New York SBDC Research Network

Franchised limited-service restaurants (NAICS 722513 ), sometimes called fast-food restaurants, employed 2.6 million people in 2012 and had sales of $129.2 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. New car dealers (NAICS  441110 ), an industry solely comprised of franchises, employed 973,745 people and had sales of $672.5 billion in 2012. The  2012 Economic Census Franchise Report  is only the second comprehensive and detailed report by the Census Bureau on this segment of the U.S. economy, with the first being released for the 2007 Economic Census. The report presents data for selected industries on the number of businesses with paid employees engaged in franchising, annual sales for these businesses, and employment and payroll. These data are broken out by industry in three categories: franchisor-owned businesses, franchisee-owned businesses and all businesses. The data are primarily national level, although state-level statistics are provided for limited-service rest

 Does your website seem to lack something?Maybe your'e not receiving the feedback or traffic on your site as you envisioned... well there are some simply ways to add more substance and glamour SBA  has 7 ways to do so- giving you the tools to reinvent yourself

by Felix Tarcomnicu at Bplans.com This article offers a number of ideas on concrete steps to take to grow your business with some real world examples of successful businesses who survived their expansion. Running a small business is a daunting challenge. Statistically, less than 50 percent of small businesses are still operational after five years. Globalization has increased the level of competition and introduced more turmoil to the business environment. If you want to take your business to the next level, you’ll need to be open to the current realities of the new global economy, and get more creative. Read more at Bplans

Each year the New York Small Business Development Center recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the  Binghamton SBDC  appears in our  2015 Annual Report .    Susan Gahagan & David Currie   The Insulation Man   Binghamton SBDC When her boss at The Insulation Man told Susan Gahagan that he was going to retire and sell the business, she resisted the urge to panic and instead began to envision herself as the owner of the company that had employed her for 20 years. As Office Manager, Susan knew every one of the hard-working employees and had seen the business grow exponentially over the years. Susan shared her entrepreneurial thoughts with co-worker David Currie and they decided to buy the business.  Susan and David knew that they could continue to provide residential spray foam insulation services. They also saw potential increased revenues and capacity if they expanded the business by selling to commercial custo

From the Mid-Hudson SBDC : In an effort to promote the integration of Minorities and Women owned business into the State’s procurement process, the Governor’s Office on Minority and Women’s Development was incorporated into the Department of Economic Development in 1992. This office is responsible for implementing the certification program to which any established business owned by women or minorities can apply. One important criterion for determining eligibility is that the business must be independently controlled by a minority or woman and must have been in operation for a year. Any legal form of business is eligible be it a single proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. Out of state entities may also apply. What constitutes “ownership” in this case is defined as having at least 51% ownership by citizens or permanent resident aliens who are:  African American, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islanders, Native American, Alaskan Natives or women. Completing the certification proce

If your business was impacted by Hurricane Sandy, you may still apply for disaster recovery assistance from the SBA. Whether your business is small, large or non-profit, SBA CAN HELP! SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers The Three Step Process: Disaster Loans

Decision-making may not be something that we look at closely. Something so important shouldn't be taken for granted. Larry Alton of Entrepreneur.com offers a run-down of bad habits that business owners can fall prey to: "Decision making is like any other skill. When you first engage, you’ll be inexperienced, and as a result, your performance will suffer. But if you can gradually eliminate your bad habits and replace them with positive practices, you’ll set yourself up for much greater overall success." Read more at Entrepreneur