New York SBDC Research Network

Starting in August, the U.S. Postal Service will no longer deliver regular mail to street addresses on Saturdays. Mail will be delivered Monday through Friday. The following services will NOT change: • Packages will still be delivered on Saturdays. • Mail will still be delivered to PO Boxes on Saturdays. • Post Office locations currently open on Saturdays will remain open on Saturdays. Discontinuing Saturday delivery is expected to save the Postal Service $2 billion annually. The Postal Service is an independent government agency and does not receive tax money to support its operations. It relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations. If you would like more information about the new mail delivery schedule , you can send questions and comments to the U.S. Postal Service .

To date, the New Business Acceleration Team has assisted over 650 restaurants to reach kitchen ready status. What you will find in the map below is an interactive map that illustrates the locations of each of those establishments. Once you click the map, you will be redirected to a screen where you can scroll over each location with your mouse and a pop-up will appear providing the location's address and website.

Let’s be honest. Walking away from a job with benefits and regular pay doesn’t seem like the greatest idea right now with the economy the way it is. But think about this ideal situation: keep your current job while you start a business on the side. This is commonly called “absentee” or “semi-absentee” business. Many people look would love this scenario, but don’t realize understand exactly what it means. Before you get started, here are four helpful tips as you search for that perfect absentee opportunity: More from the ASBDC .

While the fiscal cliff deal extended the income tax rates for 99% of Americans, one expiring provision that was not given new life by the 11th hour negotiations was the 2% reduction to an employee’s share of Social Security payroll taxes. For 2011 and 2012, employees paid only 4.2% of their wages towards Social Security. Beginning January 1, 2013, that burden has reverted back to 6.2%. As a result, if you earn a salary, you may have noticed that your first paycheck in 2013 was 2% lighter than your last check in 2012, assuming equal pay. And that has some people awfully mad. *More from FORBES HERE .

WASHINGTON – Less than 90 days after Hurricane Sandy struck, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $1.1 billion in disaster loans to 16,800 residents and businesses in the federally declared states affected by the storm. This milestone comes as Congress passed emergency legislation that will add $799 million to SBA’s disaster assistance program budget to help meet the demand for loans from Hurricane Sandy and future disasters. "Getting money into the hands of individuals and businesses in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy continues to be one of our top priorities," said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. "My pledge to those affected by the hurricane is that SBA, working together with our local and federal partners, will help you rebuild. I am pleased Congress took the important step of appropriating much-needed funds to help us keep our promise." Here’s how the supplemental appropriations will be used: * $520 million for disaster loan

1 day left to submit nominations for 2013 SBIR Tibbetts and Hall of Fame! Submit by 5 PM EST on January 31, 2013: Tibbetts Awards – companies and individuals and Hall of Fame Awards . 2013 SBIR Tibbetts Awards and SBIR Hall of Fame Awards to be presented in May The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking nominations for awards honoring the critical economic role small businesses play in federally funded research and development through SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Two awards will be given: the “Hall of Fame” award recognizing companies that have an extended period of extraordinary success of research, innovation, and product commercialization; and another, the “Tibbetts Award” with two categories, one for companies that have participated in the SBIR/STTR programs, and another for individuals who advocate on behalf of the programs. The Tibbetts Awards are named after Roland Tibbetts, who was instr

Raising money for any business in this tough economy isn’t easy. More owners are scrambling to attract new capital, and investors are holding tighter to their money, causing a major disconnect. Successful venture capital and private equity funds are only investing in 1 out of every 500 or so deals they see. Banks have cut back lending. Angel investors hammered in the 2008 market meltdown, lost their appetite for new deals while focusing on salvaging existing investments. However, you can raise the funds you need. You won’t get the very best terms and it will take you much longer than you thought. You may even have to retain an outside firm to help; but if it makes sense and you are fundable, you can get the deal done. More from the ASBDC HERE .

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched a new web page and blog dedicated to educating small business owners about the Affordable Care Act. The new tools will serve as a gateway for small business owners connecting them with information provided by SBA’s federal partners responsible for implementing the law, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "The Affordable Care Act provides small business owners with access and opportunity to provide affordable health care options for their employees," said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. "SBA’s new Affordable Care Act web page and blog will serve as a resource for small business owners who want learn more about how to take advantage of these benefits." The Affordable Care Act has many beneficial measures specifically for small businesses, including slowing premium cost growth and increased access to quality, affordable health insurance. SBA’s new web page, www.sba.gov/heal

Many small businesses can’t afford or may not even require full time IT staff, but that doesn’t mean technology challenges don’t arise. Fortunately, there are many ways for small businesses to access IT expertise even without a full time technology expert on the payroll. Educating yourself on basic technology issues that affect small businesses can go a long way toward helping you navigate IT problems that arise. Many Small Business Development Centers offer free or low-cost technology training. You can also look into what other local business organizations and chambers of commerce have on tap in the realm of technology training. More from the ASBDC HERE .

Vol. 32, No. 1 The January 2013 issue of The Small Business Advocate reports on the IRS’s breakthrough announcement of the standard deduction option for home offices. Also covered are the Fish and Wildlife Service’s review of rules regarding critical habitats, an introduction to some of the new members of congress with small business backgrounds, four new research RFQs, and the Office of Economic Research’s FY 2012 annual report. In This Issue Entrepreneurs in the 113th Congress IRS Announces New Home Office Deduction Option Agencies Revisit Economic Analyses of Critical Habitats RFQs for New Research

What: The U.S. Census Bureau will hold an instructional webinar to promote response to the 2012 Economic Census. This webinar will feature reporting options available to businesses and other information for respondents, associations and the media. The economic census is the U.S. government's official five-year measure of American business and the economy. It provides accurate benchmark statistics that are fundamental building blocks of economic indicators, including the gross domestic product, monthly retail sales and the producer price index. The economic census gives businesses the information they need to make informed decisions that affect America's economy. Please dial in by phone to listen to a simultaneous audio conference while viewing the online presentation. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. When: Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013; 1 p.m. (EST) Who: Charles Brady, chief, Customer and Respondent Outreach Branch, Economic Pla

he 2012-2013 flu season arrived earlier than usual, so it's time to prepare yourself, your business and your employees. Prevention is important for physical health, as it may impact your bottom line if your staff are out sick. These tips can help you avoid illness and maintain business continuity. More HERE .

From CBS News MoneyWatch : If you told people you were going to launch a small, independent snack food company, with essentially no marketing money, most would tell you to get your head checked. Going up against the likes of Nabisco and Keebler for supermarket shelf space is -- and this is a gross understatement -- a very low odds proposition. But that's exactly what two concerned dads did with their niche-market munchies, and their business is taking off, thanks to the unstoppable social power of an audience with a very personal, vested interest in their success. ...[The founders] ...both have children who are among the estimated 6 million people with Tree Nut and Peanut Allergies (TPA). TPA is one of the most prevalent and serious food allergies...and it affects many more than just the people who have it: There are millions more who care for, feed, coach, play with, teach and otherwise interact with them. ( My daughter has a peanut allergy as well. )

Source: Ericsson ConsumerLab From Computing for a Scattered Mind: From desktops, files, folders and garbage cans to flat surfaces, apps and cloud services, consumers are increasingly turning their backs on a computing paradigm for the focused mind. Instead of sitting at a work desk and completing tasks, there has been a shift in favor of a computing paradigm where things are handled on the spur of the moment and with one hand – subject to the flow of events as we stand in a shopping line, talk to someone at a café, or run between buses during the commute. In our study, 18 percent intend to purchase a tablet, compared to 15 percent who plan to buy a desktop PC. The PC at the work desk becomes the tablet on the living room table, used while watching TV – or on the kitchen table, picked up during a breakfast discussion with the family. Tablet interest is particularly high in Australia, China and Russia. Infographic

FROM the World Bank : Poland was the global top improver in the past year. It enhanced the ease of doing business through four institutional or regulatory reforms, making it easier to register property, pay taxes, enforce contracts, and resolve insolvency. Besides Poland, nine other economies are recognized as having the most improved ease of doing business across several areas of regulation as measured by the report: Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Burundi, Costa Rica, Mongolia, Greece, Serbia, and Kazakhstan. Worldwide, 108 economies implemented 201 regulatory reforms in 2011/12 making it easier to do business as measured by Doing Business. Reform efforts globally have focused on making it easier to start a new business, increasing the efficiency of tax administration and facilitating trade across international borders. Of the 201 regulatory reforms recorded in the past year, 44% focused on these 3 policy areas alone. Singapore topped the global ranking on th