New York SBDC Research Network

Three in ten men are single, and of those, 80% are the decision-makers in their households. I know what you’re thinking – that’s logical. But it is, in fact, an overlooked aspect of many male lifestyle situations, and a hidden gem that many advertisers keep missing. This segment buys small and big-ticket items like automobiles, clothing and more at levels equal to or greater than women in most cases. Even women agree that men should have major input in decisions about buying big-ticket items. Six in ten women say that a recommendation from a spouse or partner is a deciding factor when making these purchases. So when you’re just buying women, you’re missing key influencers – men. And six in ten men say it's their call or that they have a key role in big-ticket purchases in their households. Times have changed and men have stepped up and are more engaged than ever. MORE HERE .

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...

Case study from Step-by-Step Marketing : Why Groupon.com pleases even customers who are wrong Groupon.com, one of the fastest growing companies on the Internet, emails its members daily offers to buy discounted deals in their residential areas. One recent deal, for example, offered members in New Jersey an opportunity to buy $40 worth of food at an Italian specialty store for $20. It's a great business concept, but it places unusual demands on Groupon.com's customer service. Here's an example...of taking the long view.

One of our NYS SBDC advisors has a new client who paid wasted $24,000 (no, we didn't misplace a zero!) for a TOTALLY USELESS business plan! Yet another reason to come to your nearest SBDC first.

To incorporate, or to not incorporate? That is the question posed at start-up. This Advocacy funded report by Rebel Cole, How Do Firms Choose Legal Form of Organization? (PDF) finds that the choice of legal form of organization is relatively stable over a firm’s first four years. When changes do occur, they tend to be to the more complex forms of organization. A Research Summary can be found at here (PDF) .

Can one search for corporations in all 50 states at once? Well, no. But one can use KnowX.com , an LN company. As a librarian noted, "A multistate search is free and you can purchase individual or expanded records on a pay-as-you-go basis. Another option is a day pass. You could check for other KnowX pricing options. Also check coverage and updating information if those are key issues for you. Delaware is not included. Here is the blurb: "'Research Corporate Records, and Search for Company Public Record Information. Search Corporate Record filings from the Secretary of State Offices across the United States. The types of information included in the Corporate Records search are records related to corporations, limited partnership, limited liability companies, trademarks, reserved names, and more.'"

From BNET : "Here are words and phrases you should remove from your website — not just from your About Us page but from many other pages as well. "They might sound impressive to you, but they're meaningless to everyone else."