New York SBDC Research Network

By  Javier.Saade , SBA Official As yet another massive blizzard hit New England on Valentines Day, the jointly hosted Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School gathering focused on social entrepreneurship and impact investing took place.   The dialogue was inspiring and the energy palpable amongst the 500+ people in attendance.  The Social Enterprise Conference, now in its 16th year, brings together academics, investors, public sector leaders, private sector entrepreneurs, non profit practitioners, and students passionate about all aspects of social enterprise - and this includes impact investing. This year the theme of last Saturday was the collective opportunity "to reflect on three critical stages of social enterprise: Intent. Action. Impact." The conference had keynote speakers, including Bill Drayton, CEO of Ashoka and the acknowledged father of social entrepreneurship globally - as well as topical panels, problem solving labs, and opportunities for interactiv

If you learn as you do your taxes that you owe a fee for not having health insurance last year, avoid having to pay this fee next year. Find out if you are  eligible to sign up for health insurance for 2015 , even though open enrollment has closed. If you are - you’ll avoid  bigger penalties next year , and may receive subsidies that make the insurance premiums more affordable.  This special enrollment period runs from  March 15 to April 30 . Determine if you  qualify for an exemption  from fees.  Sign up for  coverage  during this special enrollment period if you qualify. Read this  Special Enrollment Period news release  for more details.

From Form990.org : The Urban Institute’s National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) recently discovered that an unauthorized party or parties have gained access to the Form 990 Online and e-Postcard filing systems for nonprofit organizations. This unauthorized access affected nonprofits that used IRS Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-N (e-Postcard). It also affected users of Form 8868 extensions and filings for charitable organizations in Hawaii, Michigan, and New York . Once we discovered the attack, we contacted IRS and made every effort to secure the systems and user accounts. We are working with law enforcement agencies as they conduct an investigation. In addition, we have retained a leading cybersecurity firm to help us analyze the situation and strengthen security. Our investigation is ongoing. Based on current information, we believe no information from the filings themselves was compromised. These forms do not contain Social Security numbers or individual tax filer i

LinkedIn provides an unrivaled branding and visibility opportunity for companies that harness the true power of LinkedIn and engage their staff. It is one of the most valuable branding tools you have—and right now, it's a competitive advantage. Very few companies have effectively implemented a comprehensive LinkedIn branding plan. Some companies don't even allow their employees to access LinkedIn. Some 10% of US employees work for a company where access to LinkedIn is blocked (access to other social media tools like Facebook and Twitter is even more restrictive), according to a study by Statista. Those companies are missing out on major opportunities to bolster branding, grow revenue, increase visibility, and turn employees into engaged and committed brand ambassadors. Here's why your company needs a comprehensive LinkedIn program. Read more from MarketingProfs .

By  Caron_Beesley U.S. businesses are selling more goods and services abroad than ever before, reaching an all-time record of $2.3 trillion in 2013 – and 98 percent of American companies that export are small businesses. Despite the statistics, many small businesses still face big challenges when it comes to financing and managing their export business. A recent trade seminar, hosted by the Department of Commerce and several other federal agencies,  identified three commonly cited financial obstacles  small businesses have to going global: Don’t know how to obtain working capital and financing to support export transactions Don’t know where to seek assistance for entering, growing and succeeding in global markets Don’t know how to get paid by foreign buyers overseas Helping entrepreneurs overcome such challenges are key priorities for the  SBA , Business.USA.gov , and the  International Trade Administration  (which supports the President’s  National Export Initiative ).

Every February, movie industry greats from around the world gather in Los Angeles to salute the year’s best films.  In that same tradition, we’d like to offer up our list of some of the best online business films – okay, videos -- culled from  our expansive online library  of instructional videos.  Sure, our videos weren’t directed by anyone named Scorcese or Spielberg, but our videos can help you with whatever strategic decision is on your plate. Without further ado, the nominees are:

By  Maria Contreras-Sweet , SBA Administrator If there’s broad agreement that small businesses are the engine that powers the American economy, shouldn’t it be easier to fuel the tank? Access to credit continues to bedevil too many U.S. entrepreneurs. Eighty percent of small business loan applications are rejected, according to some industry estimates, and more applications than we can count are never filed because of the difficulty of getting an appointment with a loan officer. There’s a hunger among entrepreneurs to find financing to get their business off the ground or take the next big step in their expansion plan. Across the country, thousands of small business owners pound the pavement every day looking for term loans, equipment financing, lines of credit, invoice financing, and real estate loans to help them hire and grow. But too often, they’re wasting time they don’t have cold-calling and door-knocking their way to a lucky break. It shouldn’t be this way.  If you hav