New York SBDC Research Network

From the IRS : It’s important to know how many full-time employees you have because two provisions of the Affordable Care Act – employer shared responsibility and employer information reporting for offers of minimum essential coverage – apply only to applicable large employers. Employers average the number of their full-time employees, including full-time equivalents, for the months from the previous year to see whether they are considered an applicable large employer. Whether your organization is an Applicable Large Employers (ALE) for a particular calendar year depends on the size of your workforce in the preceding calendar year. To be an ALE, you must have had an average of at least 50 full-time employees – including full-time-equivalent employees – during the preceding calendar year. So, for example, you will use information about the size of your workforce during 2016 to determine if your organization is an ALE for 2017.

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,