New York SBDC Research Network

This memorandum contains a summary of the corporation tax changes that are part of the 2013-2014 New York State budget. The changes contained in the memorandum are effective for tax years 2013 and after. This includes New York State Business Incubator and Innovation Hot Spot Support Act (Articles 9-A and 22), Chapter 59 of the Laws of 2013 (Part C) created the New York State Business Incubator and Innovation Hot Spot Support Act (the Act) to support companies in New York State that are in the early stages of development. The Act provides for operating grants and other assistance to New York State incubators and New York State innovation hot spots for the purpose of developing successful businesses in the state by providing technical assistance, direct mentorship, entrepreneurial education, and business development service s. In addition, new section 38 has been added to the Tax Law to provide for New York State innovation hot spot program tax benefits. View the entire document .

     Ward's Motor Vehicle Facts & Figures 2013:  Documenting the Performance and Impact of the U.S. Auto Industry (Ward's Motor Vehicle Facts and Figures) Author James W. Bush The New York State Directory, 2013/14  Laura Mars Grey House Pub (2013) Congressional Yellow Book  Who's Who in Congress, Including Committees and Key Staff  Winter 2013

From Hispanic Business : Anyone who uses social media has heard stories of the pitfalls -- you could be stalked, potential employers could snoop into your past, oversharing could lead to identity theft. But the state of Minnesota believes there's still one group that needs to be warned: small businesses. In "A Legal Guide to the Use of Social Media in the Workplace," published by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Minneapolis attorney Michael Cohen argues that a company's reputation, trade secrets and legal liability hinge on understanding the rapidly changing rules of using social media. A free copy of the guide can be read on the website of Cohen's law firm, Gray Plant Mooty, at tinyurl.com/kk58alk . Or it can be ordered in print or on CD at the department's website, tinyurl.com/y9tuj6d . Cohen explains why you should read it.

U.S. total business end-of-month inventories for June were $1655.2 billion, virtually unchanged (+/-0.1%)* from last month. U.S. total business sales were $1285.8 billion, up 0.2 percent (+/-0.2%)* from last month. June 2013: 0.0* % change in inventories May 2013: -0.1* % change in inventories

Looking for insight about how the Affordable Care Act will affect your small business and your employees? This free webinar series will help you understand key pieces of the law and what you should know about tax credits, the new small employer health insurance Marketplace (SHOP), and more. This week will feature special guest SBA Administrator Karen Mills. The series will run every Thursday through October, and the same webinar will be offered each week. Join us this week and get the facts you need to know. Thursday, August 15 at 2:00 PM ET: Click to Register Tip: Check out Business.usa.gov/healthcare to get customized ACA information for businesses of all sizes

If you want your readers to click “like” or “retweet” or “reblog” or “pin” or “plus,” you gotta ask for it. Not for nothing do two of the web’s most popular sites--BuzzFeed and Mashable--serve up big buttons at the top of each article, beseeching you to “share me now!” What’s more, these icons now include the number of shares in real time, boxing you in with peer pressure: “Don’t share me--I dare you!” This is marketing at its finest: so subliminal, you think you’re making a considered choice. Too often, however, those in the communications field blanch at making an explicit ask. We think of ourselves as marketers, not salesman. We trust in the purity of our craft, rather than tricks of the trade. Yet there’s a reason “marketing” and “business development” often find themselves in the same job title. More from the ASBDC blog .

WASHINGTON–Long-term assistance for small businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy is being made available through expanded funding to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s resource partners working in conjunction with state and local organizations. “SBA is working to harness the ingenuity of our local communities to make sure that we’re not only rebuilding, but building smarter,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “This funding will provide extensive collaborative services to help small businesses recover and rebuild from Hurricane Sandy, so they can do what they do best, grow the local economy and create jobs.” SBA’s resource partners will issue a total of $13.1 million to collaborative teams, which will integrate local economic recovery efforts and bring distinct delivery of business services. This second phase of funding, part of $19 million in emergency appropriations approved by Congress, will be distributed by SBA’s resource partners -- the Small Business Development

If you’re not using video in your social media marketing, what are you waiting for? The engraved invitation came back in 2006 when Google bought YouTube. In 2011, YouTube passed Yahoo to become the world’s second-largest search engine. Video is a powerful tool, and leveraging it correctly can yield amazing results for your social media marketing. Social media video is hugely popular and includes everything from Vine (Twitter’s 6-second mobile video app) to long-form videos on YouTube. According to research by Pew Internet, http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Video-sharing-sites.aspx 71% of online Americans use social media video sites (and that study was conducted in 2011—the percentage has likely increased since then). A picture is worth a thousand words so the cliché goes and a motion picture is priceless, which is why Pew Internet described videos as “social currency” when they reported in 2012 that 41% of adult internet users share and repost videos on social media. More from

The U.S Small Business Administration celebrates its 60th birthday this week. It is a great occasion to mark and celebrate the agency’s accomplishments over the past six decades. When, following the suggestion of President Eisenhower, Congress passed the Small Business Act and created the Small Business Administration in 1953, its stated mission was to "aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns," and also ensure small businesses a “fair proportion” of government contracts. The SBA still does these core functions to this day. And at the time he signed the Small Business Act, President Eisenhower said: “It is my wish that the federal government programs and policies aimed at assisting small businesses ...provide such enterprises with additional constructive assistance.” Sixty years later, the landscape of the nation has changed substantially, but SBA’s mission and its commitment to the success of small business re

The Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2013, or H.R. 2988, which was introduced by Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., would expand the definition of a full-time employee from the ACA’s current 30-hour-per-week threshold. The ACA currently establishes that businesses with more than 50 full-time workers must provide health insurance for full-time employees who work either 30 hours a week or 130 hours per month. Many in the foodservice industry have been working to convince policymakers to increase the number of weekly hours worked to 35 or 40 since the ACA was passed in 2010. This newest measure mirrors a similar bipartisan bill that had been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., earlier this year. Like the House bill, the Senate version redefines a full-time employee as one who works 40 hours a week or 174 hours a month based on a 52-week year. More from Nation's Restaurant News .

WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration has launched Business.USA.gov/healthcare , a one-stop-shop Website which will provide employers of all sizes educational materials on how the Affordable Care Act may affect businesses and help them compete. The site includes a wizard tool that is tailored based on size and location, so businesses can learn how the law helps them provide affordable coverage options to their employees while still meeting their bottom line. The site will act as a user-friendly hub that connects employers to informational content on tax credits and other provisions of the law from the Small Business Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury Department. As part of the Administration’s ongoing dialogue with leaders of our nation’s top businesses, this latest tool will help ensure that employers of all sizes know what the Affordable Care Act means for them, and have the information they need to take advantage of the new bene

vol. 32, no. 6 The July-August edition of The Small Business Advocate [PDF] spotlights regional Advocacy: the 10 regional advocates and Chief Counsel Winslow Sargeant’s recent tour of innovation engines in Maine and Boston. It includes reports on two environmental roundtables, the new Small Business Lending Study, and introduces new Advocacy employees and interns. America’s Collaboration Headquarters Lending Study Published Regulatory News Environmental Roundtables Regional Roundup Ten Regional Advocates in Action New Faces at Advocacy

From USA Today , reprinted here . The minuscule budgets of small businesses often hinder their marketing power. But now, one small firm will join mega marketers on the biggest advertising stage of all: the Super Bowl. On Wednesday, software provider Intuit kicks off a contest that will award one small business with a 30-second Super Bowl XLVIII commercial. The third-quarter ad will likely be seen by more than 100 million viewers. Mainly, it's big-time marketers such as Anheuser-Busch and Pepsi paying for such pricey commercial time. Last year, some 30-second slots sold for more than $4 million each. Intuit — which makes products such as TurboTax and QuickBooks — recruited reality TV personality Bill Rancic and former football coach Jimmy Johnson to promote the contest. Businesses, which must have 50 or fewer employees to apply, can register at SmallBusinessBigGame.com .

The July 2013 release of BDS data contains data for 1976–2011 and includes tables by establishment characteristics in addition to tables by firm characteristics. •Firm Characteristics Data Tables Describes job flow and entry/exit patterns for establishments in the U.S. classified according to the size and age of the firm with which they are associated. •Establishment Characteristics Data Tables Describes job flow and entry/exit patterns for establishments in the U.S. classified according to the size and age of the establishments themselves.

The phone’s ringing off the hook, your only employee didn’t show up today and your website and email just crashed. It’s another hectic day in the life of a busy entrepreneur. Someday, you’ll be able to take a day off – maybe even a whole week! But that won’t be anytime soon. Until you can afford to pay higher wages, you may be stuck with that one deadbeat employee. But you don’t have to put up with your website being unreliable. The problem is most likely your Web host, so if you’re not getting what you need, it’s time to make a change. As you begin your search for a website host, take advantage of resources available to you as a small business owner. More from SmallBusinessNewz .

Most chargeback situations arise at the point of transaction—at the time the transaction is completed—and most can be prevented with a little training. Consider these 16 tips to avoid potential chargebacks .

Operating your business as a legally formed entity, such as a corporation or a limited liability company, means that you have an obligation to keep the entity in good standing by filing the required annual reports and paying any required taxes and fees. Failing to do so not only jeopardizes your ability to expand into other states, but you may forfeit your limited liability protection as well. Learn More

Small Business Lending in the United States is the Office of Advocacy’s annual report on bank lending to small businesses. Financing is critical for small businesses; without it, they would be hard pressed to make important contributions to the nation’s economic health and well-being. In the pages of this report, you will find the most current available information on lending to small businesses by depository institutions of various sizes in the United States. Tables in the report provide a wealth of data on the amount and number of loans made to small businesses year by year. The overall picture looks better than it did a year ago. Although lending to small businesses was still down, the decline was less than in 2010 and 2011, an indication of progress. You will be able to track the year-by-year changes in small business lending as the economy continues to improve. Readers can also learn more about what’s happening with the banks in their own states and localities. Detailed tab

Looking for insight about how the Affordable Care Act will affect your small business and your employees? This free webinar series will help you understand key pieces of the law and what you should know about tax credits, cost containment and more. Get the facts you need to know. • Thursday, July 25 at 12:00 PM ET • Thursday, August 1 at 2:00 PM ET • Thursday, August 8 at 2:00 PM ET • Thursday, August 15 at 2:00 PM ET

From the IRS : The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) (H.R. 8) extends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for hiring certain workers through Dec. 31, 2013. The VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 made changes to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), including adding new categories to the qualified veterans targeted group and expanding the WOTC to make a reduced credit available to tax-exempt organizations for hiring qualified veterans. The VOW Act also extended the WOTC for qualified veterans hired before Jan.1, 2013. The other targeted group categories were not extended by the VOW Act and expired for targeted group members other than qualified veterans hired after Dec.31, 2011. ATRA extends the WOTC for qualified veterans hired before Jan. 1, 2014. ATRA also extends the WOTC for targeted group members, other than qualified veterans, hired after Dec.31, 2011, and before Jan.1, 2014.

From NewMoney.gov : The redesigned $100 note will begin circulating on October 8, 2013. Will you know how to authenticate it? Protect yourself by using the security features included in the redesigned $100 note. We've added two new security features to the redesigned $100 note, the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell. Both of these features can be found on the front of the note and offer a simple and subtle way to check that the note is real. In addition to the two new security features, three highly effective security features from previous designs have been enhanced and retained in the redesigned $100 note: the portrait watermark, the embedded security thread, and the color-shifting 100. To see these and other security features in action, you can explore the Interactive Note .

The folks at the U.S. Census Bureau released a new and improved version of the America’s Economy mobile app this week. The America’s Economy app provides real-time updates for 19 key economic indicators from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, and Bureau of Economic Analysis. Three indicators from BLS were added to the app this week: nonfarm payroll employment, the Producer Price Index, and the Consumer Price Index. These indicators join the unemployment rate and 15 others that were already available. This free app is now available in the App Store and Google Play. For more information, see here .

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to participate as SERs for an SBAR Panel that will explore changes to existing uses of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This panel will focus on the agency’s development of a proposed rule to revise or end the existing authorized uses of PCBs as appropriate if the conditions under which they were authorized more than 30 years ago have changed. This rulemaking may address existing liquid-filled PCB use authorizations, PCBs in fluorescent light ballasts, PCBs in natural gas pipelines, and regulatory language clarifications. SERs will be selected by the SBAR Panel to provide comments on behalf of their company, community or organization and advise the panel about the potential impacts of the proposed rule on small entities. EPA is seeking self-nominations directly from the small entities that may be subject to the rule requirements. Other representatives, such

During the initial stages of starting a business, choosing the right name of your company can be a difficult task to say the least. It may surprise you but even the name of your business can trigger a red flag with some lenders and creditors. Unfortunately, many business owners don’t take this simple step into consideration, especially when it comes to the business credit building process. MORE from SBA here .

From MoneyWatch : According to VeriSign (VRSN), more than 6 million domain names were added to the Internet in the fourth quarter of 2012, bringing the total number of registered domain names to more than 252 million worldwide. Somewhere in those hundreds of millions of names may be one you really want, one that appears to be unused or for sale. Countless domains are bought and "stocked" by aftermarket resellers, and others are bought by prospective users who never wind up doing anything with them. The aftermarket domain business can be tricky and frustrating -- sometimes you can't even get as far as finding and contacting the current owner. So what do you do when you see a URL out there that you'd like to buy and know or believe might be for

This annual report reviews the small business lending activities of institutional depository lenders, including commercial and cooperative banks, federal and state savings banks, and savings and loan associations. The lenders are ranked on their overall small business lending nationally and on a state-by-state basis. Small business loans are defined as business loans under $1 million; micro business loans are those under $100,000; macro loans are those between $100,000 and $1 million. Two data sources are used—Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income or “Call Reports” and reports required under the provisions of the Community Reinvestment Act—CRA reports. Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Victoria Williams at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov

FDespite improvements in disaster response for recent, major occurrences like Hurricane Sandy, more work remains to be done so as not to adversely impact citizens, businesses and governments devastated by a disaster's effects for greatly prolonged periods of time. In this insightful observation piece, Rockefeller Institute Senior Fellow Dr. James Fossett indicates that improved disaster recovery from natural and man-made occurrences is possible through strategic planning, careful coordination between various levels of government, and the development of easily accessible response mechanisms. Dr. Fossett outlines several steps available to governments that will enable the development of cash reserves and the release of money necessary to assure a speedy return to normalcy after a major, catastrophic event. To read this observation, go to www.rockinst.org .

From SmallBusinessNewz : Okay, maybe spy is a little strong but experience tells me that most small business don’t know much at all about what their greatest competitors are up to when it comes to marketing. I know you don’t really have any competition because you provide such a superior product and experience, but setting up a competitor specific listening station can uncover some useful insights.

The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity is a leading indicator of new business creation in the United States. Capturing new business owners in their first month of significant business activity, this measure provides the earliest documentation of new business development across the country. The percentage of the adult, non-business owner population that starts a business each month is measured using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). In addition to this overall rate of entrepreneurial activity, separate estimates for specific demographic groups, states, and select metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are presented. The Index provides the only national measure of business creation by specific demographic groups. New 2012 data allow for an update to previous reports, with consideration of trends in the rates of entrepreneurial activity over the seventeen-year period between 1996 and 2012. The Kauffman Index reveals important shifts in the national level of entrep

From NPR .

Small businesses saw gradual strengthening in the overall economy in the first quarter of 2013 as borrowing conditions continued to improve. Borrowing by small firms contracted slightly during December 2012 and March 2013. In general, bankers reported stronger demand along with eased bank lending policies for business loans. Find the study here .

Measure of America provides easy-to-use yet methodologically sound tools for understanding the distribution of well-being and opportunity in America and stimulating fact-based dialogue about issues we all care about: health, education, and living standards. The hallmark of this work is the American Human Development Index, an alternative to GDP and other money metrics that tells the story of how ordinary Americans are faring and empowers communities with a tool to track progress over time. The Index is comprised of health, education, and income indicators and allows for well-being rankings of the 50 states, 435 congressional districts, county groups within states, women and men, and racial and ethnic groups. Through national and state reports, thematic briefs, and the project’s interactive website, Measure of America aims to breathe life into numbers, using data to create compelling narratives that foster greater understanding of our shared challenges and greater support for peopl

If you share responsibility for the care of historical records, or you care about records held by particular organizations, you will want to learn more about emergency preparedness. The following resources from around the state and nation offer information for historical records keepers on disaster planning and recovery. • The Disaster Assistance page of the New York State Archives provides information on emergency preparedness and recovering from a disaster and describes the services it can provide to State Agencies, to Local Governments, and to Historical Records Repositories. The New York State Archives has also been playing a leadership role in a national effort, coordinated by the Council of State Archivists (CoSA), to help all state archives and records management programs prepare for natural disasters and other records-related emergencies. •The Pocket Response Plan (PReP)™ is a concise document for recording essential information needed by staff in case of a disaster. It w

In today’s age of ubiquitous connectivity, many small businesses have implemented a variety of online marketing efforts to attract new customers and increase overall sales. Unfortunately, results can vary significantly because tools are only as good as the expertise of the person using them. The lure of the “next big thing” can create online marketing inefficiencies when small business owners try to be a marketing “jack of all trades and master to none”. For example, the rapid growth and adoption of the social web can be overwhelming for small business marketers. Consider these social network growth statistics: Google sites handle about 100 billion searches each month (SEL) YouTube hosts nearly 14 billion videos (comScore) Facebook is now over 1 billion users (Mark Zuckerberg) Google+ has over 500 million users (Google) Twitter has over 550 million accounts (Statistics Brain) LinkedIn is at 225 million users (LinkedIn) Pinterest grew 4,377% in 20

From Small Business Newz : Ninety-seven dollars for that? Heck, I can find the information for free on the interwebs. Yep. The number changes, but the “I can do it myself” virus just keeps sticking. (Yes, I’m guilty too.) Admit it. You’ve probably said that yourself in the last week or so. We’re all guilty of it. Doing things ourselves was one of the reasons we became our own boss — so we could do it our way. Right? But continuing to do things yourself instead of hiring staff or outsourcing the work won’t help you grow your business. And on top of that, if you are doing all the work, you have hired the most expensive person in your company. That doesn’t help the bottom line, does it?

Small businesses often struggle to survive. In fact, 50% of American small businesses close up shop within their first year. So what are the secrets to staying in business and locking down success? This infographic from Intuit takes a look at small businesses— what industries they’re in, what cities they thrive in, and what they’re doing to stay in business. When it comes to longevity, small business is often the tortoise in the race. And we all know how that particular story turned out.

From the GALLUP Business Journal : Since the financial meltdown of 2008 and the recession that followed, the American workforce has struggled to adapt to an uncertain economic climate. Sluggish growth, persistently high unemployment, and sharp spending cuts by businesses and consumers alike have taken a toll. The Three Types of EmployeesThough the state of the U.S. economy has changed substantially, the state of its workplace has not. According to Gallup's State of the American Workplace: 2010-2012 report , employee engagement levels remain stagnant among U.S. workers. By the end of 2012, as the U.S. inched toward a modest economic recovery, only 30% of American workers were engaged, or involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to their workplace. Though this figure matches the all-time high since Gallup began tracking the U.S. working population's engagement levels in 2000, U.S. business leaders shouldn't be patting themselves on the back. An alarming 70% of Am

From CBS News MoneyWatch : In its 13 years, my company has been unusually fortunate in that we have had -- as hard as it may be to believe -- only two or three bad debt write-offs (for very small amounts) and perhaps four or five credit card chargebacks (money taken back by card issuers, typically due to customer disputes or fraud). Other than that, our receivables have always been current. I attribute this partially to good luck, but mostly to careful, disciplined processes and practices, from making open-account decisions, to manually reviewing any suspicious credit card charges before shipping (obviously not possible for all businesses), to being willing to pass up any order if we are concerned about getting paid. Unfortunately, it happens that right now we are dealing with our first-ever serious collection challenge, for a relatively large amount of money, from an otherwise great and longtime customer.

In response to a query at BUSLIB: MaRS Discovery District's online resource, The Startup Library , helps entrepreneurs in different tech industries answer common market research questions. All links are to free resources. Bizstats.com has free business statistics and financial ratios. This is a partner site of BizMiner.com; BizMiner is not free, but has more up-to-date, detailed, and much more granular industry statistical reports. Another list of free online business resources that entrepreneurs and the like might appreciate is bizologie.com/favoriteresources . Manta.com is available free; a registration is required for optimal access, but that's free, too). It will give competitors, contacts, and other useful info for small, privately held businesses around the country. Have a look at the Small Business Accelerator . While tailored to meet the needs of British Columbia entrepreneurs, you will find much valuable, transferable information.

The winner of the 2013 Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award is John A. Narciso, small business adviser at the New York State Veterans Business Outreach Center through The Research Foundation of the State University of New York. Narciso, who works out of the Farmingdale SBDC office, has had a 30-year career as a talented and successful U.S. Naval officer and decorated combat veteran, followed by two decades advising veterans in entrepreneurship. This was announced last week the during National Small Business Week in the Entrepreneurial Development category.

From ASBDC : What do established companies looking to expand and start-ups in the earliest planning stages have in common? They want access to money and credit without having to provide a personal guarantee. This sentiment is consistently and strongly expressed by entrepreneurs... It’s no secret that building and expanding a business credit profile has become a greater challenge over the last few years. Many established small companies’ cash flow sheets were hit hard during the recession and as a result, many lenders and suppliers have either added a personal guarantee policy or modified their current policy. Most business owners know Experian, Equifax and TransUnion as the three major credit bureaus that provide information about their personal credit; however, they also may provide a credit profile about your company's creditworthiness.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration issued four final rules in the Federal Register, increasing size standards for firms in four North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sectors and one Subsector: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (Sector 11), Finance and Insurance (Sector 52), Management of Companies and Enterprises (Sector 55), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (Sector 71) and Support Services for Mining (Subsector 213). 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. New size standards will enable more businesses in these sectors to obtain or retain small business status; will give federal agencies a larger pool of small businesses from which to choose for their procurement programs; and will make more small businesses eligible for SBA’s loan programs. SBA increased

In certain instances, section 5-a of the Tax Law requires businesses that are awarded contracts with New York State to certify that they are registered to collect New York State and local sales and use taxes (sales tax) on sales delivered to locations within New York. The purpose of section 5-a is to ensure that contractors do not get state work unless they, their affiliates, and their subcontractors making sales of tangible personal property or taxable services are registered to collect New York State’s sales tax. This means that certain businesses, including in some cases out-of-state businesses not currently registered to collect New York State sales taxes, will need to register for New York State sales tax purposes. This bulletin explains the general rules related to the certification requirements for contractors and their affiliates and subcontractors. For more detailed information on the contractor certification requirements imposed under section 5-a of the Tax Law, see Publ

The SBA Office of Advocacy study, The Geography of Employment Growth: The Support Networks for Gazelle IPOs , identifies specific states with the strongest support networks for companies to launch Initial Public Offerings (IPO). To create a fast growing company or gazelle, it takes an Entrepreneurial Support Network (ESN) including skilled labor, capital, customers, and suppliers. According to this study, ESNs with the necessary strength to launch an IPO are predominantly found in California, Massachusetts, Florida, New York , and Texas. However, one city stood out as an entrepreneurial hotspot despite the absence of an entrepreneurial support network. Minneapolis-St. Paul is home to numerous medical instrument companies and claims 10 percent of the IPOs for this industrial sector. “We are a nation of innovators, and our entrepreneurs excel at the highest standards. The IPO process is a completion of a major financial milestone in a company’s development, creating more jobs and

Someone posted this question: "I have a client who has a business with 24 employees. She wants some employees to work more than 40 hours, but can't afford to pay overtime wages. Does anyone have experience with labor laws for these types of businesses? Is she right that she can't have people work more than 40 hours? Any insight or direction you have would be welcome." Here are a couple sources of information- Overtime pay An employer who requires or permits an employee to work overtime is generally required to pay the employee premium pay for such overtime work. Employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must receive overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek of at least one and one-half times their regular rates of pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) , which prescribes standards for the basic minimum wage and overtime pay, affects most private and public employment. Further - Compliance Employees of firms which are not

vol. 32, no. 5 The June edition of The Small Business Advocate spotlights new Advocacy research on the geography of fast-growing firms and IPOs. It also features a firsthand account of successful high-tech manufacturing in Idaho and Washington State, the May small business safety and health roundtable, and Advocacy staff news.

Those of us in the payments industry may often think “electronic is better,” but there are still those who prefer paper. Specifically: checks. 91 percent of U.S. consumers use checks, which is more than any other form of payment?1 In fact, the average U.S. consumer writes over five checks per month for retail payments, and 22 percent of total U.S. non-cash payments were made by check in 2010.2 However, checks often shift risk and hassle onto merchants who have to transport them to the bank, deal with bounced checks and worry about fraud. Luckily, new advances in check acceptance technology make it safer and easier than ever before to include checks as a customer payment choice. These technologies provide merchants with more secure and convenient options when deciding whether and how to accept checks. More from ASBDC HERE .

The Small Business Quarterly Bulletin, First Quarter 2013 shows small businesses across America trending up, along with the economy as a whole. Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Brian Headd at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov.

Google+ Hangouts will feature daily tips for small business owners from major tech leaders and social media companies WASHINGTON – As part of National Small Business Week, June 17-21, the U.S. Small Business Administration will host a series of Google+ Hangouts featuring an exciting lineup of social media companies, mentorship organizations and distinguished experts. All Google+ Hangouts will start at 4 p.m. EDT and can be watched live at: • www.sba.gov/smallbusinessweek • www.youtube.com/sba • http://plus.google.com/+sbagov Small business owners can tweet questions for the panelists using the hashtag #SBW2013. No prior registration is required to watch. Topics and panelists include: Monday, June 17: Getting Started with Social Media – 4 p.m. EDT Panelists from Twitter, Google, Constant Contact, and W20 Group will hang out. Bill Murphy Jr., author and columnist for Inc.com will moderate. Tuesday, June 18: Managing Your Business’s Online Reputation – 4 p.m. EDT P

Perceived pay fairness for employees is just as important as the reality of it. Employees need to feel that the hard work they put into their job matches what they get back from it—and pay is an important part of this evaluation. The importance of pay fairness to employees is obvious in its relationship to employee engagement, turnover intentions, work stress, psychological and physical health, and life satisfaction. But fair pay isn’t just important to employees—it’s also in your company’s best interest. Go HERE to download your complimentary WorkTrends Report, “Perception is Reality: The Importance of Pay Fairness to Employees and Organizations. *** To that end: New York Sushi Restaurant Eliminates Tipping Because It Pays Waiters A Salary With Benefits : Most restaurants use tips as an excuse to pay their servers less, even though surveys find employers often duck the federal requirement that only allows them to pay below minimum wage if tips make up the difference. As a resu