New York SBDC Research Network

Patrick Foster is an ecommerce consultant at ecommercetips.org Image credit: PxHere While those among us who’ve benefited from traditional systems of work can be intimidated by the march of technology, deeming it often arbitrary and more trouble than it’s worth, those who face more challenges in life are able to see it for what it really is: a remarkable expansion of possibility that is making almost every area of life more accessible to all. And there’s perhaps no area — with the questionable exception of social activity — that has been further improved in recent years by technology (driven by the internet) than the world of business, and entrepreneurship in particular. Tech is giving rise to generations of savvy self-starters with the confidence and competence to forge their own paths. But how specifically is technology achieving this? Let’s look at some of the main ways in which technology is making it easier for people of all kinds to enter the business world. It’s provi

By Arek Dvornechuck From ebaqdesign You can have many reasons that trigger starting the naming process, but it all comes own basically to two options: *You start a new business and need a name *or you change the name of an existing business Your name is transmitted day in and day out, in conversations, emails, voicemails, websites, on the product, on business cards, and in presentations – everywhere. It’s also important to remember that while the process of creating and selecting a name is critical, once the name is out it the world, the meaning of the word itself will evolve based on how people experience the brand.

By Sandra Gudat From Marketing Profs You've spent valuable time and money building your customer base, and you've also worked to amass a growing community of followers on your social media channels. But have you integrated those efforts in an effort to expand your customer base, keep current customers engaged, and increase profits? Without a plan, your social activity runs the risk of turning off customers instead of tuning them in, derailing corporate objectives, and tarnishing your company's reputation. If you don't have a formal program, you can tweak these ideas to help build customer loyalty, in general. After all, social media is your chance to engage with your audience, and you can leverage that engagement by trying out tactics to see what works.

From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Whether sales of a particular good or service are taxable may depend on many factors. Sales of tangible personal property are subject to New York sales tax unless they are specifically exempt. The term tangible personal property means any kind of physical personal property that has a material existence and is perceptible to the human senses (in other words, something you can see and touch). Sales of services are generally exempt from New York sales tax unless they are specifically taxable You should not collect sales tax on exempt sales that do not require an exemption document. However, for sales that require an exemption document, you must collect sales tax unless you receive a properly completed exemption document from the purchaser.

By Jeanna Smialek From Bloomberg Brain drain is a concern across federal departments as shutdowns become a matter of political course in Washington. If the statistical agencies begin to bleed seasoned workers with deep knowledge of complicated surveys and methodologies, it could be a particular loss for American businesses and financial-market participants who rely on their data and analysis. “They are basically providing the statistical infrastructure for the decisions made by the entire private sector of the economy, as well as government,” Lawrence Katz, a Harvard University professor and former Labor Department chief economist, said of the data agencies. He noted that government jobs are secure and fulfilling but may not pay highly-educated people as much as companies or universities would. Opportunities outside of the public sphere are especially plentiful now, with unemployment at 3.9 percent, near the lowest since the 1960s. For people with bachelor’s degrees and higher

By Sarah Buder From Afar Immigrant-owned restaurants have long enhanced the flavor of food scenes in cities across the United States. But in recent years, as refugee resettlement and immigration issues have fueled some of the country’s most divisive political debates, various eating establishments are redefining what it means to “break bread.” Global initiatives such as the Refugee Food Festival encourage local restaurants to open their kitchens once a year to chefs from war-torn countries, allowing them the resources to prepare and serve traditional meals from their homelands. Since its 2016 inception in Paris, the festival has reached 14 cities worldwide, including San Francisco and New York City. Now, across the United States, an increasing number of “food incubators” are supporting refugee and immigrant chefs in even longer-lasting ways. These refugee-powered restaurants provide newly settled U.S. residents with the language, business, and culinary skills necessary to pursue

From My Company Works There are many moving parts and action items to think about when changing a company name. From choosing the name, to filing the business name change with the IRS (or whatever your national tax authority is), articles of Amendment with the state (each state you operate in and with every agency you’re licensed with) or filing a DBA name change (if you are organized as a partnership or sole proprietor). We recently went through all of this with our recent name change so now I’d like to guide everyone with a business name change checklist to review and consider. Below we’ll review if you really need to change your name (or if you’re just thinking about changing your name), how to do the basic rebranding process and finally the checklist of action items. I want to emphasize that while you, as the business owner, probably think the name of your company is very important, your client likely doesn’t give it much consideration at all (as long as it’s not inappropriat