New York SBDC Research Network

“Getting Started in New York State Contracting – NYS Contract Reporter” (Webinar #7 in the Procurement Webinar Series) Presented by: Roxanne Mutchler, Government Contracting Coordinator, NYSSBDC Procurement Assistance Center at MVSBDC Topics to be covered: The Contract Reporter is one of the main resources for contract opportunities in New York State. Train your clients to take full advantage of the information available at this website. Date: January 26, 2011 Time: 9:30—10:30 AM How to register: Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/305250977

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, as well as the option to search by agency. Best of all, there is an option to "Choose Business Type", which will guide the user to personalized results by asking detailed questions about the number of employees, l

Source: Deloitte via Docuticker With a rapidly changing global economy, leaders are urgently seeking an effective method to sustain economic growth. While geography, industry, and technology are important considerations, gender is an imperative factor that cannot be ignored. Talent is critical to staying competitive, but despite the growing number of qualified women in the workforce, the female talent pool continues to remain underutilized... Acknowledging and investing in women can yield a significant return—a return known as the gender dividend. To fully capitalize on the gender dividend, however, countries and organizations must go beyond policies that focus on discrimination and develop solid strategies aimed at integrating women at every level. This will require building a strong, dual-focused business case that considers women as both workers and consumers. The series of papers titled The gender dividend, examines successful models for investing in women. The first installment,

The press release reads: The U.S. Census Bureau debuts a reinvented American FactFinder today, making online access to 2010 Census data -- and many more statistics -- easier than ever. The new American FactFinder offers a fresh look, new tools and easier access to a wide range of Census Bureau statistics. Online today, you will find population estimates for 2008 and earlier years and findings from the 2000 Census. When fully implemented, the new FactFinder is projected to have about 250 billion data cells in more than 40,000 tables. BUT...the note attached to the notification also said: "Please note that very limited data are currently available on this system." Several paragraphs down: Users should note that American Community Survey, 2007 Economic Census and other economic survey data are not in the new version of American FactFinder at the present. These data sets can be accessed from the American FactFinder homepage and will be loaded to the new American FactFin

Also, Taxpayers Impacted by Recent Tax Breaks Can File Starting in Mid- to Late February The Internal Revenue Service announced taxpayers will have until Monday, April 18 to file their 2010 tax returns and pay any tax due because Emancipation Day, a holiday observed in the District of Columbia, falls this year on Friday, April 15. By law, District of Columbia holidays impact tax deadlines in the same way that federal holidays do; therefore, all taxpayers will have three extra days to file this year. Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until Oct. 17 to file their 2010 tax returns... The IRS also reminded tax professionals preparing returns for a fee that this is the first year that they must have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). Tax return preparers should register immediately using the new PTIN sign-up system available through www.IRS.gov/taxpros. Who Must Wait to File For most taxpayers, the 2011 tax filing season starts on schedule. However, tax law changes enact

The James J. Hill Reference Library has once again provided us with a useful resource for small businesses. The 2011 IRS Tax Calender for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed is a 12-month calender with day-to-day instructions on what needs to be done when in regards to business taxes. The "Game Plan for Success" can be printed out in calender form either month-by-month or in the traditional calender layout to remind a business owner when to do what. Each month also highlights a tax topic related to small business; for instance, “Preparation and Setting Up" for January, or “Tips on Wage Reporting” for December. In addition, the calendar also provides Tips for Business Success, a list of Forms and Publications, and a list of online resources and tools available for small businesses.

UN COMTRADE is the pseudonym for United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database. Over 170 reporter countries provide the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) with their annual international trade statistics data detailed by commodities and partner countries. These data are subsequently transformed into the United Nations Statistics Division standard format with consistent coding and valuation using the UN/OECD CoprA internal processing system. The UN COMTRADE is the largest depository of international trade data. It contains well over 1.7 billion data records for 45 years and is available on the internet! All commodity values are converted from national currency into US dollars using exchange rates supplied by the reporter countries, or derived from monthly market rates and volume of trade. Quantities, when provided with the reporter country data and when possible, are converted into metric units. Commodities are reported in the current classification and revision (HS2002 in

Castleton Library names new director Amy Lynn Peker will take the reigns of the Castleton Library beginning January 18, 2011. Amy earned a MS in Information Studies with a concentration in library and information services from the State University of New York, at Albany...[She] worked as an Information Specialist with the NYS Small Business Development Center. Congratulations, Amy!

Following is the full statement from SBA Administrator Karen Mills: “In just three months since the Small Business Jobs Act was signed into law, SBA supported more than $12 billion in lending to small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country. SBA is on the front lines with small business owners and our lending partners every single day. I’m very proud that as a result of those close relationships and partnerships we were able to quickly put this significant amount of capital into the hands of our nation’s largest job creation engine. “The loan enhancements of higher guarantees and reduced fees first implemented as part of the Recovery Act have been a vital resource for tens of thousands of small businesses at a critical time when lending markets had dried up. Beginning in February 2009, these loan enhancements engineered a significant turnaround in SBA lending, including driving record-high levels of SBA lending in recent weeks. The end result is that the agency helped put m

To find a lawyer, law firm, or legal services specific to your needs, I recommend Martindale.com . It is possible to browse or search for lawyers by popular practice areas or geographic areas. Their 140-year-plus history began in 1868, when lawyer and businessman James B. Martindale first published The Martindale Directory. Its stated purpose was "to furnish to lawyers, bankers, wholesale merchants, manufacturers, real estate agents, and all others...the address of one reliable law firm, one reliable bank, and one reliable real estate office in every city in the United States..." By 1896, The Martindale Directory included the basic information that still appears in the lawyer and law firm Profiles, as well as ratings and a section on foreign lawyers and firms. In 1930, the Martindale Company purchased the publishing rights to Hubbell's Legal Directory, which contained a digest of state laws, court calendars and a selective list of lawyers and firms. The following year

How to accept credit card payments on your site without a merchant account Why Do It? Credit card payments allow you to take advantage of the following types of customers: 1.Impulse buyers. 2.International customers. Methods of Accepting Credit Card Payments There are actually two ways in which you can accept credit cards on your site. 1.Using Your Own Merchant Account. 2.Through a Third Party Merchant. Which Method Should You Use?

WASHINGTON – As part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s mission to ensure that small business owners and entrepreneurs have access to accurate, timely and helpful information, SBA Administrator Karen Mills today unveiled a newly re-designed SBA website. The new site also features the launch of SBA Direct, a dynamic new web tool with a variety of personalization features that will help small businesses start-up, succeed and grow. ...SBA Administrator, Karen Mills said, “While the SBA website has traditionally been an information-rich site, we wanted to make it easier for small business owners to navigate. With the new improved SBA.gov , business owners can access the answers they need, specific to their business profile, in an instant – it truly presents the face of the future of SBA.” While the site features a variety of enhancements including a full re-design, new content, and improved navigation, the centerpiece is a dynamic new web tool called SBA Direct. SBA Direct allows

While it is unfortunate that the James J. Hill Library can no longer provide us with online databases, there are still offering resources for entrepreneurs. Extremely useful are Business Stages for Entrepreneurs . Business Stages for Entrepreneurs is a free online information resource for entrepreneurs and small businesses to help them grow. The five stages and the information provided for each are: Exploring - Resources that will help you test your business concept against the current market place. Beginning - The nine major steps in starting a new business. Growing - Resources to help your business grow and expand. Managing - Tips and tools to help your business stay successful. Maturing - Options for when you've reached your business goals and are ready to move on.

WASHINGTON – A new technology tool for small businesses is now available to help them grow and create jobs. The new education resource, Business Technology Simplified, helps small business owners connect the dots between entrepreneurship and technology to give them a competitive edge. The U.S. Small Business Administration and Microsoft have teamed up to develop this free, comprehensive guide on how technology can improve the small business owner’s chances for success. The Business Technology Simplified guidebook includes fundamentals on the importance of technology, and on how it can be used to achieve a business’s goals. In the guidebook’s foreword, Earvin “Magic” Johnson writes about his journey in developing a multimillion dollar company and the value of technology to remain competitive... Business Technology Simplified offers straightforward tips on how to use technology and innovation to make businesses work more efficiently. The guidebook incorporates relevant and practical

WASHINGTON – A very popular initiative that in just three-and-a-half years has provided more than $560 million in loan guarantees to nearly 7,000 veterans to start or expand their small businesses is being renewed for three more years, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Patriot Express, a streamlined pilot loan product based on the agency’s SBA Express program, offers an enhanced guaranty and interest rate on loans to small businesses owned by veterans, reservists and their spouses. Over the past two years, due in part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, loan volume increased dramatically. “America’s veterans have the leadership skills and experience to become successful entrepreneurs and small business owners,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “The impact of this program over the last three-and-a-half years has meant thousands of veterans and their families have had the resources to pursue their dreams as entrepreneurs, and at the same time create j