New York SBDC Research Network

Most companies are continually looking for ways to get an edge over their competitors, and a time-honored method is simply to spy on the other guys. Technically, it falls under the category of market research, unless, of course, it’s actual spying. But, we’re not going to get into corporate espionage here—we’ll stick with the “market research” strategies that are legal, if somewhat sneaky. In the event that you feel uneasy about spying on your rivals, consider the fact that if you’re any sort of force to be reckoned with in your market, they are probably already spying on you. But, if you’re still not quite comfortable with the word “spying,” think of it as “competitive intelligence.” Competitive intelligence is a means of legally obtaining information that you can use to improve your own products, services, and customer retention. Read more from BPlans.com

I like to read the newspaper while I’m eating breakfast (I spend the rest of my day reading online). Last Friday, as I was thumbing through, I saw an ad that caught my eye: “One-day only! Wear (color) in support of (charity) and get 20% off any item in the store!” Simple. Easy to understand. Some of the proceeds would go to a worthy cause. And a nice discount. I liked it. I already planned to be near the store location Friday evening; I was going to catch a movie with friends. All I had to do was change what I planned to wear to their chosen color. Hm… If it had been just another work day, I had a couple of blouses which would have fit the requirement. But I was going out after work. I had planned what I was going to wear, and its main color was black. BUT, it had a small sequin flower in that special, required color. A very small sequin flower. Would it be enough? No way to know until I got there. And I had decided to go. That was good marketing. Read more from BPlans.com

Some 40% of US consumers say they currently pay for news, fashion, sports, or business digital content, even though 70% say they access those categories of content online regularly, according to a recent report from CloudSense. This reluctance to pay for digital media is true even for the "digital native" generation: 45% of the 16-24-year-olds surveyed say they spend money on any sort of digital content from publishers. More from MarketingProfs .

It’s tempting to ask friends and family to invest in your work when first starting a company. Money is tight and they want to help. However, soliciting money from loved ones can be a risky venture. To help mitigate this risk, we asked seven entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council what rules one should always have in place before raising money from family and friends. Here’s what they recommend. Read more from BPlans.com

Are you a small business owner with an amazing success story to tell?  If so, submit your nomination today for the  2015 National Small Business Week Awards .  Nominations are currently being accepted online at  http://awards.sba.gov . For more than 50 years, SBA has recognized the outstanding achievements of America’s small businesses for their contributions in their local communities, and to our nation’s economy. Winners will be announced during National Small Business Week in May 2015. Last year, we honored husband-and-wife team Billy Taylor and Brook Harvey-Taylor, the founders of  Pacifica  which is based in Portland, Oregon as the National Small Business Persons of the Year. With Billy’s entrepreneurial spirit and Brook’s creative vision, the two founders started making candles in 1997.  A bold change in the line of products from home fragrances to beauty and perfume products put Pacifica on a growth path to more than double their revenue over a five-year span, ending in 201

The Great Recession of 2008-2009 will be remembered for its severity—a cumulative decline of 4.2 percent in real GDP, the loss of 8.7 million jobs, and a harsh toll on the banking system with more than 400 bank failures from 2008 to 2011. The Great Recession should also be remembered for the massive increase in the federal budget deficit it spawned. As a percentage of GDP, the budget deficit reached 9.8 percent in fiscal year 2009, the highest since 1945 and the highest ever excluding the World War II period (Chart 1). Through another lens, the six-year cumulative deficit from 2008 to 2013 totaled almost 41 percent of GDP, well exceeding the total of about 26 percent for the six worst years of the Great Depression. Statistical Indicators of Business-Cycle Changes Like the proverbial double-edged sword, fiscal deficits can be both helpful and detrimental. The positive aspect is that the strong federal fiscal response likely helped initially to support the recovery. The negative side

In recognition of the third annual Manufacturing Day on Oct. 3, the Census Bureau releases an update of an infographic highlighting a wide range of statistics pertaining to the manufacturing sector of the economy. Topics explored include manufacturing employment and payroll compared with other sectors, production by specific manufacturing industries, and state-level statistics. Internet address: < http://www.census.gov/how/ infographics/manufacturing_ 2014.html >.

From petapixel : While browsing through my image search results on PIXSY (a new service that finds and invoices image theft for you), I was surprised to see my picture for sale on Etsy (above). My immediate reaction: 1. What an ugly mousepad. I’d never print my photo like this. 2. The seller seems to be stealing thousands of photos. How could Etsy let this happen? 3. Who had the nerve to think they could do this? So my picture was the party and I wasn't invited. I decided to see what I could do to notify the seller and contact Etsy about the problem. What did I find out? Etsy is selling thousands of stolen photos and doesn’t seem to care. Their system lets sellers hide their contact information, and Etsy will not disclose the identities of sellers stealing work even after being presented with clear evidence.

More than one-third of consumers (37%) say they most often abandon an online shopping cart because they decide at the last minute that the purchase is too expensive, according to a recent report from Offers.com. The second most common reason for not completing an online purchase is finding a better price on another website. Just 20% say they almost always purchase the items they put in their online shopping carts. Read more from MarketingProfs

Badly tracked finances can cause your business a world of problems—from poor cash flow to improper tax filings and beyond. These kinds of problems can put a young business at serious risk. Good bookkeeping habits, on the other hand, can help a business thrive—and not just survive. Dallas-based financial writer and founder of Careful Cents, Carrie Smith, shared her advice on what good bookkeeping means for entrepreneurs, and the good habits to adopt that will guide your business to success. MORE from BPlans.com

For those who track trends, this is the most important time of the year. It's when we get a status update on the economic well-being of the nation's households. The Census Bureau releases the latest income data from the Current Population Survey. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the latest spending data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey. An added bonus this year is the Federal Reserve Board's release of findings from the triennial Survey of Consumer Finances. All three surveys tell the same story: the average American is still struggling to recover from the Great Recession. Median Household Income Has Stalled The $51,939 median household income of 2013 was not significantly different from the $51,758 of 2012, after adjusting for inflation. This is the second year in a row of no significant change in median household income, according to the Census Bureau , following two years of decline. Median household income in 2013 was 8.0 percent below the median o

From SmallBusinessNewz : Far too often I see business owners and entrepreneurs just getting started that simply don’t value what they do enough because they don’t have the validation that comes with landing high-paying clients. In short, in an effort to gain some traction and some exposure, they give everything away freely, or worse, get talked into doing things for people that don’t value what’s being given. Here’s the deal though – everything you do has some value and you simply must start thinking this way if you even expect to rise above a meager existence. You must start to think about how to exchange value for everything you do. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are times when you determine to do someone a favor or support a cause or mission with no thought of being paid for your time – that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about that instance when someone – often able to pay – wants you to provide a service for free or for a discount. Or that event that promises

From HERE: These FAQs are meant to provide general guidance on topics of interest to taxpayers. However, taxpayers should be aware that subsequent changes in the Tax Law or its interpretation may affect the accuracy of an FAQ. The information provided in these FAQs does not cover every situation and is not intended to replace the law or change its meaning. Business Capital Q. Does business capital include the capital that generates other exempt income? A. Yes, because this capital may also generate taxable business income, such as capital gains from the sale of stock in a unitary corporation that is not included in a combined report with the taxpayer. Q. Are Internal Revenue Code Section 78 gross-up dividends included in the business income base? A. Our current policy of excluding these dividends is being continued. See NYS Tax Law section 208.9(a)(6). Q. Will New York State consider a corporation instantly unitary with a taxpayer when acquired? A. It is a facts and circu

Who doesn’t love a good deal when online shopping? Pretty much everyone. But not all offers are created equal, and in July 2014 polling by Retention Science, percentage discounts led the pack as the most effective customer incentive. Among US online retailers, 30.9% said a percentage discount was the most effective customer incentive, the No. 1 response. Meanwhile, 21.8% cited shipping incentives—free or discounted—as offers that worked best for their customers. Though percentage discounts were the favorite, amount discounts weren't very popular... However, a Q2 2014 study by Flagship Research for BlueHornet found age played a big role in whether US internet users preferred a percentage discount vs. free shipping. Consumers ages 18 to 45 favored discounts, while 46- to 75-year-olds preferred free shipping — indeed, shipping costs are a top digital shopping pet peeve for older generations. See more at eMarketer .

Here’s what you know: your accountant can do your taxes. But here’s what you might not know: your accountant can also help you accomplish your business goals. Accountants build up both financial and business acumen throughout their careers, and they’re often willing to share their knowledge with clients. Read more at BPlans.com .

St. Lawrence County Matchmaker Tuesday, October 28th, 2014 SUNY Canton, Miller Campus Center 8:00 am – Noon Hosted by: SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center , St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and North Country PTAC Sponsored by: What is a Matchmaker? This is an opportunity for businesses to meet, one-on-one, with representatives from the colleges, federal agencies, state and local governments and large regional institutions. Agencies and prime contractors are looking to source products and services from local small businesses. Matchmaking is like ‘Speed-dating’. You will sign up for 10 minute meetings with individual agencies and have that short time to network and share marketing materials. When the bell rings, you move to the next agency on your schedule. Sign-up with agencies will take place between 8:00 - 8:45 am. » View our current list of Agencies and Primes What to Expect? Bef

Smart Small Business Travel To increase orders from your current customers and find new clients, plan a business trip. Travel, an important tool in your small-business tool kit, is an investment in growing and sustaining your business. And as with any investment, you want to get the highest return—in this case, your return on travel. Businesses get an average return of $9.50 for every travel dollar they spend, according to a study the U.S. Travel Association sponsored, which Oxford Economics conducted. And it’s clear why business travel makes sense. In-person interactions close sales and deepen relationships. High Return on Travel Plan One obstacle that keeps business owners from traveling is the belief that they must be on-premise to run their businesses. Can you entrust team members with more of the daily operations so you can focus more on business development? Can you adopt cloud solutions and apps that allow you to be a more effective mobile manager? Must Have Apps

In the past decade, businesses have had to jump on the digital train to stay on top of new trends, capitalize on new markets, and expand reach. From social media channels to review sites like Yelp, there’s a lot for entrepreneurs to monitor in the instant feedback, smartphone-crazed world we live in. Yelp, for instance, can have a big impact on the growth of your business. This review site allows customers to rate your business and leave feedback about their experience. If you’re not actively seeking feedback, monitoring the comments, and publicizing the positive reviews customers leave, you’re probably behind the digital eight ball. More from BPlans .

Are you looking to fund research or start a technology business?  Come and learn about how local entrepreneurs built theoretical business models into viable technology companies.  The program is open to students, faculty, researchers, alumni, and the general public, so reserve your seat today. 2014 FAST Tech Conference   When Thursday September 25, 2014 from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM EDT Add to Calendar   Where University at Albany - School of Business School of Business Building - Living Room 1400 Washington Avenue Albany, NY 12222 Driving Directions Conference Schedule: 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Check-In and Networking 8:30 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.-Plenary Session   Tales from the Trenches 9:40 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.-Break-Out Sessions   Transitioning from Research to Commercialization   Growing your Start-Up and Holding onto Equity   Building a Successful Team   Turning Data into Dollars 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.-Plenar

As an SMB owner, you want to maximize the investments you’ve made in your business. You want to get more done in less time. And you want to ensure you’re communicating effectively with customers and employees. The right technology can help you do both. Here are three ways you can ensure you’re making the right technology decisions for your business. 1. Know that “free” often comes at a cost. More from the America's SBDC .