New York SBDC Research Network

SBA Administrator Karen Mills and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden recently held a Google+ Hangout with a small business that helped NASA land the Curiosity rover on Mars. Staff from ATA Engineering joined the Hangout to explain their role in the Mars Science Laboratory and how small businesses can expand their markets by working with the Federal government. Watch now!

IRE and the Sunlight Foundation launched EconoCheck , a resource for journalists who want to fact-check the economic claims made by politicians. This will make it easier for folks to understand key economic indicators and how they are created. Also, there are links to the source data so journalists can download the files themselves. Bill Allison, Sunlight’s editorial director, blogged about how journalists can use the data to report on the things politicians say about the economy .

In addition to the US Copyright Office and the US Patent and Trademark Office , check out: Intellectual Property Infringement and Other Unfair Acts . Section 337 investigations conducted by the U.S. International Trade Commission most often involve claims regarding intellectual property rights, including allegations of patent infringement and trademark infringement by imported goods A list of Who’s Who in the U.S. Gov’t involved in IP Copyright: Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright (for students and teachers) The Copyright Society of the USA The Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States [Chart] Crash Course in Copyright from the University of Texas Copyright Navigator by Lionel S. Sobel

"Unless all the requirements are met, a purchaser of business assets in a bulk sale transaction may be held personally liable for any unpaid sales taxes due from the seller." Bulk sale transaction is defined as "a sale, transfer, or assignment in bulk of any ,part or the whole of business assets, other than in the ordinary course of business by a person required to collect tax. Transfer by way of a gift does not preclude such transfer from being a bulk sale... "A sales tax will be imposed upon the transfer of any tangible personal property from the seller to the purchaser which is included in the property sold in bulk, except for property intended for resale or property exempt from tax. The tax is not imposed on real property or on intangible personal property such as cash, goodwill, or accounts receivable." Read more here .

From Karen G. Mills, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration Your business has already succeeded in the most competitive market on the planet – the USA – so just imagine what you can do abroad. In foreign markets, you will find fewer competitors and you start with a significant advantage: consumers around the world trust the words "Made In America." There are free resources to help your business begin exporting, provided by the US government. To discover what is available, visit www.export.gov . There, you can connect to counselors, market matchmakers, and banks. You can also learn how U.S. government export insurance, working capital loans, and foreign buyer financing can protect you and your bank from transaction risk. Export.gov helps you access the experience of successful exporters, who will show you: How to manage the risk of doing business overseas Which markets and trade partners to select Where to secure capital on favorable terms ...

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has updated its free Voluntary Disclosure Program pamphlet (Publication 200) . The program, highly successful since its launch in 2008, has a simple goal: To help individuals and businesses with state tax debts from prior year filings meet their tax obligations. The pamphlet tells you who is eligible and how to start the application process online .

The SBDC Think Tank has been working with Bob Fangmeyer, Deputy Director of the Baldrige organization, and Dr. Kevin McCormack to complete a research study focusing on small business success. To date over 250 small businesses have completed the questionnaire. Dr. McCormack has published a preliminary report on the Small Business Breakthrough Project website. Small business owners: The Breakthrough Project is a SBDC sponsored national initiative that provides free resources to small business owners. In preparation for fuller analysis, the Think Tank is attempting one last push to encourage you to complete the survey questionnaire. The survey is only 20 questions, it is anonymous, and it takes only a few minutes to complete. Please help us by completing the survey now. The results will be shared with as they become available.