New York SBDC Research Network

People are always asking for a list of fundamentals, a checklist they can use to start their own businesses. From your business type to your business model to your physical location, there are so many variables it’s not easy to come up with a list that will work for everybody. The key, regardless of what type of business you’re starting, is to be flexible! Read more at BPlans.com

Large and small businesses alike have spent the better part of the past half-decade trying to best leverage the marketing potential of Facebook – and rightly so. Facebook reports 1.23 billion active users worldwide, and an increase of 92 percent when it comes to shared content since 2012. People like Facebook – a lot – but it seems that just as marketers think they have the social network all figured out, the rules change. Some of the most recent modifications to Facebook have made it more difficult for marketers to get their messages across, at least in the ways they are accustomed to reaching their audiences on the social network... Critics say it is just a money-making move to get desperate marketers to spend more on promoting and boosting Facebook content, instead of relying on free organic visibility. At any rate, the reach of page posts appears to be narrowing on Facebook, and marketers will need to adjust. At the same time, Twitter is unveiling some pretty stellar new option

Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) gained dominance by offering everything from groceries to children's toys, often putting smaller, local stores out of business in the process. Now, it's the revenge of the smaller retailers. Walmart is being forced to focus on "defensive investments" as it seeks to counter the popularity of online retailers such as Amazon (AMZN), as well as smaller chains such as dollar stores and drugstores. That's according to a new report from Goldman Sachs (GS), which downgraded its investment rating on the retail giant. More from CBS News .

For the first time in 8 years, the federal government has met its annual 23% goal for small business contracting... This has resulted in more than $83 billion dollars of revenue for small businesses, the engine and innovators of our resilient economy. This is a groundbreaking and proud achievement for the federal government and especially for our small businesses. When small businesses win federal contracts, it strengthens the American job market and boosts our nation’s economy. When small businesses are able to play an integral role in the federal supply chain, it’s a win-win for America. More from SBA .

So you want to export frozen meat to Zimbabwe, but first you need to find a freight forwarder that can handle frozen meet products and goes to Zimbabwe.  Luckily, the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service provides a Directory of Freight Forwarders Serving Agricultural Exporters here , with over 600 freight forwarders listed.  Searches can be limited by Products Shipped, Destination, and Services Offered and results can be exported into an Excel Spreadsheet.

The Union Street Guest House in Hudson, New York, joins the small group of businesses who have attempted to levy fees against customers who leave negative reviews. It's an exclusive group that no business should want to be a part of. Page Six was the first to report on this customer-unfriendly clause residing in the rental terms and conditions: If you stay here to attend a wedding and leave us a negative review on any internet site you agree to a $500. fine for each negative review. If you have booked the Inn for a wedding or other type of event anywhere in the region and given us a deposit of any kind for guests to stay at USGH there will be a $500 fine that will be deducted from your deposit for every negative review of USGH placed on any internet site by anyone in your party and/or attending your wedding or event (this is due to the fact that your guests may not understand what we offer and we expect you to explain that to them). More from

Sales Tax 101 for Small Business Owners and Online Retailers How to Start a Retail Business; A Step-by-Step Guide Ultimate Guide to the Retail Industry 4 Tips for Getting Large Retailers to Stock Your Products  for inventors and entrepreneurs Monthly and Annual Retail Trade statistics  from the U.S. Census Bureau

At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a federal court has temporarily halted and frozen the assets of an operation that bilked nonprofits, businesses, and municipalities out of millions of dollars by deceptively sending them overpriced light bulbs and cleaning supplies that they never ordered. The FTC seeks to permanently stop the illegal practices and make the defendants return victims’ money... According to a  complaint filed by the FTC, the defendants called organizations throughout the country  and falsely indicated that they had previously done business with them; that the call was to confirm a shipping or mailing address or follow up on a supposed previous order; that they were offering a free sample, catalog or gift; or that they needed an employee’s name and contact information for some purpose other than a sale. The defendants often did not identify themselves accurately or clearly disclose that it was a sales call, and sent consumers merchandise after misleading the

Fundraising is key to success as a nonprofit.  But fundraising is a complicated process.  The Free Management Library provides a wealth of information that can teach you All About Nonprofit Funding . This website will help nonprofit leaders and staff learn and understand the various/varied elements of fundraising, to recognize the importance of the relationship between an organization and its potential donors, and to construct and implement a strong fundraising plan/program for their nonprofits. In addition, much of the subject matter will help nonprofit leaders and staff recognize what it is that they don't know about fundraising, and how to remedy that situation.

As July ends, so does  Independent Retailer Month , - celebrate the successful family-owned, mom-and-pop, independent stores out there by using some resources on BusinessUSA to help you  Grow your Business , including: Forecasting for Growth Check out the competition in your area with our  SizeUp Tool Developing a Marketing Plan Using Technology to Stay Competitive Financing Growth Building your own Franchise

They say the eyes tell all. Now thanks to eye-tracking technology we can tell what they're saying. Tracking eye movements can reveal a few things about human tendencies. Read more from Business Insider .

The first set of detailed statistics from the Industry Series for the following sectors has been released on the Census Bureau's American FactFinder web site: Sector 22: Utilities Data for these sectors will be released on a flow basis. Click here to view a release schedule, see what has been released, or take a sneak peak at what’s projected to be released in the next 30 days. For more information about the Industry Series, click here .

The SBA Administrator recently announced a transformative new plan to automate SBA lending and streamline and simplify the agency’s underwriting process to attract more lending partners and open up new markets for small business owners who need capital to expand and grow. Days after this announcement, which will ease the burdens on lenders approving small-dollar loans to entrepreneurs, she appeared at a Clinton Global Initiative conference in Denver to help announce an exciting commitment called the Century Club. Eight Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) each pledged to make at least 100 small business loans a year for the next 10 years, which will inject $1 billion of additional capital into America’s small business ecosystem. More HERE .

From Real Business : A new study has revealed that 59 per cent of Britons would not use a company that had obvious grammatical or spelling mistakes on its website or marketing material, and 82 per cent would not use a company that had not correctly translated its material into English. The research, conducted by Global Lingo, polled 1,029 UK adults on their online purchasing and browsing habits. *** Wonder how Americans would react?

If you’re about to start a business, you’ve probably read several how-to books looking for advice on how to be successful. While researching is a great first step, there are some lessons that you won’t find in a book. You need to hear from business owners who have been in your position, who started a business with a great idea, a lot of enthusiasm, and a shoestring budget. To give you a few business tips, we asked several entrepreneurs, including Kelly Costello, who was featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” to tell us what they wish they’d known before they started their businesses. Read more in Bplans.com >