New York SBDC Research Network

Market research is essential to starting or expanding a business and the various sources that are available can be difficult to navigate. Rutgers University Libraries have a subject research guide section devoted to sources for various types of research. The guide devoted to Market Research "includes pointers to several important sources of statistical data on income, consumption, and demographics, to help you understand and define the market for your product or service." Another source for subject research guides, including Market Research Sources , is the Library of Congress Business Reference Services.

I heard about this site from my mother. She and my sister were enjoying stumbling and turned me on to it. I was familiar with some other similar sites like Digg and Delicious but like so many other comparable products, it's style that sets one apart from another. StumbleUpon allows you select your interests then you "stumble" and you will be led to one after another site on those topics. You can also review and save favorites and share them with a social network. So, if you are interested in graphic design and animation and buddhism, it will bring those sites to you. I had been using it for entertainment purposes mostly but then added topics like Internet Tools and Small Business and those categories are included in my random wanderings.

Last week, I received an e-mail from the CPM Industry Insider that had a link to the article Survey: American Small Businesses Not Prepared For Power Outages . Probably not coincidentally, on the very same day, SBA sent out a press release about September being National Preparedness Month, from which I will quote extensively: Homeowners, Renters and Businesses Are Encouraged to Plan Before Disaster Strikes WASHINGTON – Recent floods in the Midwest and hurricanes/tropical storms in Texas and Florida have cost homeowners, renters and businesses millions of dollars in damages. These events serve as reminders to the public to have a disaster preparedness plan in place. National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is designed to enhance the public’s awareness of the necessity of having an emergency plan in place to respond to a natural or man-made disaster. The U.S. Small Business Administration is one of the many government and private sector co

Two years ago, I wrote a post that summarized a report written by Dr. James Chrisman, which provided data proving the economic impact of the New York State SBDC for clients seen during the year 2004. It's time for a follow-up. If you recall, we mail surveys to all long-term clients (i.e., those who received five hours or more of consulting). Dr. Chrisman compiled the data, and released his report to us in late August. Here's the details, taken directly from the report: * "There were 620 responses to two mailings (post and email) of a questionnaire, a 7.2% response rate. The clients surveyed (8,647) represented the entire population of long-term clients (received five hours or more of consulting) of the New York SBDC in 2006. Of these, 3,168 were established businesses and 5,479 were pre-ventures (a/k/a, "startups"). * "In aggregate, we estimate that the long-term clients of the New York SBDC generated $861.9 million in incremental sales and 11,764 new

Business Net, "the go-to place for management", has a section of their website that lists free business magazines for those that qualify. There are hundreds of magazines listed that can be subscribed to for no cost. Since it would take forever to list all of the publications that are available, the categories listed are: Agriculture Automotive Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Computers Construction Education Engineering Executive & Management Finance Food & Beverage Government Health Care Human Resources Industrial & Manufacturing Internet Information Technology IT Data Management IT Security IT Software & Development IT Storage Insurance Mechanical/Machine Meetings & Travel Multimedia Network/Communications Purchasing & Procurement Retail Sales & Marketing Small & Medium Business Telecom & Wireless Trade/Professional Services Transportation & Logistics Utility & Energy With such an eclectic selection, there is sure to be a pu

Like a lot of struggling smaller cities, in our area, we see businesses that have survived severe changes downtown. There is a drive to increase the traffic to downtown areas and convince businesses to locate there over malls. But sometimes, the cityscape doesn't give an accurate picture of what is going on behind closed doors. Walking down the street, so many businesses that appear defunct from the street are actually viable. Now, I know word-of-mouth is great and all, but these businesses could do more to get someone not already familiar with them in the door. Improving signage, cleaning up window displays and generally smartening up their "face" would go a long way to improving business. Developing a unified image may help develop new business. An example of another way to improve a brand identity is with shopping bags. The lastest Entrepreneur Magazine has a short article by Gwen Moran entitled It's in the Bag that looks at how a business can take advantage of

As some of you know, Roger and I will be presenting at next week's ASBDC conference in Chicago. As part of our presentation, "Blogging for Your SBDC: Implementing Web 2.0 Technologies at Your Center", we've created a page of resources related to blogging and other Web 2.0 stuff. Some of these resources I've blogged about before, but now they are in one place, along with with links to blogs and other 2.0 creations from SBDC centers around the country. Enjoy: Blogging for Your SBDC: Resources (This list is by no means exhaustive, but is designed to give you a few more ideas about how to use Web 2.0 technologies, and how they are being used by other SBDC centers.) Blogs & Blogging: 40+ Free Blog Hosts from Mashable.com Trading Links - Any Real Value? by Gail Hornback Copyright & Fair Use Overview: Website Permissions from Stanford University Existing SBDC Blogs: Clarion SBDC (PA) Knowledgebase Hawai`i Business Research Library News Blog Coastal Bend SBD

When I started working at the SBDC, lo those MANY years ago, there seemed to be this silly internecine fight between the SBDC and SCORE, for a number of reasons. So when I saw the SCORE Template Gallery described in the J.J. Hill Library blog , I knew I had to share it: "When you're starting a new project, there's nothing more reassuring than a template. For guidance and first steps, you might think of a template as a roadmap."

Here's a website called BeyondMotherhood.com , a matchmaking site where employers and stay-at-home mothers can find one another. Founded by Shannon Davis, a stay-at-hom mother herself. The site was created originally to service northern Ohio, but is growing in appeal. Its existence is predicated on the fact that there is a wealth of employable talent that companies can tap into. It offers a venue where mothers can still utilize their business skills, while finding a schedule that's flexible enough to give them the time they need with their children. The site appeals to employers by reminding them that stay-at-home mothers are ideal candidates to fill a need on a quarterly, seasonal, or project basis, or who have expertise that is only needed a few times a year. Such women possess the necessary skills, education and experience to do the job, but don't necessarily want to be brought on as full-time staff. For $75, a company can post a single listing on the site for 30 days. I

Although the days when a suit and tie were everyday attire for every individual going to work are gone, what you wear to work can still make an impression. Casual business attire and Friday jeans day are still opportunities to prove that you are best man or woman for a raise or promotion. Business Network has compiled a list of articles and videos on What to Wear to Work . According to the article, "whether you work in the most dressed-down computer games company or the most buttoned-up management consultancy, our feature package will help you choose what’s appropriate, what’s not, and what will get you to the top." Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace Ten Ways to Upgrade Your Look Dress for Business Success Video How to Order a Custom-Made Suit

Here are two of our latest additions to the collection with a summary of their contents: Kid-Focused Businesses (Entrepreneur Magazine's Step-By-Step Startup Guides) Party Planning Gift and Bath Products Educational Toys and Games Plus Size Clothing Cooking Classes Ward's Motor Vehicle Facts & Figures 2008 Documenting the Performance and Impact of the U.S. Auto Industry Sections include: Production/Factory Sales Retail Sales (cars, trucks, top selling, Canada, Mexico and Leasing) Registrations (Cras and trucks and vehicles retired from use) Automotive Trade (US Exports and world trade data) Materials (consumption by material type) Ownership (Population per vehicle, drivers, thefts) Transportation Expenditures (inlcudes fuel and licensing taxes) Travel Trends Automotive Businesses (Facilities, capacity, profits) Environment/Regulations (fuel consumption, prices, taxes) Traffic Fatalities (By state, characteristics, countries)

Looking to make and/or sell your own designs? Here are a few resources you might want to know about. Etsy.com , “your place to buy and sell all things handmade,” has been in the news quite a bit lately. It’s an online marketplace, where artisans can set up their own shop, post an item for 20 cents, and pay a 3.5% commission when it sells. Just about everything you can think to make (and some things you’d never think of) are for sale here, and you can search in some creative ways (like by color.) Ponoko , “is the world’s first platform for anyone to share, buy and sell product plans to make individualized goods.” Ponoko works in several ways. Designers can create and upload product designs, choose materials, and Ponoko will manufacture and deliver the final product. Or you can design it, and then display it in the Ponoko showroom, and someone else can buy it from you. Ready to take the plunge to buy only handmade gifts? Check out the Buy Handmade Pledge . You can sign up and say

On a website, I saw a reference to the price of gas as 1.279. Initially, I didn't get it. Then I realized I was on a Canadian website and it was a reference to Canadian dollars per liter. So what is that in US dollars per gallon? And how do I figure it out without having to do two calculations, one for liter to gallon and another for the currency. Google, of course. To use my example, type: 1.279 CAD per litre in USD per gallon and click "Google Search". When I did it at noon on August 11, the result was "1.27900 (Canadian dollars per litre) = 4.58349234 U.S. dollars per US gallon". By the way, it doesn't matter if you spell it "litre" or "liter". What you will need is the three-letter code for currency, which you can find several places, including here , one of the sites noted on this website . More about Google's unit conversions here . Tip of the cap to Arthur @ AmeriNZ , who mentioned this on his podcast.

This Saturday is the 139th annual Travers Stakes at the Saratoga Racetrack. It's a big deal in these parts. I won't be partaking, though, in the wagering. Vacation has left me a bit short, and, honestly, I'm not much of a handicapper. However, in honor of the big race, check out the Center for Gaming Research . It's a website designed & operated by (where else?) the University of Nevada - Las Vegas. The site is geared towards three distinct groups of people: * The academics, for whom a users guide is tailored for researchers of all ages (including us!). * The media/industry guide helps those in the media and casino industry find the information they need. * The "just curious" section, which is broad information aimed at those just getting started. The information available is not just for the state of Nevada, so it's relevant to a blog being written in New York.

A new website has been created by the Empire Center to allow New Yorkers to see how state funds are spent. According to the website, " See Through NY is a web portal -- and more. It's designed to become the hub of a statewide network through which taxpayers can share, analyze and compare data from counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts and public authorities throughout New York." The website offers access to state payrolls, contracts, expenditures, and more. Although lauded by freedom of information individuals and organizations, the site is troublesome to state workers who do not enjoy having their personal salary and contract information open to the world. For more information, click here for an article from The Times Union and here for a blog post from Roger Green.