New York SBDC Research Network

There are many industries and businesses in New York State that require permits and licensing in order to operate. Restaurants, day cares, liquor stores, contractors, and hotels are just a few of the more popular businesses that our clients start that require permits. In order to find out what NYS requires, the Governor's Office of Regulatory Reform provides OPAL - Online Permit Assistance and Licensing. OPAL provides information for all of the state agencies, as well as contact information, fees, and requirements for applying for the permits and licenses. The site also provides pages of "Helpful Information" on a variety of businesses, not just the ones that require permits. There is a keyword search to facilitate easy searching of the database.

Planning some outdoor recreation? Its a great time of year for biking and hiking, and just getting outside. Interested in the economic and demographic aspects of outdoor recreation? Check out the research provided by the Outdoor Industry Association . Some of the more technical or current reports are only for members, but free reports include a 2006 state of the industry report, state by state examinations of the active outdoor economy, demographic profiles, and retailer operational analyses.

Does international pressure really affect the survival of domestic manufacturers? Does it have the same effect regardless of size? A new study released by the Office of Advocacy, The Impact of International Competition on Small-Firm Exit in U.S. Manufacturing, provides answers. The study finds that changes in exchange rates affect the smallest of manufacturers, those with fewer than 20 employees, but have limited a impact on larger manufacturers. Manufacturing firms in high-tech industries felt less impact from international pressures than low-tech industries did. A full copy of this report is available here and the research summary can be found here . Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Brian Headd at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov. *** This report, "Characterization and Analysis of Small Business Energy Costs," compiles available information to (1) characterize the potential impact of energy price increases on small entities in individu...

Everyone has a story to tell about a client who wants/needs a grant for their business. We know from experience that there are very, very few (if any) grants for private, for-profit businesses. Despite this experience, some clients are likely to insist that the money is "out there," somewhere. If they insist, then send them to GrantGopher.com . It's just been released. It promotes itself as a free website where information on grant funding possibilities can be found. From their home page: "We believe that this information should be freely available, especially because grants are so desperately needed by people and organizations that may not be able to afford subscription fees or a professional grant researcher." We're one of those organizations that have paid an annual fee for a database that we've used for your grants requests over the years (and that fee went up this year, and will go up again next year). GrantGopher requires a free registration to acc...

A few weeks ago, I filled up the gas tank in my car and for the first time ever, I paid over $40. For those of you that drive large cars, trucks, or SUV's, $40 must sound like heaven. But for myself and my little Honda Civic, $40 is a lot. It is predicted the the price could hit $5 per gallon by the end of the year and certain gas stations in Germany are already charging up to $8 per gallon. Below are links to websites to help your clients (and you) find the cheapest gas in the area. Websites to find gas prices Gas Price Watch Gas Buddy Gas Prices from Mapquest The following links provide widgets that can be downloaded to your desktop or embedded in the programing of your blog or personal webpage. Automotive.com Gas Prices Widget Interdimension Media Gas Widget Apple Gas Widget for Macs Finally, here is a list of websites that are also pertinent to the gas crisis. Fuel Economy AAA Fuel Cost Calculator Alternate Fuel Prices - Includes prices and purchase locations for BioDiesel...

I was thinking about changing minds. How difficult it is to do. To change one's own mind or another's. From the point of view of an individual but also from that of a company or a brand - once a person has made up their mind about something, it almost doesn't matter what they hear or see. It seems that lack of perception is reality. If a person is not looking for new information, they are only picking up on the elements in a person or product that agrees with their established opinion. All other information is weeded out so that the image agrees with the bias. We can see that in the political process, in the media; once a point of view has been repeated a few times, it solidifies in the mind and is intractable. They say the key to changing someone's mind is to acknowledge and understand their point of view and then slowly point them to another option, and repeat. Changing Minds: The Great Resistance Branding Strategy Insider Posted by Jack Trout November 12, 2007 Atta...

According to a recent article from Federal Computing Week there are at least 31 active public blogs run by federal agencies. This piece highlights 5 blogs hosted by (or at least related to) federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (Secretary Mike Leavitt was the first head of an agency to write a public blog), the Congressional Budget Office, the State Department, and the Navy. We spend a fair amount of time searching for federal regulations and statistics. This more personable and conversational side of federal government feels particularly refreshing.