New York SBDC Research Network

WASHINGTON— U.S. small businesses will gain improved access to two major government-guaranteed loan programs once a final rule to that effect issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration becomes effective April 21, 2014. The SBA recently published a Final Rule on the Federal Register that eliminates or revises several requirements for its two main loan programs, 7(a) and 504. The rule expands eligibility, makes it easier for small businesses to secure SBA-backed financing, and encourages job creation. “These 504 and 7(a) program enhancements will expand program eligibility and improve access to capital for small businesses. Improvements in CDC corporate governance oversight enhance program integrity and encourages more local involvement,” said Ann Marie Mehlum, SBA Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access. The changes include, but are not limited to: • Elimination of the personal resource test which benefits borrowers by adding flexibility in the management of

SBA and Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp have teamed up for a webinar series this month to help entrepreneurs learn how to build business credit and how to prepare for a business loan. It's free, but registration is required. • 5 Steps to Building Business Credit Tuesday, April 22 | 2pm ET > Click to register • Access to Capital: Preparing to Meet Your Lender Wednesday, April 30 | 2pm ET > Click to register AARP and SBA Webinar – The Secrets to Writing a Good Business Plan Have you considered developing a plan for your small business? Learn why it is important to have a small business plan during this free, one-hour webinar on April 22 by joining AARP and SBA as we help age 50+ individuals get your small business up and running. > Read more

From the report : The strength of the New York Small Business Development Center and one of the things that sets it apart from other small business service providers is its customized approach to technical assistance. Each entrepreneur or business owner undergoes an individualized assessment with his or her Business Advisor to determine the current situation, issues that need to be addressed, and the desired outcome. They gather information that the entrepreneur uses to make decisions and take steps toward a productive and profitable future.They work together to develop a strategic plan of action. Any resident of New York who wants to start a business – or stabilize and expand an existing one – can make an appointment with an experienced Business Advisor at any SBDC Regional Center. He or she can find an SBDC office by calling a toll-free number or visiting the SBDC website. Potential clients can request counseling via the website, and the service centers throughout the state o

One of the most difficult aspects of business valuation is setting a value to intangible assets.  Tangible assets are easier to set a monetary value to.  You know how much they cost to begin with and there are depreciation formulas to determine the value of tangible assets over time.  Intangible assets tend to start with no value, and then gain value over time.  Here is some information on how to value one of the most difficult intangible assets, a customer list. Customer lists are about loyalty.  They are currently a customer because they like the service or product that is being provided by the current owners.  When you buy an existing business with a loyal following, and you plan on offering the same product or service before, the current customer list can be an essential building block to get your business rolling.  But how can a value be assigned to a list of names, addresses, and customer history?  Well, here are some tips. Valuation of Customer-Related Assets Due Diligence

My musician/artist friends are forever complaining when governments and corporations want them to "contribute" their services for nothing. "But it'll be great exposure" is the usual response. If you do so, you will be stuck with a lot of unpaid gigs.

From Now I Know : At the end of 2013, the United States Department of Transportation released its monthly ranking of airlines based by on-time performance. It was bad news for Southwest Airlines, which performed poorly, coming in last on the list for two straight months. The methodology used to make this determination was somewhat controversial – the inspector general of that very same agency stated as much – but if you’re an air traveler whose flight was delayed significantly, that’s hardly any solace. But that’s OK. When it comes to apologies and explanations, Southwest has a guy for that. His name is Fred Taylor, and he’s sorry your flight didn't work out as planned. Even if you weren't going to make a stink about it.

Jennifer Walzer, CEO of Backup My Info!, offers a strategic hiring tactic you probably haven't used before. And then various other videos pop up on the screen that may be of interest.

This lively RSA Animate, adapted from Daniel Pink's talk at the RSA, illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace. He also gives some examples of new approaches that modern day companies have created in order to maximize employee capability and business success. His speech is based on the ideas of his non-fiction book “Drive”, which was published in 2009. In this book, he argues that human motivation is largely intrinsic, and that the aspects of this motivation can be divided into autonomy, mastery and purpose. He argues against old models of motivation driven by rewards and fear of punishment, dominated by extrinsic factors such as money.  If you have 10 minutes to spare please check out this informative video. Its progressive ideas will really stimulate ideas on how to make your workplace a more cohesive unit.  Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

Even savvy Business Owners realize that reacting to a disaster scenario requires employees to take a certain level of personal responsibility. Employees that know and adhere to their business disaster plan will still want to secure their families and cannot help your organization until they have stabilized their own survival needs. All italicized notes are mine~ BDS " Spies and certain military personnel have them. Even mobsters and other criminals have them. And you should have one too. I’m talking about a “Bug-Out Bag,” a ready-to-grab-at-anytime kit that gets you out the door and long gone, quickly and safely, when things go south. Even though you probably aren't going to have a foreign hit squad on your trail, or Federal agents ready to kick in your door, there are still a number of situations where the Average Joe needs to have a bug-out bag — or a “Get Home Bag” ( see below ) — packed and ready to go."

The Affordable Care Act continues to dominate the minds of many Americans as the deadline for registration approaches.  As it stands right now, Monday March 31st is the deadline for registration for the ACA, with unregistered individuals facing fines.  Yesterday, the Obama Administration announced that due to a surge in registrations, the deadline will be extended.  But they did not state exactly when the deadline will now be. Needless to say, people's emotions regarding the Affordable Care Act continue to run high.  Polls indicate that opinions of the ACA are at an all-time low.  With 6 million individuals already registered, and more registering everyday, the news and opinions will continue to pour in, and I will do my best to keep you informed.  While these articles are not specific to Small Business, they will help you know what is currently going on and what is coming next. Obamacare applicants to get more deadline flexibility  (CNN) Poll: Obama's health care  (US Ne

If you will be selling property or services in New York State that are subject to sales tax, you may be required to collect the sales tax from the person to whom you make the sale. In general, the sales tax you must collect and remit is computed using the combined state and local rate in effect in the locality where you deliver the taxable product or service to the customer. If you must collect sales tax on your sales, then you must register for sales tax purposes with the Tax Department and obtain a Certificate of Authority (see How to Register for New York State Sales Tax (TB-ST-360) ). You must also be registered for sales tax purposes to issue or accept most New York State sales tax exemption documents. For example, even though wholesalers may never collect sales tax because all of their purchases and sales are for resale (and, therefore, are eligible for exemption from sales tax), they must still be registered to legally issue and accept most exemption documents. For additiona

The ASBDC wanted to make sure all small business owners are aware of an important occurrence next month. As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer provide technical assistance for Windows XP and Office 2003, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. According to Microsoft, more than 20 percent of small businesses are still using the XP platform, which Microsoft first introduced in 2001. What does this mean for your business? 1. There will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates. 2. Without critical security updates, PCs could become vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software which can steal or damage business data and information. 3. Anti-virus software will not be able to fully protect PCs running Windows XP once the OS is no longer supported. 4. Businesses that continue to run Windows XP after support ends may be exposed to potential security threats

The Office of Advocacy’s Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business , has been newly updated. Reading the FAQ is the best Q&A session about small business that you will ever have. The four-pager is a reference guide to better understand small businesses’ status and role in the economy.

f you want something done, ask a busy person. The old saying rings true, but it also spells doom for that busy person. When you develop a reputation for being responsive and generous, an ever-expanding mountain of requests will come your way. This may be why Warren Buffett says: “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.” For those of us who enjoy being helpful—or just plain polite—this is no easy task. Every “no” is a missed opportunity to make a difference and build a relationship. And if it comes across the wrong way to the wrong person, it’s also a surefire way to brand yourself as selfish and rude. More from LinkedIn .

Employees and even executives sometimes start to think about their customers with an "us vs. them" mentality, particularly in times of stress—during, say, the busy holiday season or when a customer has a complaint. That's a dangerous mindset, especially if it becomes habitual. Competitive advantage these days demands customer-centricity. The more customers your organizations can engage meaningfully—especially those who care enough to tell you how to do things better—the better off you'll be. Social media, where you can see eye to eye and develop interactive relationships, is a terrific venue for doing that. And if you use it not just to engage but also to empower, you'll transform a customer from someone who likes your product to someone who feels like a part of your product. That's an important shift, because the latter customer is the one who is far more likely to find every opportunity to tell people, online and off, why they think what you do is so g

From the Sales Tax Institute . You collect the tax for the state where the property is delivered to your customer. If the item is shipped to the customer, then tax applies for the delivery state. You should collect the tax only if you are registered to collect tax in that state. If the customer picks up the item at your location, tax should be collected for your state. If you are selling goods over the Internet and your company has a presence in the state of delivery, your company has established nexus and will be required to register to collect sales tax on all taxable items regardless of method of order placement. Whether the order is placed over the Internet or through traditional means, if a company has nexus with the state in which the product is being shipped, sales tax should be billed and collected. For example, if a New York company ships to New York, there is nexus, and tax is collected. If the New York company ships out of New York, whether they collect sales tax or not

Chris Brogan is the publisher and CEO of the business magazine Owner. He is a sought-after keynote speaker who has addressed crowds of thousands, he has been on the Dr Phil show, and he once presented to a princess. Chris has consulted with Disney, Microsoft, Coke, Titleist, Pepsico, Google, Motorola, and many others. He's the New York Times best-selling author of six books, including The Impact Equation, written with Julien Smith. [He is discussing] his latest book, The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators. Read more from MarketingProfs HERE .

(This is useful to think about what NOT to do in business ...) After going through all of your nominations, [the Consumerist is]... proud to present the first round match-ups for this year’s Worst Company in America tournament ! As you’ll see from the image below, there are several returning competitors, including previous champs EA and Comcast, three-time runner-up (and sort of winner from when it acquired Countrywide) Bank of America, the perennially hated Ticketmaster and PayPal (with their respective corporate counterparts LiveNation and eBay). There are also some new names on the list, like Koch Industries and lawsuit-happy seed company Monsanto. There’s also SeaWorld making a splash on WCIA 2014, presumably because people have been watching that Blackfish documentary. Voting will begin tomorrow, March 19. In the early rounds, each match will be open for votes for only a few hours. While they are open, polls will be placed at the top of the Consumerist homepage and in a s

When you purchase taxable property or services from a seller (vendor) located in New York State and take delivery in New York State, the vendor should collect state and local sales tax due and send it to the Tax Department. However, you are responsible for paying the tax directly to the Tax Department under the following circumstances: Deliveries into New York State without collection of sales tax You owe state and local sales tax if you purchase taxable property or a taxable service that is delivered to you in New York State without payment of New York State and local tax to the seller, such as through the Internet, by catalog, from television shopping channels, or on an Indian reservation. Purchases of property or services outside New York State with subsequent use in New York State You may also owe New York State and local use tax if you are a resident of New York State at the time you purchase any of the following outside New York State: • property you bring into New

We're all trying to win people to our causes, to get them to believe in our companies or products or missions. Fact is, all other things being equal, we choose the products and movies and stores and people we deal with because of their stories. This is why story-driven companies like Whole Foods exceed financial expectations over competitors. It's why a lot of us bought Apple products after reading Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography. It's why people who hate sports watch the Olympics, and root for people they've never heard of. Once we know the underlying stories, we're driven to support. Read more from LinkedIn .