New York SBDC Research Network

Don’t trust Kevin Costner for marketing advice” is probably a good rule of thumb. "If you build it, they will come." That’s what I believed, when I was first starting out. I assumed that if I opened a business, customers would just show up—no major marketing effort required. Other entrepreneurs take the complete opposite approach, and treat marketing as if it’s the 1916 Battle of the Somme: they throw all of their resources in the general direction of their intended audience and hope something hits its mark. Fortunately, in-between these two approaches is a strategy that actually works: target marketing. MORE from BPLANS.com .

Hispanic Heritage Month Business Forum 2014 Tuesday, September 30th, 8:30am-12:00 noon How SBA Can Help You Start and Grow Your Business Government Contracts: Certification and Marketing Federal Plaza Conference Center (26 Federal Plaza, 6th Fl,  New York, NY 10278) RSVP:  Ana Hernandez at 212-264-1473 or man-li.lin@sba.gov  Meet the Lenders Tuesday, October 21, 2014, 8:30-1:00pm (Must register by 10/10/14) Federal Plaza Conference Center (26 Federal Plaza, 6th Fl,  New York, NY 10278) Learn about SBA Financing Programs Speed Meeting the Lenders Meet the SBDC, SCORE and WBC Business Advisors Register:  Ana Hernandez at 212-264-1473 or man-li.lin@sba.gov 

Intellectual property (IP) is one of the most important components of any business, and yet it is often one of the most neglected. Amidst the furor of innovation and the pressure of day-to-day operations, IP can get lost in the shuffle. But neglecting your IP won’t resolve the issue; in fact, it puts your business at increasing risk every day. So why should entrepreneurs care about IP? IP - Copyright, Patent, and Trademark - is your most valuable asset. More from ASBDC .

From the ASBDC : It’s no secret that U.S. military veterans are a force to be reckoned with in the nation’s small business economy. But according to the latest research, both older and younger veterans are emerging as major players in the buying of small companies. To better understand today's business-for-sale market, BizBuySell.com recently commissioned a demographic study of individuals engaged in buying or selling a small business. The study, which surveyed more than 2,000 buyers and sellers, highlighted several trends that are shaping today’s market. One of the trends the survey revealed is that a surprisingly large number of veterans are shopping for small businesses. According to BizBuySell’s study, 13 percent of prospective small business buyers listed themselves as veterans. But who are these veterans? And how do they compare to other buyers in the market?

When you are developing a marketing plan, it’s important to focus on the aspect of your product that you mean to be the selling point. You have to have that thing that makes you stand out from the pack, and that’s what you focus on. You’re the cheapest. You’re local. You’ve got the highest quality product. Your staffers know more about the field than your competitors. It’s that edge that sets you apart from the rest of the market, and thus draws the crowd of buyers searching for your specialty. But what if you don’t have that thing that makes you stand out from the crowd? It’s an important concern. Maybe you can’t afford to be the cheapest option in the field. Your product might not actually be the best there is. If you don’t have that thing, how can you compete? It’s simple: You have to be cooler than the competition. Read more at BPLANS.com .

Job interviews are a nerve-wracking experience. And while we’re all prepared to answer, “What’s your biggest weakness?” or “Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work,” most of us aren’t expecting to hear, “Are you planning to become pregnant?” or “Where do you go to church?” or, “What country were your parents born in?” Such incredibly personal questions are often jarring and possible deal-breakers for some applicants. Many people think it’s illegal to be asked these kinds of questions, but in most cases it’s not against the law to ask — it’s just illegal to use that information as the deciding factor in whether or not to hire someone. So the next time you’re hunting for a job, here’s what you need to know about what your next boss can and can’t ask you — and what you can do about it if things get weird. More from Consumeerist .

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.