New York SBDC Research Network

Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act health insurance for small businesses begins again on November 1st. Read more about the requirements at: Healthcare If you currently provide health insurance to your employees, make sure you are up-to-date on the changes to the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. sba

If you’ve been thinking about starting a business for a while, chances are you’ve got an idea of what your business location is going to look like. That’s great, but it’s not enough. Choosing the right location is about so much more than finding the place that looks closest to the one you’ve envisioned. It’s about being somewhere your customers will see you, about being in a competitive location, about staying within budget, and about meeting local and state regulations and laws. Read more at: Bplans

The International Trade Administration's Top Markets Series is meant to help exporters determine their next export market by comparing opportunities across borders. Each report ranks future export opportunities within a particular industry based on a sector-specific methodology. The reports provide a detailed assessment of the competitiveness landscape within a sector, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing U.S. exporters in key markets. Each report is available for download. Interested exporters can also download or view individual case studies within larger reports. ITA’s Top Markets Reports are developed by its Industry & Analysis business unit, whose staff of industry, trade, and economic experts provide detailed analysis to strengthen the export competitiveness of U.S. industry and support strategies to unlock export and investment opportunities that benefit the U.S. economy. Read more at: Businessusa

In 2014, there were close to 9.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States, a 68 percent increase since 1997, according to The 2014 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report from American Express. This percentage increase exceeded the national average of small business growth by 1.5 times. It also illustrated what we already know: Women entrepreneurs are having a tremendous impact on the small business landscape nationwide. Yet to continue to be competitive and grow, these entrepreneurs have to find funding for their ventures. And, alarmingly, women entrepreneurs are increasingly being turned away by banks for small business loans. Thankfully, they still have other options, given the rise of technology-driven financial lending sources -- such as online loans, peer-to-peer loans and crowdfunding. Then there are government grants. While not widely known or used, these grants are another great option for women seeking extra funding for their business ventures. They just take a l

The InnovateHER Challenge is a national prize competition aimed at unearthing products and services that impact and empower the lives of women and families through local business competitions that culminate in a live pitch Final Round. During the InnovateHER Finals, up to 10 Finalists will compete for the Top Three cash prizes totaling $70,000 provided by Microsoft. This year, the national InnovateHER Finals will be held on March 16 & 17, 2016 in the Washington, D.C. metro area as part of a larger Women’s Summit. We know that our workforce looks very different from 50 years ago. Women now make up nearly half of the labor force and play a critical role in our nation’s economic prosperity. Most children live in households where all parents work. And as our population ages, families are increasingly caring for aging parents while balancing the needs of work and home. As demands on women and families grow, the need for products and services that address unique challenges increas

November 2-6, 2015 SBA empowers veterans, active duty service members, Guard and Reserve members and military spouses through entrepreneurial training and education programs, business technical assistance, counseling, special access to capital programs and federal procurement training and access to opportunities. Join the conversation at #MyVetBiz to share veteran stories, encourage community members to highlight local veteran-owned businesses in their community, and show gratitude and support to veterans and their families. ,br> Find local events at: SBA

Danny Meyer, head of the New York City-based Union Square Hospitality Group LLC, set off a nationwide conversation last week when he announced that he planned to do away with tipping at his 13 full-service operations. Numerous restaurants across the country add standard service charges of around 18 percent to 20 percent, particularly for larger parties, to their checks, and a few restaurants, such as Alinea in Chicago and Lazy Bear in San Francisco, have done away with traditional reservations and have switched to all-inclusive, non-refundable tickets. Meyer is taking a different approach by raising menu prices and telling his customers that “hospitality” is included in the price. “I’m not waging a campaign on behalf of our entire industry. I’m doing what I think is right for our company,” Meyer told Nation’s Restaurant News. However, Meyer clearly hopes to change the way full-service restaurants compensate their employees. In fact, he said for his plan to work, his staff needs to

Hurricane Joaquin has come and gone but the damage still remains, especially for businesses in North and South Carolina. Explore our disaster assistance tool to read about the resources available to help your business recover. buisnessusa

Did you know that the SBA recently issued a final rule that alters regulations governing the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program? The change, that becomes effective October 14, 2015, makes it easier for agencies to award sole-source contracts to women-owned businesses and helps meet the government’s goal of awarding 5 percent of all federal contracts to women. Read more how this change helps the SBA support women-owned businesses and how to gain WOSB-certification for your company. Looking for more information? Be sure to check out BusinessUSA’s resources for women business owners. You'll also want to read about the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) which oversees the Women's Business Centers (WBCs) network. WBCs provide entrepreneurs (especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged) with comprehensive training and counseling on a variety of topics, and in several languages. Learn more at: sba

Boosting the U.S. Clean Tech Industry October National Energy Action Month's goal is to "achieve greater energy security, a more robust economy, and a healthier environment." Are you looking for financial resources to help grow your clean technology business? The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently launched the Small Business Vouchers Pilot program to provide clean tech businesses with access to world-class researchers, facilities and expertise at national laboratories. The program is open to businesses with fewer than 500 employees and will serve as a starting point for bringing the next generation of clean technologies to market. Find out more about the program and if your business qualifies at sbv . You should explore the many opportunities for green businesses on BusinessUSA, including government solicitations, grants, challenges, and more.

Do you juggle several tasks at once during your workday? If so, multitasking probably tops your list of skills. But is multitasking really beneficial to productivity? There’s a lot of research that suggests it hurts productivity, rather than helps it. Multitasking decreases productivity Many people assume that multitasking can improve their productivity. After all, if you can send emails during a meeting, or scan reports while listening to a conference call, you’re being more productive, right? Not necessarily. One study reported in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that students took far longer to solve complicated math problems when required to switch to other tasks. In fact, they were 40 percent slower than those that didn’t have to keep switching. The study suggests that no one actually multitasks; in reality, they just do a whole lot of “task-switching.” Read more at: liveplan

Women build and leverage the ecosystem While venture capital’s track record with women makes you want scream with frustration, the new angel numbers will make you want to jump for joy. For nearly all metrics, the numbers hit record heights in 2014, according to the Center for Venture Research, which researches angel investments. In 2014: 26% of all angels were women, increasing by an impressive 43% from the previous year. 36% of all companies seeking funding were women, increasing by a whopping 83% from the previous year. 28% of all companies receiving funding were women-run, a substantial 44% increase. 15% of all women-run companies succeeded in raising capital vs 22% for their male counterparts. “Typically, when there is a surge in the number of entrepreneurs seeking angel funding, the overall yield [success rate] goes down,” said Jeffrey E. Sohl, director of Center for Venture Research. The 15% success rate is within the historic norms for entrepreneurs raising capital from a

As part of its commitment to help people protect what matters most in their online-enabled world, Kaspersky Lab wanted to better understand how digital devices and the internet affect the way consumers recall and use information today – and what, if anything, they are doing to protect it. We commissioned research firm Opinion Matters to survey 6,000 consumers, aged between 16 and 55+, split equally between male and female, with 1,000 from each of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Benelux. The results suggest a direct link between data available at the click of a button and a failure to commit that data to memory. Kaspersky Lab has termed this phenomenon Digital Amnesia: the experience of forgetting information that you trust a digital device to store and remember for you. More from The Rise and Impact of Digital Amnesia .

When it comes to decision making, colleagues and peers can help provide objective opinions as well as present new ideas you hadn't considered. Programs like CEO Xchange support entrepreneurs by providing them with a confidential setting to discuss vital business issues, opportunities and trends with other colleagues. CEO XChange presents top executives with the opportunity to broaden their business perspective and gain new knowledge by engaging in collaborative thinking and problem-solving - giving them the ability to more effectively lead their companies. And research has shown that personal and peer coaching, like that found in CEO XChange, can contribute significantly to entrepreneurial skill development and decision making. Learn More: ucf Read more at: Businessusa

Your company is running smoothly enough, but you know things could be better. Sometimes, a project gets hung up a few days too long, or meetings that once felt productive and useful now seem to drag on for hours. It can feel like wheels spinning in the mud, and it’s hard to get that traction back. How can you fix these kinds of issues? By focusing on improving the efficiency of your business. I asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council for their tips on how they keep their businesses running efficiently, which in turn helps them be more productive. Read more at Bplans

Justin Barker, a producer at Creative Live, recently completed an instructional product video for a startup company in San Francisco. When this company refused to pay him and the contractors that he had hired, it was taken as highly offensive. Unfortunately, it’s all too common for creatives to get stuck with unpaid invoices and lame excuses from some clients; Justin is not alone. This is happening to creative entrepreneurs more frequently than other entrepreneurs. Read more at Bplans

Upcoming Matchmaker Events Rochester NY - 2015 Business Expo & Matchmaker October 28, 2015, 8 am - 3:30 pm Holiday Inn Downtown, 70 State Street, Rochester NY Small business registration $65 (includes lunch) For more information, visit  http://www.monroecountyfingerlakesptac.org/node/26 Long Island NY - 3rd Annual Small Business & Government Matchmaker November 6, 2015, 8 am - 3 pm Con Edison Learning Center, 43-82 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City NY Small business registration $54  For more information, visit  http://www.gbmatchmaker.org/ St Lawrence County Matchmaker October 26, 2015, 8 am - 12 pm Miller Campus Center, SUNY Canton Small business registration $10 For more information, visit  http://www.nyssbdc.org/training/training.aspx?tid=63161 Upcoming Training Series  Albany 2015 MWBE Contractor Training Series Wednesday Mornings, October 21, 28, November 4, 18, 25, December 2 Capital South Campus Center 20 Warren Street Albany,

This isn't a story about nudity; it's a story about disruption and innovation. Times, tastes and technology have changed everything. Even at 89, Hugh Hefner understands a simple fact: In today's rapidly evolving world you innovate or you become irrelevant. It's the biggest challenge facing businesses around the world... It may seem ironic to think that the very nudity that Playboy pioneered has been "overtaken" by the Internet where you are "one click away from every sex act imaginable for free." However, that's always how it happens. The thing that made you famous won't keep you relevant in a progressive world. Kodak invented the digital camera in 1975, but it was so focused on its film and printing domination, it missed every opportunity in digital. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2012. Blockbuster created a desire to rent and stay in to enjoy movies from the comfort of our homes, and passed on the opportunity to buy Netflix, not

When how to write a business plan is at the top of the SBA list of the ten steps in how to start a business, it tells you something about how important the experts consider it to be. Planning a business and writing a business plan is more than just having a location picked and a product or service to sell. Financing, marketing strategy and future growth all require a well-researched and thought out business plan. Read more at discoverbusiness

We're getting close. Today the movers are back and they're taking away a lot of our packed boxes and desks. Some of us are relocated to an interim location while offices are moved. There are miles of huge bins with all the office materials and Frankie and company are working overtime getting everything ready. The view from my desk is of Tammy's office which is all boxes. Keep this in mind if you need something - that we are limited in what we can do for a couple of days. We should be back up in our new office by the end of the week. Our new details are: Mailing Address: New York Small Business Development Center State University of New York 10 North Pearl Street Albany, NY 12246 Physical / UPS / FEDEX deliveries: New York Small Business Development Center State University of New York 10 North Pearl Street Albany, NY 12207

One of the essential parts of creating and running a small business is creating a mission or vision for the business and a set of goals the company aims to achieve. Strategic decision making, or strategic planning, describes the process of creating a company's mission and objectives and deciding upon the courses of action a company should pursue to achieve those goals. Read more at Chron

Items that make excellent collateral include real estate, cars, business inventory, and even cash savings. If there’s one aspect of the American dream that seems to appeal to just about everyone, it’s the idea of owning and running your own business. Whether you’ve always dreamed of running an Asian-Italian fusion restaurant downtown, or simply can’t wait to open up that quaint little boutique filled with your own fashion designs, it’s only natural to be excited about someday becoming your own boss. Knowing that you’re ready to open a small to mid-sized business is one thing, but knowing how to secure the funding you need is another. Read more at Bplans

You’re running a small business. You’d dearly love to have high visibility on Google for organic search engine traffic and leads—but you’re being overwhelmed by big competitors with deep pockets and an army of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialists at their disposal. Cheer up! You can still win at SEO, but you have to be smart—very smart—about how you deploy your resources. The important thing to remember is: What most small businesses do with SEO is exactly what they shouldn’t do. Read more at Bplans

Peter and Jonathan talk about business buzzwords they hate, and false assumptions you can make about your business. Joe Pulizzi (Founder, Content Marketing Institute) also joins in to talk about the six steps of the Content, Inc. model. The Bcast is the official podcast of Bplans.com, hosted by Jonathan Michael and Peter Thorsson. Tune in weekly for a fun and informative discussion that will help you grow your business. Every week, we bring in business experts to discuss the latest trends in marketing, sales, and entrepreneurship. Skip the stuffy MBA classroom and get information and advice that will actually help you grow your business today—and have some fun while you’re doing it. To listen, see itunes

The U.S. Small Business Administration unveiled today a new cybersecurity webpage for small businesses at  www.sba.gov/cybersecurity  on the 12th Anniversary of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  The SBA launched the online tools and resources to highlight Cybersecurity at Work from October 5-9th and in recognition of President Obama’s annual proclamation to educate Americans about cyberthreats and cybersafety. “Cybersecurity is one of our nation’s most pressing national security priorities, and America’s 28 million small businesses, which create two out of every three new jobs in the U.S., are especially at risk.  Small employers are quickly becoming a larger target for criminals looking to access sensitive data because small businesses typically have limited resources for information systems security,” 

We’re entering a new era. For much of the past century, the 9-to-5 job has defined what most Americans think of as “work.” But that is changing—fast. More than 53 million Americans are now earning income from work that’s not a traditional 9-to-5. That’s 1 in 3 workers. We are still at the leading edge of a once-in-a-century upheaval in our workforce. The freelance surge is the Industrial Revolution of our time. More from the Bureau of Labor Statistics .

By SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet and Square CEO Jack Dorsey This October, America will take a major step to mitigate fraud and improve our financial security by migrating away from outdated credit and debit cards that transmit sensitive customer data using magnetic stripes. In 2015, it should not surprise us that a system using essentially the same technology as cassette tapes is especially vulnerable. That is why major credit card companies, lenders, and businesses are now embracing new, more secure, authenticated payment technologies. Many consumers already have credit cards embedded with microchips in their wallets, and many more will be receiving these cards in the coming months. This technology – also known as EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) – is a safer form of payment for buyers and sellers alike, as the cards are nearly impossible to counterfeit. EMV is not the only payment shift on the horizon. Because reading chip cards takes more time than reading magstrip

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is proposing revisions to its regulations for determining affiliation under SBA’s business loan programs and its surety bond guarantee program.  These revisions are designed to simplify eligibility determinations and reduce costs and processing time.   The proposed revisions were published October 2, 2015 in the Federal Register.  The comment period will be open until December 1, 2015.  SBA seeks comments from the public on the proposed rule and will consider these comments in its development of a final rule.   The proposed rule would apply to affiliation rules for SBA’s business loan programs and the surety bond guarantee program, but would not apply to SBA government contracting, business development, or grant programs.  The affected programs would include: the 7(a) Loan Program, the Business Disaster Loan Programs (collectively, the Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Reservist Injury Disaster Loans, Physical Disaster Business Lo

Business team and spouses Colleen and Stephen Sheehan started small, then went big. Tired of working for someone else, in 2010 they opened a Northwest-style-meets-Southern-cuisine food cart in downtown Eugene, Oregon. Their cart Delacata quickly became a local favorite, garnering multiple “Best of Eugene” accolades in annual people’s choice contests from local newspaper “Eugene Weekly.” But in 2013, the Sheehans set their sights higher. Riding the current national craft beer boom, the Sheehans remodeled a two-story, 5,580-square-foot former Carl’s Jr. restaurant into Elk Horn Brewery. The brewpub opened in 2014 and is gaining renown for its unique food menu, beers, and ciders. Elk Horn also won “Best New Restaurant” in Eugene Weekly Best of Eugene 2014-2015. In the midst of managing employees, running two businesses, handling suppliers, discussing beer styles with their brewer, and taking on all the other challenges of running a brewery and restaurant, the Sheehans took some time t

Now that we’ve looked at advertising in Part 1, it’s time to consider the situations in which you may be directly contacting your customers to advertise or market your products, and collecting their information to do so. Collecting customer information will be done in different ways online and offline, and has a number of different legal and privacy issues tied up in it that you need to consider. Let’s take a look. Read more at bplans

$100,000 Scholarship Program In April, we started partnering with Skillshare on  a series of educational classes about email marketing . It’s been fun and effective, so we’re excited to help Skillshare with a new project to further empower small businesses. Together, we‘ll be  awarding $100,000 in annual scholarships  granting small business owners access to Skillshare’s full educational catalog. Skillshare offers hundreds of business courses with experts like Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, and Lisa Congdon—plus 4 courses from MailChimp all about email marketing. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, small business owner, or a marketer, investing in education is a great way to grow your business, and Skillshare can help.

Ads are sometimes relevant, but often still blocked Ad blocking has been around for a long time, but digital advertisers and publishers are seeing it as an increasing problem. Research suggests that a solid majority of internet users ages 18 to 34 are now blocking ads when they view digital content Read more at Emarketer

You’ve validated your business idea, you’ve done your market research, and hopefully you’ve registered your business name. Now it’s time for the fun stuff. If you’ve ever wondered how to build a brand for your business, you’ve come to the right place. Work through these exercises each day and in less than a week, you’ll have a good sense of not only how you are uniquely positioned to compete with others, but also how to convey your brand message to the world. If you know you have to build your brand but aren’t quite sure of the reasons why, it’s worth reading our article on 4 Reasons to Brand Your Business, as well as Want Customer Loyalty? Build Your Brand. Now you know that branding really is a necessary step to starting a business, you can get to work. The infographic below is intended to be worked through as you might an exercise. Originally we ran it as a five-day challenge; if that’s how you’d prefer to read it, you can find each of the challenge days here. Read more at Bplan

7.9% say they are likely to purchase products advertised on mobile Mobile shopping and advertising have caught on quickly in the US. While younger mobile users appreciate the convenience of smartphones for shopping, baby boomers are less sure. And they're a lot more sure they don't like ads on their devices. Read more at: emarketer

Considering becoming a consultant? Here are 10 tips: 1. Take it seriously Do it right. Stay mindful of the old adage about a consultant being somebody who is between jobs. Avoid making that impression. Have a website and business cards. Establish a social media presence as a consulting business. Don’t let your clients or potential clients doubt you. Read more at bplans

From the outside, we know spam when we see it: links in comments that have nothing to do with conversations, emails that we didn’t ask for and aren’t interested in, and constant, high pressure attempts to sell, sell, sell. But from the inside, it can be harder to tell if the marketing we’re doing is spammy or responsible. Oh, sure, there are some easy clues. If you’re copying and pasting the same comment on a dozen websites, you definitely need to take a long look at the integrity of your tactics. Just to have a profile or post random things on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn is not marketing. But if you’re truly not sure, how do you determine whether or not you’re spamming? Read more at Bplans

It may not sound exciting, but it is important, especially if you’re taking your business’s marketing into your own hands. It’s also important to note that there are differences in terms of what laws apply between sending out a physical mailer to a mailbox, and sending an email. Most of the requirements of U.K. and U.S. anti-spam legislation will be met if you follow these two guidelines: Don’t mislead your customers, and make sure that you are collecting your customers’ private information legally. But, there are a few more things you need to keep in mind, so let’s begin. In the U.S., general advertising laws apply, but there is no specific legislation for the content of direct or mail marketing. Read more at Bplans

Advice on managing social media content from hootsuite.com: Creating a plan, a template, or a calendar simply means that you make all the necessary information available to all the relevant stakeholders in one place. It takes in all your channels and resources and organizes them in a way that makes it easy to access information you need when you need it. What is a social media content calendar? A social media content calendar should organize the way you curate and create content, and help develop your editorial strategy. A social media calendar cuts extra time out of your content marketing strategy and helps you allocate your resources wisely, to help ensure your brand consistently publishes high-quality, well-written, high-performing content pieces. Read more at hootsuite

From Kickstarter: Kickstarter Inc is no more. We’re now Kickstarter PBC — a Public Benefit Corporation. We’re thrilled to share this news, and we’d love to take a minute to tell you exactly what it means. Until recently, the idea of a for-profit company pursuing social good at the expense of shareholder value had no clear protection under U.S. corporate law, and certainly no mandate. Companies that believe there are more important goals than maximizing shareholder value have been at odds with the expectation that for-profit companies must exist ultimately for profit above all. Benefit Corporations are different. Benefit Corporations are for-profit companies that are obligated to consider the impact of their decisions on society, not only shareholders. Radically, positive impact on society becomes part of a Benefit Corporation’s legally defined goals. Kickstarter is excited to join a growing list of forward-thinking organizations — like Patagonia and This American Life — that hav

What’s my target market? What should it be? How would I know? Here’s a list of five things that will help you figure it out. 1. Don’t try to please everybody Strategy is focus. Say you’re running a restaurant; which of these three options is easier? Pleasing customers 40 to 75 years old, wealthy, much more concerned with healthy eating than cheap eating, appreciating seafood and poultry, liking a quiet atmosphere. Pleasing customers 15 to 30 years old, with limited budgets, who like a loud place with low prices and fast food. Pleasing everybody. Read more at bplans

New Census Web Tool Helps Business Owners Make Data Driven Decisions  The U.S. Census Bureau released  Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition , a new Web tool that allows business owners and entrepreneurs to easily navigate and use key demographic and economic data to help guide their research into opening a new business or adding to an existing one. The Census Business Builder was developed with user-centered design at its core and incorporated feedback from customers and stakeholders, including small business owners, trade associations and other government agencies. The tool combines data from the American Community Survey, the economic census, County Business Patterns and other economic surveys to provide a complete business profile of an area. Business statistics include the number of establishments, employment, payroll and sales. American Community Survey statistics include population characteristics, economic characteristics and housing characteristics.

Now that you’ve solved your cash flow problems, it’s time to figure out how exactly you want to approach growing your business. Unfortunately, since the needs and strengths of every organization are different, there isn’t really a cookie-cutter approach you can take to ensure your business will expand effectively. As such, it’s important that you do your due diligence prior to investing your capital. After all, you don’t want to find yourself overwhelmed with cash flow problems right after you’ve solved them. 1. Expand to new locations Whether you’re running a retail shop, a medical practice, a restaurant, or even a business-to-business tech company, you may be able to generate higher profits by expanding your organization to new physical (or even digital) locations. But, it’s important to remember that you can’t expect to simply open a second location, sit back, and watch your bank account get fatter. Believe it or not, the success of one location doesn’t really have any bearing o

As someone that has started several small businesses over the years and advised many small business owners, one challenging area for a lot of people is the idea that you need to set a strategy. Business owners need a strategy that will enable them to understand the value that they bring to the market, and to ultimately target an audience of buyers that will need and buy their products and services. Setting your strategy Like most challenges we face as business owners, the challenge of strategy comes down to one of focus. Not so much focus on achieving activities or doing so many things, but focus when it comes to understanding the key drivers that will propel your business forward. Read more at bplans

Get expert pitch advice from an entrepreneur who raised close to $1 million. Caroline Cummings shares her  pitch secrets, techniques, and tools in this free eBook, “How to Pitch and Get Funded.” What you will learn: The purpose of the pitch The importance of mentors and advisers How to deliver an elevator pitch How to deliver a video pitch How to deliver a one-page pitch Read more at Bplans

Most people start a business with one key objective in mind – making a profit. Yet some companies seek out not only to profit but also to provide a tangible benefit to society and the environment. These companies, depending upon a few specific criteria, are classified as Benefit Corporations or Certified B Corporations. Confused by the difference between the two? Didn’t even realize there was a difference? You’re not alone – it’s one of the most confusing aspects of a recent movement for companies focused on giving back. Benefit Corporations and Certified B Corporations have a lot in common, but there are a few key differences.  Benefit Corps To date, 31 states (including New York)  as well as Washington, D.C. have passed laws creating a new type of corporation – the Benefit Corporation (often referred to as “Benefit Corp”).  Benefit Corporation status involves a separate process available to companies in every state. These companies pledge to think about people and the planet

Starting your own business may sound like an undertaking of epic proportions. The truth is, it’s not. Yes, you’re going to have to work hard, and commit to working on it at all hours of the day, but actually getting set up is simply down to making sure you’ve “checked all the boxes,” which is exactly what this business startup checklist aims to help you do. 1. Find a good business idea A good business idea isn’t just one that turns a profit. It’s one that’s a good fit for you personally, for your target market, and for your location. You’re going to be in business for the long haul, so you really should pick something you can live and breathe. Identify your strengths and weaknesses Conduct a SWOT analysis on yourself Come up with a business idea that caters to your strengths Define what success looks like for you Do your research: What are popular businesses today? Read more at bplans

First impressions. They’re worth so much. In franchising, the first impression you get when you start to look at a specific franchise opportunity, dictates how far you’ll go with your investigation.  These days, it’s  the franchise company website * that is often where people who are looking at franchises get theirs. According to website conversion expert  Peep Laja *, website visitors form their first impression in about 50 milliseconds. That’s not a lot of time. And, once you do get interested in a franchise opportunity, franchisors have to keep you interested. They do this in a number of ways. And, your impression of how they do it is crucial. Ways To Keep You Interested

the Technology Transfer Days program is coming to the Brooklyn SBDC. If you are developing technology that may have military applications, check out the information about this event. This is an opportunity for people to speak directly with folks from the Department of Defense and get funding. Deadline for registration is 18 September. Participants must participate in a technology that pertains to the Communities of Interest (COI) that is listed below. • Autonomy • Advanced Electronics • Biomedical • Command, Control, Comms, Computers & Intelligence • Cybersecurity • Data to Decisions • Electronic Warfare • Energy & Power Technologies • Engineered Resilient Systems • Human Systems • Materials & Manufacturing • Space For more information, go to Technology Transfer Days.org . Contact: info@technologytransferdays.org or 646-543-2009

Recover From the Most Likely Disaster: Power Outage Wednesday, September 16, 2015 | 2:00 to 2:30 PM ET    Nearly 70% of businesses in the United States will lose power sometime in the next 12 months. Most businesses are unprepared to withstand such an event, and recover from it quickly. During this webinar we’ll discuss strategies to mitigate this threat and best practices for a swift and efficient recovery.     >>Register Webinar | Q&A Session with Small Business Mentors: Get Your Questions Answered  Tuesday, September 15, 2015 |  2:00 PM ET Do you have questions about the best way to market your new or existing small business? Join the Small Business Administration (SBA) and AARP during a free hour-long webinar on September 15 to learn about:  Developing your business idea and plan  Securing financing  Marketing  Getting a mentor, and more!  >>  Register now    Webinar | How Small Businesses Can Leverage the Sma