New York SBDC Research Network

Our fine SBDC contracting expert, Roxanne Multcher, provided the following tips and links on where to find current NYS contractors. The best route might be for the business to look at what contractors have purchased bid documents for construction projects and market to those contractors; click on a specific project # to see who purchased bid documents. NYS consultant opportunities ( this is for architects ) OGS Contract Listings: Commodities Services One could look at any appropriate contracts and see who the contract holder(s) is. New York State calls becoming a subcontractor a “Value Added Reseller” -- To become a reseller, check the contract. VAR participation will be included in the language of the contract. Open PDF attachments: “Contractor Information.” Call the contract holder. If added as a Value Added Reseller, you have NYS contractor status, but you still need to market to agencies Another way to search OGS contracts – by keyword Alphabetical list of contracts

The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday® is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on the busiest shopping weekend of the year. On November 26, pledge to shop small at your favorite local stores and fuel your local economy. When millions of Americans shop small, it could be huge. Shop Small on Small Business Saturday Check out Small Business Saturday on Facebook .

From the executive summary : Innovation and entrepreneurship are crucial for long-term economic development. Over the years, America’s well-being has been furthered by science and technology. Fears set off by the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of its Sputnik satellite initiated a wave of U.S. investment in science, engineering, aerospace, and technology. Both public and private sector investment created jobs, built industries, fueled innovation, and propelled the U.S. to leadership in a number of different fields. Link to full report (PDF) .

The Quarterly Lending Bulletin for the second quarter, 2011 [PDF] , presents a brief analysis of the current small business lending situation and shows a drop in loans outstanding to small businesses.

One of our advisors has a client who is obtaining funding and the lending bank is seeking a USDA guarantee which requires that an independent feasibility study be done. Here is a link to the manual for the USDA’s Business Program Loan Guarantees Lender Guide [PDF] that describes the feasibility study on pages 11-13. Also, here is a 3-page overview of the feasibility study [PDF] . See Considerations When Selecting a Consultant .

The years from 1997 to 2007 were a dynamic period in the U.S. economy. The strong growth early in this period was arrested by the recession of 2000-2001; strong economic growth resumed in 2002-2007. The data reflect an economy moving out of a recession and ending on a high note in 2007. How did women and other small business owners fare during this 10-year period between 1997 and 2007? The primary goal of this report [PDF] is to place gender in a broader perspective. Business ownership no longer can be analyzed simply on the basis of the owner’s gender; businesses owned by women and men more and more share the same general development patterns. Moreover, the strong growth of publicly held firms, which cannot be identified by the demographic characteristics of their many owners, has led to the need to focus on both privately owned and publicly held firms. The research summary can be found HERE . Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Joe Johnson at (202)

This document [PDF] sketches the ecosystem or life-cycle of small business financing. The FAQ format allows users to browse through topics and learn about specific issues. The financial needs of small businesses, which include start-ups, in sectors such as information technology, service, retail, and manufacturing differ. The answers provided represent averages or totals that can be used as figures and trends for differing types of firms. Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Victoria Williams at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov.