New York SBDC Research Network

I can hope against hope that the advertisers that underwrite the 48th Super Bowl will learn some pretty big lessons from this year's. I know I sure did. And the lessons learned aren't just applicable to brands with big advertising budgets; they are applicable to any marketer looking to get more ROI from marketing investments. But before I get to those lessons, let me share how I discovered them. Instead of watching the Super Bowl in real-time like a normal human being, I fired up the DVR and logged each and every commercial—national and local to my market—that ran from 6 PM EST through the commercial break after the final whistle. I then went back and logged each and every call to action involving the Web, mobile channels, social media, and telephone. The findings were a true head-shaker, and most are compiled in the infographic at the end of this article. The rest you can find in my recent blog rant, Punt, Pass & Kick: Email, Mobile & Social Misses at Super Bowl

Starting in August, the U.S. Postal Service will no longer deliver regular mail to street addresses on Saturdays. Mail will be delivered Monday through Friday. The following services will NOT change: • Packages will still be delivered on Saturdays. • Mail will still be delivered to PO Boxes on Saturdays. • Post Office locations currently open on Saturdays will remain open on Saturdays. Discontinuing Saturday delivery is expected to save the Postal Service $2 billion annually. The Postal Service is an independent government agency and does not receive tax money to support its operations. It relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations. If you would like more information about the new mail delivery schedule , you can send questions and comments to the U.S. Postal Service .

To date, the New Business Acceleration Team has assisted over 650 restaurants to reach kitchen ready status. What you will find in the map below is an interactive map that illustrates the locations of each of those establishments. Once you click the map, you will be redirected to a screen where you can scroll over each location with your mouse and a pop-up will appear providing the location's address and website.

Let’s be honest. Walking away from a job with benefits and regular pay doesn’t seem like the greatest idea right now with the economy the way it is. But think about this ideal situation: keep your current job while you start a business on the side. This is commonly called “absentee” or “semi-absentee” business. Many people look would love this scenario, but don’t realize understand exactly what it means. Before you get started, here are four helpful tips as you search for that perfect absentee opportunity: More from the ASBDC .

While the fiscal cliff deal extended the income tax rates for 99% of Americans, one expiring provision that was not given new life by the 11th hour negotiations was the 2% reduction to an employee’s share of Social Security payroll taxes. For 2011 and 2012, employees paid only 4.2% of their wages towards Social Security. Beginning January 1, 2013, that burden has reverted back to 6.2%. As a result, if you earn a salary, you may have noticed that your first paycheck in 2013 was 2% lighter than your last check in 2012, assuming equal pay. And that has some people awfully mad. *More from FORBES HERE .

WASHINGTON – Less than 90 days after Hurricane Sandy struck, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $1.1 billion in disaster loans to 16,800 residents and businesses in the federally declared states affected by the storm. This milestone comes as Congress passed emergency legislation that will add $799 million to SBA’s disaster assistance program budget to help meet the demand for loans from Hurricane Sandy and future disasters. "Getting money into the hands of individuals and businesses in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy continues to be one of our top priorities," said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. "My pledge to those affected by the hurricane is that SBA, working together with our local and federal partners, will help you rebuild. I am pleased Congress took the important step of appropriating much-needed funds to help us keep our promise." Here’s how the supplemental appropriations will be used: * $520 million for disaster loan

1 day left to submit nominations for 2013 SBIR Tibbetts and Hall of Fame! Submit by 5 PM EST on January 31, 2013: Tibbetts Awards – companies and individuals and Hall of Fame Awards . 2013 SBIR Tibbetts Awards and SBIR Hall of Fame Awards to be presented in May The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking nominations for awards honoring the critical economic role small businesses play in federally funded research and development through SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Two awards will be given: the “Hall of Fame” award recognizing companies that have an extended period of extraordinary success of research, innovation, and product commercialization; and another, the “Tibbetts Award” with two categories, one for companies that have participated in the SBIR/STTR programs, and another for individuals who advocate on behalf of the programs. The Tibbetts Awards are named after Roland Tibbetts, who was instr