New York SBDC Research Network

Excerpt from an article by Ayaz Nanji To read more, visit  MarketingProfs "Marketers are using original research primarily to create blog posts, infographics, and PDFs, according to a recent report from Mantis Research and BuzzSumo. The report was based on data from a survey conducted in January and February 2018 among 698 marketers from around the world (53% work for B2B firms, 16% for B2C firms, 26% for hybrid B2B-B2C firms, and 5% for governments/nonprofits). Respondents were surveyed on how their firms are using original research, which was defined as research published to gain attention from external audiences (benchmarks, salary guides, etc.), not research conducted to meet internal needs (marketing plans, competitive analyses, etc.)."

Blog post from SBA.gov by Anita Campbell "Good software can enable your small business to increase sales by saving time and money while expanding capacity. But you must choose wisely — because the wrong software can be an expensive mistake. Here is my tried-and-true checklist for choosing software to support your business operations: Testimonials from Businesses Like Mine Find vendors with a meaningful number of testimonials from other small business owners. Look for testimonials from businesses like yours — businesses of roughly the same size, in similar industries and trying to solve similar problems. A software package might work just fine for some businesses, however, it may not help fix your problem. Financially Strong Vendor For mission critical processes, I hesitate to put my company’s future in the hands of software or an app that may or may not be updated a year from now. You see this problem with some mobile apps and content management system plugins.

From the Cornell Food Venture Center : The Cornell Food Venture Center provides assistance to validate safety and stability of food products entering the marketplace including: -Lab Analysis for pH, water activity, and Brix of food and beverage products -Process Authority approval and Scheduled Process: Product Review, Documentation, and Process Validation -Resources for Nutrition Analysis, Co-packers, Packaging Suppliers, Shelf-Life Studies, and More! -Regulatory Compliance: Registration and Licensing with State and FDA agencies -Small Scale Food Entrepreneurship: A Technical Guide for Food Ventures -Better Process Control School: Necessary certification for Acidified and Low Acid Food manufacturers. -Food Science 101 -Presentations and workshops: Interested? Contact Shannon Prozeller The Cornell dropbox link includes everything you will need to work with the university, register with the State and FDA, information on Small Scale Food Production and more. Services su

I received a question regarding the announced $12 billion farmer aide program recently announced as a result with the tariff war. Naturally, I called my Congressman's office. One of his aides reaached out to the USDA Congressional Liaison with the questions I asked. (Her questions in italics ). They informed her that most of the responses will be included in the NOFA and the Regulation that is published by OMB by Labor Day, and that they cannot share additional details while it’s being deliberated at this time. I will follow up after Labor Day. 1- How will farmers have access to the funds? Dependent on what commodities the farmer produces, if they grow something eligible for the Market Facilitation Program (soybeans, cotton, sorghum, wheat, dairy, or pork) then they’ll have to come into their USDA FSA county office to complete the necessary paperwork. More details to be released in the Regulation by OMB later this month. 2- Qualifications/Criteria for eligibility? More de

Written by LaToya Irby Find more at The Balance A 609 letter is one of the latest internet credit repair “secrets” that claim the ability to remove any kind of information from your credit report - even accurate information––based on a “loophole” in the credit reporting law. If you’ve been working to improve your credit, a 609 letter sounds like exactly what you need to get negative accounts taken off your credit report. What is a 609 letter and does it really work? Credit bureaus collect consumer credit information from various sources, like banks, then resell that information to businesses who need to evaluate consumer credit applications. Credit bureaus are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which details what credit reporting agencies and information furnishers can and cannot do when they’re reporting consumer information. One of the credit bureaus’ responsibilities is to only include accurate and verifiable information in consumer credit reports. Use of the 609 lett

Excerpt from an article by Mia Taylor To read more, visit  The Simple Dollar "There are many upsides to the gig economy and freelance work, like the flexible schedule, the autonomy of being your own boss, and, if it’s a side hustle, the ability to earn extra income to pay off bills or save for special purchases. But a path to a stable retirement does not appear to be among the benefits, at least for a lot of gig economy workers. Betterment, an online investment platform, has just released new research focused on the finances and the future of retirement in today’s self-employed workforce. And it’s not all good news. Their report looks at the nation’s dated retirement system, and how it has left gig economy workers unprepared. The study notes that the rise of the gig economy is fundamentally changing the way Americans earn, spend, and save for retirement, pointing out that the freedom and flexibility of the gig economy is nice now, but, for many, unsustainable over the

Excerpt from an article by Jen King To read more, visit  eMarketer "For the most part, consumers have a game plan when they enter a store—they know what they intend to buy and stick closely to their shopping list. Still, in-store shopping has one advantage that online doesn't: the ability to see and feel items in person. That's likely why many people end up spending more then they intended to. A May 2018 survey conducted by AYTM Market Research for Blis asked 2,000 US internet users ages 18 and older whether they spent more than intended when shopping in-store."