New York SBDC Research Network

Within every entrepreneur’s personality there exist four distinct dimensions that drive and fuel the creation and vision of enterprise: The Dreamer, The Thinker, The Storyteller, and The Leader. No doubt some of these aspects are more developed in you than others – for we each have our own strengths – but in order to successfully launch your own enterprise, all four characteristics are must be present. Those that are lacking must be developed if you are to succeed. More information from Michael Gerber

The mink industry in the U.S. is a mom-and-pop business that has gone global, making 80 percent of its sales to status-conscious Chinese fashionistas who find the fur chic. Sapphire and black pelts are in vogue this season. Or so American breeders are left to believe from anecdotal evidence after U.S. budget cuts eliminated the mink census this year. To save $60,000, the Department of Agriculture halted the annual survey that helped inform decisions on breeding and color, along with reports on commodities such as flowers, hops, catfish and rice costing $8.4 million to compile. Without the data, farmers have to guess about what’s selling. Read more here .

Classrooms today are encouraged to use verbal, visual "integrated text"(combining verbal text with visual elements - graphs, charts, diagrams, videos) with, when available and appropriate - digital (Internet) links in such a way that the text, image, and links support and enrich each other when relaying content information. The rationale behind this integration is that these elements reinforce each other while creating additional memory associations and helping to involve, reach, and even inspire all kinds of learners. Visual texts typically consist of two - and sometimes three-dimensional representations of information or events that geometrically and symbolically relate a lot of specific information in a given space. Read more from Departing the Text

Money is the lifeline of any business, so whether you’re starting a business or running an existing one, securing financing is a major factor, especially for small businesses. Many budding entrepreneurs find the task daunting and don’t even know where to begin. Here’s a simple yet practical guide on how to go about preparing to apply for a small business loan. 1. What criteria do banks look for in making small business loans? More from the Small Business Administration

North Carolina: Home to Solution-Driven Entrepreneurs The RFA + Advocacy = Small Business’s Voice in Federal Rulemaking Do Trade Restrictions Affect Your Business? Link to newsletter

from Elise Hu of NPR If you've ever wondered just how much marketing companies know about you, whether it's your education or income or purchase preferences, today you can see for yourself.  With the beta launch of AboutTheData.com , marketing technology company Acxiom is giving you a glimpse of the online profile your shopping habits have created for you — the one digital marketers use to sell things to you. continue reading at the link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/09/04/218889785/get-a-glimpse-of-the-data-marketers-have-about-you

Research Recap is a good source of data about equity, credit, market, and economic research.

In July 2013, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its 14th comprehensive revision of the national income and product accounts (NIPAs). Comprehensive, or benchmark, revisions oc­cur roughly every 5 years and incorporate significant improve­ments aimed at better reflecting a dynamic economy. This year’s comprehensive revision included changes to the way the NIPAs treat research and development; movies, books, television shows, and other artistic originals; pension contribu­tions; and residential assets. This month, we’re pleased to provide an article summarizing the main changes and their effect on key NIPA measures. In general, the picture of the economy shown in the revised estimates is similar in broad outline to the picture shown in the previous estimates.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced updated fees starting on October 1, 2013, for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. All telemarketers calling consumers in the United States are required to download the numbers on the Do Not Call Registry to ensure they do not call those who have registered their phone numbers. The first five area codes are free, and organizations that are exempt from the Do Not Call rules, such as some charitable organizations, may obtain the entire list for free. Telemarketers must subscribe each year for access to the Registry numbers. The access fees for the Registry are being increased as required by the Do‑Not‑Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. Under the Act’s provisions, in fiscal year 2014 (from October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014), telemarketers will pay $59, an increase of $1, for access to Registry phone numbers in a single area code, up to a maximum charge of $16,228 for all area codes nationw

The IRS has clarified how the 50-percent limitation on deducting meal and entertainment expenses applies to reimbursement arrangements involving three-party situations (e.g., employee leasing companies) and to independent contractors. The new rules provide options for claiming these deductions and offer planning opportunities that should be explored with your tax advisors. More from the Business Owner's Toolkit .

Jurisdictional reporting of credits for Sales Tax Web File becomes mandatory for reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013. For reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013, the Tax Department's Sales Tax Web File service will require vendors to report credit information on a jurisdictional basis. This means for each jurisdiction for which you report activity, you must now separately report your credits against taxable sales and purchases. This requirement allows the proper amount of sales tax revenue to be distributed to the correct taxing jurisdictions. Credit reporting features of the Sales Tax Web File service: You need to report the taxable sales, purchases, and credit information for each jurisdiction and the Tax Department will compute the net amount of sales on which tax is due. For reporting periods beginning September 1, 2013, you must make an entry in all fields for those jurisdictions where you report activity. If a field does not apply to you, simply ent

If you think that the 21-cent swipe fee that bites into your profits each time a customer pays with a debit card is too high, you'll be pleased to learn that a federal district court judge agrees with you. The calculation of the amount was determined to be fundamentally flawed and the Federal Reserve Board regulations that established it were vacated—although the regulations remain in effect until a new fee structure is established. More info from Business Owner's Toolkit

Consider this: There are about 700 million websites. But to most of us, only a tiny fraction of those sites exist because we jump from bookmark to bookmark, scanning our favorite homepages and refreshing our feeds. People are loyal to websites that draw them in because, simply put, the majority of those 700 millions sites are just plain bad. Of millions of websites analyzed by Marketing Grader, a whopping 72% received a grade of 59 out of 100 or below, which essentially means 72% of websites are failing to attract new visitors and convert leads. Marketers everywhere are asking, "Why do so many websites fall short?" Read more from Marketing Profs You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That’s why your homepage is undoubtedly one of the most important pages on your website. For any given company, the homepage is its virtual front door -- and face to the world. If a new visitor doesn't like what they see, their knee-jerk reaction is to hit th

What do health insurance and all-you-can-eat buffets have in common? The economic theory of adverse selection tells us that neither should exist.

In 2011, state governments collected more than $50 billion in taxes and proceeds from vice: gambling, smoking and alcohol consumption. Some argue that state governments should not profit from residents’ vices. However, some states rely on these activities for a substantial proportion of their budget. In Nevada, “sin taxes” accounted for nearly 6% of the state’s revenue. Based on data from the Census Bureau and the American Gaming Association, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states where the largest percentage of revenue came in the form of proceeds from alcohol, tobacco and casino taxes, as well as the lottery and state-regulated liquor stores. These are the states profiting most from sin. Read more from 24/7 Wall St.