New York SBDC Research Network

From Bplans : If you’re thinking about starting up a small business or you’ve just recently launched, fantastic customer service is undoubtedly on your radar. You want your customers to come away from an experience with your company having seen you in the best possible light. In an optimal situation, the majority of them would not only become repeat customers but would also enthusiastically recommend your product or service to others. This, however, is easier said than done. Handling customer complaints can be difficult, especially right when you start a new business. However hard it may be to take criticism, it’s extremely important to the growth of your small business. Even if a customer doesn’t necessarily give you easy-to-swallow feedback, learning to see past harsh words and hear valid complaints and suggestions for improvement is vital. Don’t fret! Here’s what you need to know to handle customer complaints with ease. Fear of failure is high on the list of reasons why pe

From Bplans : Most people think that writing a business plan has to be hard. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it’s possible to write your initial business plan in less than an hour. After all, you’re always thinking about your business and the strategies you’re going to use to grow, so getting those ideas down on paper shouldn’t be hard—it can even be an enjoyable experience. A business plan no longer needs to be a long document that takes weeks to write and research. It’s not something that you print, bind professionally, and then stick on a shelf. Instead, modern business planning is a simple process that helps you discover your ideal business strategy. For modern business planning, I encourage you to embrace a concept called lean planning—it has all the benefits of traditional business planning without the pain and hassle of creating a long business plan document.

From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance : Background Corporations that have been delinquent in filing returns or paying taxes or fees for two consecutive years may be subject to sanctions imposed by the New York Secretary of State. New York State corporations may be dissolved by proclamation. Corporations that have been formed under the laws of another state or country (foreign corporations) may have their authority to do business in New York State annulled by proclamation. A corporation may regain its ability to do business in New York State through the reinstatement process. New York Tax Law sets the requirements for reinstatement of New York State corporations (section 203-a) and foreign corporations (section 203-b). Once the corporation is reinstated, it re-acquires the same powers, rights, and obligations it had before it was dissolved by proclamation or had its authority to do business annulled. Procedure for Reinstatement Call To start the re

The Census Business Builder (CBB) is a suite of services that provide selected demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use format. The Census Bureau is pleased to announce that the new edition of Census Business Builder is now live! This new edition of Census Business Builder allows you to: Add a Reference Layer from a Gallery or from your own ShapeFile or Map Service Upload your own data via Excel Access Agricultural data from the USDA Access International Trade data from the Census Bureau Use the new Census Business Builder to get the data you need to start or grow your business. Check out the new features!

Government Imposter Used Threats to Sell Regulatory Posters An operation that allegedly conned small businesses into paying for government-required regulatory posters will be  banned from selling such materials , which government agencies provide for free. The settlement resolves  FTC charges brought in 2016, that the defendants pretended to be a federal agency  and threatened to shut down or fine newly-opened businesses unless they bought occupational safety and other government-required posters for their premises. The court halted the operation pending litigation. In addition to the ban on selling such posters, the order prohibits the defendants from misrepresenting that they are affiliated with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or any other agency, that consumers are required by law to buy goods or services, and any material facts about any good or service. The order imposes a judgment of more than $3.8 million, which will be partially suspended upon the surrend

From the United States Census Bureau Minority-owned employer firms in the United States increased by approximately 4.9 percent in 2015 to 996,248 from 949,318 in 2014, according to findings from the U.S. Census Bureau’s  2015 Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs . Payroll and employment for minority-owned employer firms in the nation also increased from 2014 to 2015 by approximately 7.0 percent ($237.5 billion to $254.0 billion) and 6.2 percent (7.6 million to 8.0 million people employed), respectively. Receipts for minority-owned firms in 2015 were estimated at $1,168.5 billion — not statistically different from the 2014 total of $1,089.7 billion. “California led all states in the number of minority-owned firms with approximately 228,148 (22.9 percent of the U.S. total of minority-owned firms) and the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA metropolitan area led the 50 most populous metropolitan statistical areas in the number of minority-owned firms (approximately 127,736 or 12.8 percent”

From eMarketing : A new study adds another data point to the pile of evidence: The most frustrating thing about shopping in-store is waiting in line to check out. But the study from Mood Media did underscore that there are still aspects of the in-store experience that shoppers value. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of US internet users surveyed said it was important to be able to touch and feel products—women (77%) even more so than men (67%). Almost as many, 66%, said they liked the “instant gratification” of shopping, and 48% said they liked to be able to browse and discover items while shopping in a store. A significant number of shoppers also said they liked to be able to speak to a shop assistant.