New York SBDC Research Network

So says the Chamber of Commerce first quarter 2013 Small Business Outlook Study [PDF] : - 70% say their business is headed in the right direction - 79% say the US economy is in the wrong direction - 20% say they will add employees in the next two years - 44% cite economic uncertainty as the top threat to their business - 24% say the small business climate has improved the last two years - 77% say higher energy prices are an "immediate" threat to their business

From the New York Times : I remember learning in business school that business is supposed to be rational and efficient. Markets sort themselves out, supply and demand curves eventually intersect, and spreadsheets and algorithms lead to smart decision making. In my life as a loan broker, however, it often seems as if the opposite is true. Every day, as I work with small-business owners, I make decisions that are at least partially emotional. And this is particularly tough, because I know that sometimes small-business owners may take my guidance as the last word on whether they can expect to obtain capital, which may affect their dreams and livelihoods, as well as other people’s jobs. So somewhere I have to find a balance between rational decision making and my own moral compass.

From the Harvard Business Review : Moody, erratic, eccentric, and arrogant? Perhaps — but you can't just get rid of them. In fact, unless you learn to get the best out of your creative employees, you will sooner or later end up filing for bankruptcy. Conversely, if you just hire and promote people who are friendly and easy to manage, your firm will be mediocre at best. Suppressed creativity is a malign organizational tumour. Although every organization claims to care about innovation, very few are willing to do what it takes to keep their creative people happy, or at least, productive. So what are the keys to engaging and retaining creative employees? [Not that I'd agree with #5, unless Wall Street brokers were paid likewise.]

None of us like to think about a disaster hitting our business. But the reality is that it could happen. There’s nowhere in the world where we can get away from weather disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods and lightning storms, to name a few. Even if you do live in paradise (where is that?), there’s always the chance that your technology could decide to stop working. Ever had a panicky moment with a green screen of death on your computer? I have. It wasn’t a pretty. And if your business is home based, you could lose both your home and your business in one swoop — in a single disaster. Oh, the horror! So that means you need to be ready . Visit the Mobile Apps Gallery to find government apps and mobile websites on a variety of topics. Here are just a few of the many apps you'll find: • Tornado - If a tornado warning is issued for your location, an alarm will sound, even when the app is closed. (available for iPhone and Android) • CDC Mobile App - Ge

Sole proprietors currently can self-insure through regular health insurance companies, through Healthy New York , through organizations like the local Chamber of Commerce or another business association, or through groups like SSA ( Support Services Alliance ). Theoretically, all states will be setting up health care exchanges by 2014 to offer a variety of options, though some may opt for the federal exchange. Here’s the link to the Affordable Health Care Act as it relates to a sole proprietor with no employees . Here’s an article from the Wall Street Journal online : Q. What if I am a one-person business? A. The impact for sole-proprietors and others with no employees will be much like the impact on individuals. For people in this group, the crux of the 2014 rollout is the individual mandate, which requires all U.S. citizens and legal residents to have health coverage or pay a penalty. You, as a one-person business, would buy insurance through your state's benefits exch

A dramatic drop in U.S. exports during the 2008-2009 financial crisis and Great Recession stimulated interest in investigating the relationship between trade finance and small business exports. This research examines how and why the tightening of credit affects small firm exporters. Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Dr. Jules Lichtenstein at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov.

Editor: Rebecca Krafft Vol: 32 , No: 2 The April edition of the Small Business Advocate spotlights the Office of Advocacy ’s innovation and entrepreneurship event which took place in March in Pittsburgh. The Chief Counsel’s message recaps the office’s legislative priorities for the 113th Congress. The issue also includes news from New Orleans/Region VI, plus economic news and a reminder about the U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Service’s new Form I-9. In This Issue Advocacy Works with 113th Congress Pittsburgh Event on Innovation and Policy New Orleans Entrepreneur Week and Michoud Facility Small Business Recovery Businesses Required to Use New Form I-9 by May 2013

One of the things most small business struggle with mightily is differentiation. And yet, it’s probably the number one factor in the success of one business over another. If you can’t demonstrate how your business is significantly different than every other business that says it does what you do, you are doomed to compete on price... ...if you really want to carve out success you must also understand that it’s often not enough to simply be different. You’ve got to be different in a way that boldly addresses the greatest unmet needs of your market. More HERE .

The U.S. Small Business Administration and AARP are teaming up to host National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Month targeted at entrepreneurs over the age of 50. Building on the success of a joint SBA and AARP Mentor Day in October, the two organizations will match “encore entrepreneurs” with successful business owners and community leaders for advice and assistance. To find a local event near you go to . Throughout April, SBA District Offices, state AARP Offices and SBA Resource Partners will host more than 100 events around the country. Events include speed mentoring, which allows mentors and entrepreneurs to share information for five-minute sessions, and mentor lunches for entrepreneurs to learn best practices from successful small business owners. “Many new entrepreneurs are saving their best acts for their encore performance,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “They’re using their decades of expertise and their contacts to start new businesses and to finally pursue that v

“If a company doesn’t have anything interesting to say, they have bigger problems to solve than where their next blog post is coming from.” That’s a bit of a jibe, but it does reflect the need for a change in perspective. Many companies see themselves as a vessel, with a finite number of ideas and pieces of information. In other words, their view of content is fairly static and self-centered. Once they’ve said all there is to say about their own products and services, the well goes dry. This is in contrast to what many successful business owners and entrepreneurs are doing with blogging and content creation. They create a blogging plan with topics and ideas to write about that customers would actually be interested in. They look at blogging as a byproduct of the ongoing listening and engagement that occurs between brand and customers, between brand and prospects and the community at large. More HERE .

The Staten Island Small Business Development Center has moved to its new location in order to better serve your needs. Now located in Building 3A - Room 105 at the College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314. The center will continue to provide you with excellent service you have been accustomed to at the SI SBDC at CSI. Please follow the center on Facebook at Small Business Development Center, Staten Island for the latest news and updates.

Going after a loan? These are the six essential areas a lending institution will consider Your Personal Character The very first thing a loan officer looks for when reviewing a business proposal is some indication of how trustworthy you are. If your background demonstrates a lack of integrity, your request will not be considered, even if it’s the best business idea there is. They want to know a lot about you personally; who you are, how long you’ve been in business (if at all), and your history of meeting your financial obligations. Your credit history will be checked to see how you’ve handled previous debts. Why? Because if you are a small business, in the eyes of the lending party you ARE the business, and how you’ve handling things in the past is a good indicator of how you’ll handle them in the future.

If you operate a small business that provides internet access to your employees and customers, you may find a warning popping up on your monitors, alerting you to the fact that someone your system has illegally downloaded copyright-protected material. That warning is part of the newly implemented Copyright Alert System (CAS). The CAS, commonly referred to as the "six strikes program," is a joint undertaking between major content creators and Internet service providers, designed to reduce illegal downloading of digital material from peer-to-peer sites. Since the advent of peer-to-peer computing, companies that create digital content--movies, television shows, music--have faced challenges to both copyright and revenue. More HERE .

Normally, a business is required to file Form 941, Quarterly Federal Income Tax Return, to report employment tax liability. IRS introduced the Form 944, Employer' ANNUAL Federal Tax Return, program after it realized that many small employers were filing Forms 941 with little or no employment taxes due. Under the original program, the IRS determined which employers were eligible and notified those that qualified to use Form 944. If the IRS determined you were a Form 944 filer, you were required to file that form until the IRS notified you that you no longer qualified. The employer had little control over which employment tax return it was required to file. Now, you don't have to wait for the IRS to invite you to participate . Instead, a small employer may request to participate in the Form 944 Program. You can make the request by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-4933 by April 1, 2013.

Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), the rights licensing experts, is a global rights broker for the world’s most sought after materials, including in- and out-of-print books, journals, newspapers, magazines, movies, television shows, images, blogs and ebooks. CCC put together this video .