New York SBDC Research Network

From Tech Republic : Nearly half of businesses report that they were the subject of a cyber-ransom campaign in 2016, according to Radware's Global Application and Network Security Report 2016-2017. Data loss topped the list of IT professionals' cyber attack concerns, the report found, with 27% of tech leaders reporting this as their greatest worry. It was followed by service outage (19%), reputation loss (16%), and customer or partner loss (9%). Malware or bot attacks hit half of all organizations surveyed in the last year. One reason for the pervasive attacks? The Internet of Things (IoT). Some 55% of respondents reported that IoT ecosystems had complicated their cybersecurity detection measures, as they create more vulnerabilities. Ransomware attacks in particular continue to increase rapidly: 41% of respondents reported that ransom was the top motivator behind the cyber attacks they experienced in 2016. Meanwhile, 27% of respondents cited insider threats, 26% said po

From BizWomen : In every state, women earn less than men, according to a new report published by Payscale.com. The gaps vary by industry, with larger gaps in finance and insurance and smaller gaps in education... The survey also found that both men and women said they would be more likely to leave their employer if they knew the company wasn't addressing pay equity. The key to having a diverse management team at the highest levels is to have a diverse pipeline of future leaders in the development track, said Joan Koerber-Walker, president and CEO of the Arizona BioIndustry Association... The PayScale data also shows that women with MBAs feel they are underpaid and also experience inequity in the promotion system. Also, Pumps and Power Suits: The Evolution of Women's Corporate Dress Code (infographic)

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing checks to nearly 350,000 people who lost money running Herbalife businesses. The checks are the result of a July 2016 settlement with the FTC that required Herbalife to pay $200 million and fundamentally restructure its business. This represents one of the largest redress distributions the agency has made in any consumer protection action to date. “We are pleased to announce that hundreds of thousands of hard-working consumers victimized by Herbalife’s deceptive earnings claims will receive money back,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the agency’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Along with changes the company will make to its business structure, this is a win for consumers.” The FTC used Herbalife’s records to determine who would receive a refund and the amount of each check. Generally, the FTC is providing partial refunds to people who ran an Herbalife business in the United States between 2009 and 2015, and who paid at least $1,000 to Herbal

From Tasting Table : When Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson debuted LocoL, a revolutionary fast-food chain with a social mission, it seemed they could do no wrong. With locations in Oakland and L.A., as well as a food truck, the beloved chefs were riding high. LocoL serves healthy alternatives at low prices to underserved neighborhoods. The mayor of Los Angeles even attended the opening of the first location last year. Leave it to New York Times dining critic Pete Wells, who spares no one, to bring the LocoL chefs back down to earth with a no-star review published this week... So was Wells feeling restless since his last feather-ruffling review? Or is LocoL too good to be true? Choi could have picked a fight if he wanted to but instead...

From the Harvard Business Review Bringing new technology and tools into your organization can increase productivity, boost sales, and help you make better, faster decisions. But getting every employee on board is often a challenge. What can you do to increase early and rapid adoption? How can you incentivize and reward employees who use it? And should you reprimand those who don’t? According to a study by MIT Sloan Management Review and Capgemini Consulting, the vast majority of managers believe that “achieving digital transformation is critical” to their organizations. However, 63% said the pace of technological change in their workplaces is too slow, primarily due to a "lack of urgency" and poor communication about the strategic benefits of new tools. "Employees need to understand why [the new technology] is an improvement from what they had before," says Didier Bonnet, coauthor of Leading Digital and Global Practice Leader at Capgemini Consulting, who worked

Info from Macy's. Already Completed 2016 Closings Laurel Plaza, North Hollywood, CA (475,000 square feet; opened in 1995; 105 associates); Ala Moana Jewel Gallery, Honolulu, HI (2,000 square feet; opened in 1986; 9 associates); Valley Fair, West Valley City, UT (106,000 square feet; opened in 1970; 53 associates); Already Announced Year-End 2016 Closings Final clearance sales at the following Macy’s stores closing in early 2017 will begin on Monday, January 9, and run for approximately eight to 12 weeks (with the exception of Lancaster Mall*, where final clearance sales are already in progress): Greenwood, Bowling Green, KY (124,000 square feet; opened in 1980; 63 associates); Carolina Place, Pineville, NC (151,000 square feet; opened in 1993; 69 associates); Douglaston, Douglaston, NY (158,000 square feet; opened in 1981; 144 associates); Downtown Portland, Portland, OR (246,000 square feet; opened in 2007; 85 associates); *Lancaster Mall, Salem, OR (67,000 s

From Bplans : If you feel restless working for someone else and have come up with your own idea for starting a business, you should consider the challenges that you will face ahead of time. Owning and running a business is incredibly rewarding—but it comes at a price. Stress, painful mistakes, and sacrifice all accompany the pride, excitement, and sense of accomplishment that comes with creating your own money making machine. By knowing and preparing for these potential pain points, you will be better equipped to deal with complications when they arise. For an entrepreneur, challenges are almost guaranteed. Even so, no matter how prepared you are, you will need to use your own creativity and innovative skills to overcome some of the difficulties that you will encounter.