New York SBDC Research Network

$2.95 Billion in Financing for Small Businesses in FY12 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) debenture program provided a record $2.95 billion to small businesses in fiscal year 2012, a 14 percent increase over last year’s $2.59 billion and an 85 percent increase over 2010, also a record year. “Over the past three years SBA has transformed the SBIC program to ensure small businesses have greater access to SBIC funds,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “These record-setting numbers are proof that our efforts to streamline and simplify the process have made it possible to get capital into the hands of small businesses more quickly. When an SBIC invests in a small business, it can scale up and create jobs.” High-growth small businesses continue to face difficulties in accessing patient, long-term capital to grow and create jobs. Since 1958, the SBIC program has helped fill these gaps and has invested approximately $63 billi

From MoneyWatch : I love being in an office surrounded by contagious people. Not the sniffling, sneezing, coughing kind who don't stay home when they should, but the kind whose enthusiasm and attitude towards their products, customers and company is absolutely infectious. Many use the term "evangelist" to describe this, but I think there's a distinction: Evangelism (which I also love) is mostly unidirectional -- true believers, preaching and hoping to spread the good word to the masses, whereas contagiousness is more personal and subtle. When you're truly, "professionally" contagious, the people you deal with catch the fever just by interacting with you.

Blogs provide an excellent platform to engage with customers. WordPress blogs reach more than 70 million readers and Tumblr blogs reach up to 39 million. With numbers like those, you can see how important a blog can be, both as an extension of a business site and as a standalone destination. But many bloggers make basic errors that lessen their blogs' effectiveness. Are you making the same errors? Review the following list of nine unforgivable blogging offenses to make sure you are not committing any of them. Read more

From SBA : Now that we're in the fourth quarter of the year, it's time to get ready for 2013. There is much to do from a financial, legal and tax perspective. In this article are guidelines for mapping out your company’s financial plans for 2013. In upcoming articles, you’ll see what legal steps you should take and last-minute tax planning moves you should make before the end of the year.

Source: International Monetary Fund The recovery has suffered new setbacks, and uncertainty weighs heavily on the outlook. A key reason is that policies in the major advanced economies have not rebuilt confidence in medium-term prospects. Tail risks, such as those relating to the viability of the euro area or major U.S. fiscal policy mistakes, continue to preoccupy investors. The World Economic Outlook (WEO) forecast thus sees only a gradual strengthening of activity from the relatively disappointing pace of early 2012. Projected global growth, at 3.3 and 3.6 percent in 2012 and 2013, respectively, is weaker than in the July 2012 WEO Update, which was in turn lower than in the April 2012 WEO (Chapter 1). Output is expected to remain sluggish in advanced economies but still relatively solid in many emerging market and developing economies. Unemployment is likely to stay elevated in many parts of the world. And financial conditions will remain fragile.

From Hispanic Business : The U.S. Small Business Administration issued three final rules in the Federal Register, effective Oct. 24, increasing size standards for firms in three North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sectors: Real Estate and Rental and Leasing; Educational Services; and Health Care and Social Assistance. Size standards define the maximum size a firm can be and still be considered a small business. The revised standards reflect changes in marketplace conditions and public comments that SBA received to the proposed rules... To review the three rules and public comments, go to www.regulations.gov . Each has a separate RIN number: -- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing - (RIN 3245-AG28) -- Educational Services - (RIN 3245-AG29) -- Health Care and Social Assistance - (RIN 3245?AG30) ... The SBA issued a White Paper titled "Size Standards Methodology" which explains how SBA establishes, reviews and modifies its receipts-based and empl

From the National Science Foundation : Businesses perform a large share of their research and development in a small number of geographic areas, two of the largest being the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland combined statistical area (CSA) and the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA, according to data from the Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS).

Today we present a recent article written by Myriam Bouchard, a certified business advisor with the Mid-Hudson Regional SBDC.  It presents information on the advantages of partnering with other companies as a marketing strategy: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121015/BIZ/210150335/-1/NEWS

The Dalai Lama describes himself as "a simple Buddhist monk," despite that his honorific is "His Holiness." Either way, it's important to note that [his] public talks... tend to have no religious overtones (or even undertones). On the contrary, his tremendous popularity and appeal... largely come from the fact that he reaches out to everyone, taking religion out of the equation. In fact, he stresses the importance and value of viewing human relationships through a universal, secular lens. More HERE .

From SmallBusinessNewz We knew that our company wasn’t perfect – which one is? We also knew that some of our company’s practices wouldn’t go over well with our customers, and that would lead to unhappy customers calling in to complain. Though they sometimes got vociferous in their argument, we would always listen, offer empathy and look for a way that we could both work together to resolve the issue. Again, it worked. At the end of the call, the customer would apologize and say they were really sorry that they came over as argumentative – they were just frustrated and felt as if they had no-one to talk to about it. All they wanted was for someone to listen and show that their problems were being heard. Even if nothing could be done about them, just knowing someone cared made a huge difference. *** No complaints about this traffic cop

The October issue of The Small Business Advocate (vol. 31, no. 7) reports on the Office of Advocacy’s September conference in Seattle, “Small Business and Government: Maximizing Entrepreneurship, Driving Innovation.” In presentations, panels, and hands-on activities, representatives of government and research institutions came together with cutting-edge, visionary entrepreneurs, small business owners, and investors, to learn how government can most effectively promote innovation and businesses can benefit from a relationship with government. In This Issue Conference Sparks Dialog on Government and Innovation Keynote, Recognition, and Takeaways Panel 1: Small Business Innovators: The Public/Private Relationship Panel 2: Maximizing Entrepreneurship: Showcasing Innovation Accelerators Panel 3: Driving Innovation: Emerging Capital Strategies Getting It Right—How Can the Public Sector Help the Innovation Sector Thrive? 3 Delaware and Pennsylvania Get Regulatory Flexibility 2012

Here’s a link to NYC demographic maps , thanks to NYC Planning Department.

From CBS News MoneyWatch : For those who aren't hip to Yiddish, the word mensch is the highest praise one can bestow on another person. It basically rolls all of the finest characteristics and aspirations of humanity into a convenient, punchy, one-syllable word. If someone describes you by saying "what a mensch!" you pretty much can't do better. And though the word originates from the German for "human being," your business can and should be mensch-like too. The general attributes of a mensch are absolute integrity, steadfast reliability and unfailingly high standards of behavior and character. In other words, a very solid citizen. If you believe, as I do, that genuine humanity is at the core of all great businesses, then a great business should aspire to these same qualities.

WASHINGTON – With loan volume steadily increasing for the past six quarters, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s loan programs posted the second largest dollar volume ever in FY 2012, supporting $30.25 billion in loans to small businesses. That amount was surpassed only by FY 2011, which was heavily boosted by the loan incentives under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. Overall, the pace of SBA loan-making is a healthy sign for the economy and the credit markets and is one of the foundations for ensuring the availability of financing to small businesses trying to establish themselves, grow and create new jobs for Americans. The near-record pace was driven in part by a record year for the Certified Development Company (504) loan program, which supported $15.09 billion in small business credits. The strong performance of 504 loans was boosted by the temporary 504 refinancing program, which was responsible for 26 percent of the 504 program loans made in FY 2012 and 34 percent

In 2010, 4.2 million more people worked at home than a decade before, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Home-Based Workers in the United States: 2010 contains findings from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the American Community Survey. The combined analysis provides timely and comprehensive statistics on home-based workers in the United States. According to the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the number of people who worked at home at least one day per week increased from 9.5 million in 1999 to 13.4 million in 2010, increasing from 7.0 percent to 9.5 percent of all workers. The largest increase occurred between 2005 and 2010, when the share grew from 7.8 percent to 9.5 percent of all workers, an increase of more than 2 million. The Survey of Income and Program Participation has provided timely information on home-based workers since the mid-1990s and differentiates by those who work exclusively from home (home workers), those

What Should Boards, Management, and Policymakers Do Now? In 1991, in recognition that the acts of individuals can create criminal liability for their organizations, the U.S. Sentencing Commission expanded the Federal Sentencing Guidelines to include a new chapter on organizational crime. The intent was twofold: to provide a consistent set of guidelines to deter and punish organizational crime and to encourage positive behavior — specifically, the establishment of effective corporate compliance programs. In the two decades since, one of the chief aims of the guidelines has been to encourage basic cultural change within organizations in ways that might reduce both criminal and ethical risk. On May 16, 2012, RAND brought together a group of public company directors and executives, chief ethics and compliance officers, and stakeholders from the government, academic, and nonprofit sectors for a series of conversations about organizational culture, as well as to explore the business and po

Everyone's reacting to the jobs figures released this morning. I thought I would have a look at the Conference Board to see what they had to say: Press Release / News Job Growth Still Slow, But Not Slowing 05 October, 2012 Comment on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Report Kathy Bostjancic, Director of Macroeconomic Analysis, The Conference Board With a gain of 114,000 jobs in September and an upward revision for August, this economy remains on a slow but not slowing growth path. More demand would help, as would fewer ill winds blowing in from a contracting Europe and slower emerging markets. More certainty on taxes post-election would also help. However, right now, slow job and income growth is about all the economy is capable of generating as businesses remain focused on cutting costs. That is the signal from The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for the U.S. and is consistent with recent readings on consumer sentiment. Lack of demand plus concern

This bulletin presents 2011 annual averages from the Current Population Survey for census regions and divisions; the 50 states and the District of Columbia; and 54 large metropolitan areas, 22 metropolitan divisions, and 41 principal cities. Data from the CPS differ from the official estimates produced by the individual states through the LAUS program. CPS estimates are provided herein because they are a current source of information on the demographic and economic characteristics of the labor force in subnational areas, from the same source as the official labor force data for the United States as a whole.

From CBS News MoneyWatch Like most of you, I get cold calls and e-mails every day -- not spam, I mean "real" sales calls -- most of them for things in which I have no interest, or for which I am not even a prospect. And like most people (I'm making statistical assumptions), I almost never answer or respond. It's not because I have it in for all salespeople -- though probably most of us have a hard spot in our hearts for solicitations -- It's because the vast majority of them botch their door-opening efforts so badly. I appreciate that these people are doing their jobs and trying to make a living. In fact, as I wrote recently, whenever I get a call, e-mail or message from a salesperson, I remind myself that at my company, and probably yours, we call people to try to sell stuff, too. So I'm not insensitive to the plight of the honest, hardworking sales professional. The problem is, most of their hard work often goes into turning me off to the point of near

Albany – The State University of New York and New York State Small Business Development Center (NYS SBDC) today announced that James King was recently elected Chairman of the Board for the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) at the organization’s 2012 national meeting in New Orleans. King is State Director of SBDC. SUNY is the lead host for the statewide SBDC network, which includes the City University of New York (CUNY), Pace University, and Columbia University. "Jim King’s election as chairman of the national small business development network is a well-deserved recognition of his outstanding leadership in New York State and of SUNY’s progress toward driving economic development," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. "We are pleased to have Jim represent SUNY as he helps shape a national agenda for economic support in communities throughout New York and across the nation." "I am honored and privileged to lead such a distinguishe

From World Economic Forum : The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012 assesses the competitiveness landscape of 144 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their productivity and prosperity. The Report series remains the most comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness worldwide.

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics Average annual expenditures per consumer unit rose 3.3 percent in 2011 following a decrease of 2.0 percent in 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The rise in spending in 2011 barely outpaced the 3.2-percent increase in prices for goods and services from 2010 to 2011, as measured by the average annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). This was the first yearly increase in spending since the 1.7-percent rise from 2007 to 2008, as expenditures had declined in both 2009 and 2010. All major components of household spending increased in 2011. The 8.0-percent rise in transportation spending was the largest percentage increase among all major components. Overall spending on food and cash contributions (including payments for support of college students, alimony and child support, and giving to charities and religious organizations) both increased by 5.4 percent. Other spending highlights include a 4.9-percent rise in health car

SBA Administrator Karen Mills and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden recently held a Google+ Hangout with a small business that helped NASA land the Curiosity rover on Mars. Staff from ATA Engineering joined the Hangout to explain their role in the Mars Science Laboratory and how small businesses can expand their markets by working with the Federal government. Watch now!

IRE and the Sunlight Foundation launched EconoCheck , a resource for journalists who want to fact-check the economic claims made by politicians. This will make it easier for folks to understand key economic indicators and how they are created. Also, there are links to the source data so journalists can download the files themselves. Bill Allison, Sunlight’s editorial director, blogged about how journalists can use the data to report on the things politicians say about the economy .

In addition to the US Copyright Office and the US Patent and Trademark Office , check out: Intellectual Property Infringement and Other Unfair Acts . Section 337 investigations conducted by the U.S. International Trade Commission most often involve claims regarding intellectual property rights, including allegations of patent infringement and trademark infringement by imported goods A list of Who’s Who in the U.S. Gov’t involved in IP Copyright: Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright (for students and teachers) The Copyright Society of the USA The Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States [Chart] Crash Course in Copyright from the University of Texas Copyright Navigator by Lionel S. Sobel

"Unless all the requirements are met, a purchaser of business assets in a bulk sale transaction may be held personally liable for any unpaid sales taxes due from the seller." Bulk sale transaction is defined as "a sale, transfer, or assignment in bulk of any ,part or the whole of business assets, other than in the ordinary course of business by a person required to collect tax. Transfer by way of a gift does not preclude such transfer from being a bulk sale... "A sales tax will be imposed upon the transfer of any tangible personal property from the seller to the purchaser which is included in the property sold in bulk, except for property intended for resale or property exempt from tax. The tax is not imposed on real property or on intangible personal property such as cash, goodwill, or accounts receivable." Read more here .

From Karen G. Mills, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration Your business has already succeeded in the most competitive market on the planet – the USA – so just imagine what you can do abroad. In foreign markets, you will find fewer competitors and you start with a significant advantage: consumers around the world trust the words "Made In America." There are free resources to help your business begin exporting, provided by the US government. To discover what is available, visit www.export.gov . There, you can connect to counselors, market matchmakers, and banks. You can also learn how U.S. government export insurance, working capital loans, and foreign buyer financing can protect you and your bank from transaction risk. Export.gov helps you access the experience of successful exporters, who will show you: How to manage the risk of doing business overseas Which markets and trade partners to select Where to secure capital on favorable terms

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has updated its free Voluntary Disclosure Program pamphlet (Publication 200) . The program, highly successful since its launch in 2008, has a simple goal: To help individuals and businesses with state tax debts from prior year filings meet their tax obligations. The pamphlet tells you who is eligible and how to start the application process online .

The SBDC Think Tank has been working with Bob Fangmeyer, Deputy Director of the Baldrige organization, and Dr. Kevin McCormack to complete a research study focusing on small business success. To date over 250 small businesses have completed the questionnaire. Dr. McCormack has published a preliminary report on the Small Business Breakthrough Project website. Small business owners: The Breakthrough Project is a SBDC sponsored national initiative that provides free resources to small business owners. In preparation for fuller analysis, the Think Tank is attempting one last push to encourage you to complete the survey questionnaire. The survey is only 20 questions, it is anonymous, and it takes only a few minutes to complete. Please help us by completing the survey now. The results will be shared with as they become available.

Small businesses and often young firms seek novel sources for their financing needs, which includes home equity and other sources. View this Small Business Fact Sheet in its entirety. Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Victoria Williams at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11 AT 1:00 PM EST In November and December, more than 4 million businesses will receive forms for the 2012 Economic Census, the U.S. Government’s official five-year measure of American business and the economy. Response is required by law, and statistics that result will inform important business decisions and guide the development of effective public policy. Businesses in your area are going to have questions, and they may look to organizations like yours for answers. To prepare you, the Census Bureau is offering a special webinar on Thursday, October 11 at 1:00 PM EST. In just one hour, you’ll learn all about the Economic Census so you can help local businesses understand the value of Census data and prepare to respond. Complete information is available at business.census.gov , including industry statistics, videos and resources to help you reach out to your area. This site features story ideas and communications you can use through February 2013 when Economic

Small businesses continue to show signs of growth. Business births, self-employment, and proprietor’s income are rising, while business deaths and bankruptcies are declining. View this Small Business Fact Sheet in its entirety.

From Manta.com "When’s the last time you Google’d your own business? Set time aside today to search for your business name on Google. Review which websites are listing your business information, keep track of those online listings and update them when your company information changes. Consistency and accuracy are key to being found online by customers!" But try checking on different computers. Google will often give you the results it thinks you want.

The U.S. Small Business Administration and AARP will team up Tuesday, October 2 to host the first National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Day. The event is targeted at entrepreneurs over the age of 50 to match these “encore entrepreneurs” with successful business owners and community leaders for advice and assistance. To find a local event near you go to www.sba.gov/mentorday . National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Day is part of a larger effort by SBA and AARP to promote entrepreneurship among individuals ages 50 and older. It will consist of events across the country that will match encore entrepreneurs with mentors who have small business experience. Events will include speed mentoring allowing mentors and entrepreneurs to share information for five minute sessions and mentor lunches for entrepreneurs to learn from successful business owners. The events also will help connect encore entrepreneurs with mentors from SBA’s network of Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business

From the Dreamspeaker : All successful business leaders realize that, although things are quiet at the center, much like hurricanes, it’s always at the edges where the destructive winds are blowing. Management has learned to always be wary of all decision making systems that have been designed to work in conditions of low risk, stable environments and continuity. Like Newton’s eureka moment, which led to his famous theory of gravity, leaders know that stable circumstances never last and what they have created they must eventually destroy or a competitor will do it for them. Their eureka moments have led them to be the destructive forces at the edges of their own organizations.

SizeUp Allows Business Owners to Research Data and Analytics to Start or Grow a Business Small business owners and start-ups across the country can now take advantage of a new business tool to help them compete and grow. The free tool, called SizeUp , helps businesses identify new customers and compare their performance against other businesses in their industry with data collected from hundreds of private and public sources. “Market research and analysis is critical for the success of any small business owner or entrepreneur. Tools like SizeUp deliver data right to the fingertips of business owners to help make smart decisions and have the greatest opportunity to start, grow, compete and succeed,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “In today’s challenging economic environment where small businesses create nearly all net new jobs in the U.S., help for small businesses is more important than ever before.” SizeUp works by analyzing a business in comparison to other similar

The Census of Governments identifies the scope and nature of the nation's state and local government sector; provides authoritative benchmark figures of public finance and public employment; classifies local government organizations, powers, and activities; and measures federal, state, and local fiscal relationships. The data are available by: * level of government (state, local, or state and local combined), * type of government (state, county, city, township, special district, school district), and * category of governmental activity (more about governmental activities).

From SmartData Collective With over 30 years in retail site location strategy, I used Census data every day to analyze business critical issues. Where do our customers live? How has that changed in the past decade, and what’s likely to happen in the next 10 years? What is the projected return on this investment? How skilled is the labor force? Can we predict sales behavior? How do customer demographics align with shopping preferences? How does community economic vitality impact company growth? Shopping centers, hospitals, housing developments, and infrastructure are built for the long-term and require careful location analysis and insights. Our Economy Runs on Fact-Based Decisions Businesses match goods and services to consumer demand. Being in the right place at the right time with the right product is critical to business success. It’s not about luck... Why is This Issue Important? This is very important now because the public data that business uses for analytics and

Startup Rates Where are the jobs created? New or existing businesses? What is the level of availability and coverage of health insurance in small firms? Do economic or industry factors affect business survival? What is the difference between self-employment nonemployer businesses and sole proprietors? Credit Card Financing and Small Business Read all about these topics HERE .

The IRS office of Federal, State and Local Governments (FSLG) will address the requirements for submitting Form 1099-G electronically in a FREE one-hour phone forum on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. ET. No Continuing Education [CE] credits are available for this session. This Phone Forum offers an overview of the requirements to assist you in maintaining compliance with reporting standards. You will learn how to: Comply with requirements for reporting unemployment compensation , tax refunds, taxable grants, agricultural and certain other payments Comply with electronic payee affirmative consent requirements Assist recipients in receiving their information documents electronically Following these procedures will satisfy the affirmative consent reporting requirements, save valuable time and resources, and improve customer service. You can pre-register electronically at the FSLG Phone Forum Registration site . Please register as soon as possible because sp

How much do you know about American small businesses? Did you know, for example, that there are 27.9 million small firms, and that about half of all new establishments survive at least five years? In keeping with its mission to examine the contributions of small businesses to the U.S. economy, the Office of Advocacy has expanded and redesigned its most requested publication, Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business (FAQ). The new edition includes twice as much data as previous versions, as well as charts and tables showing key small business statistics and trends. “Advocacy’s team of economists is constantly on the lookout for new and robust sources of statistics, while continuing to follow the trends evident in the government’s ongoing databases,” said Chief Counsel for Advocacy Winslow Sargeant. “We’re pleased to provide timely and actionable data on the key questions asked by small business people, policymakers, and the media.” Many key small business statistics remain vir

From CBS News MoneyWatch Like many entrepreneurs I know -- especially chronically right-brained types -- I struggle with a short attention span. Where was I? Oh, yes, attention span... . My noisy business owner's head and ever-wandering imagination often make it difficult for me to focus (much less "laser-focus") on specific tasks or issues, especially if they're analytical, operational, or otherwise boring and soul-sapping to me. But running a business requires paying attention to things we love and things we hate, and I know I can't just do the fun stuff.

From CBS News MoneyWatch Unless you've been sleeping in a cave for the past few decades, you're probably aware that Social Security has some funding challenges due to the aging of the baby boomers and the slowing of the economy. Now you can learn how to shore up Social Security by using AARP's online tool, Strengthen Social Security . This easy-to-use program allows you to "play lawmaker" and make various adjustments to benefits and contributions. It then shows you how much of the Social Security deficit could be reduced by making your various changes.

Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity, 2011 In 2011, the unemployment rate for the United States averaged 8.9 percent, but varied across race and ethnicity groups. The rates were highest for Blacks (15.8 percent) and for American Indians and Alaska Natives (14.6 percent) and lowest for Whites (7.9 percent) and for Asians (7.0 percent). The jobless rate was 13.6 percent for persons of two or more races, 11.5 percent for Hispanics, and 10.4 percent for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders. WORKER DISPLACEMENT: 2009-2011 From January 2009 through December 2011, 6.1 million workers were displaced from jobs they had held for at least 3 years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was down from 6.9 million for the survey period covering January 2007 to December 2009. In January 2012, 56 percent of workers displaced from 2009-11 were reemployed, up by 7 percentage points from the prior survey in January 2010.

From CBS MoneyWatch : There is one thing you need to do, and one thing you insist others around you do, to keep business relationships vibrant: Communicate in real time. If something bothers you, say it while it's fresh. If you like something, say it. Unexpressed communication sinks into people like industrial dumping sinks into the dirt. It leeches into the groundwater, makes plants die and children get sick. Unexpressed communication withers relationships, builds up hostilities and finally erupts, often in a way that is almost never helpful.

From SmallBusinessNewz With Google’s ever evolving algorithms, producing fresh content is more important than ever. Importance of good content marketing But does it have to be high quality or will any old thing do? If you’re outsourcing your content production, don’t let financial matters cloud your judgement, as quality will always outweigh quantity. Not convinced? OK, look at it this way. Everything you put out on the web is there to promote your business in some way shape or form. It may not be a blatant advert, but it will be designed to drive traffic to your website and therefore will be associated with your company. Now are you beginning to see why quality is important? If you’re still struggling, here are 6 points worth remembering when it comes to content marketing.

Credit cards are a common online payment option for small businesses, but what about other services like PayPal, Bill Me Later and Google Wallet? These now ubiquitous tools make it easier than ever for anyone – not just e-tailers – to buy and sell goods online and via mobile devices. However, as with all business tools, they have their pros and cons. Here’s what you need to know.

Videos Showcase Entrepreneurs Who Have Started or Grown a Business WASHINGTON – Everyone has a story, and now the U.S. Small Business Administration is giving entrepreneurs a new online platform to share their stories and showcase their successful and thriving businesses. SBA has launched “Small Business Owners Speak,” an interactive platform featuring videos by entrepreneurs from across the country who have started or grown a business with the help of the SBA. The videos will be featured at www.sba.gov/stories . The page features videos submitted during SBA’s 2012 National Small Business Week video contest. But to help reach out to more small business owners, SBA has opened “Small Business Owners Speak” to other entrepreneurs interested in submitting a video to be featured there, where more information about the video submission process. The page features a map of the United States that allows users to click on videos by state or by using the drop-down menu and searching

At the 2012 Albany Matchmaker & Expo, small business owners can discuss potential contracting opportunities face-to-face with representatives from colleges and universities, large corporations and federal, state and local agencies. This annual sellout event is a valuable networking opportunity with dozens of exhibitors and government contracting resources. Small businesses can participate in either the morning session or the afternoon session and sent up to two representatives at a cost of $45 per person. Small businesses will schedule individual appointments with participating buyers prior to the event during the online registration and payment process. September 11, 2012 The Albany Marriott 189 Wolf Road, Albany Morning Session 7:30 am—11:25 am OR Afternoon Session 12:00 pm—3:55 pm Registration is Now Open!

By Rhonda Abrams I have a terrible time buying toothpaste. You've probably had a similar experience: I stand in the toothpaste aisle at a place like Target — and yes, there's a whole aisle just for toothpaste — and I'm overwhelmed. Sure, I use Crest, but which Crest?... Crest has 41 varieties... Why do companies make buying so complicated? For a small business, this question is critically important. Every product or service we develop or sell takes investment. We need to make sure we can sell what we make or offer. Surprisingly, giving customers too many choices is likely to lead to fewer sales. More here .