New York SBDC Research Network

From SUNY Communications The New York Small Business Development Center (SBDC) announced its client honorees of the New York State and National Small Business Week Awards, sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). “We are proud that our clients were recognized by SBA for their extraordinary contributions to small businesses in New York State,” said NY SBDC State Director James King. “Their hard-work and dedication have helped them attain success and accomplish their dreams, while at the same time making a very positive impact on the economy. The NY SBDC is well represented by clients in the SBA’s award categories. This is a reflection of the outstanding clients and staff we have throughout the state, and their steadfast commitment to achieving professional excellence in small business.” 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 the nati

The Federal Trade Commission has created new guidance for businesses aimed at giving employment background screening companies information on how to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The guidance helps companies understand when their work defines them as a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA. Consumer reporting agencies must meet a number of obligations outlined in the FCRA, including investigating consumer disputes and correcting inaccurate information. The FTC’s guidance outlines the requirements that employment background screening companies face under FCRA, including their requirements in dealing with their clients and how they interact with consumers. The guidance can be found on the FTC’s website.

Each year the New York Small Business Development Center recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the  Farmingdale SBDC  appears in our  2015 Annual Report .  Allison Ulin Harmony Early Learning Farmingdale SBDC Allison Ulin, the owner of Harmony Early Learning, started her career in the child care industry by entertaining at children’s parties, writing children’s music and teaching Music Together classes. She held on to the dream of owning her own child care center that would give parents a sense of peace that their children are being cared for in a safe and fun environment. In 2012, Allison visited the Farmingdale SBDC looking for guidance with starting her business and working through permitting issues. With the help of SBDC Advisor Erica Chase-Gregory, Allison finished her business plan and developed financial projections. She secured a private loan in the amount of $550,000.  Harmony, which opened in 2013, provides a pla

On May 16, new SEC rules become effective allowing businesses for the first time to provide equity to investors through crowdfunding platforms. Given uncertainty in the funding market for startups, these new rules could be extremely useful to entrepreneurs. How? A new infographic published by the Office of Advocacy using previously unreleased research shows you how. Early-stage funding is critical to the survival of innovative startups. Venture capital markets are a primary source of early-stage funding, but they are moving away from financing new startups. However, crowdfunding offers startups unique fundraising opportunities to help them withstand this negative momentum. In addition to raising capital, crowdfunding can establish an audience for a product or service; both things strengthen an innovative startup, making a risky investment worth a second look from VCs. See the infographic here. New Advocacy Report: The Effect of Crowdfunding Performance and Outside Capital .

From NASA NASA has released 56 formerly-patented agency technologies into the public domain, making its government-developed technologies freely available for unrestricted commercial use. In addition to the release of these technologies, a searchable database now is available that catalogs thousands of expired NASA patents already in the public domain. These technologies were developed to advance NASA missions but may have non-aerospace applications and be used by commercial space ventures and other companies free of charge, eliminating the time, expense and paperwork often associated with licensing intellectual property. The technologies include advanced manufacturing processes, sensors, propulsion methods, rocket nozzles, thrusters, aircraft wing designs and improved rocket safety and performance concepts. “By making these technologies available in the public domain, we are helping foster a new era of entrepreneurship that will again place America at the forefront of high-tech m

Stephen & Maryann Piazza of Majestic Vending and Services Albany – The New York Small Business Development Center (SBDC) today announced that one of its clients, Majestic Vending and Services, Inc. of Staten Island, is the winner of the National Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery is given to the business owner whose efforts and contributions have enabled their business to recover successfully and thrive following a disaster. Businesses that suffered a physical disaster loss and received an SBA disaster loan during fiscal years 2014 or 2015 were eligible for nomination. During this period, there were 163 federally-declared disasters throughout the nation. Majestic Vending and Services is co-owned by Maryann and Stephen Piazza. From its beginnings as a simple gumball machine at a construction site, the company has grown to serve the entire NYC area with vending,

Data by legal form of organization, NAICS sector and enterprise employment size. Statistics include number of firms, number of establishments, employment and annual payroll.  Internet address: < http://www2.census.gov/econ/ susb/data/2013/us_naicssector_ lfo_2013.xlsx >

From Hotel News Now : In the digital age, music is omnipresent and access is immediate. Hotel operators, eager to improve the guest experience and elevate their brands, are assessing and enhancing the presentation of music at their properties. But along with the rise of online streaming, satellite radio and curated playlists comes the risk of copyright infringement. The hospitality industry is an easy target for such claims. A hospitality establishment generally must have a license to legally play music to the public, regardless of the method of play, which may include hosting a live band in an on-site club or bar, streaming a playlist from an internet music service, or even playing music that you purchased and stored on your own iPod. This license requirement is both administered and enforced by performing rights organizations. There are three such organizations in the United States: Broadcast Music; The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; and The Society

Each year the New York Small Business Development Center recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the  Mohawk-valley SBDC  appears in our  2015 Annual Report .  Borin Keith Nortek Powder Coating Mohawk Valley SBDC As a Cambodian immigrant who escaped the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 1970’s, Borin Keith immigrated to North America, where he learned the powder coating industry. He worked his way into key management and acquiring 20-years of experience prior to forming Nortek Powder Coating. Borin established his company in 2005 with business plan assistance from Advisor Eugene Yelle at the Mohawk Valley SBDC. Nortek manufactures a wide range of high-quality powder coatings that are sold to industrial and commercial powder coaters throughout the U.S. and Canada. Sales have steadily grown each year since the company's inception. Nortek's manufacturing process and facility are designed to readily accommodate both large

The federal government contracts out millions of dollars in goods and services every year, with a percentage of these contracts set aside just for small businesses to bid on. The General Services Administration's  Forecast of Contracting Opportunities Tool  enables would-be government contractors to  view potential upcoming federal contract opportunities  at GSA and several other federal agencies. Search this national database by agency, location, industry code and more.  The latest issue of  Philanthropy News Digest  is now available. The latest issue of  Philanthropy News Digest  RFP Bulletin  is now available. The latest issue of  PND Connections  is now available.

From BusinessUSA.gov: Wondering where to set up your new business, based on the amount of competition and consumer spending in that area, or other factors? The U.S. Census Bureau's Business Builder: Small Business Edition gives small business owners access to key demographic and economic data that can help when deciding on the location for a new business or expanding an existing one. Check out this blog for more on how it works.

From the Census Bureau-  Data for metropolitan statistical areas and counties by enterprise employment size. Statistics include number of firms, establishments, employment and annual payroll.  2013  annual or static data include number of firms, number of establishments, employment, and annual payroll for most U.S. business establishments. The data are tabulated by geographic area, industry, and enterprise size. Industry classification is based on 2012 North American Industry Classification System  (NAICS)  codes. An establishment with 0 employment is an establishment with no paid employees in the mid-March pay period but with paid employees at some time during the year. Internet address: < http://www.census.gov/econ/ susb/ >.

From SBA: The U.S. Small Business Administration today released its annual Small Business Procurement Scorecards, which provide an assessment of each federal agency’s annual small business contracting achievement against its goal using a grade of A+ through F.  The federal government received an “A” on the government-wide scorecard for 2015, reflecting significant efforts by federal agencies toward meeting their 23 percent statutory goal.  The federal government also reached its small business federal contracting goal for the third consecutive year, awarding  25.75 percent in federal contracts to small businesses totaling $90.7 billion.  The 25.75 percent of contracts awarded to small businesses represent the highest ever percentage of contracts awarded to small businesses by the federal government. “I’m very happy to report that the federal government exceeded our 23 percent small business prime contracting goal for the third year in a row, with the federal governmen

Each year the New York Small Business Development Center recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the  Queens-Laguardia SBDC  appears in our  2015 Annual Report .  Michael Riotto Michael Riotto Design Queens-LaGuardia SBDC Michael Riotto is the principal of Michael Riotto Design, LLC (MRD), a lighting manufacturer and design firm in Long Island City that was established in 2005. MRD designs are modern, contemporary and vintage, and its staff manages all aspects of project work from consultation through product development, sourcing, specification and installation. The company’s mission is to provide the highest quality of service first combined with the latest technology and expertise to create successful projects for its clients. MRD manufactures lighting for piers, parks, cruise ships and theaters, among other places. Michael consulted the LaGuardia SBDC when seeking a line of credit to stabilize the company’s cash flow. 

In honor of National Small Business Week, please join America's SBDC (@ASBDC) for "10 Most Common Small Business Questions" Twitter Chat on May 4th at 3pm ET. @ASBDC will serve as the chat "moderator." America's SBDC will post questions every 7-9 minutes for about 45 minutes beginning at 3pm ET using the hashtag, #SBDC. Questions will be noted as Q1, Q2, etc. In your response, please note your answers with A1, A2, etc. For example, @ASBDC will post "Q1: What's your favorite marketing technique? #SBDC" and you might respond: "A1. We recommend writing a blog #SBDC". Feel free to RT the questions so your followers know which question you are answering. The chat will last about 50-60 minutes depending on the pace of responses. If other Twitter users are chiming in, please feel free to RT them or answer their questions. Just remember to add the hashtag #SBDC. Here are the questions that @ASBDC will be posting: • Q1: Do I have what