New York SBDC Research Network

From MoneyWatch : It's 11 p.m. You are staring at the television. You left work at 6 p.m. and have done absolutely nothing since. What happened? Time coach Elizabeth Saunders, author of "The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment," has identified several potential problems that account for the scenario above -- and solutions.

Do you run an overseas business? Thinking of expanding and selling into the U.S. market? Because U.S. residency or citizenship is not required, non-U.S. citizens can readily sell into the U.S. However, many overseas business owners aren’t clear on whether they are required to incorporate in the U.S. and the associated tax implications. Here’s what you need to know: Essentially, if your intent is to sell goods into the U.S.—whether online or through U.S. partners such as a wholesaler—you may not have to file for incorporation in the U.S. However, if you plan to have a physical presence in the U.S. (such as an office or employees), then incorporation, whether as a corporation or limited liability corporation (LLC), is worth considering. Likewise, for online businesses in particular, remember that many U.S. consumers feel more confident buying from a registered U.S. business, so that’s another important factor to weigh. More from SBA HERE .

From CBS News MoneyWatch : When you own a small business or manage the social media program for your company, controlling the narrative is a constant concern. And no matter how much time you spend developing goodwill through your Twitter and Facebook presence, there will always be unhappy customers who flame, troll, and otherwise complain online. How do you reply to them? Should you respond at all? It's a tricky balancing act -- knowing how much you should engage without fanning the flames and making things worse. Recently, PC World's Christopher Null explained how you can clean up your business's online reputation, and he gave a lot of credible advice for dealing with negative feedback in a variety of common scenarios.

In the Spring of 2012 Adam Hoeksema, Co-Founder of ProjectionHub, was working on his personal taxes using TurboTax when it hit him, “If TurboTax could take a highly complex process like preparing a tax return, and make it simple enough for someone other than a tax professional to complete, there must be a way to make the process of creating financial projections much easier as well.” More HERE .

I can hope against hope that the advertisers that underwrite the 48th Super Bowl will learn some pretty big lessons from this year's. I know I sure did. And the lessons learned aren't just applicable to brands with big advertising budgets; they are applicable to any marketer looking to get more ROI from marketing investments. But before I get to those lessons, let me share how I discovered them. Instead of watching the Super Bowl in real-time like a normal human being, I fired up the DVR and logged each and every commercial—national and local to my market—that ran from 6 PM EST through the commercial break after the final whistle. I then went back and logged each and every call to action involving the Web, mobile channels, social media, and telephone. The findings were a true head-shaker, and most are compiled in the infographic at the end of this article. The rest you can find in my recent blog rant, Punt, Pass & Kick: Email, Mobile & Social Misses at Super Bowl

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