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SPD Gazette Week of May 17, 2010 / Issue 71

Marketspace & Position

The second core area of the 2010 NYS SBDC strategic plan is Marketspace* & Position. The plan states that:

The SBDC will brand the program through effective and consistent communication of the program mission, products, services and achievements to potential clients, stakeholders and sponsors. Branding will be built upon the compelling stories of those we assist and what they accomplish. Effective branding will increase utilization of SBDC services, enhance the SBDC value proposition to stakeholders and foster economic sustainability.

The statewide priorities for this area are

brand awareness and value1.resource development2.representation of the NYS SBDC at the National and State level3.the legislative agenda. 4.

The statewide tactic for branding is to ensure the currency, utility & uniformity of the SBDC message and information distributed to the public. The tactics for resource development include identifying grants, resource and partner opportunities and finding resources to support outreach projects. The program will identify boards and programs whose objectives are shared or overlap with SBDC to ensure the NYS SBDC has a visible profile on the national and state levels. In regards to the legislative agenda, the Central Office will aggressively pursue informational meetings and personal contact with legislative members and their staff members, in coordination with Regional Centers.

To enhance its brand awareness and value the NYS SBDC plans to add & rewrite publications for relevance and consistency, utilize grants and resources, and survey and solicit anecdotal evaluations from the public, stakeholders and others about their perception of the SBDC and its services.

To improve and enhance its resource development, the NYS SBDC plans to locate and secure at least three new grants or resources for projects each year.

To increase visibility of the NYS SBDC at the National and State levels, the Central Office plans to aggressively participate in promotional efforts on the national level and to coordinate with Regional Centers for state and local promotional efforts.

*According to BusinessDictionary.com, marketspace is the virtual realm in the commercial world (in which trading activity occurs) where the question, "Where did this transaction occur?" cannot be answered in physical or geographical terms. All commercial activity over the internet and other online media occurs in marketspace.

From the e-newsletters:

SBA Raises SBIR Award Threshold

On March 30, the Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a Notice of Final Amendments to the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Policy Directive increasing the SBIR Program award threshold to $150,000 for Phase I, up from $100,000, and $1 million for Phase II, up from $750,000. The current award threshold has not been

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adjusted since 1992 when Congress reauthorized the program's legislation. SBA received only two public comments, both supporting the proposed amendments, between August and September 2008. Read the notice here. (from the SSTI Weekly Digest for the Week of April 14, 2010)

$12M Available for Tech Commercialization Challenge

A competition aimed at helping move innovative ideas from the lab into the marketplace was announced in early May by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Administration (EDA). In partnership with the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, EDA will award $1 million each to six teams across the nation with the most innovative ideas to drive technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. NSF will award $6 million to SBIR grantees associated with the winning teams. Aiming to drive regional economic growth, the "i6 Challenge" is designed to highlight successes and accelerate technology commercialization. Entrepreneurs, investors, universities, foundations and nonprofits are eligible to apply. Applications are due July 15. More information is available at: http://www.eda.gov/i6 . (from the SSTI Weekly Digest for the Week of May 5, 2010)

WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK?

Each of the focus areas listed in this section contain descriptions of activities relating to SBDC’s key objectives and are the basis of the metrics by which our Strategic Plan implementation is measured and assessed.

MARKETING & ADVOCACY

In March, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice attended the Massena Chamber of Commerce’s 78th Annual Dinner to network with regional partners and keep the SBDC in the forefront. The keynote speaker at the event was St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Chief James Ransom. The level of cooperation between the Tribe and the Chamber has benefited the region and the regional economies.

York SBDC Advisor Brian Yeung was quoted in the March 31, 2010 issue of Asian Journal in an article titled “Conference seeks to empower Asian Americans economically” that described the Asian American Economic Empowerment Conference held at the CUNY Graduate School by The Asian American/Asian Research Institute (AAARI) of the City University of New York (CUNY).

In March, Brockport SBDC Advisor Jim Soufleris was quoted throughout a Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper article, “Getting a good idea and passion off the ground on the job.” The article’s author, Ms Enid Arbelo, the newspaper’sbusiness news reporter, attended Brockport’s workshop titled “Small Business StartUp—Doing It Right”, and then wrote an article that captured the essence of Jim’s presentation.

In March, Canton SBDC Advisor Michelle Collins was a guest speaker at the Norwood BOCES Center’s Cosmetology Class. As many student leave this program and either enter the workforce or start their own business, she provided insight on business start-up and business plan development. It was a great opportunity to promote the SBDC and develop young entrepreneurs.

In April, Brooklyn SBDC Advisor Miriam Colon was a panelist at the NYC Academies Annual Conference, which was attended by approximately 250 high school students. Approximately 40 students attended showed up for Ms. Colon’s session, +“How to Start Your Own Business for Young Entrepreneurs”. Ms Colon engaged the students in an interactive discussion about self-employment, characteristics needed to start a business and skills that can be used to decide what opportunities to explore. The discussion also addressed businesses that required no money to start and basic financial literacy.

In April, the Canton SBDC was an exhibitor at the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce’s annual “The Really Big Show,” the 2nd annual Home, Garden & Business Show. This is a two day event has a business-to-business focus for specific business services, but also is geared toward the consumers and their shopping needs. The Show gives both businesses an opportunity to showcase products and/or services to the public. It is a great opportunity to reach out to the public and promote SBDC services.

TDC News Online published an article by North Country SBDC Director Rick Leibowitz, “Innovation and Small Business Development,” in its April 2010 issue. You can read the article at this website - http://www.nyworks.biz/articles/april_2010-1.php

In April, the Canton SBDC attended the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce’s “Business Spotlight” session held at Route 11 Truck & Equipment Sales & Service. Route 11 is a NYS SBDC Hall of Fame business and one of the Canton

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SBDC’s clients. These “business spotlights” are held throughout the year by the SLCCOC to provide networking opportunities for business-to-business promotions.

In April, Pace University SBDC Advisors Pratibha Rajbhandari and Rawle Brown represented the Pace University Small Business Development Center at The Thypin Oltchick Institute for Women's Entrepreneurship's "You Can Do Business or Have an Exciting Job with a Major Corporation" seminar.

In April, Onondaga SBDC Advisors attended the WISE Conference (Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship). One advisor did a presentation on Business Planning and 2 advisors participated in one- on-one mini counseling sessions with attendees. More than 900 people attended the conference. In May, Pace University SBDC Director Ira Davidson was a panelist on Financial Planning/Access to Capital at the Greater New York City Business Fair. The annual fair, which is sponsored by the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, was held at Madison Square Garden.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND STAFF RETENTION

In January, the Baruch SBDC hosted an EO (Entrepreneur’s Organization) workshop that featured a very successful serial entrepreneur who described a way of reducing customer acquisition costs substantially while speeding up the process. Several SBDC staff members attended the workshop.

In February, Baruch SBDC Advisors attended an online seminar and conference call with the title “Negotiating with Potential Investors” sponsored by Inner City Capital Connections Program (ICCC) as part of their CEO Series.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: PRODUCTS & SERVICESIn January, Baruch SDBC Director Ulas Neftci and the director of NYC Business Solution Center met to discuss collaboration: how we can service their clients in business planning and financial projections; how their clients can utilize our resources such as professors and MBA interns.

In March and April, the Canton SBDC provided “My Small Business 101”workshops at the Clarkson University’s Entrepreneurship Center for students in Branding and Media Management. These sessions also are open to the general public as well. The workshops resulted from the SBDC’s partnership with the Entrepreneurship Center.

In March, York SBDC Advisor Brian Yeung conducted a seminar on business structures, writing business plans, and business financing at the CUNY Conference on Asian American Economic Empowerment. The conference held at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan attracted aspiring entrepreneurs planning to start a business.

In March, Brooklyn SBDC Advisor J.M. De Jesus presented a marketing plan and strategy workshop in Spanish, for a group named Empresarias Latinas (Latina Entrepreneurs). The workshop, part of the OLE initiative, was attended by male and female members of the group seeking to understand their markets and customer channels prior to attempting an entry. During the workshop they discussed supporting the objectives of their respective products, goods and services in a hypercompetitive marketplace, and the challenging economy.

In April, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert presented the seminar “Making Your Clean Business Work in a Tough Economy” co-sponsored by Sustainable Hudson Valley in Kingston. The event explored “out of the box” strategies for use by small businesses in this nascent technological area. This is part of the Mid-Hudson Center’s commitment to supporting clean energy initiatives.

SPONSORS, HOST INSTITUTIONS, PARTNERS & ALLIANCES

In November, Baruch SBDC Director Ulas Neftci and Baruch’s President Stan Altman met with NYC officials to discuss the Small Business Services program and any synergies that could be created between SBS, Baruch, and the SBDC. Meeting attendees included David Margalit, SBS Deputy Commissioner for Business Development and Strategic Planning; Cristina Shapiro, SBS Assistant Commissioner; and Angie Kamath, SBS Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Workforce Development.

In March, the Brooklyn SBDC hosted a visit by 16 students from the City Polytechnic High School of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology. Advisors Miriam T. Colon and Alzie Glickstein did a presentation on entrepreneurship as an alternative to traditional employment. They discussed several aspects of self-employment, along with various careers and potential jobs for self-starters. The presentation lasted 2 hours.

In April, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert participated in the “Home Grown Economy: Congressman Murphy’s Buy Local Conference” event. The event, held to explore strategies to help local farms and agri-businesses succeed in the new global economy, attracted 200 people.

TECHNOLOGY

In April, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met with the members of the Kingston Digital Corridor (KDC). The KDC is a grassroots entity that promotes the development of Kingston as a destination for technology developers that want to start or grow their tech business. About 20 business owners were in attendance.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

International - In October, Baruch SBDC Director Ulas Neftci met with representatives from East Mead European Training, which offers European Union and best practices training to entrepreneurs and organizations. During the meeting, attendees discussed collaboration with various agencies in New York.

In April, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met with a 13- member delegation headed by the Deputy Mayor of Dezhou City and the Dezhou City Director of the Bureau of Commerce. This was a follow up meeting in the ongoing relationship between Ulster County and Dezhou City. Also attending the meeting were the President of the Ulster County Development Corporation and the co-chairmen of TSEC-The Solar Energy Consortium. During the meeting, talks

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were started on a possible joint solar energy proposal for the US Department of Energy to be developed jointly by Dezhou and TSEC with the assistance of UCDC and the Mid-Hudson SBDC.

Young Entrepreneurs - In April, Brooklyn SBDC Associate Director Miriam Colon arranged a site visit to the State Farm Insurance Agency office run by former SBDC client Olivia Triana. The trip was collaboration between the SBDC and the National Academy Foundation on behalf of students from The Brooklyn School of Global Finance. Eight students and their teacher were given an introduction to the agency and spoke to State Farm agents about the insurance industry. The Brooklyn School of Global Finance is a new charter school dedicated to teaching young adults about the industry of Finance and Money Management. The SBDC has sponsored two field trips for the students and provided the teachers with access to the EntreSkillsTM curriculum.

ABOUT THE GAZETTE

The SPD Gazette is a brief newsletter distributed via email and posted on the Internal Web Site. It will feature a column to be titled, What’s New This Week, in which the network will share best practices in strategic objectives. A series of articles in the Gazette will explain the program’s statewide approach to strategic objectives in six key areas:

• Marketing • Professional Development and Certification • Program Development: Products and Services • Special Projects • Strategic Partners and Alliances • Technology, Information and Communication

Previous SPD Gazette Issues:

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SPD Gazette Week of July 12, 2010 / Issue 72

Professional Development and Intellectual Capital

The third core area of the 2010 NYS SBDC Strategic Plan is Professional Development and Intellectual Capital. The plan states that:

The SBDC fully embraces the ongoing commitment to the education and specific skills development of all personnel in the program in support of all employees’ ability to deliver timely, accurate advisement information; to continuously develop the knowledge, creative and critical thinking skills of all staff; to collect, catalog and disseminate best practices in all program areas; and, to enable access and availability to the training tools important to job performance.

The statewide priorities for this area are 1) annual staff training; 2) advisor certification program and recognition; 3) advisement tools; and 4) resources for ongoing training and development.

The statewide tactics for annual staff training include coordinating with the designated regional center (the host) and the Professional Development Committee to plan and deliver the training program. The measurable outcomes include the number of sessions provided and the number of advisors attending the event.

The statewide tactics for advisor certification are coordinating with the Professional Development Committee to continually improve the program and to review - and implement as desired – best practices from other organizations. Successful implementation of the tactics will be measured by the development and incorporation of additional certification levels in the certification program, and enhancement of the advisor recognition program.

The statewide tactic for advisement tools is to secure access to centralized resources, software, and tools to enable advisors to provide more effective and comprehensive advice to clients. The program will identify, review and obtain, when appropriate, software such as ProfitCents, QuickBooks products, and similar items.

The statewide tactic for resources for ongoing training and development is to identify and allocate funds for training and development.

The 2010 NYS SBDC Strategic Plan is available for review in the Shared Resources section of WebMQS under the heading “Strategic Planning.”


Entrepreneurship Recession Proof, Hits 14-year High

According to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, a study that measures the percentage of the adult, non-business-owner population that starts a business each month, 2009 had the highest level of entrepreneurial activity in 14 years, even exceeding the number of startups during the technology boom of 1999-2000. Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, suggests that challenging economic times can motivate those who have been laid off to become their own employers. And in this

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trend of increasing entrepreneurship can lay the key to economic recovery. Read the full report here.

New Credit Initiative to Boost Lending to Small Businesses?

The U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a new credit initiative aimed at increasing lending to small businesses. According to a May 18, 2010 Wall Street Journal article, New Credit Initiative to Boost Lending to Small Businesses, the initiative is expected to spur $20 billion in lending while being particularly beneficial to small minority-owned firms. The new policy is modeled after 20 state-level initiatives known as capital access programs. While the rules of the state level programs vary, these programs generally involve having borrowers, lenders and local economic development entities contributing a certain percentage to an investment fund, which is used as collateral to support loans issued to borrowers. Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez (D., N.Y.) has expressed concerns that the program will be most beneficial to states that already have capital access programs. If the initiative does deliver results, it may promote healthy relationships between local banks and small businesses while also helping minority and women-owned organizations that have struggled to obtain credit. The potential results of the initiative are especially relevant in light of the recession, when job-creation is a key issue. [The two preceding items came from PDE-news: Resilient Entrepreneurship, May 24, 2010]

State senate approves bill to create incubator network

Under a bill introduced by Sen. William Stachowski (D-58th District) and passed by the state Senate, business incubators across the state would compete for operational funds allowing them to provide best-in-class support services to their tenant/clients. Sen. Stachowski's news release on S.7048 summarizes how the program would operate through the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). The board of our association has endorsed this bill as an important step forward, because it would complement the state's past investments in incubator facilities with resources to help them achieve and sustain programmatic excellence. In order for this bill to become law, a counterpart version in the Assembly would be necessary, and any bill passed by both houses would of course have to be signed by the Governor. [From the July 2010 NYS Incubator Report, by the Business Incubator Association of NYS]




In May, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice & Business Advisor Michelle Collins attended the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner, at which the Chamber spoke very highly of the SBDC and the assistance provided to the business community. At the event, the Chamber promoted four informational breakfast sessions titled “Helping Businesses Grow in Hard Times” to be presented by the Chamber and Gouverneur Area Development Corporation, in conjunction with the Canton SBDC (sessions were planned by the SBDC) and the St. Lawrence County Chamber.

In May, Farmingdale SBDC Business Advisor John Steinhoff was a panelist at Senator Kemp Hannons’ Small Business Seminar. Representatives from the Small Business Administration, Empire State Development, NY Business Development Corp, Frank Mitchell Corso, Jr. and Associates and the Farmingdale SBDC spoke about the crucial resources available for small businesses to help keep their business thriving during dismal economic times. The speakers addressed the availability of business financing for small businesses in today’s environment (government guaranteed loans, lines of credit, receivable financing and hard money), preparing a grant proposal, preparing a loan request, marketing strategies, and marketing campaigns. Approximately 50 people were in attendance, with existing business owners outnumbered the start-ups.

In May, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert talked about the importance of the procurement process to small business survival within the context of a Lenders’ Roundtable, an SBA sponsored event highlighting that agency’s



products and services. The event held in Poughkeepsie, was co-sponsored by the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce and was attended by 30 small business owners.

In May, Stony Brook SBDC Senior Business Advisor Willa Smith was the featured guest speaker on the "blogtalkradio.com" Internet radio show entitled, "Onward and Upward with host, Erin Ley". The topic of the one hour live program was "Be a great entrepreneur", and featured questions from the host, as well as call-in listeners, on a variety of factors to consider when starting and growing a new business. In May, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice participated at the North Country Technology Symposium (NCTS) held at Clarkson University. SBDC also had an exhibit at the event to promote SBDC program/services. This NCTS event offered a variety of workshops: risk assessment, disaster recovery, planning and social networking that focused on technology in specific industries. This event provided a lot of opportunities for professional networking.

In May, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisors Al Griggs and Myriam Bouchard and Director Arnaldo Sehwerert were panelists on the Credit for Success Loan Program sponsored by the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce in Kingston. Panel members included County Executive Mike Hein, NYBDC Vice-president Tom McHale, and Hudson Catskill Bank President Glenn Sutherland. The event attracted more than 30 mostly small business owners.


In June, Associate State Director Mary Hoffman, Buffalo SBDC Director Susan McCartney and Advisor Andrea Lizak, Brockport SBDC Advisor Florence Worden, Onondaga SBDC Advisor Tania Hanouille, and Staten Island SBDC Advisor Ed Piszko participated in the New England Professional Development Conference (NEPD) planned & hosted by the six New England SBDC programs. Workshops provided presentations and discussions on turnaround management strategies, advanced e-marketing using social media, preparing businesses for the economic recovery and the risks and liabilities of e-tools.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: PRODUCTS & SERVICESIn April, York College SBDC Business Advisor Brian Yeung participated in the Chinese Business Networking Forum in Queens. The event was sponsored by NYS Assemblywoman Grace Meng’s Office and the US Small Business Administration. The topics discussed at the event were business structures, writing a business plan, and business financing.

In June, Buffalo SBDC, in collaboration with the US SBA, Everywoman Opportunity Center, Inc., and Women Veterans Health Care held a workshop for women veterans. The workshop covered job searches, updating resumes, interviewing skills, health care through the VA, and starting a business.

In June, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice presented a workshop on Business Start-up at Clarkson at the Clarkson Entrepreneurship Center (CEC) as part of the Small Business 101 course. The SBDC receives referrals from the session(s) for one-on-one counseling. The partnership that the SBDC has formed with the CEC has been very beneficial to the SBDC and the small businesses that attend these sessions.


In May, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice attended the St. Lawrence County Economic Development meeting, which provides economic developers an opportunity to meet and discuss issues and projects in process. Previous meetings have provided referral opportunities for the SBDC.

In May, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met in Kingston with Barbara Laughran from the NYS Department of Labor to explore possible joint efforts including instruction in entrepreneurship and small business management for DOL clients.

In June, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice attended the St. Lawrence County Workforce Investment Board meeting. Dale is the Chair of the Marketing committee. These meetings keep the SBDC involved in the economic and growth efforts of the St. Lawrence County representatives and local area businesses.

In June, the Rockland SBDC worked with Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester) to host a press conference with SBA/SBDC clients to highlight new legislation to raise SBA loan limits. Flooring Liquidators of Elmsford, the recipient of a $1,000,000 SBA 504 loan, hosted the press conference in the building created by the 504 loan. Also attending the press conference were Al Titone, Deputy District Director, SBA NY; Rockland SBA Business Advisor Louis Scamardella, with his client Doretta Brown, recipient of a $180,000 SBA 7A loan to move her health and beauty products business to a new, larger location, and, Rockland SBDC Director Tom Morley.

In June, the Canton SBDC hosted an SBA Round Table for bankers and economic developers. The roundtable helps to further develop relations with lending sources and keeps the SBDC and the SBA in the forefront, and generates referrals to the SBDC for business counseling services and the SBA lending programs.

In June, the Canton SBDC participated in the Clarkson Entrepreneurship Center School of Business’s “My Small Business 101” course, providing insight and promoting the SBDC program. The CEC offers the course periodically throughout the year and is a source of numerous referrals to the SBDC. A great partnership has formed between the CEC & SBDC to educate and assist the business community.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Energy - In May, Tony Magliotti joined the Buffalo SBDC as a new Business Advisor to work on the Energy Savings project led by Tony Presti. Tony M will work small business owners, coordinating energy audits and surveys with National Grid and other upstate utilities, and then assisting those that decide to proceed with energy efficiency improvements.

International - In June, State Director Jim King led a delegation to several cities in the eastern part of China between Shanghai and Beijing. Members of the delegation included International Business Development Program Director Jinshui Zhang, Albany SBDC Director Bill Brigham, and several clients.



Veterans - Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met in Stone Ridge with Ann Marrott and Jennifer Murray of SUNY Ulster to talk about ways to do joint outreach programs and develop co-branding opportunities to veterans.

The NYS SBDC attained US SBA funding to continue its participation in the Veterans Business Outreach Center program for an additional five years. Business Advisor John Narciso is the statewide coordinator for the VBOC program in NY. Business Advisors Howard Wildove in Albany and John McKeone in Buffalo also provide veterans business assistance as part of the VBOC program. The VBOC program provides the centerpiece of the NYS SBDC outreach to veterans, but comprises just part of the program’s efforts. Brooklyn Business Advisor Alzie Glickstein serves veterans in NYC, Watertown Business Advisor Robin Stephenson serves veterans, reservists and active military service members and their spouses at Fort Drum, and Mid-Hudson Business Advisor Don Dods serves veterans in the Hudson Valley. In addition, several regional centers hold “Veterans Business Resource Days” on an annual basis to connect veterans with resources at myriad agencies and organizations.

Young Entrepreneurs - In May, Canton SBDC Business Advisor Julie Williams represented the SBDC as a guest speaker for the Business Economics Class at the Edwards-Knox High School. She provided general information regarding starting a business start-up along with other information that young entrepreneurs need to know.

In May, Mid-Hudson SDBC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert was a judge in the 2010 Business Plan Competition of the School of Business at SUNY New Paltz. The yearly event attracted presentations from six teams involving graduate and undergraduate participants.

ABOUT THE GAZETTE




Issue 71•

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SPD Gazette Week of July 26, 2010 / Issue 73

Technology

The fourth core area of the 2010 NYS SBDC Strategic Plan is Technology. The plan states that:

The SBDC is committed to development of technology literacy at all levels of the program; to the integration of technologies in the innovative delivery of program services; to the furtherance of client technology utilization capabilities; and, to enhanced use of programmatic technology resources (MQS, internal blogs) to drive operating technology in Regional Centers through improvements in information utility, efficiency and shared resources.

The statewide priorities for this area are:

1. Driving SBDC and small business operating efficiency through technology 2. Advancing client interaction and advisement efficiency through technology, and 3. Evaluating new technologies and potential applications within the program.

The statewide tactics include developing resources and capabilities with webinars and other information distribution, enhancing client access to and utility of information through technology, and environmental scanning. The NYS SBDC will establish regular internal use of webinars, develop video streaming and alternative publication formats for distribution to clients and stakeholders, and promote the effective use of new media mechanisms such as social networking.


The Strategic Planning Committee welcomes your comments about the process and the plan. You can share your thoughts with Tom Morley, the Committee Chair, at [email protected].


SSTI's 14th Annual Conference, Accelerating Innovation: The Road Ahead for Tech-based Economic Development will be held September 14-16 at the Omni William Tell Hotel in Pittsburgh. Ginger Lew, Senior Counselor to the White House National Economic Council and the Small Business Administration, will discuss the administration's plans to support innovation. In her roles at NEC and SBA, Ginger Lew serves as the administration's economic policy advisor on a broad range of matters that impact small businesses. She co-chairs the White House Interagency Group on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and leads the White House Interagency Taskforce on Regional Innovation Clusters. For a copy of the full conference brochure, which includes the full agenda, go to: http://www.ssticonference.org/brochure.pdf.

To register, go to: https://ssti.org/Conf2010/register.shtml. Information about the conference including the program is available at:


7/27/2010http://www.nyssbdc.org/resources/SPDGazette/Issue73.htm

http://www.ssticonference.org/index.shtml. SSTI is the State Science & Technology Institute, a national nonprofit organization that leads, supports and strengthens efforts to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation. One of their primary thrusts is technology-based economic development, often expresses as TBED.

"Determinants of Growth in Entrepreneurship Across U.S. Labor Markets: 1970- 2006" finds that higher education levels are associated with faster growth of entrepreneurs across U.S. labor market areas (LMAs) during the 1970-2006 period. Higher education levels are found to contribute to the overall desirability of an LMA, resulting in parallel growth in entrepreneurs and wage- and-salary workers. Significant shifts in the share of entrepreneurs in LMAs across regions took place during the study period, bringing the average share of entrepreneurs for metropolitan regions in 2006 (18.4 percent) much closer to that of nonmetropolitan regions (21.8 percent) than in 1970, when they were 10.6 percent versus 16.0 percent, respectively. A copy of the report is located at: http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs363tot.pdf and the research summary can be found at: http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs363.pdf.




In May, the Niagara SBDC co-hosted with Senator Maziarz the Annual Small Business Seminar, a popular event that brings together entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs and connects them with the great services available in Western New York. NCCC and Maziarz have hosted the seminar for more than 15 years. The seminar’s theme was teamwork - small businesses need a team to succeed, and the intent was to help them find teammates that can help the businesses be successful. A panel of speakers, including representatives from the Small Business Administration, the county Industrial Development Agency, Niagara USA Chamber and a few local banks presented the formal program. The panel provided descriptions of their organizations and services. Exhibitors included banks and local economic development partners, and the event was a great opportunity for networking.

In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor Myriam Bouchard and Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met with Suzanne Holt, Assistant Deputy Executive for Ulster County to discuss strategies to jointly promote business services to county business owners and entrepreneurs.

In June, the Rockland SBDC worked with Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester) to host a press conference with SBA/SBDC clients to highlight new legislation to raise SBA loan limits. Flooring Liquidators of Elmsford, the recipient of a $1,000,000 SBA 504 loan, hosted the press conference in the building created by the 504 loan. Also attending the press conference were Al Titone, Deputy District Director, SBA NY; Louis Scamardella, SBDC Advisor (Westchester) with his client Doretta Brown, recipient of a $180,000 SBA 7A loan to move her health and beauty products business to a new, larger location, and, Rockland Director Tom Morley.


In June, the Mid-Hudson SBDC welcomed SBA NYC District Director Pravina Raghavan and members of her staff to the Kingston office for an SBA update seminar focusing on new products and trends to better serve small businesses.

In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor John Moriarty attended a meeting in Poughkeepsie with the Edward Burton, President of the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council with the objective of promoting exports by Mid-Hudson companies to Saudi Arabia. Mr. Burton presented information on areas of interest by the Saudis and encouraged the audience to seek business opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: PRODUCTS & SERVICES

In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor Al Randzin and Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met in Kingston with March Gallagher, Deputy Director for Economic Development for Ulster County to discuss strategies for small business support in the county.

In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor Sam Kandel conducted a seminar, “Business Planning and Strategy,” at the invitation of the Green County Development Corporation. The event was attended by over 20 small business owners and entrepreneurs.




In June, three clients from the Stony Brook SBDC were awarded all three top prizes in the Plan! Write! Succeed! business plan competition sponsored by the Middle Country Library’s Miller Business Center. The Plan! Write! Succeed! Competition is open to start-up businesses in Suffolk and Nassau Counties. Over the course of several months SBDC advisors offer 16 business plan development workshops; contestants are required to attend three out of four individual sessions in each of 4 groupings. Stony Brook Business Advisors counselors Ronni Rosen, Rob Mealey and Susan Nastro provided instruction. The winning business plan was chosen from a total of 39 submissions by a panel of experts including Deans from the Farmingdale and Stony Brook Colleges of Business and the CEO of a company that does business training. The top prize of $5000 went to Tehmina and Syed Tirmizi whose company, Desi Maternity Wear, designs and manufactures stylish maternity wear for pregnant woman in countries such as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. The Tirmizis identified a niche in the maternity-wear market when Tehmina was unable to find stylish ethnic maternity clothing during her pregnancies. She plans to use her winnings to grow the company. The second prize of $2500 went to Colleen Simon, who will be opening a vitamin and wellness counseling retail store, Health Nut, next month in Centereach. Honorable mention went to Maria LaMalfa, a jewelry designer.

In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor Sam Kandel and Director Arnaldo Sehwerert attended the opening ceremony of Farm to Table, a co-packer facility and food science incubator counseled by Mr. Kandel. Several business and political personalities were in attendance including US Rep. Maurice Hinchey, who delivered the keynote address. Farm to Table is scheduled to become an important source of job creation and economic development for the Mid-Hudson region.

TECHNOLOGY

In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert participated in an organizational meeting for an event on high technology entrepreneurial issues to be held at SUNY Ulster in the spring of 2011. The event is the initiative of SUNY Ulster’s Director of Continuing Education and the Dean of the School of Engineering at SUNY New Paltz.

In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert conducted the seminar “Access to Capital in a Tough Economy” at the invitation of the Orange County Business Accelerator in New Windsor. The OC Accelerator is a technology oriented business incubator supported by County Executive Ed Diana. The event attracted more than 20 business owners and entrepreneurs.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Energy - In May, the NYS SBDC was a co-applicant with Syracuse University, the City University of New York and NYSTAR in a collaborative New York State proposal to win a $122 million energy regional innovative cluster (E-RIC) award to conduct research, development, demonstration, and deployment pertaining to energy sustainability systems in buildings. The funding opportunity was presented by several agencies including the Department of Energy, Economic Development Agency, National Institute of Science and Technology, the US Small Business Administration, the US Department of Labor and US Department of Education. Numerous higher education institutions, government agencies and private sector entities provided letters of support for the consortium and will participate in the project. State Director Jim King and Associate State Director Mary Hoffman participated in several meetings and conference calls in June and July with consortium members to prepare for the consortium’s competition as a finalist to win the award and ultimate implementation of the project. The SBDC will provide management and technical assistance to startups and existing businesses, by delivering advice and information to help businesses improve their energy efficiency. The SBDC will work with small businesses to implement equipment changes, obtain financing for construction and efficiency projects, and provide advice regarding commercialization, international trade, licensing, and the myriad challenges confronting small business.

Young Entrepreneurs - In June, the Stony Brook SBDC, which coordinates the annual D.A.R.E. student business plan competition on campus, was pleased to announce that two clients won the competition. The $30,000 first prize went to Freedom Teleworkers, a remote telemarketing staffing solution developed by three students that worked with Senior Business Advisor, Ronni Rosen. The second prize of $20,000 was awarded to another Stony Brook SBDC client and Stony Brook student that worked with Advisor Susan Nastro. Travel Portabout is an online retailer that sells travel-size toiletries that are Transportation Security Administration approved. The D.A.R E. competition begins in September when the students are given the option of working with an advisor from the SBDC. The participants can opt out and meet the benchmarks on their own but the students who chose to work closely with the SBDC advisors have the best results. Since its inception in 2006, all the winners have been students that worked with SBDC advisors. The students create power point and oral presentations and a business plan, which is evaluated by a panel of judges including venture capital and angel investors, intellectual property specialists and CEOs.

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• Marketing • Professional Development and Certification • Program Development: Products and Services


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SPD Gazette Week of August 30, 2010 / Issue 74

NYS SBDC Strategic Plan: Sponsors, Host Institutions, Partners, and Alliances

The fifth core area of the 2010 NYS SBDC Strategic Plan is Sponsors, Host Institutions, Partners, and Alliances. The plan states that:

The SBDC will be the network that adds value and achievement for sponsors and hosts. The SBDC will work to more effectively direct sponsor priorities reflective of small business and entrepreneurial needs; to align SBDC service delivery with sponsor priorities; to advocate on behalf of small business communities and needs with sponsors and stakeholders; and, to develop partnerships and alliances providing positive outcomes for small business and entrepreneurial service recipients.

The statewide priorities for this area are to improve the dissemination of performance and outcome data to sponsors, hosts & partners; and to maintain the necessary profile and awareness of SBDC values & outcomes at State & Federal levels.

The statewide tactics include periodic reporting to increase personal and informational contacts, and improvement of tracking systems to evaluate effectiveness of partnerships and alliances. The program plans to improve the utility and readability of reports to share with partner agencies and to significantly increase the positive perception of the NYS SBDC program by increasing the number of contacts in the greater business and economic development community.




Small Business and Self-employment as Income Mobility Mechanisms [A report from the SBA Office of Advocacy]

Earlier research on the contributions of small businesses to the labor market entry, skill training, and wage growth of youth confirmed that small businesses provide most first-time job opportunities for young labor market entrants. Moreover, the skills and experience of those entry jobs paid off handsomely for the youth, as seen in their subsequent wage growth. This paper extends the observation period for gauging income growth using the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY). It tracks employment and income experiences in a later phase of the typical work life and finds that relative income mobility continued to be the norm even as workers grew older and more experienced. A key specific finding is that the incidence and extent of mobility is higher for self-employed individuals than for paid employees. A copy of the report is located at: http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs366tot.pdf and the research summary can be found at: http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs366.pdf.


9/1/2010file://I:\NYSSBDC\resources\SPDGazette\Issue74.htm

Venture Capital Investing Increases 50 Percent in Dollars in the First Half of 2010 Clean Technology Investing Doubles from Prior Quarter, Marking Record Investment Level

U.S. venture capital (VC) investment rose to its highest point since mid-2008 during the second quarter of 2010, according to the latest data from the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Firms invested $6.4 billion in 906 deals last quarter, a 34 percent increase in dollars and 22 percent increase in deals over this year's first quarter. Slow but encouraging growth in venture returns have helped spark new investments, according to the NVCA press release. Seed and early stage received a notable boost last quarter, as did the life science industry. Meanwhile, the clean technology sector set a quarterly record for investment. – from SSTI Weekly Digest for the week of July 28, 2010




In April, the Staten Island SBDC participated in a Chamber of Commerce Annual Event at the College of Staten Island. There were many attendees and SBDC used the event to promote its services and speak to many potential clients.

In May, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose attended a Richmond County Bankers Association fundraiser/dinner at the Lake Café, introduced himself and networked with the local bankers. In June, he attended the Association’s luncheon, networking with local bank officers and requesting referrals.

In June, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose attended the Raritan Bay Fair at the Conference House, networking with the artisans to generate an interest in speaking to SBDC to better organize their small businesses.

In June, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose joined Director Dean Balsamini in a presentation to the Staten Island Chapter of the American Institute of Architects at their monthly dinner meeting. Dean gave an overview of the SBDC and discussed the need for a business plan in extant and successful businesses, as well as in struggling and startup entities. When asked about their businesses, none of the 20 attendees had a plan for his or her firm.

In June, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose represented the Center at the Crain’s New York 25th Anniversary symposium and award ceremony at Crown Point in Manhattan. The advisor met NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, along with Linda Baran and the other SI Chamber of Commerce representatives at the event.

In June and July, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose met with John Amodio and Richard DeGroot of TD Bank, Ed Gurskis of Valley National Bank and Charles Larson, an independent loan consultant, to maintain ties necessary to help the SBDC clients find money. These are all in addition to the contact continuing with our local Richmond County Bankers Association.


In May, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose attended the International Seminar at LaGuardia Community College which was sponsored by the Queens SBDC, meeting clients, potential clients and a number of people in the small business community.

In June and July, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose participated in two procurement webinars hosted by Mohawk Valley SBDC Business Advisor Roxanne Mutchler.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: PRODUCTS & SERVICESIn April, Staten Island SBDC held a Financial Literacy seminar on capital infusion at the SIEDC 2010 Conference. The guest speakers included Patrick MacKrell, CEO/President of the NYSBDC, Ms. Pravina Raghavan, District Director, SBA-NYC office and Staten Island SBDC Director Dean Balsamini. The guest speakers covered many questions that the audience had pertaining to access to money and all 73 attendees were all very satisfied.

In May, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose facilitated a workshop discussion at the Department of Labor for five of their clients that expressed interest in starting a business. He explained the role of the SBDC, the importance of a business plan and the development process, and encouraged each of them to take advantage of services provided by SBDC.



In May, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Robert Rose presented a business plan for the Centers of Influence Outreach Project, outlining proposed means of increasing the SBDC visibility with a focus on the professionals in the accounting, legal and banking sectors.

In June, Staten Island SBDC Director Dean Balsamini and Business Advisor Robert Rose presented the seminar Financial Valuations of Small Business for a group of 20 architects. They described how to manage businesses more efficiently, featuring information about pricing jobs.

In July, the Canton SBDC hosted a Small Business Forum for the business community in Massena. The forum provided the business community with the latest updates, initiatives and key messages from the IRS, NYS Department of Taxation & Finance, and NYS Workers’ Compensation Board. Representatives for each governmental agency (Richard Torres, IRS; Suzanne Reusch, NYS-Dept. Tax. & Fin.; & Steve Carbone, NYS-WCB) provided information and answered questions. Also in attendance were Jana Fults, Constituent Services Representative for Congressman William Owens 23rd District, and Thomas Kane, IRS Governmental Liaison for Upstate New York.

In July, Niagara-Geneseo SBDC Business Advisor Dick Barth became certified to teach the Kauffman Foundation’s New Venture FastTrac program. FastTrac NewVenture provides the tools to develop a business concept and outlines the critical steps to a successful business launch. The program leads aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs through processes of identifying and reaching their target market, setting financial goals, building an effective team, and more. The FastTrac program carefully screens trainer applicants and the Foundation requires all trainers to be experienced entrepreneurs. Dick will be setting up training events in conjunction with the Wyoming County Business Center this fall.


In May, the Staten Island SBDC partnered with the NYS Dept. of Labor to conduct a series of seminars for clients that want to start their own businesses. Director Dean Balsamini conducted the seminars. Twenty people attended the event and both the attendees and the Dept. of Labor were satisfied with the seminar. Office Manager Eileen Sullivan followed up with the clients to schedule appointments for one-on-one counseling.

In May, the Staten Island SBDC partnered with the SI JCC to conduct a seminar called “What You Need to Know About Starting a Business?” sponsored by THYPIC. Office Manager Eileen Sullivan and Business Advisor Robert Rose attended the event. The session was very informative and the audience of 32 persons asked many questions. Office Manager Eileen Sullivan followed up with the clients to schedule appointments for one-on-one counseling.

In June, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Ed Piszko was appointed to the Executive Credit Committee for the Northfield Local Development Corp. The group will make micro loans to small businesses in the Port Richmond Area of Staten Island. The business population of the area is composed of many underserved minority groups. Ed was chosen because the Center provided seminars in financial literacy for the group over the past year. In July, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice traveled to Malone to visit with Nick Curtis, Director of Women’s Entrepreneurial Business Center (WEBC) and Economic Development, to discuss SBDC assistance for WEBC clients.

In July, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Ed Piszko attended an SIEDC business workshop for new and existing businesses. While not a panelist, the group recognized Ed’s expertise in the SBA ARC loan product and asked him to address the group concerning the program. Subsequent to the meeting, the Center received calls from meeting attendees for further counseling.

In July, The Entrepreneurship Center at Clarkson University hosted another community outreach session of its popular “My Small Business 101” course at the Town Offices in Louisville. The Entrepreneurship Center & the SBDC have formed a great relationship through this course by offering valuable concise business-concept training that relates to common, critical elements of business operations. The SBDC is available to provide input and assistance to attendees that need one-on-one business counseling specific to their business venture. The course was held on Wednesday’s from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM through July 28th.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Energy - In July, the Staten Island SBDC staff met with Farmingdale SBDC Advisor and Energy Savings Program Coordinator Tony Presti and Rebecca Reich of Willdan Energy Solutions to discuss incentives available to small business in electrical usage.

In August, NYS SBDC Energy Savings Program Coordinator Tony Presti announced that the program is now partnering with Con Edison to assist small businesses achieve energy savings. Con Edison’s Small Business Direct Installation Program provides a free on-site energy efficiency survey that will demonstrate how small businesses can spend less money on lighting, heating and cooling at their locations. The businesses can receive free energy-savings upgrades and additional savings for upgrades they select based on the free survey. Con Ed will pay up to 70% of the upfront costs. There is no waiting for rebates. All Downstate SBDCs are eligible to participate in the program. In his announcement, Tony commented that SBDC clients who have participated in the various energy programs are achieving ROI of up to 500% in a matter of a few years. Lighting upgrades generally have less than a 1 year payback period. He added that the client’s bottom line is essential for continued economic impact and growth. The NYS SBDC Energy Savings Program affords the SBDC a unique opportunity to achieve these goals as well as reducing green house gases that threaten to pollute & degrade our environment.

Veterans - In June, the Staten Island SBDC participated in a Veteran Medal Presentation Event sponsored by Assemblyman Lou Tobacco. Director Dean Balsamini represented the SBDC at the very moving ceremony that honored the Veterans and their families.

Young Entrepreneurs - In July, the Canton SBDC Business Advisor Michelle Collins, at the request of the SUNY Canton Coordinator of International Initiatives, conducted a presentation for Bosnian summer students about “Small Business Management.” The presentation provided a brief overview of what is involved in starting a small business and the management of the business. The students were very interested in this session. They enjoyed the presentation and were appreciative that the information provided was something that can be useful to them in the future and to their country in general.



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SPD Gazette Week of September 20, 2010 / Issue 75

Special Projects

The sixth core area of the 2010 NYS SBDC Strategic Plan is Special Projects. The plan states that:

Special Projects represent both a proactive and reactive strategic effort.

The first, proactive, is the commitment to leadership for the future of small business and the SBDC program; to be a small business laboratory for testing and evaluating new client service tools and strategies to be developed, refined and tested prior to broader implementation.

The second, reactive, engenders the commitment to responsiveness in current, emerging and disaster small business environments; to monitor and capitalize on opportunities, to respond to current trends and opportunities, to locate and utilize resources supporting the SBDC mission and client need. An additional significant component of our reactive strategy is the programmatic ability to field a rapid, flexible, well-configured response to unusual occurrences – SBDC as the small business first responders.

This full spectrum strategy ensures the currency of the SBDC in multiple, fast-changing business environments, advances client services and improves client outcomes.

The statewide priorities for this area include environmental scanning to determine emerging needs and trends for small business and entrepreneurs; resource identification to ensure alignment of resources with overall priorities; and support of the concept that the SBDC is a small business first responder.

The statewide tactics include conducting environmental scans at national, regional and local levels; identifying resource opportunities and coordinating with Regional Centers to capitalize on them; validating and verifying utilization and focus consistent with planning; and developing protocols and resources necessary to be ‘ready to respond’ to physical and economic disasters for small business.

The program plans to disseminate environmental scan results to centers and stakeholders; Use the results of the scan to drive the ‘lab’ efforts of the SBDC; achieve awards, grants and new partnerships; coordinate between Regional Centers for more effective response; develop and regularly update written disaster response plans, procedures and protocols; develop and maintain resource listings; and develop and periodically update communications procedures and readiness assessments. The 2010 NYS SBDC Strategic Plan is available for review in the Shared Resources section of WebMQS under the heading “Strategic Planning.”





Self–Employment: A Career View

A study released recently by the SBA Office of Advocacy showed that early exposure to self-employment increases individuals’ engagement in self- employment during their early- and mid-career years. The report, titled A Longitudinal Analysis of Early Self-employment in the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSYs), by Yasuyo Abe and Hannah Betesh, Berkeley Policy Associates and A. Rupa Datta, at University of Chicago found that there is a strong positive link between an indicator of self- employment during ages 20-22 and the self-employment outcome measures in ages 22-41. In addition, total self-employment years are positively correlated with economic outcomes, measured in terms of family income, the individual’s own income, and family net worth. An additional year of self-employment increases the level of income and net worth significantly. The report also analyzes the characteristics of those who have chosen self-employment as career. For more information and a complete copy of the report, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo.

National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Twenty-six members, spanning university presidents, investors, serial entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders, were appointed to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. The group will support President Obama's innovation strategy by helping develop policies that foster entrepreneurship and identifying new ways to take ideas from the lab to the marketplace to drive economic growth and create jobs. A press release about the announcement can be found here. [From the August 2010 Rural Entrepreneurship Newsletter]




In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert and Business Advisor Sam Kandel attended the opening ceremony of Farm to Table, a co-packer facility and food science incubator counseled by Mr. Kandel. A number of business and political representatives were in attendance, including Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who delivered the keynote address. Farm to Table is expected to become an important source of job creation and economic development for the Mid-Hudson region.

In August, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice attended a client’s Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting ceremony in Ogdensburg. The client opened a discount grocery store, which fills a void created by the closing of P&C grocery stores in the surrounding communities. During the event the director networked with the mayor, economic developers and man local area business representatives that were there to offer their support of this new store.

In August, Veterans Business Advisor Alzie Glickstein participated in a radio interview at the offices of the New American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) in Brooklyn. Through the interview, she informed the audience about the services of the Brooklyn SBDC at City College of Technology and the Veterans Business Outreach program in the metropolitan New York area. The listening audience for the New American Chamber of Commerce is primarily immigrants from the Caribbean that reside and work in the Tri-State area.

In August and September, Canton SBDC staff attended the St. Lawrence County Chamber “Business in the Spotlight” events. The August event featured the Riverbay Adventure Inn, the Bedrock Café’ & Yesteryears Vintage Doors. The September event featured the Potsdam Town & Country Club, Casella Waste Services, Kinney Drugs, St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum, Steve’s RV & the Clarkson Inn. These events offer the SBDC a great networking opportunity and also demonstrate the Center’s support of the small business community.



In August, Mid-Hudson Director Arnaldo Sehwerert and Business Advisors John Moriarty and Al Randzin met several lenders including Community Capital Resources and SDFB Small Business Financing to explore alternative funding options for SDBC clients.


In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor John Moriarty attended a meeting with Edward Burton, President of the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council, to promote exports by Mid-Hudson region companies to Saudi Arabia. Mr. Burton presented information on areas of interest by the Saudis and encouraged the audience to seek business opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: PRODUCTS & SERVICESIn June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor Sam Kandel conducted the seminar Business Planning and Strategy in Cairo at the invitation of the Green County Development Corporation. The event was attended by over 20 small business owners and entrepreneurs.

In August, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice met with Steve Cook and Lindsay Tarbell, Director and Planner for St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Economic Development Office (SRMT-EDO). The SRMT-EDO and SBDC have formed a strong partnership in offering services and training to their business community and potential entrepreneurs. The SRMT-EDO did a survey about 1 a year ago of their community and have worked closely with the SBDC to address their needs as a direct result from the information provided. They discussed the feedback that the SRMT-EDO has received to-date on the services being provided by the SBDC and plans for the upcoming fiscal year for training and counseling. The feedback has been very positive of SBDC services and the Center looks forward to continue building upon its relationship with the SRMT community.

In August, Mid-Hudson Business Advisor Don Dods and Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met in New Windsor with the staff of the Orange County Cornell Cooperative Extension to explore the development of joint service programs for the Orange County community.

In August, the Pace University SBDC hosted a Small Business Health Care Forum. Pace SBDC Director Ira Davidson welcomed the 60 attendees to Pace University. The panel, which was moderated SBA's New York District's Deputy Director, Al Titone, included SBA's Regional Administrator, Jorge Silva-Puras; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Director, Dr. Jaime Torres; and Ms. Gita Hecht, Senior Stakeholder Liaison of the Internal Revenue Service.

In August, Rockland SBDC Special Project Leader Stephanie Brady made a presentation to the NYS SBDC Advisory Board, describing the Center’s ongoing efforts to develop and implement a business needs assessment survey in Rockland County. The Center is working with Rockland Community College, the local workforce investment board, and others to develop a process that will provide actionable results.


In August, Canton SBDC staff attended the SUNY Canton President’s address on the “State of the Campus”. Dr. Kennedy addressed faculty & staff, welcoming them back from summer recess and provided an update on the upcoming year’s programs (additions & changes), staffing changes, and budget challenges. This provided the SBDC a great opportunity to become informed about the host campus’ changes, successes, and challenges.

In August, Mid-Hudson Director Arnaldo Sehwerert attended a Latino outreach meeting sponsored by the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce. The meeting attracted more than 20 Latino business owners. The Mid-Hudson SBDC and the Chamber are partners in this community outreach project. In August, the NYS SBDC Advisory Board met in Albany. Board Chair Loretta Kaminsky, a former and current client, encouraged fellow Board members to visit their local SBDC and spend an hour with a business advisor, to experience the program from a client’s point of view. Special guests and presenters at the meeting included Tim Slattery, Chief Counsel of the House Small Business Committee; Ying Yen, a member of the National SBDC Advisory Board; Erica Choi, SBA Senior Area Manager Eric Constance, Watertown SBDC Director; and Harry Wells, York SBDC Director.

TECHNOLOGY

In June, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert conducted the seminar Access to Capital in a Tough Economy at the invitation of the Orange County Business Accelerator. The Accelerator is a technology-oriented business incubator supported by an initiative of County Executive Ed Diana. The event attracted over 20 business owners and entrepreneurs.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Energy - In August, the NYS SBDC Energy Audit and Energy Efficiency Program announced its partnership with Con Edison, which will provide energy reviews for small business owners interested in improving energy efficiency for their operations. Con Edison will contribute resources to conduct free energy surveys of small businesses that are identified and referred by the SBDC. The audits will identify energy-efficiency strategies and improvements that yield energy savings. As in its partnerships with other NYS utilities, SBDC Business Advisors will assist small business owners to implement the recommendations from the audits engineers by accessing capital and building the business case and improve the overall energy efficiency of the participating firms.

International - In August, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met with Lance Matteson, President of the Ulster County Development Corporation, to coordinate the visit of a delegation from China to the Kingston area to explore business opportunities in the energy field.



Young Entrepreneurs - Office of Entrepreneurial Education Coordinator Rick Gorko is leading a project to update and enrich the EntreSkills – and EntreSkills for Veterans – curriculum. The enhanced curriculum will be more interactive, featuring quizzes, tests, videos and a business plan builder component. New chapters will be added to the curriculum as well. The project is scheduled for completion by July of 2011.

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SPD Gazette Week of November 8, 2010 / Issue 76

ASBDC Accreditation – New York’s Next Review will be in 2011

The ASBDC is tasked with reviewing each state or regional SBDC program every 4 years to ensure quality and consistency in the delivery of services to clients across the national program. The review focuses on SBDC management and results, and the goal is to drive continuous improvement in the national SBDC network. The accreditation review conducted every four years focuses on several areas: client and customer needs, stakeholder needs, host and staff needs, organizational priorities, the management of innovation, and performance based outcomes.

The ASBDC Accreditation Committee, whose membership comprises several state/regional SBDC directors and some associate/assistant directors, uses the concepts promoted by the Baldrige program to guide SBDCs to achieve organizational excellence. Baldrige encourages organizations to think ahead, to conduct decision making based on analysis of performance-based data, and to focus on the key issues that define the organization’s values.

We have been informed that an ASBDC accreditation review team will visit the NYS SBDC in 2011, most likely sometime between April and August. We will share the actual dates as soon as we know them. In preparation for the review, our program is required to write a self study document, which must be submitted to the review team at least 30 days prior to the visit. The self study describes the NYS SBDC program within the context of ASBDC accreditation standards, emphasizing the ways in which it conforms to the focus areas mentioned above.

A review team of four Accreditation Committee members will be in New York for one week, beginning and ending their visit to the state at the Central Office. Typically team members visit 18 to 20 centers in New York, accompanied by senior staff members. Jim will submit his recommendations on the best centers to visit during pre-visit conversations.

During the regional center visits, the review team will talk to our staff, some one-on-one, and others in groups, depending on the preference of the reviewer. Between now and then, we will work together to prepare for the site visits to ensure that you have the information you need to answer the reviewer’s questions. As we prepare, keep in mind that it is okay to ask – in fact, we encourage you to ask the reviewer to – “please rephrase the question” if you don’t understand what he or she is asking. It is better to ask them to reword the question than to answer a question you don’t understand.


Who Creates More Jobs, Small or Young Businesses?

A recent paper by John Haltiwanger of the University of Maryland and Ron S. Jarmin and Javier Miranda of the U.S. Census Bureau shows that once the data is adjusted to account for firm age, there appears to be no systematic relationship between firm size and



growth. Instead, it is new businesses, of all sizes, that play the most significant role in gross and net job creation. New businesses have a remarkably high rate of gross job creation and destruction. Over a five year period, approximately 40 percent of all jobs created by startups will have been eliminated due to the failure of these new firms. New firms that survive, however, grow more rapidly than mature companies and drive employment growth. From this perspective, programs designed to assist startups must accustom themselves to the idea that their clients will frequently fail, but successful startups have a disproportionate impact on state and regional employment. Who Creates Jobs? Small vs. Large vs. Young is available at the National Bureau for Economic Research website: http://papers.nber.org/papers/w16300#fromrss. [From SSTI Weekly Digest for the Week of September 1, 2010]

Number of Minority Firms Growing

The number of minority firms grew by 46 percent, compared to 18 percent for all U.S. firms between 2002-2007. A breakdown shows:

Asian-owned firms grew 41 percent to 1.6 million from 2002, generating the highest annual gross receipts at $510.1 billion in 2007, increasing 56 percent.

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African-American-owned businesses grew to 1.9 million firms in 2007, up 61 percent from 2002 - the largest increase among all minority-owned companies; and generated $135.6 billion in gross receipts, up 53 percent.

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Hispanic-owned businesses totaled 2.3 million in 2007, up 44 percent. Receipts for Hispanic firms increased 55 percent to $343.3 billion.

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Source: July 13 release by the U.S. Commerce Department's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 Survey of Business Owners.

Women-Owned Businesses on the Rise

The number of women-owned businesses increased by 20 percent according to recent survey results. A 2010 NAWBO Member Survey indicates the trend will continue, not only in women starting new businesses, but also in the growth and expansion of existing businesses. The NAWBO survey shows 34 percent of members expected to hire new workers and 21 percent planned to increase capital investment in 2010. "In the past decade, the number of privately owned companies started by women in America has increased twice as fast as the number owned by men," said NAWBO President/CEO Helen Han. Source: July 15 press release by the National Association of Women Business Owners/NAWBO, http://nawbo.org/eblaststemp/NAWBO_071510_PR.html [From the Two-Minute Small Business Newsletter, September 1, 2010]






In August, Stony Brook SBDC Business Advisors Ann Garbarino and Daniel O’Connell were exhibitors at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Small Business Green Showcase. Twenty vendors attended the event.

In September, Pace University SBDC Director Ira Davidson was a panelist at the New York Small Business Lending Forum which was co-sponsored by SBA and FDIC. The panel was entitled "A Chat with Successful Entrepreneurs" and featured Vera Moore, the President and CEO of Vera Moore Cosmetics. Both Jorge Silva-Puras, Region II Administrator and Pravina Raghavan, New York District Director, participated for SBA.

In September, the Baruch SBDC hosted an interviewer from Reuters who talked with Professor Ed Rogoff, USASBE’s Outstanding Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year 2010. Reuters also asked the center to identify a client to be featured. Mark Kozhin, who owns a successful juice and healthy snack bar - D’Vida – was interviewed at his nearby store.

In September, Brooklyn SBDC Director Catalina Castaño, Farmingdale SBDC Director Lucille Wesnofske, and Pace SBDC Director Ira Davidson were interviewed and quoted in a study funded by the IBM Foundation that examines the benefits to small businesses of becoming suppliers to large corporations. The study was published by the Center for an Urban Future, a NYC think tank that has published a number of studies about the importance of small businesses and entrepreneurs to the local economy.

Pace University SBDC Director Ira Davidson was a judge for the 1st Annual New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition, presented by The New York Public Library’s Science, Industry, and Business Library (SIBL). The winner, Jennifer M. Chu, Founder and CEO of Chu Shu, Inc., was honored at an Awards Ceremony on September 13, 2010 and received a check for $15,000. Chu Shu recently launched its first product, Silver Linings, ultra-thin shoe liners for women who wear shoes without socks.

In September, the Brooklyn SBDC and the SBA, in collaboration with Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz presented “Meet the Lenders: Lenders and Small Business Matchmaking Event.” More than 100 registered entrepreneurs and 18 lenders were matched up to explore financing options. The event, hosted at Brooklyn Borough Hall, featured matchmaking activities and included a panel presentation that explained how the SBA resource partners are a loan packaging resource for small business. SBA NYC District Director Pravina Raghavan was the moderator of the panel. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz gave a special proclamation to the SBA NYC office for its efforts to connect lenders and small business owners.


In August, Stony Brook SBDC Director Jeff Saelens, Director of Operations Gloria Glowacki and Administrative Assistant Kathleen Derryberry attended an Import/Export Banking Expo hosted by Congressman Steve Israel at the Brentwood Campus of Suffolk County Community College. Representatives from the Export Import Bank, the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration led discussions on how to market globally and obtain financing for new or growing international business.

In September, Baruch SBDC Business Advisors Jim Daley and Darshan Dedhia, accompanied by Field Fellow Umit Ugur, attended the NY Times Small Business Summit, an all-day affair with prominent speakers from the world of entrepreneurship who related their experiences, good and bad. The Baruch SBDC booth was very well patronized and a number of appointments for individual counseling were made. In addition, the SBDC also received several follow up phone calls and e-mails. Although the Center staff took a large supply of literature, they needed additional copies of their seminar brochure.

In September, Business Advisors and Directors from the Brooklyn, Canton, Farmingdale, Mid-Hudson, Niagara, Rockland and Stony Brook SBDCs and staff from the Central Office attended the ASBDC conference in San Antonio. Staff members attended workshops on a variety of topics, including international trade, procurement and technology, which are special areas of interest in line with the strategic planning objectives. Mid-Hudson SBDC Advisor Sam Kandel and Director Arnaldo Sehwerert completed the coursework towards the Foreign Trade Certificate awarded by the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee and the Office of International Trade of the SBA. Rockland SBDC Director Tom Morley took the Technology Counselor Certification exam and is now ASBDC-certified.

In September, North Country SBDCBusiness Advisors Andy Allison and Karen Stehlin attended the Access to Financing webinar that provided information from ESD, NYBDC and NYC Business Solutions.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: PRODUCTS & SERVICESIn September, the Organization of Latino Entrepreneurs (Olé) presented a seminar celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month called: “Follow the’ O’ for Your Business: Optimism, Opportunities, and Options,” [the Siga La O para Su Negocio] SBA Region II Administrator Jorge Silva Puras was the event’s key note speaker. Three panels were presented: Optimism – How to start or grow a business; Opportunity – How to find marketing opportunities; and Options – Financing options available for small businesses. Panelists were Hispanic entrepreneurs with lengthy experience in different industries and specializations. Distinguished journalists that cover entrepreneurship acted as moderators. More than 120 entrepreneurs participated in the event, which was promoted and covered by the Hispanic media. The event was hosted and co-sponsored by the Columbia-Harlem SBDC.

In September, the Corning SBDC hosted seminars in Steuben and Schuyler counties titled “It’s All About Food.” Speakers from the NYS Dept. of Agriculture & Markets, NYS Dept. of Health, NYS Weights and Measures and the ServSafe® Food Safety Training Program (part of the National Restaurant Association) participated in the event. The



Schuyler County session was attended by representatives from the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, who commented that is was “very informative and entertaining! Entire class very informative! A+”

Southern Tier East Regional, the local economic developer for Chemung County, asked the Corning SBDC to bring seminars previously offered in Schuyler County to Chemung County. Events such as Business Planning Basics, Exporting Financing, and QuickBooks were all well received and the number of events held in Elmira will increase in an effort to support downtown development efforts. There is a rivalry between the small businesses and development agencies in Chemung and Schuyler counties.

In September, the Binghamton SBDC hosted the latest meeting of its Women’s Business Roundtable. Speaker Penny Bartlow conducted a presentation titled Live in Possibility, about creating an “ideal financial future” for a business. Bartlow told the audience that how their thoughts may be impacting their success. Bartlow owns Quivana, a company that specializes in promoting the entrepreneurial mindset.

The Staten Island SBDC continues to participate each month with the SIEDC in a banker’s roundtable to introduce clients to a panel of bankers. The Center assists clients in preparing written and oral presentations to the panel. The SBDC has averaged two clients per session which represents 40% of the client presentations made to the group.

In September, the Staten Island SBDC co-sponsored a session entitled Access to Capital and Tax Strategies for Small Business in conjunction with the SBA and the IRS. A special focus of the program was to acquaint the small business community with the impending changes in IRS tax issues, compliance and the impact of the Health Care Act.


In September, the Corning SBDC and SBA presented a Forum of Alternative Funding Resources. The SBDC invited 15 economic developers from a three county area to present their programs. SBA Official Brian Qualey spoke about loan packaging. The participants were encouraged to speak individually to the lenders in a tradeshow venue. The event was well received and several of the lenders thanked the SBDC and requested that the Forum be held annually. Some lenders such as the NYBDC or the City of Corning Planner have no forum to inform local small business people about their services. Each participant was given a booklet that outlined the alternative funding resources in the three-county area. Each economic developer can produce the booklet and distribute to future clientele.

In September, the Binghamton SBDC Director Doug Boyce was invited to make a 30 minute presentation to the staff and personnel of the Division of Research at Binghamton University. The Director presented a slide show illustrating the organization and operations of the NYS SBDC as well as the local Center. The mission and goals of the organization were highlighted and a number of case studies were presented with impacts and job creation. Reactions of some of the department heads were somewhat mixed. When the operating results were discussed, the reaction was mild disbelief. Several department heads whose operations involve economic development goals, questioned how the data was collected. Several other department heads approached the Director after the meeting and connections for future development and referrals.

Each year, Binghamton University surveys the SBDC for updates in the activities provided by the Center to help the University meet its community non-credit vocational and professional training goals. The SBDC is the only activity within the campus community that provides that type of service to local residents. This year, on behalf of the University, the Center provided seventeen vocational and professional training events (for 367 attendees) targeting the community outside of the University’s direct mission. The events enabled the University to claim 1,559 contact hours of training extraneous to its regular class offerings. Each year the Continuing Education Department looks to the SBDC to provide this level of community involvement.

The Jamestown SBDC attended the May and October sessions of the Energizing Entrepreneurs economic development seminars in Cattaraugus County, which were hosted by Saint Bonaventure University for public economic development agencies and businesses. The goal of the initial seminar was to identify the strengths and weaknesses in limiting economic development. The second seminar focused of technical resources available to entrepreneurs and businesses, particularly university-based research resources available to support research & development. Cornell University, Alfred University, and University at Buffalo gave presentations about their research programs available to local businesses through programs such as JumpStart, NYSTAR, and SBIR. There were over 55 representatives from businesses and agencies at the October seminar. Staff from the Jamestown SBDC attended both seminars and provided information on SBDC services to agencies and businesses. The center established cross referrals with Saint Bonaventure University, Cornell University, Alfred University, and University at Buffalo. In addition, potential client outreach was established for several entrepreneurial clients that attended the conferences.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

International - In September, Brooklyn SBDC Ole Advisor Felipe Saldarriaga conducted a presentation for the 100+ entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners attending the seminar “How to import goods to the US,” which was hosted by the Colombian Consulate in New York City and ProMicro. The event focused on international trade, and specifically on importing goods from Colombia to the US. Seminar presenters also discussed resources available for exporting to US from Latin America and technical assistance providers such as the SBDC/Ole in the New York City area.

Minority Contractors - In September, the York College and the York SBDC announced the launch of a Construction Management Academy, which will provide professional certification based on York College’s instructional expertise and Turner Construction’s experience in the construction industry. The goal of the program is to give students the knowledge to manage construction projects from conception to completion, focusing on the critical path method theory. The Academy will offer courses on project management, the fundamentals of estimating and bidding, marketing, financing projects, developing bankable business plans, building information modeling (BIM), sustainable buildings, and construction safety, and similar topics. The series of courses will begin in October 2010 and run through May 2011. Students that complete the program can earn up to 9 elective credit hours at the college.



Veterans - In September, Corning SBDC Director Sherri Arnold met with Philip Smith, Director of the Schuyler County Veterans Service Agency to discuss SBDC participation in a trade show to showcase a wide range of Veterans services in October.

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SPD Gazette Week of January 3, 2011 / Issue 77

The vision of the NYS SBDC is to create economic sustainability for all New Yorkers – one business at a time.

The mission of the NYS SBDC is to provide professional business advisement, education, network resources and to advocate for small business and entrepreneurs.

Small Business Jobs Act: an opportunity to do more

On September 27th, President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-240), which was enacted by Congress to support small businesses and facilitate their ability to create new jobs in a variety of ways. One component of the Act gave the US Small Business Administration $50,000,000 to disburse to the national network of Small Business Development Centers. The funds are intended to support the provision of technical assistance to small businesses seeking access to capital or credit, Federal procurement opportunities, energy efficiency improvements, exporting opportunities, commercialization of technology and technology implementation, and other business expansion activities that will result in the creation of jobs.

With SBJA funding, the NYS SBDC is poised to launch a handful of new initiatives and extend its services into many previously underserved parts of the state. All the activities proposed by the program correlate to the objectives defined by the SBA for the new funding, to the priorities of the SBDC’s sponsors and partners, and to the core principles of the NYS SBDC’s strategic plan.

The new funding will enable the SBDC to provide enhanced services in rural counties northern and central parts of the state, in a densely populated business area in the lower Hudson Valley, in urban neighborhoods in a few NYC boroughs, and several communities on Long Island. The funding also will enable the SBDC to provide additional targeted assistance in various parts of the state with emphasis on international trade, procurement, e-commerce, energy efficiency, and access to traditional and alternative sources of capital.

The most challenging aspect of the Small Business Jobs Act initiative will be the mandate to accurately track the outcomes achieved as a result of the funding. Members of Congress have informed the SBA that they expect regular updates on the impact of the funding, and the SBA will expect us to provide the data. Their focus will be on jobs created and investments made by small business owners in their enterprises. Thanks in advance to all of you for making the most of this opportunity to provide even more for the small business community in New York State.

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Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking.

- Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop




The New NY Agenda: a plan for action

Andrew Cuomo (D) proposed the New NY Agenda: A Plan for Action focused on a "jobs now" tax credit of up to $3,000 for each unemployed New Yorker hired for a new job; a new strategy organized around regional industry clusters; reducing the high costs of doing business in the state and supporting small businesses by increasing access to capital and streamlining regulatory barriers. Cuomo also proposed continuation and creation of tax cuts targeted at attracting and retaining businesses. His proposal focuses on regional industry clusters to drive the New York economy under a single authority. The authority for economic development programs would be consolidated under a single office that reports directly to the governor. This office would oversee the creation of regional economic councils to facilitate the clusters. The clusters will focus on leveraging regional assets to grow individual industries. Cuomo's plan also incorporates workforce development strategies and higher education reform into developing and strengthening regional clusters. Read the full plan here. [from the SSTI Weekly Digest for the Week of November 3, 2010]



Primary Program Operations, Advisement Products and Services

In July, Onondaga SBDC Certified Business Advisor, Frank Cetera, spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Near Westside Business Association, which was coordinated by the Near Westside Initiative – a project of Syracuse University. Cetera presented the services available to small businesses and entrepreneurs from the SBDC and joined in a round table discussion with local business owners and service providers to determine the needs of the business community in the neighborhood. Also in attendance were representatives from the Syracuse University South Side Innovation Center, The Gifford Foundation, and Home HeadQuarters Housing Corporation.

In October, the Stony Brook SBDC held a “Let’s Get Ready to Borrow” event, utilizing the business relationship managers of Citibank and its Business Advisors, to help small business clients prepare for an improvement in the economy. The event featured one-on-one meetings between the clients and resource partners.

In October, the Brooklyn SBDC, in collaboration the Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project, BEDC, and the Brooklyn Business library launched a series of bi-monthly legal clinics for small business owners. The clinic on October 12th featured eight lawyers that participated with 11 entrepreneurs in 30-minute one-on-one appointments, discussing issues related to their small businesses. The program also features ongoing pro-bono services for entrepreneurs.

In November, the Niagara SBDC presented a three part training series co-sponsored by Lumber City Development of North Tonawanda that was designed to take businesses to a higher level. The series ran three consecutive Tuesday evenings in November with the following titles: Marketing: Successfully Promoting Your Business, Financial Analysis: Keep Your Profit Outlook Right on the Money, and Strategic Planning: Pathway to Success in a Difficult Economy.




In September, Corning SBDC Director Sherri Arnold coordinated and spoke at the Forum on Alternative Financing, which showcased 15 area funding organizations. At the conclusion of the event, participants were given the opportunity to talk to each representative in a tradeshow venue. A booklet was designed to highlight the available funding resources for each participant whom all economic developers can use in their own offices.

In September, the North Country SBDC and Statewide Education and Training Coordinator Rick Gorko participated in the NYCOM Fall Training School for City & Village Officials in Lake Placid. Approximately 400 municipal officials from across the state - primarily of Mayors, Clerks, Finance Officers, Attorneys, Treasurers, Clerk/Treasurers, Comptrollers and Trustees - attended a variety of innovative sessions and training events focused on municipal law, government operations, and local finance issues. Several New York State Agencies and divisions of the NYS Office of the State Comptroller were available for one-on-one consultations with local officials throughout the conference. During breaks, attendees stopped at the SBDC booth to ask questions and receive information about NYS SBDC’s programs and services

In September, the Buffalo SBDC participated with the Western New York Regional Education Center for Economic Development, the Department of Labor, and Erie Community College in a meeting about small business and economic development. State Senator William Stakowski was a featured speaker, as was the director of the Western New York regional Education Center for Economic Development. The meeting included discussions about business planning, how to obtain financing, and workforce development strategies. Many of the 50 participants indicated they planned to contact the SBDC for assistance in the future.

In September, Onondaga SBDC Senior Business Advisor Joan Powers was one of three Feedback Panelists at the Syracuse Pre-seed Workshop held at the Syracuse Tech Garden. Eight companies made 15 minute presentations and the panel offered feedback on the technology and presentation. Many of these companies will approach venture capitalists for funding.

In October, the Onondaga SBDC participated in the SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) show in Syracuse. Not only did the SBDC have a display table, but SBDC staff led “Meet the Experts” groups in Green Business and Strategic and Business Planning.

In November, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice participated as a panelist for the Clarkson University’s entrepreneurial class. The students in this class prepared business plans to submit for funding. The panel reviewed and critiqued the business plans for the students involved in this project. This was a great opportunity for the SBDC to network with educators and other panel members to provide the students with guidance that may be useful to them in their future should they decide to explore business ownership. In November, Director Arnaldo Sehwerert and his advisors met with representatives of Rhinebeck Savings Bank, Catskill Hudson Bank, TD Bank, Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, and Catskill Watershed Corporation

In December, Brooklyn SBDC Director Catalina Castaño was interviewed in Spanish on the television Program “Con Minerva SOS ” The topic of the program was “Opportunities for small businesses and SBDC services” the program was broadcast all over the United States.

In December, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice was a guest speaker at the St. Lawrence Leadership Institute’s meeting. He spoke about the state of small business in the country and the importance of economic developers as leaders in the success of small businesses. He also discussed his role as the director of the SBDC and the importance of strategic partnerships.


In December, the NYS SBDC launched a series of webinars for its advisors and other staff, to enhance other professional development activities provided for network staff. Canton SBDC Business Advisor Michelle Collins provided the first webinar presentation on Guerilla Marketing. Michelle covered a range of topics from the basic principles of guerilla marketing to creating a guerilla marketing culture and sharing success stories. The second webinar in the series featured Paul Hoffman from the Buffalo SBA District Office. He spoke about the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, and covered the extension of stimulus bill enhancements, changes to SBA loan programs, new lending programs, government contracting, and tax relief. The third webinar in the series featured another SBDC advisor, Buffalo SBDC Business Advisor Tony Maggiotto, who provided a lot of information about Social Media Essentials for Small Business. His webinar session provided an overview of major social media programs, developing a business voice using social media, the importance of a full internet marketing strategy, smart-linking between different online profiles and Facebook as an essential starting point.

Technology

In December, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice participated in a meeting held by SLIC Network Solutions on rural broadband. This subject is of great interest to the SBDC as the lack of reliable ‘high-speed’ network connections throughout the North Country has a direct impact on small business operations. SLIC has been provided a sizeable grant to assist in developing and implementing a process to provide high-speed network services in the North Country.



Sponsors, Host Institutions, and, Partners, Alliances

In November, the Onondaga SBDC was invited to participate in the Innovation Roundtable, a group that meets monthly to discuss opportunities for collaboration to ensure that the best possible assistance is being offered to entrepreneurs. Roundtable members include The Tech Garden, US SBA, Syracuse University, CenterState CEO, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Morrisville State College, the CNY Technology Development Organization, the South Side Innovation Center, SCORE, Near Westside Initiative, and the WISE Center.

In November, the Mid-Hudson SBDC received the Partnership Award from the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce, in celebration of 25 years of service to the business community. The award was presented at the November Monthly Membership Breakfast meeting in Kingston by chamber president Ward Todd.

In November, Regional Center Directors from Canton, North Country, Watertown, Mohawk Valley, Albany, Binghamton, Corning and Onondaga attended the Syracuse SBA District Office’s Resource Partnership meeting held in Utica. This was an opportunity for all SBA resource partners – SCORE, WBC and SBDC - in the regional area to discuss current issues and review future goals.

In December, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice participated in the St. Lawrence County Work Force Investment Board meeting. Dale is Chair of their Marketing committee and provided an update of committee activities.

Special Projects

Green Business

In September, the Onondaga SBDC co-sponsored The Power of Green event with CenterState CEO, The Tech Garden, the Clean Tech Center, SBA, WISE, FOCUS and SCORE. One hundred people attended the event, which was held at the City Hall Commons Sustainability Showcase. Featured speakers at the event included the co-founders of Earthsense, LLC, the co-founder of Impact Technologies, President and CEO-elect of St. Joseph’s Hospital, and the Director of Planning and Sustainability for the City of Syracuse. The event targeted women entrepreneurs wanting to expand into green markets to grow and re-energize their businesses. Guests were able to talk to business advisors and women-owned green businesses.

In October, Onondaga Community College and the Onondaga SBDC in were awarded an “Enitiative” grant for $50,000 from Syracuse University and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Enitiative connects entrepreneurs from the Central New York community and its academic institutions with the information resources needed to be successful. Under the leadership of Certified Business Advisor Frank Cetera, the funds will be used towards the continued development and marketing of the Green Core Company business certification program – a multi-partner initiative to create a regionally appropriate set of standards for green business operations and an accompanying certification program. The standards and certification will provide consistency and legitimacy to the use of the term “Green Business” across business sectors in order to combat “greenwashing” as an unfair and unethical marketing practice, as well as a recognizable brand at a regional scale.

International

In October, the International Business Development Specialist Jinshui Zhang led a business and trade mission to several cities in China. The delegation included Director of Operations Brian Goldstein, Brockport SBDC Director Jan Pisanczyn, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert and several SBDC clients.

Outreach to the Hispanic Community

In October, Onondaga SBDC Director Pat Higgins made a presentation at the Central New York Latino Small Business Forum. This event was co-sponsored by the Onondaga SBDC, the IRS, Syracuse University’s Near Westside Initiative and CNYLatino. The purpose of the event was to provide guidance to aspiring Latino businesses with federal and state tax responsibilities, tax credits, free services and access to capital.

In November, The NYS SBDC’s project Organization of Latino Entrepreneurs (was a finalist for a University Economic Development Association (UEDA)’s 2010 Award of Excellence. The project was one of the three finalists selected from proposals submitted from across the country in the Community Development category. Brooklyn SBDC Director Catalina Castano made a presentation about Ole′ at the UEDA Summit in Reno, Nevada. State Director Jim King, and regional Directors Tom Morley also attended the summit. The UEDA is a national organization that serves institutions of higher education and their economic development affiliates. The event, which attracted record attendance, focused on best practices in university-based economic development programs.

In December, the Organization of Latino Entrepreneurs (Olé) in collaboration with the Colombian Consulate in New York City presented a seminar in Spanish: “Oportunidades de Negocio y Business Networking”. The event had more than 60 attendees. The main speakers were: Colombian General Consul in New York Francisco Noguera, US SBA Regional Administrator Jorge Silva Puras and Brooklyn SBDC Director and Ole Coordinator Catalina Castano.

Veterans

In November, the Brooklyn SBDC and NYC Veterans Business Advisor Alzie Glickstein presented their annual Veterans Business Summit. Three panels of experts made presentations about starting a business, CUNY veteran’s initiatives, access to capital and resources available to veteran entrepreneurs. Brooklyn SBDC Director Catalina Castaño talked about EntreSkills for Veterans, the online curriculum. The event was held at Brooklyn Borough Hall and was a great networking opportunity for the veteran’s business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in the audience.



In November, Brooklyn SBDC Business Advisor J.M. de Jesus participated in the City University of New York (CUNY) Veteran's Recruitment event at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, which was attended by more than 250. The Brooklyn SBDC and the NYC Veterans initiative had a table at the event.

Young Entrepreneurs

In September, Mohawk Valley Business Advisors David Lerman and Roxanne Mutchler spoke to a MV Community College Business Class. The class of 35 students represented many trade professionals and included adult students, many of whom will be seeking self-employment upon graduation. In addition to discussing starting a business and the regulatory requirements in New York State, Mr. Lerman and Ms. Mutchler also discussed the services offered and the benefits of the Mohawk Valley SBDC. The presentation was well received and appreciated by the class and offered excellent exposure for the SBDC.

In November, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert addressed a group of 30 business students at SUNY New Paltz on entrepreneurship and small business management as part of an ongoing effort by the school to bring real life experiences to the classroom.

In December, Canton SBDC Director Dale Rice & Business Advisor Michelle Collins helped judge business plan presentations by students in a Clarkson Universities Physical Therapy class. The students will graduate in May 2011 with their doctorate in P.T. and some have plans to establish their own businesses. Dale and Michelle were impressed with some of the business plans presented. Working with young entrepreneurs early in their careers establishes a relationship with the SBDC for the future.

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SPD Gazette Week of February 14, 2011 / Issue 78



Summary of the NYS SBDC Strategic Plan, 2011-2013

By guest author, Tom Morley, Strategic Planning Committee Chair

The SBDC Strategic Plan implements the mission and vision of the SBDC in support of the small businesses and entrepreneurs whose outcomes are the measure of our achievement and a direct reflection of our work with clients and on behalf of stakeholders.

This plan aligns the day-to-day work of the program with the strategies, needs and objectives at all program levels. This plan also aligns program efforts with SUNY’s strategic plan, and, the ASBDC and SBA national agendas. It sets program metrics by measuring all activities against the standard of advancing the mission and achieving the vision.


The SBDC is committed to, and, will deliver innovative, practical and realistic advisement services responsive to the continuously evolving needs of small business and consistently highly valued by recipients for their effectiveness and positive outcomes.

The SBDC will be the leading provider of direct management and technical assistance services to small businesses and entrepreneurs; the rapid deployment force for quick, effective response in New York’s small business community; the assistance access point of choice to enhance client usability of small business support; and the delivery network of choice for the small business services of other agencies and institutions.

The SBDC will measure operations performance through ongoing quality assurance systems, annual reviews of external relationships and partnerships, and program services outcomes assessment.


The SBDC will brand the program through effective and consistent communication of the program vision, mission, products, services and achievements to potential clients, stakeholders, and sponsors. Branding will be built upon the quality and effectiveness of services reflected by the compelling stories of those we assist and their accomplishments. Effective branding increases utilization of SBDC services, enhances the SBDC value proposition to stakeholders, and fosters economic sustainability in the small business community. Performance will be evaluated by measures of participation in program services as evidenced by client count, outcomes, growth in non-sponsor resources, and training utilization.




The SBDC fully embraces an ongoing commitment to the education and specific skills development of all personnel in the program. We do this in support of every employee’s ability to deliver timely, accurate advisement; to continuously develop the knowledge, creative and critical thinking skills of all staff; to collect, catalog and disseminate best practices in all program areas; and to enable access and availability to the training tools important to job performance.

SBDC will continuously express and measure this commitment through multi-level staff certifications, resource allocation, and client feedback systems.

Technology

The SBDC is committed to develop technology literacy at all levels of the program; to the integration of technologies in the innovative delivery of program services; to the furtherance of client technology utilization capabilities; and to the enhanced use of programmatic technology resources (WebMQS, internal blogs) to drive operating technology in Regional Centers through improvements in information utility, efficiency, and shared resources.

Metrics in this area will evaluate improvement of operating efficiency measures, annual reviews of the state of SBDC capacities and capabilities, and external confirmations.


The SBDC will be the network that adds value and achievement for sponsors and hosts. The SBDC will work to more effectively direct sponsor priorities reflecting small business and entrepreneurial needs as learned through effective listening posts and research; to align SBDC service delivery as an expression of, and consistent with, sponsor priorities; to advocate on behalf of small business communities with sponsors and stakeholders; and to develop partnerships and alliances providing high utility and positive outcomes for small business and entrepreneurial service recipients.

Achievement will be measured by annual review of sponsor positioning and support, and assessment of small business services in sponsor priorities.

Special Projects

The proactive aspect of special projects is SBDC’s commitment to leadership for the future of small business and the SBDC program. The SBDC will be a small business laboratory for testing and evaluating new client service tools and strategies to be developed, refined and tested prior to broader implementation. Success in this area will be measured by annual review of new efforts begun, new practices implemented, and new tools disseminated across the program.

The reactive aspect of special projects engenders the SBDC’s commitment to be responsive to current, emerging, and disaster-impacted small business environments; to monitor and capitalize on opportunities, to respond to current trends and opportunities, and to locate and utilize resources supporting the SBDC mission and client needs. Measurement in this area will be by annual team review of statistical and anecdotal data reflecting challenges identified and the outcomes of responses delivered.

An additional significant component of SBDC’s reactive strategy is maintaining the programmatic ability to field a rapid, flexible, well-configured response to unusual occurrences – SBDC as small business first responders. Measurement will be by cross-functional team evaluation of incident and response data to evaluate efficiency, timeliness, and effectiveness of response to small business needs as reflected by outcomes.



This broad spectrum strategy helps to assure the currency of the SBDC in multiple, fast-changing business environments, advances client services and improves client outcomes.


NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK....February 19-26, 2011 Join the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in honoring the men and women that create the opportunities for us to all live in this nation with the best standard of living in the world. Every state is represented on the special website with an invitation for all education organizations (K-16 and adult) to nominate a local entrepreneur for the "National HONOR ROLL of American Entrepreneurs". Check out your entrepreneurial literacy with the "20 Questions for All Americans", and encourage the media to recognize the entrepreneurship education opportunities in our schools. We are pleased to be a partner with ACTE in their celebration of National Career and Technical Education Month. Let's join them as they join us in sharing the importance of our programs nationwide. See http://www.entre-week.org for much, much more. Everyone can participate, Consortium members or not.

The Small Business Economy, 2010 The 2010 edition of The Small Business Economy documents the 2008 recession’s effects on small business as well as the changing economy at the end of 2009. In 2009, after weathering a deep recession that began in late 2007, the American economy began to stabilize. For small businesses, one of the biggest remaining challenges was the lack of sales adequate to grow employment. Many economic indicators began to show improvement by year’s end. For example, in the first three quarters of 2009, small businesses accounted for almost 60 percent of the net job losses, with the greatest losses in the first quarter. By the third quarter, net small firm job losses were one-third what they had been in the first quarter. In the first half of 2009, as the economy continued to experience challenges, credit markets were constrained by both demand and supply factors. In the midst of a challenging year for small business owners, there was reason for optimism as commercial bank profitability improved and nominal interest rates remained low. A copy of the report is located here; the research summary can be found here.

New SBA Program Will Increase Availability of Small Loans for Small Businesses Starting in the spring, a new Small Business Administration (SBA) loan program — the Community Advantage loan program— will increase the availability of loans (up to $250,000) to: 1) small businesses, 2) firms that are less than two-years old or 3) those owned by veterans. The program specifically will target businesses in low- to moderate-income communities. Currently, small businesses face difficulty receiving loans of this size due to perceived risk involved (historically high default rates). Nonprofit institutions and banks that participate in the SBA's Preferred Lender Program will be the providers of these SBA guaranteed loans. To incentivize lenders, loans will guarantee up to 85 percent. SBA will accept applications from interested



lending institutions starting March 15. [SSTI Weekly Digest for the Week of February 9, 2011]




In January, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met the Retention Director of the Ulster County Development Corporation to discuss SBDC participation in a series of women-oriented seminars to be offered in the Spring.


In January, the Stony Brook SBDC’s Let's Get Ready To Borrow! event was a smashing success. Remarks were provided by Steve Levy, Suffolk County Exec, and Yves Michelle, Commissioner for Economic Development and Work Force Housing for Suffolk County. Eighteen vendor tables were staffed by traditional lenders, micro lenders, alternative lenders, one credit Repair Company and of course our advisors and the SBA. More than 90 small business owners attended this "speed lending" event. The Center is already discussing follow-up event in the spring.

In January, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor Myriam Bouchard was a panelist in the Resources for the Restaurant and Hospitality Industry event at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. The event was attended by 40 students and industry business owners.

In January, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor John Moriarty participated in "SBA Day" at the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce in Poughkeepsie. The purpose of the meeting was to meet with small business owners and discuss SBA programs. Mr. Moriarty explained the role of the SBDC and the various services and programs available in support of area small businesses.

In January, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert and the region’s Business Advisors met with Congressional representatives and state legislators including Congresswoman Nan Hayworth, Senator Stephen Saland, Senator John Bonacics’ Chief of Staff, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, Assemblyman Clifford Crouch, and Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt. The Advisor providing services for small business owners and entrepreneurs in each respective district accompanied Director Sehwerert to the meetings to provide specific information about district issues and business trends.

In January, Albany SBDC Business Advisor Kate Baker was elected as a new board member of the Colonie Chamber of Commerce and will serve a three-year term. As a board member, she hopes to provide insight about what is relevant to businesses, what they need in order to grow and flourish and how the Chamber of Commerce can help them achieve their goals in order to succeed. “As a board member with the Colonie Chamber of Commerce, I hope to be able to reach out to more existing businesses to assist them with the transition from survival to growth as the economy recovers,” Baker said. Ms Baker will work with the existing board to develop programming and boost member benefits. She plans to develop some strategic planning initiatives for the chamber’s long-term growth

In January, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met with James Maloney, Chair of the Economic Development Committee of the Ulster County Legislature to present the center’s accomplishments during the recently concluded federal fiscal year.


In January, the staff of the North Country and Canton SBDCs met with Associate State Director Mary Hoffman to kick off planning for the 2011 Staff Training event that will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lake Placid from May 23 to 25. Program, Sponsorship, Hospitality and Logistic Committee assignments were made and tasks outlined at the meeting.



Technology

In January, more than 60 attendees participated in the Brookhaven National Laboratory partnership workshop, “Intellectual Property: what it is and how to protect it.” This was the second in the Entrepreneurs’ Foundation Workshop series co-sponsored by the Stony Brook SBDC, SBA and Stony Brook University.


In January, Stony Brook SBDC Business Advisor Ann Garbarino participated in the Suffolk County Women's Business Enterprise Coalition (SCWBEC) workshop, “Could Your Business Benefit from a Monetary Award,” for which she was one of the planners. More than 20 individuals interested in the organization’s awards for women owned businesses attended the event co-sponsored by the SBDC and Stony Brook University.

In January, Mid-Hudson SBDC Business Advisor John Moriarty coordinated and participated in the Business Institute Workshops offered by the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce. The workshops covered the following topics: ABCs of Starting a Business, Business and Marketing Plan Development, Sources of Funds, Media Marketing and Web Search Optimizing. Mr. Moriarty made a presentation on Business Planning and Marketing Plan Development, and participated on a panel discussing sources of funds. There were 36 attendees.

Special Projects

Energy

In January, International Business Programs Director Jinshui Zhang and Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert attended the 3rd Annual The Solar Energy Consortium Solar CEO Conference at SUNY New Paltz. The event attracted more than 100 individuals that participate in or are interested in the solar energy industry, and included welcoming remarks by US Congressman Maurice Hinchey.

International

In January, Mid-Hudson SBDC Director Arnaldo Sehwerert met with Jonathan Wong, VP of Industry Attraction of The Solar Energy Consortium to coordinate SBDC support for an upcoming visit from a delegation from Linuo, a Chinese solar energy conglomerate interested in setting up operations in the US. Ulster County is one of the sites under serious consideration by the Chinese company. Later in the month, International Business Programs Director Jinshui Zhang and Director Sehwerert participated in the visit of the business delegation of the Linou Group to Ulster County.

ABOUT THE GAZETTE




Issue 77•Issue 76•Issue 75•Issue 74•Issue 73•Issue 72•Issue 71•

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SPD Gazette Week of June 6, 2011 / Issue 80



Accreditation 101 – Defining Terms

The Accreditation review team that will visit our regional centers during the last week in September may use terms and phrases from the Baldrige philosophy of organizational performance. Following is a list of some of the terms with some definition or explanation in plain English.

Mission: the overall function of an organization. It answers the question, “What are we trying to accomplish?”

Vision: the desired future state of an organization—where it’s headed, what its leaders intend it to be, or how its leaders want it to be perceived in the future.

Values: the guiding principles and behaviors for an organization. The core values of the NYS SBDC are embodied in its Customer Service Principles:

Working together…

• We never stop learning.• We are committed to making a difference.• We believe there are no limits to human ability.• We do what is right and we do what we say.

Key drivers: the forces that shape change in the organization, for example, the state of the economy, the organization’s competitors, industry trends, etc. Leadership system: the formal and informal organizational structure, policies, and procedures through which leaders make, communicate, and execute decisions.Stakeholders: all groups that are or might be affected by an organization’s actions and success, for example clients, partners, advisory boards, legislators, sponsors or funding agencies, and staff.

Approach: how an organization does things - the methods used to achieve progress toward goals.

Action Plans: specific actions that respond to short- and long-term strategic objectives. Action plans include details such as estimated dates of completion and individuals responsible for tasks.

Deployment: to put into use or action, for example, how an organization implements the strategic plan. Deployment in the Baldrige philosophy means the implementation of systematic approaches in different parts of your organization.

Systematic: purposefully regular; an organization with a systematic approach uses data and


6/7/2011file:///I:/NYSSBDC/resources/SPDGazette/Issue80.htm

information to enable learning in the same way from work unit to work unit; or from individual to individual, or from facility to facility.

Learning: to acquire knowledge or skills in by study, instruction, or experience. According to Baldrige, process improvements should be shared with other units of the organization to enable organizational learning.

Results: outputs (number of clients counseled or trained) and outcomes (impact in dollars and jobs, new business starts) achieved by an organization. Ideally, results are evaluated on the basis of past performance and compared to the results of similar organizations.

Alignment: consistency of plans, processes, information, resource decisions, actions, results, and analyses to support your organization’s goals as outline in the strategic plan.Integration: the organization’s processes, plans, measures and actions generate effectiveness and efficiencies to support its goals.

Core Competencies: the organization’s areas of greatest expertise, which are central to fulfilling its mission or providing an advantage in the marketplace.

Agility: the organization’s capacity for rapid change and flexibility.

Sustainability: the organization’s ability to address current organizational needs and to have the agility and strategic management to prepare successfully for the future.

Any questions?


The Small Business Administration announces a Startup America Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps. The US Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a new pilot program that will support more than 1,000 startup and early stage firms across the country. The goal of the Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps (EMC) is to mobilize members of the current generation of successful business owners to mentor and support startups and entrepreneurs to help them become the next generation of great American companies. Read more here.[From SSTI Weekly Digest for the Week of March 02, 2011]

Kauffman Study Finds New Entrepreneurs Are Not Hiring The U.S. economic crisis spurred more Americans to become entrepreneurs than at any point in the last 15 years, according to the 2010 edition of the Kauffman Foundation's Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. The study found that 340 out of every 100,000 Americans started a new business each month in 2010, approximately the same rate as 2009, but an increase over the pre-recession period. Many of these new entrepreneurs, however, are not creating new jobs through their startups. High unemployment rates may have driven more people to start new businesses, but many are creating lower-cost startups without employees at launch. Download the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, 1996-2010here. [From SSTI Weekly Digest for the Week of March 9, 2011]

NYC To Provide Hands-On Entrepreneurial Assistance New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has introduced three new measures to encourage immigrant entrepreneurship. A new business plan competition will award $25,000 to five pilot plans to help assist immigrant entrepreneurs. One of those plans will be awarded an additional $100,000 to expand the program. The free NYC Business Solution courses given by the Department of Small Business Services will now be offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Russian. Community-based partners will help provide space and instructors. Also a new business expo will showcase locally-based immigrant food manufacturing businesses to connect consumers and distributors around the country. In 2010, almost 30 percent of all new U.S. entrepreneurs were immigrants, according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. Read the announcement here.[From SSTI Weekly Digest for the Week of March 9, 2011]






In February and March, the Organization of Latino Entrepreneurs (Olé) and the Brooklyn SBDC presented a six-week course on How to Start a Business - Serie de Talleres para Comenzar su Negocio. The series covered several topics including legal implications, permits and licenses, marketing, accounting and financing. Classes were given in Spanish for the 12 entrepreneurs that participated. U.S. SBA Regional Administrator Jorge Silva- Puras was one of the featured speakers during the series.

In March, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor George Telmany was a participant at the first of five borough based ‘Credit Ready’ seminars, offered by the Small Business Liaison Community Outreach Unit of the New York City Council Office of the Speaker. The seminar was held for small businesses in NYC at Manhattan Community College. More than fifteen lenders and small business assistance organizations offered their help to the local small business neighborhood.

The Brooklyn SBDC at City Tech, in collaboration with Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation and Food Bank of NYC, designed a curriculum for self-employed individuals called Master Financial Management Basics, to be presented between February and April in eight 2-hour sessions. Participants learned accounting and financial basics and 4 hours of QuickBooks training. Intuit donated a copy of QuickBooks 2011 Pro to all participants. The last session is a Schedule C tax preparation lesson provided by tax assistance experts from Food Bank.

In March, Staten Island SBDC Director Dean L. Balsamini and Senior Business Advisor Ed Piszko led a seminar in concert with a well-known local Certified Franchise Advisor Alan Goldberg from FranNet. The seminars covered the topics of business organization, structure start up (B.O.S.S) and franchising. The session was very well received, especially since it featured extensive one-on-one discussions between the speakers and attendees following the seminars.

In March, Niagara SBDC Director Lynn Oswald and Business Advisor Pauline Soeffing participated in the Entrepreneurial Training program recently completed by the City of Niagara Falls. Lynn presented a two hour workshop on writing a successful business plan and Pauline was on a panel that provided feedback on elevator speeches and business plan presentations. The Niagara center is offering additional counseling services to many attendees of the program.


In February, Staten Island SBDC Director Dean L. Balsamini represented College of Staten Island President Dr. Tomas Morales at the Louis B. Miller Small Business Awards Breakfast which was attended by 200 business people.

In February, Staten Island SBDC Director Dean L. Balsamini met with Congressman Michael Grimm and his Chief of Staff on Staten Island regarding several SBDC initiatives, including the D.C. Congressional visits in March, and the SBDC services scheduled for a satellite office in the 13th.Congressional District in Brooklyn. The meeting went exceptionally well and Congressman Grimm pledged his support for a town meeting in Brooklyn during the spring to assist in the introduction of the SBDC to his Brooklyn district.

In March, York College SBDC Business Advisor Brian Yeung was a presenter at the CUNY Conference on Asian American Economic Empowerment, held at the CUNY Graduate Center, for aspiring entrepreneurs planning to start their businesses in a difficult economy. The topic of Brian’s interactive seminar was business structures, business planning, and business financing.

In March, Farmingdale SBDC Director Lucille Wesnofske was a speaker at Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy’s forum on Tax Cuts for Small Business. Approximately 50 attendees participated in the forum, which provided information regarding the new tax credits available to small business and how the SBDC at Farmingdale State College can help them strengthen their businesses.

In March, Staten Island SBDC Director Dean L. Balsamini delivered a presentation on the role of the SBDC to 60 Rotarians at the Staaten restaurant on Staten Island, which resulted in several clients contacting the SBDC for counseling services later in the week.

In March, the Brooklyn SBDC attended and exhibited at the Brooklyn Small Business and Procurement Expo held at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The main focus of this expo assisting small businesses with marketing and/or exhibiting their products & services and helping government agencies & prime contractors advertise their needs to small businesses. The SBDC table was staffed by the Brooklyn and Farmingdale SBDCs. The event attracted more than 200 small businesses. Its goal was to stimulate small business growth throughout the tri-state area.

In March, Staten Island SBDC Director Dean L. Balsamini participated in a presentation to 200 Staten Island business people by NY Governor Andrew Cuomo at Wagner College on Staten Island regarding the economic business climate and NY State budget issues.



In March, Niagara SBDC Director Lynn Oswald and Business Advisor Maureen Goodlander participated in the CELAA 3rd Annual Expo & Experts Roundtable. The event run by the University at Buffalo Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership included over 50 vendors and numerous roundtable sessions. The SBDC had the booth next to the SBA – Buffalo District. Lynn presented a two hour business training session for the CEL Minority program.

In March, Brooklyn SBDC at City Tech Business Advisor José Manuel de Jesús was among the 31 exhibitors at the Annual MTA Agency –Wide Architects and Engineers Networking Forum. More than 400 professional engineers, architects and other assorted contractors attended the event held and the MTA’s Wall Street offices.


In March, Farmingdale SBDC Business Advisor Dorothy Harris attended the Spring APTAC conference in Ft. Lauderdale. The four day conference covered a wide variety of topics, including the new WOSB program and the consolidation of the Federal Procurement Systems to the SAM.gov website. The conference also discussed the GSA’s new initiative to assist current schedule holders in meeting and exceeding their sales requirements.

In March, Brockport SBDC Business Advisor Jim Soufleris, Buffalo SBDC Business Advisor Tony Maggiotto, Columbia Harlem SBDC Director Rebecca Rodriguez and Columbia Harlem SBDC Business Advisor Alex Yepes participated in a 2-day Train the Trainer seminar conducted by Google. The seminar, which included participation in a customer-focused session held at the Brooklyn Public Library, covered several topics including marketing via the Internet and Google’s services for small business.

In March, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor George Telmany participated in “Restarting the Economy: Unlocking the Growth Potential of Small Businesses” at the Jerome Greene Performance Space in Soho, Manhattan. The event, presented by the Center for an Urban Future, made the key point that small businesses benefit exponentially when they are able to develop into a corporate supplier. Even though it may take one to three years to land a corporate relationship, it is most often well worth the effort. The meeting was attended by over one-hundred of the key players involved in the development of New York City’s small business economic engine.

Technology

In January, Technology Committee Chair Dave Mallen began distribution of TechNotes, a series of communications from the Technology Committee intended to offer up-to-date information about technology issues that affect advisors and clients alike. The subject matter covered in the communications is diverse and includes information about software, hardware, processes, office technology, productivity, issues facing technology entrepreneurs and so on. Since January, TechNotes issues on open office, hardware and software standards, and GIMP” (Gnu Image Manipulation Program) have been shared with the statewide network.


In February, Staten Island SBDC Director Dean L. Balsamini briefed Associate Provost Dr. Ann Lubrano regarding the grant the SBDC received regarding the Small Business Jobs Act (SBJA) which will be utilized to establish a satellite location to serve entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn.

In February, Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor Ed Piszko, attended the inaugural session of the Northfield Development Corp. Lenders Committee. The loan committee has a unique dynamic in that it not only consists of bankers but also has two members of the local business community, two full time members and Ed (Ed considers himself a former commercial lender not a banker.) At the first meeting, documentation, pricing and credit criteria were discussed in detail. The purpose of the loan fund is to make loans to small businesses in the area served which represent a large part of Staten Island’s growing Hispanic and Mexican communities.

In March, Mohawk Valley SBDC Director Dave Mallen and Government Contracting Coordinator Roxanne Mutchler attended a MWBE Roundtable Discussion at the Legislative Office Building in Albany. The purpose of the meeting was to examine issues concerning the state-wide implementation of the 2010 Business Diversification Act, and to examine ways to increase MWBE participation levels in state procurement. Discussions at the roundtable focused on barriers to government contracting for small business and potential solutions to overcome the barriers. Several members of the Assembly were present, including William Scarborough, Chair of the Small Business Committee and Claudia Tenney, Mohawk Valley’s new Assemblywoman, who also is on the Small Business Committee. Dave Mallen had an opportunity to speak at the meeting; he provided information from the small business point of view.

In March, Brooklyn SBDC Director Catalina Castaño conducted a presentation on the Nuts and Bolts of Starting a business at the Park Slope Civil Council’s event, "Growing a Business in Park Slope: Connecting, Supporting, and Inspiring Our Local Entrepreneurs." More than 130 people packed the event to hear 17 business leaders discuss social media, real estate, the nuts and bolts of starting a business, and other entrepreneurial topics.

In March, the Brooklyn City-Tech Small Business Development Center collaborated with the Brooklyn Public Library and Google to organize and hold a free interactive workshop for New York City's local business community about Google’s tools for small business. The event provided information on how Google tools can help small businesses reach more customers, understand what customers are searching for, and operate more efficiently. More than 120 entrepreneurs attended the event which was hosted at the Library.



Special Projects

Young Entrepreneurs

In March, Staten Island SBDC Director Dean L. Balsamini delivered a presentation to seniors at the College of Staten Island High School for International Studies on “career day” to discuss the merits of entrepreneurship and small business ownership.

ABOUT THE GAZETTEThe SPD Gazette is a brief newsletter distributed via email and posted on the Internal Web Site. It will feature a column to be titled, What’s New This Week, in which the network will share best practices in strategic objectives. A series of articles in the Gazette will explain the program’s statewide approach to strategic objectives in six key areas:

• Marketing • Professional Development and Certification• Program Development: Products and Services• Special Projects• Strategic Partners and Alliances • Technology, Information and Communication


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