New York SBDC Research Network

From ChuckTheWriter.blog : I've started following a new podcast, and have recently binge-watched a new Netflix documentary series. Oh yeah, and I’m waiting for new episodes of an old CNBC favorite... Business Wars is a brand new podcast from Wondery, and it comes from the same people who made the podcast American History Tellers. The podcast, in episodic format, follows the major battles between corporations for market supremacy – their successes, their failures, their wise decisions and their head-shaking gaffes... Netflix [is] currently airing an amazing six-part documentary series, Dirty Money, about the graft and sleaziness of corporations... There’s always cable television for shows like this … and one of my favorites is a late night CNBC docu-series called American Greed. This show features people and corporations who built their reputations on swindling and scamming and stealing...

From Medium : When it comes to restaurants, every US city has a unique identity. Austin, TX is renowned for its BBQ. New York City is densely packed with pizza-by-the-slice. San Francisco and LA compete on taqueria prestige. Using Google data, visualized by Google News Lab with design studio Polygraph, we can begin to quantify how these food trends vary across the country. Based on aggregated, anonymized, and differentially private data from users who have opted in to Google Location History, we ranked cities and counties by their most popular cuisine. We can also make comparisons: where are pizza parlors more popular than Mexican restaurants? And by comparing all cuisines, we have a better picture of regional preferences across the US.

From Marketing Profs : We all know mobile is gaining momentum, and it's not going to slow down anytime soon. So what can marketers do to make sure their websites stay up-to-date with the latest mobile trends? This infographic by film editing simplifiers Filmora has the following tips: • Make sure videos are mobile-friendly. • More broadly, make sure your website is mobile-friendly. (If your audiences use mobile devices—and they probably do—this should be your first priority.) • Explore augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) options to enhance customer experiences. • If you're running video ads, use mobile native video advertising. • Ensure making payments on mobile is easy to do. • Consider QR codes to streamline user experience.

Each year the  New York Small Business Development Center  recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the   Niagara SBDC  appears in our  2016 Annual Report . Roger Urban   Platter's Chocolates Niagara SBDC Platter’s Chocolates is a family business owned and operated by the Urban family since 1972. Owner Roger Urban purchased Platter’s from Carl Platter who started the business in 1938, and several members of Urban family currently work in the business. Several years ago Roger purchased Betty Dixon Candies, the Jamestown candy shop that Lucille Ball worked at as a teenager, and which inspired the famous episode on her show. This purchase broadened Platter’s manufacturing lines and chocolate mold inventory.  In 2014, Platter’s acquired Ko-Ed Candies, a South Buffalo tradition since 1947, again expanding production. This lead to Platter’s outgrowing its facility. In 2015, Platter’s embarked on a major expansion project to allow f

From eMarketer : Many consumers turn to online reviews to help inform their decision when researching a big-ticket product, according to new data from YA. In fact, when researching an expensive item—$250 or more—online ratings and reviews were the most common source respondents consulted, more so than word-of-mouth, in-store sales associates or social networks. But interestingly, while favorable reviews certainly affected their decision to buy one item over another, quality and price were more important. Roughly a third (32.4%) of respondents said quality is the primary factor in choosing to purchase a durable item, like a new computer or washing machine, and another 26.6% said price comes first.

From PC Magazine : Have you started thinking about doing your taxes? Neither have I. But PCMag's Kathy Yakal has been testing tax preparation software for weeks. Tax law changes every year and tax prep software has to change with it. This year, Intuit TurboTax once again earns the Editors' Choice award for the best overall package. That said, TaxAct and FreeTax USA (which actually costs $6.99, despite its name) also had strong showings. Just don't expect to collect on the Trump tax cuts. Those won't show up until you file next year.

From MarketingProfs : Pity the beleaguered Crock-Pot: First it gets its lunch eaten by the upstart InstantPot. Then it murders a beloved character on a popular TV show. The slow cooker that had toiled unobtrusively for years on kitchen counters around the world, silently stewing your Swedish meatballs, suddenly found itself last week thrust into the social media spotlight. Prior to last week, the brand wasn't even on Twitter—because, honestly, who wants to talk to Crock-Pot? Yet, a week later, the hastily assembled @CrockPotCares Twitter feed is still defending itself from attacks caused by the unlikeliest of sources. What Happened? Last Tuesday, NBC's "This Is Us" episode fingered the family slow cooker in the long-awaited explanation of the death of family patriarch Jack Pearson (played by Milo Ventimiglia)... In that moment last week, Crock-Pot found itself blindsided—thrust into the middle of a Clue game. (It was Mr. Crock-Pot in the Kitchen with Flame f

From MarketingProfs "Domain names play a crucial role in branding and SEO of a website," begins an infographic by review site Website Builder. So it's important to think about your business's website domains carefully, understand how they work, and know your resources for purchasing and maintaining them. The infographic explains all that and more about domains, from the parsing of a URL to a timeline of domain names. (The first domain to be registered was symbolics.com in 1985!) It also answers some common questions about domains and SEO. For example, avoid using numbers and hyphens in a domain name, the graphic suggests, and keep your domain name as short as possible.

From eMarketer : Once upon a time, social media marketing was very different than it is today. Marketers could open a page on Facebook, write a bunch of fun posts and watch the fan count go up. But that all changed when Facebook began drastically reducing the reach of organic (nonpaid) posts. "While organic serves a key purpose within our broader strategy, we are very mindful that the creative must be top-notch to resonate, and that it strategically incorporates the proper hashtags to ensure relevance within the marketplace," said Tad Ehrbar, senior vice president of global consumer social media and content at Citi. Others believe organic social is a waste of time and dollars—and they don’t mince words. “You might as well take your budget to the bank, cash it out in greenback $20s, pile it up in the parking lot and light the money on fire,” said Ogilvy's Marshall Manson. However, some marketers believe organic is not only still important, but perhaps more import

Each year the  New York Small Business Development Center  recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the   North Country SBDC  appears in our  2016 Annual Report .  Margaret Murphy   Integrated Aquatic Sciences, LLC North Country SBDC Integrated Aquatic Sciences, LLC, was formed in 2015 to provide comprehensive aquatic consulting services to clients in both the public and private sector. Services include fish community evaluations and fisheries management, water quality monitoring, habitat restoration and management. The company provides a cost-effective scientific approach that works within the natural environment.  Principal scientist and owner, Margaret H. Murphy, Ph.D. is a Certified Fisheries Professional through the American Fisheries Society with more than 20 years of experience in the field. Margaret consulted the SBDC for assistance in starting her business and to gain a better understanding of the WBE and WOSB certifica

From eMarketer : Retailers have been racing to crack the personalization code for some time. For most, personalization is a key to success. In fact, more than nine in 10 US retailers surveyed by RIS News said personalization capabilities are at least somewhat important to their company's business goals. And 39% of respondents said personalization was extremely important. Many respondents employ personalization in hopes of increasing sales, improving overall loyalty, and of course, making sure customer engagement levels are high. Improving these capabilities, however, isn’t always an easy task for retailers. It’s important for retailers to get personalization right because the price of personalization failure is costly.

From Bplans : Why should busy small business owners worry about ethics? Because whether you are a software startup or have a taco truck, ethics failures can hurt the bottom line, writes Shanté Roddy, CEO of Intuitive Risk Management International. “Ethically treating employees, good relationships with the public, and correct information shared with stakeholders are all responsibilities of the top leadership and have a direct impact on the overall growth of the company,” Roddy writes. Business owners have to sweat the small decisions, because, as Aileron puts it, “business ethics issues always start small.”

From the Small Business Administration: The U.S. Small Business Administration will present a six-part, free webinar series to help small businesses navigate its Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone Program that will run from February to mid-March.  The hour-long webinars will cover the following topics:  February 7 HUBZone Contracting:  Make the Federal Government Your Customer 2-3p.m. EST Small businesses will learn about HUBZone contracting vehicles and regulations. Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 7 webinar begins: http://ems7.intellor.com/login/714969 February 14 HUBZone Joint Ventures: How to Partner with Other Companies for HUBZone Contracts 2-3p.m. EST Small businesses will learn how to enter into a HUBZone joint venture and the importance of having a well-defined joint venture agreement whether or not the agreement falls under the All Small Mentor-Protégé Program. Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 14 webinar begins

From eMarketer : In the latest episode of eMarketer's "Behind the Numbers" podcast, we consider the changes planned for Facebook's News Feed and the possible implications for advertisers. Will the shifting focus of the News Feed, with an emphasis on "personal" posts, force changes for marketers? What about nonprofits? Here's "What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know about Facebook's New Algorithm" from TechSoup.

From MarketingProfs How important have smartphones become to modern life? Would consumers rather lose their phones or their wallets? KPMG surveyed 10,000 adults in China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and asked that very question. Some 42% of consumers in India, 36% of consumers in China, 35% of consumers in the US, and 21% of consumers in the UK say they feel a strong sense of anxiety if they leave their mobile phone at home when they go out.