New York SBDC Research Network

Each year the  New York Small Business Development Center  recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the   North Country SBDC  appears in our  2016 Annual Report .  Margaret Murphy   Integrated Aquatic Sciences, LLC North Country SBDC Integrated Aquatic Sciences, LLC, was formed in 2015 to provide comprehensive aquatic consulting services to clients in both the public and private sector. Services include fish community evaluations and fisheries management, water quality monitoring, habitat restoration and management. The company provides a cost-effective scientific approach that works within the natural environment.  Principal scientist and owner, Margaret H. Murphy, Ph.D. is a Certified Fisheries Professional through the American Fisheries Society with more than 20 years of experience in the field. Margaret consulted the SBDC for assistance in starting her business and to gain a b...

From eMarketer : Retailers have been racing to crack the personalization code for some time. For most, personalization is a key to success. In fact, more than nine in 10 US retailers surveyed by RIS News said personalization capabilities are at least somewhat important to their company's business goals. And 39% of respondents said personalization was extremely important. Many respondents employ personalization in hopes of increasing sales, improving overall loyalty, and of course, making sure customer engagement levels are high. Improving these capabilities, however, isn’t always an easy task for retailers. It’s important for retailers to get personalization right because the price of personalization failure is costly.

From Bplans : Why should busy small business owners worry about ethics? Because whether you are a software startup or have a taco truck, ethics failures can hurt the bottom line, writes Shanté Roddy, CEO of Intuitive Risk Management International. “Ethically treating employees, good relationships with the public, and correct information shared with stakeholders are all responsibilities of the top leadership and have a direct impact on the overall growth of the company,” Roddy writes. Business owners have to sweat the small decisions, because, as Aileron puts it, “business ethics issues always start small.”

From the Small Business Administration: The U.S. Small Business Administration will present a six-part, free webinar series to help small businesses navigate its Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone Program that will run from February to mid-March.  The hour-long webinars will cover the following topics:  February 7 HUBZone Contracting:  Make the Federal Government Your Customer 2-3p.m. EST Small businesses will learn about HUBZone contracting vehicles and regulations. Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 7 webinar begins: http://ems7.intellor.com/login/714969 February 14 HUBZone Joint Ventures: How to Partner with Other Companies for HUBZone Contracts 2-3p.m. EST Small businesses will learn how to enter into a HUBZone joint venture and the importance of having a well-defined joint venture agreement whether or not the agreement falls under the All Small Mentor-Protégé Program. Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 14 ...

From eMarketer : In the latest episode of eMarketer's "Behind the Numbers" podcast, we consider the changes planned for Facebook's News Feed and the possible implications for advertisers. Will the shifting focus of the News Feed, with an emphasis on "personal" posts, force changes for marketers? What about nonprofits? Here's "What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know about Facebook's New Algorithm" from TechSoup.

From MarketingProfs How important have smartphones become to modern life? Would consumers rather lose their phones or their wallets? KPMG surveyed 10,000 adults in China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and asked that very question. Some 42% of consumers in India, 36% of consumers in China, 35% of consumers in the US, and 21% of consumers in the UK say they feel a strong sense of anxiety if they leave their mobile phone at home when they go out.

From Lexology : The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking which, in effect, (1) would shift the duties of certifying Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) as relates to Ownership and Control (O&C) from the VA to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) ; and (2) revises the regulations dealing with set-asides and sole source awards under the Veterans First Contracting Program . While subject to comment periods and final rulemakings, the big picture storyline is that this revised regulatory scheme, if passed, will shift much of the oversight on VOSBs from the VA to the SBA. While the SBA oversees almost all small business concerns related to federal procurements, including the SDVOSB program, the VA has had its own veteran-owned business certification program, called the Vets First Verification Program. Arising out of the Veterans Benefits, Health Care and Information Technology Act of 2006 (PL 109-461), this program granted th...