. The tables are sortable by county, name of the locality, population totals, changes and rate of change. They can also be downloaded by users. The tables are: City and Village Population Change 2017-2018 City and Village Population Change 2010-2018 Town Population Change 2017-2018 Town Population Change 2010-2018

From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Whether sales of a particular good or service are taxable may depend on many factors. Sales of tangible personal property are subject to New York sales tax unless they are specifically exempt. The term tangible personal property means any kind of physical personal property that has a material existence and is perceptible to the human senses (in other words, something you can see and touch). Sales of services are generally exempt from New York sales tax unless they are specifically taxable You should not collect sales tax on exempt sales that do not require an exemption document. However, for sales that require an exemption document, you must collect sales tax unless you receive a properly completed exemption document from the purchaser.

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...

This is the first post in our " Contracting Corner " series from Judy Wolf, Government Contracting Coordinator, Mohawk Valley SBDC & NY SBDC Procurement Assistance Center Interested in government contracting? There’s good reason to look toward this area of opportunity. According to USAspending.gov, on the federal level in FY 2015 alone, more than $428 billion were spent on nearly 3.4 million contracts. More than 127,000 of those contracts were awarded in New York State, bringing nearly $9.4 billion into New York. Add to that the fact that it is written into law that the federal government has to do everything in its power to funnel 23% of its spending to small businesses, and this equates to great opportunity for entrepreneurs! Federal agencies take this responsibility very seriously. Recent measures to enforce the importance of these goals include adding measurements to the evaluations of senior federal agency officials tracking progress toward meeting small busine...

Jurisdictional reporting of credits for Sales Tax Web File becomes mandatory for reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013. For reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013, the Tax Department's Sales Tax Web File service will require vendors to report credit information on a jurisdictional basis. This means for each jurisdiction for which you report activity, you must now separately report your credits against taxable sales and purchases. This requirement allows the proper amount of sales tax revenue to be distributed to the correct taxing jurisdictions. Credit reporting features of the Sales Tax Web File service: You need to report the taxable sales, purchases, and credit information for each jurisdiction and the Tax Department will compute the net amount of sales on which tax is due. For reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013, you must make an entry in all fields for those jurisdictions where you report activity. If a field does not apply to you, simply ent...

This memorandum contains a summary of the corporation tax changes that are part of the 2013-2014 New York State budget. The changes contained in the memorandum are effective for tax years 2013 and after. This includes New York State Business Incubator and Innovation Hot Spot Support Act (Articles 9-A and 22), Chapter 59 of the Laws of 2013 (Part C) created the New York State Business Incubator and Innovation Hot Spot Support Act (the Act) to support companies in New York State that are in the early stages of development. The Act provides for operating grants and other assistance to New York State incubators and New York State innovation hot spots for the purpose of developing successful businesses in the state by providing technical assistance, direct mentorship, entrepreneurial education, and business development service s. In addition, new section 38 has been added to the Tax Law to provide for New York State innovation hot spot program tax benefits. View the entire document . ...

If you share responsibility for the care of historical records, or you care about records held by particular organizations, you will want to learn more about emergency preparedness. The following resources from around the state and nation offer information for historical records keepers on disaster planning and recovery. • The Disaster Assistance page of the New York State Archives provides information on emergency preparedness and recovering from a disaster and describes the services it can provide to State Agencies, to Local Governments, and to Historical Records Repositories. The New York State Archives has also been playing a leadership role in a national effort, coordinated by the Council of State Archivists (CoSA), to help all state archives and records management programs prepare for natural disasters and other records-related emergencies. •The Pocket Response Plan (PReP)™ is a concise document for recording essential information needed by staff in case of a disaster. It w...

The Farmers Market Federation of New York is a grassroots, membership organization of farmers' market managers, market sponsors, farmers and market supporters. Together, we have developed a spectrum of services to increase the number and capacity of farmers' markets in the state, develop the scope of professionalism in farmers' market management and improve the ability of markets to serve their farmers, their consumers and their host communities. On this site you'll find support materials that will guide you to the successful development, implementation and operation of farmers' markets. Everything from publications and guides to research to reporting tools are available to assist you in market development and management. Here is a list of New York State Farmers' Markets .

Here are some reports about domestic violence and prevention in New York State: The Domestic Violence Prevention Act 2010 from the New York State Office of Children & Family Services Domestic Violence Annual Report 2010 from the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Domestic Violence Facts: New York from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Improving Domestic Violence Data in New York State: An Explanation of 2008 Reporting Changes from the Division of Criminal Justice Services

When a taxable product or service is sold, any charges for shipping or delivery that the seller includes on the bill become part of the receipt subject to sales tax. If the product or service being sold is not taxable, any charge to the customer for shipping or delivery is also not taxable. This also applies when the customer gives the seller a valid resale certificate or other exemption document. When taxable and nontaxable products or services are combined into a single charge on one bill, the entire bill is taxable, including any shipping or delivery charges. When charges for taxable and nontaxable products or services are listed separately on a bill, sales tax is not collected on the nontaxable charges. However: If only one charge for shipping or delivery is listed on the bill, the entire delivery charge is treated as part of the taxable portion of the bill. If the charge for shipping or delivery is fairly allocated between the taxable and nontaxable products of the...

Significant procurement changes recently in Article VII of the 2012-2013 NYS Executive Budget [PDF] . See Part L - modify outdated procurement procedures, pages 128-153. The OGS Procurement Services Group's (PSG) mission is to provide customer focused procurement services through the development and management of contracts and programs that are responsive to customer needs; are cost effective, practical, and timely; and provide comprehensive and innovative procurement alternatives, thereby assisting customers in accomplishing their primary mission. Bureau of State Expenditures Vendor Management Unit (VMU) Site Vendor Guide to New York State’s Centralized Vendor Management Processes Frequently Asked Questions for Vendors Vendor Responsibility VenRep System Welcome Package (Handbook) SFS Forms

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo delivered his second State of the State address on Wednesday, continuing his commitment to make government work for the people again. His new agenda includes plans to: *Create tens of thousands of new jobs across the state by investing state resources to leverage billions of dollars in private investment through public-private sector partnerships that drive economic growth. *Reimagining the state government to ensure it gets results for the people while protecting taxpayer dollars. *Strengthen New York’s legacy as the progressive capital of the nation. Click here for the State of the State press release , and click here to watch video of the event . "New York State is on the way to coming back stronger than ever before," Governor Cuomo told the crowd of New Yorkers and legislators at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. "Now is the time to get to work, building a New New York together." Join Governor Cuomo in building a New ...

Inspired by the front page story in today's Albany Times Union, Food ready to eat on a plate? It's taxable In New York State: Food Item is/// Tax Exempt if///Taxable if Cold cuts /// sliced and sold by weight ///arranged on food platter Pizza /// frozen, refrigerated, unheated ///heated Hot dog /// refrigerated (packaged) ///served on a bun or heated Fish /// sold unheated ///heated or served in a sandwich Bread /// sold by the loaf (whole or sliced) ///served with a bowl of soup Bananas /// sold whole, individually or by the bunch ///peeled or sliced as part of a fruit platter Bagel /// sold by quantity (whole or sliced) ///toasted, buttered, or with cream cheese Salad mix /// packaged in bag ///from a self-serve salad bar or prepared and arranged on a plate Ice cream /// sold in a container by weight (including hand-packed pints, quarts, etc.) ///made-to-order cone or sundae Macaroni salad /// packaged and sold by weight ///served with a sandwich, served in a tray as a side...

The New York State Climate Action Plan: Interim Report was released on November 9, 2010. The Challenge and the Opportunity Climate change, resulting primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities, is a significant threat to our environment, economy, and communities. Climate change is already occurring: its adverse effects are well documented across the globe and throughout our region. That realization, combined with the economic and national security vulnerability associated with our current, finite, fossil-based energy system, has created a sense of urgency in advancing a sustainable low-carbon energy future. New York State is committed to reducing Green House Gas emissions. The plan is to reduce these gases 15% by 2015 and 80% by 2050. The state is is aiming for an energy portfolio of 30% renewable by 2015. Businesses: Help New York State take the lead in this effort. Learn about the NYS SBDC Energy Savings Program . ARTICLE RECOMMENDED by Tony Presti, F...

I find this list useful because it addresses the requirements of specific industries, as well as general information such as what new businesses need to know. Some examples: Veterinarians, Hotel and Motel Operators, Drugstores and Pharmacies, Broadcasters, the Film Industry, Snowmobile Dealers, Manufacturers, Exempt Organizations, and Residential Energy Sources and Services, the latter updated as of September 1, 2010.

The research network at the NYSSBDC has updated a document that can be used as a guide and information source for our clients in today's rough economy. Originally created in July 2008, this is the fourth version of the paper. The guide combines facts and figures regarding the current state of the economy as well as tips and strategies for surviving in down times. In order to create the document, we visited major and business news websites and found the most recent articles and blogs that are applicable to our client base. We would be happy to send the document to any advisor or NYSSBDC employee who requests a copy. Feel free to call, email, or leave a comment and we will send you what we are calling the "white paper".

On Wednesday, March 18, I attended a Federal Stimlus Package Town Hall Forum at the Lally building of the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY, one of a series of events put together by Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and the New York State Senate; the local state senator, Neil Breslin, was the masters of ceremonies. I was surprised to find at 5:50 p.m. plenty of empty seats because I had heard that the first two events were standing room only; evidently, some folks knew that the program was going to start late. Soon enough, though, the room was packed. The head table had a half dozen agency heads or representatives, which made me think this was the only speaker; that would not prove to be true, as the total number of speakers exceeded a dozen and a half. First, Michael King narrated informaion along with this PowerPoint presentation . I was looking for the small businesss aspects. First to pop out at me was on page 17, which deals with labor, specifically the Workforce Investment A...