New York SBDC Research Network

When how to write a business plan is at the top of the SBA list of the ten steps in how to start a business, it tells you something about how important the experts consider it to be. Planning a business and writing a business plan is more than just having a location picked and a product or service to sell. Financing, marketing strategy and future growth all require a well-researched and thought out business plan. Read more at discoverbusiness

We're getting close. Today the movers are back and they're taking away a lot of our packed boxes and desks. Some of us are relocated to an interim location while offices are moved. There are miles of huge bins with all the office materials and Frankie and company are working overtime getting everything ready. The view from my desk is of Tammy's office which is all boxes. Keep this in mind if you need something - that we are limited in what we can do for a couple of days. We should be back up in our new office by the end of the week. Our new details are: Mailing Address: New York Small Business Development Center State University of New York 10 North Pearl Street Albany, NY 12246 Physical / UPS / FEDEX deliveries: New York Small Business Development Center State University of New York 10 North Pearl Street Albany, NY 12207

One of the essential parts of creating and running a small business is creating a mission or vision for the business and a set of goals the company aims to achieve. Strategic decision making, or strategic planning, describes the process of creating a company's mission and objectives and deciding upon the courses of action a company should pursue to achieve those goals. Read more at Chron

Items that make excellent collateral include real estate, cars, business inventory, and even cash savings. If there’s one aspect of the American dream that seems to appeal to just about everyone, it’s the idea of owning and running your own business. Whether you’ve always dreamed of running an Asian-Italian fusion restaurant downtown, or simply can’t wait to open up that quaint little boutique filled with your own fashion designs, it’s only natural to be excited about someday becoming your own boss. Knowing that you’re ready to open a small to mid-sized business is one thing, but knowing how to secure the funding you need is another. Read more at Bplans

You’re running a small business. You’d dearly love to have high visibility on Google for organic search engine traffic and leads—but you’re being overwhelmed by big competitors with deep pockets and an army of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialists at their disposal. Cheer up! You can still win at SEO, but you have to be smart—very smart—about how you deploy your resources. The important thing to remember is: What most small businesses do with SEO is exactly what they shouldn’t do. Read more at Bplans

Peter and Jonathan talk about business buzzwords they hate, and false assumptions you can make about your business. Joe Pulizzi (Founder, Content Marketing Institute) also joins in to talk about the six steps of the Content, Inc. model. The Bcast is the official podcast of Bplans.com, hosted by Jonathan Michael and Peter Thorsson. Tune in weekly for a fun and informative discussion that will help you grow your business. Every week, we bring in business experts to discuss the latest trends in marketing, sales, and entrepreneurship. Skip the stuffy MBA classroom and get information and advice that will actually help you grow your business today—and have some fun while you’re doing it. To listen, see itunes

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,”