New York SBDC Research Network

Here's a link to a <a href="http://www.coordinatedlegal.com/SecretaryOfState.html directory of all 50 states' Secretary of State sites.<br /> <br /> "Coordinated Legal Technologies has compiled the links on this page for legal professionals and others who are looking for quick access to the corporate information available in online searchable databases maintained by the Secretary of State for any given state. The extent of information available and the way in which it is present varies from state to state. Some states provide only a business name lookup, while others offer search by officer and director names, and UCC filing information. Please be sure to check the hosting state entity for more information about the type of content offered and the time periods covered."

From one of those nifty tax digests I receive regularly: Individuals seeking a fresh start from overwhelming tax debts may now be eligible for relief under a new hardship provision in the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance's Offer in Compromise Program. The new provision enables them to accept offers where collection in full would cause undue economic hardship. Previously, the program was only available in cases of insolvency or bankruptcy. For more information, see the Offer in Compromise Reform web page and this PDF document .

If you find you don’t have enough hours in the day to take care of your business operations, your clients and your employees, outsourcing key business functions such as payroll can be a cost-effective business strategy. In fact, payroll is the first function many small business owners look to outsourcing. Read more .

In an effort to create a more level contracting playing field for women-owned small businesses, in late 2010, the SBA announced a rule that would implement the long-awaited Woman-Owned Small Business contracting program. So what is the WOSB Program and how can you take advantage of it? Here’s what you need to know and the steps you need to take to get your business certified to participate. Read More .

From OPAL , the New York State's Online Permit Assistance and Licensing website: If you want to start a new business or expand your current business, this site will help you find the New York State business permits you may need. However IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to a scheduled upgrade, the online forms will NOT be available from September 6 through September 13, 2011. This website will NOT be available from September 9 through September 13, 2011. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Today’s franchise buyers are faced with thousands of choices; not only do they have to figure what type of franchise businesses to look into, they have to figure out which one is the “best in show.” Read more .

by Alicia H. Munnell Since working longer is the key to a secure retirement for the vast majority of older Americans, it is useful to take a look at labor force trends for those under and over age 65 for the last century.

Small Businesses Should Take Steps to Be Prepared Now - Tips It’s often difficult for small business owners – some of the busiest people in America – to look beyond the most pressing, immediate business concerns. But an “ounce of prevention” today could mean the difference in whether a business is able to survive a disaster and quickly return to regular operations. Read MORE .

Social Media Makes Lousy Customer Service a Very Costly Proposition

By Doug Caverly Complaints about contracts, customer service common There may be a handful of businesses out there that rely on solar power, possess their own water wells, and don't need phone lines or Internet. We applaud their independent spirit. But everybody else is stuck dealing with utility companies, and a new report from the Forum of Private Business indicates that the experience is less than pleasant for many firms. The FPB said in a statement, "A third (33%) of business owners surveyed by the Forum describe standards of customer service as 'poor' or 'very poor.' Many cite contractual issues - including the practice of rolling businesses over on to often more expensive contracts with little warning." Then the statement continued, "Just 11% believe utilities contracts are easy to understand, 35% think it is difficult to switch suppliers and 40% feel that contractual terms and conditions are 'poor' or 'very poor.' Al

What they all share in common is that they directly benefited from SBA help at a critical moment in their growth. Some received great advice from our staff or our counselors. Many got SBA loans. Others won federal contracts. Still others used unique programs like Small Business Investment Companies or the Small Business Innovation Research program.

From Small Business Newz : There’s a long-standing debate in business circles about the difference between the use of the term entrepreneur vs. small business owner. The issue centers on the notion that if you’re an entrepreneur you care about high growth and if you’re a small business owner you’re somehow destined to struggle to make ends meet while working your fingers to the bone.

From the Department of Agriculture - Economic Research Service Annual estimates of U.S. exports by State and commodity group based on each State's share of U.S. agricultural production.

SBA is teaming up with Visa to ask small business owners: “Where will your next customer come from?” To recognize successful small exporters and increase awareness toward federal assistance for exporters, SBA is sponsoring its Export Video Contest. The contest, presented in partnership with the National Export Initiative and Export.gov, will award monetary prizes to five successful small business exporters representing a variety of industries. American small businesses looking to expand are going global. There are a number of advantages to exporting: reaching new customers, increasing sales and profits, and becoming less dependent on domestic demand, to name several. In fact, over two-thirds of the world’s purchasing power is based outside the U.S., where the vast majority of consumers reside. The U.S. government stands ready to help your small business get started in exporting, with an array of programs, tools and resources. More HERE .

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics [PDF] Manufacturing sector multifactor productivity declined at a 5.7 percent annual rate in 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This was the largest annual decline in multifactor productivity since the series started in 1987. The multifactor productivity decline in 2009 reflected a 12.5 percent decrease in output and a 7.2 percent decrease in combined inputs.