New York SBDC Research Network

The September 18, 2013 webinar Business Valuation: Definitions, Multiples, and Resources by Alexis Mokler of the NYS Small Business Development Center is now available on YouTube. Click on video or use this link . (23:29)

"How was your weekend?" the banker asked me. "Very nice," I said. "And yours?" "Not long enough," she said. (so much mediocrity ... so little time) I looked around to see if my wife, kids, or colleagues at work might be watching. I thought perhaps this was staged to watch the springs pop out of my head. I understand not everyone enjoys their work. I understand small talk clichés. But no one should complain about work to their customer or suggest to a customer that they'd like to be doing anything other than helping them. Ever. (customer = whoever you're paid to serve) More sad talk to avoid with your customers... • I'm so ready for the weekend. • Thank God it's Friday. • I've got a bad case of the Monday's. • Only a few more hours... • I'm ready for this day to be over. • Can't wait to be off. • I'll be better when my shift/ this day is over/ I get my coffee. • Hump Day! Only two days '

Delegating is one of the oldest management principles around. But experts have pushed the concept so hard that it often seems like the best leaders delegate literally everything. In my career I've met more than a few managers who do just that -- they hand off or dump so much on others that the delegators lose touch with too much of what's going on in their business. Managers who stay too close to people and their projects are often thought of as unproductive and inefficient, micromanaging, old-school. But it's important to know the difference between handing-off and being hands-off. More from CBS News Moneywatch .

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