New York SBDC Research Network

The mission at SBA is to to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the nation. USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov, the official web portals of the U.S. government, have put together helpful information on how to get help for difficult financial times. If times are tough for you and your family, or your employees, sign up for the e-mail updates below: • Sign up in one-click for information to get help with difficult financial times and to receive featured updates from USA.gov . • En Español - Suscríbase con un clic para obtener información que lo puede ayudar a superar dificultades económicas y recibir actualizaciones de GobiernoUSA.gov. USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov will highlight government resources that will help you with unemployment, jobs, training, housing, debt and credit, family issues, health care and insurance.

"Are you tweeting in your meetings? Do you complain online about your co-workers’ annoying quirks? If so, your employer probably doesn’t appreciate you sharing proprietary or negative information about their company with the world. But can they do anything about it? Yes, if they have a social media policy. "While employers adore social media for brand promotion and marketing, they don’t like it when an employee opens up a party popper of bad news about the company that can cover the world in seconds." Read more HERE .

If you are looking for capital to finance your startup or business growth, many signs suggest that lending markets are showing renewed vigor. Here are some tips to help you understand what SBA loans are available, where to get them, and how to prepare a successful loan application.

The Small Business Quarterly Bulletin from Advocacy's Office of Economic Research is a brochure-style publication that contains commentary and analysis on the current employment and financing trends of small businesses. From the current issue: "While small firms with 20-499 employees provided three-quarters of the net employment growth since the end of the downturn, more recently, even the very small firms (fewer than 20 employees) and large firms (500 or more employees) showed solid net increases (Chart 4). Increases were driven by existing firms, as birth and death employment essentially netted each other out leaving little to no impact on the overall employment level. The decline in employment from births over the last decade has been accompanied by a corresponding decline in employment from deaths."

If you want to do something to help your community, the environment, and yourself, there’s one easy step to take: Patronize your local small businesses. As a small business owner, you can also hire local contractors and use local service providers. Once, Americans put their trust in local companies. We preferred to buy from the shop down the street or hire the contractor who lived in our community. But after decades of incessant marketing by huge corporations, many Americans now trust national brands more than their neighbors. As small businesspeople and entrepreneurs, let’s help reverse that trend. After all, it’s in your own best interest to shop from local stores and patronize local service providers and contractors. It’s a wise choice to buy from local, small businesses. Why? Read more HERE

ThomasNet.com's latest 2012 Industry Market Barometer® most notably shows continued growth and confidence among respondents in the manufacturing sector. Overall, this survey, with responses from 3,700 professionals, reveals an emergence of pride for the "Made in America" brand. Companies are extremely committed to keep jobs at home where skilled labor is in demand, but also concernedly short of hands. Read the full report and find out: What's driving and sustaining business growth; Where employment opportunities are and the challenges that surround hiring; What are manufacturers’ key investment areas; What can help change the image of American manufacturing; And more!

"Don’t you love when someone remembers your name? Make an effort to remember your customer’s name when working with them. They will appreciate your extra effort to make them feel important." This site asks: What’s your trick to remembering your customer’s name? Among the good ideas: 1. Stop telling yourself that you are bad at remembering names 2. Repeat their name 4-5 times during your first conversation 3. Use a mnemonic device to associate their name with something else 4. Practice