By Ashley Schoenhardt

If you were thinking about starting a business, it could be very overwhelming.  Where can I go for help?  Well there are many places in New York State that could help you.

The first organization is called the Small Business Development Center; “their mission is to provide the best business advisement and information”(“Mission and Vision statement”, n.d).  They offer free business counseling and training class for people that would like to start up a business or expand on one that’s already there.  http://www.nyssbdc.org/index.aspx

The next organization is called SCORE, “SCORE is dedicated to entrepreneurial education and the formation, growth and success of small businesses nationwide”(“What is SCORE”, n.d). They offer free counseling and affordable workshops that are made just for your community.  http://www.scorebuffalo.org/index.html#About

Finally there is a great website that gives you a lot of information on how to get started opening your business.  It also shows, by area, where you will be able to find different resources that may help you during the process. http://www.nylovessmallbiz.com/homeasp.htm

There are many different resources that you can utilize that will relieve the overwhelming feeling and help get you started in the right direction.

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By: Samantha Sorrentino

            E-waste has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the fastest growing hazardous waste problem in the world. It’s predicted more than a billion PCs will be thrown away within the next five years. “The NYS Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act (PDF) (38 kb) (Article 27, Title 26 of the Environmental Conservation Law) was signed into law May 28, 2010” (http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/65583.html). New York State is the 23^rd state to pass an e-waste law with Maine being the 1^st state to pass an e-waste law in 2006.

 The NYS Electronic Equipment and Reuse Act requires manufacturers of electronic equipment to initiate a convenient system for collecting, handling, and recycling or reusing electronic waste. Also, the manufactures are responsible for creating and maintaining programs for discarded electronic waste. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation will oversee these programs along with the manufactures. This law will make sure every New Yorker living in New York State has the opportunity to recycle their electronic waste in an environmentally responsible manner.

Effective April 1, 2011, manufacturers of covered electronic equipment will be required to accept the following: Computers, Monitors, Printers, Keyboards, TVs, DVD and MP3 players. However, refrigerators, washers, dryers and microwaves are excluded from this law.  [It is expected new businesses will grow to accept this waste on behalf of manufacturers. JLT]

For more information on this law or how you can do your part to recycle please click on the following link:  www.dec.ny.gov/index.html.

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By Ashley Schoenhardt

If you are starting up a new business or buying an existing, have you ever wondered what kind of permits are needed?  This post will take you step by step to finding out what permits are needed to start your business.

The first step is to go to the New York State Online Permit Assistance and Licensing website http://www.nys-opal.com/.  The home page looks like this:

Next, you will click the link that says click here to start and that will take you to a page that looks like this.  Here you will choose the type of business that you would like to go into.

 After you have chosen the type of business you are going into, you will be directed to a new page.  Here you will choose how many employees you will have, what the legal structure is (i.e. sole proprietor, partnership etc.), and if it’s a new or expanding business.

Once you have chosen what your business is going to be, the next few pages you will answer questions about your business.  After you answer all the questions, you will finally know what type of permit(s) you may need.  This page will show you what you will need and also any other links that may be beneficial to you.

On that same page if you scroll down, they now give you the choice of applying online for the permits, printing them out, or having the applications sent to you house.

After you choose which one you would like to do, you will have to fill out a form and give them your information.  You are now one step closer to starting your business. Good Luck!

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By Ashley Schoenhardt

Social networking is a great tool for any business.  They can help with advertising your product and having a presence in the online world.  Social networking sites are a low cost form of marketing your business, many of them are free to sign up and free to use. 

If you are looking to market your product and get your business noticed the best site for you would be Facebook.  By creating a Facebook “Page”, you have access to millions of Facebook users.  On the page that you create you can post information about your business, add pictures, and also videos.  Facebook users will be able to access your page and would be able to get more information about your business.

If you are looking to connect with other businesses and business professionals, LinkedIn is the place for you.  LinkedIn offers you many different tools that you can use to help your business.  You can connect with other professionals in your field and build relationships; it can also help you get business online and sell your products.

Overall, both Facebook and LinkedIn offer many different ways to help your business.  Below are the links to both of the networking sites, it’s fast and easy to sign up.  Once you sign up, you are on your way to growing you business.

www.facebook.com

www.linkedin.com

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Starting and Managing Your Business

North Tonawanda Public Library:
505 Meadow Dr.
N. Tonawanda 14120

This workshop is a must for new business startups to learn all the elements of business management required for success. It is also very helpful for those in business that may be experiencing problems, or want to fine-tune their business for greater efficiency and success.

You will learn about marketing research, marketing, business planning, insurance, federal and state taxes, legal structures, government resources, financing, counseling and more. Representatives from the private sector, SCORE, and government agencies will make presentations. SCORE members will be available for counseling.

Fee: $30 Includes coffee and donuts.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010; 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

JUST PRINT AND BRING THIS POST WITH YOU TO THE WORKSHOP AND GET $5.00 OFF THE PRICE OF THE WORKSHOP. Veterans may attend Workshops at no charge.

SCORE - Counselors to America’s Small Business www.scorebuffalo.org

SCORE^® is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

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by Raj Tumber of the Las Vegas Chapter of SCORE

The Internet, at its simplest is a worldwide network of computers, called servers. Servers communicate with one another through phone lines, broadband cables and other networking resources. Servers often consist of large-capacity hard drives to host Websites, e-mail and more. They connect to end users by responding to URL commands, which are requests to view a particular address hosted by a server.

Domain names are these addresses. They’re the names associated to http or www that end with extensions such as .com, .net, .org and others. Domain names can be purchased from domain name providers. Web site hosting companies also offer domain names as part of the hosting package.

Domain names, server space and Web site design are three components required for a site to go live. Constructing a Web site is often a time-consuming task.

Business sites in many ways are interactive electronic brochures used to advertise businesses online. A business site should be laid out simply enough for potential customers to easily navigate and interact.

SCORE’s small-business counselors often tell their clients to conduct the necessary research to find the right hosting company. Here are some typical options:

Option 1: Major domain-name resellers often provide optional hosting and Web design for businesses. They can construct a business site for a set price plus monthly maintenance fees or hosting fees. This is usually a convenient method for those who want a professional site up and running that requires minimum updates each month.

Option 2: Hire a professional consultant or designer to design a Web site and host it for you. Professional designers can create, update and maintain sites regularly. This usually is more costly, but custom-tailored to the needs of a business. Some consultants can also implement special programs that allow you to update your own site. Web consultants and Web design companies usually own and maintain their own servers or rent bulk server space or servers from a third party. Depending on the frequency of content updates, some businesses hire a full-time on-site administrator for a set salary.

Option 3: Some hosting companies specialize in offering ready-made templates alongside domain names and space to host at the site, all for an affordable monthly fee. You choose a domain name, select the template that suits your business, add your content to the template, and then publish it. This requires less technical knowledge to create a decent business site with less complex features. As a small-business owner, it also lets you upload and update your own contents as needed without additional maintenance costs except a monthly hosting fee. The monthly fee varies depending on the package size and add-on features you choose for your business site. The only drawback is that you won’t have a backup copy of your Web site in case you decide to change hosting companies.

Option 4: If you completely understand design, have adequate technical knowledge and have all the necessary tools, you can design, upload and maintain your own site. This option is not recommended for an average computer user.

Consider attending no-charge counseling sessions at SCORE’s office within the SBA (fifth floor at 130 South Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo – Ste 540). SCORE also holds one-on-one counseling sessions specifically on Marketing at the Buffalo & Erie County Main Library – SCORE conference room - Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 1:30-4:30 pm. There are no charges for these counseling sessions. Call 716-551-4301 for appointments, and plan to attend a business workshop during August.

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Issue Number:    IR-2010-071

Open House Saturday June 5 to Help Taxpayers Solve Problems and Respond to Notices 

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service will once again host a special nationwide open house on Saturday, June 5 to help taxpayers solve tax problems and respond to notices from the IRS.

Approximately 200 IRS offices, at least one in every state, will be open June 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. IRS staff will be available on site or by telephone to help taxpayers work through their problems –– especially recently received tax notices –– and walk out with solutions.

“We’ve helped thousands of taxpayers resolve their problems the same day at these open houses,” IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. “If you have a question regarding a notice, a problem with your taxes or difficulty resolving a tough tax issue, we encourage you to come in and work with us.”

IRS locations will be equipped to handle issues involving notices and payments, return preparation, audits and a variety of other issues. At a previous IRS open house on May 15, close to 7,000 taxpayers sought and received assistance. About 97 percent of the taxpayers who came in for help had their issues resolved the same day.

At the June 5 open house, someone who has received a notice seeking additional information can speak with an IRS employee to get a clear explanation of what is necessary to satisfy the request. A taxpayer who cannot pay a tax balance due can discuss with an IRS professional whether an installment agreement is appropriate and, if so, fill out the paperwork then and there. Assistance with offers-in-compromise — an agreement between a taxpayer and the IRS that settles the taxpayer’s debt for less than the full amount owed — will also be available. Likewise, a taxpayer struggling to complete a certain IRS form or schedule can work directly with IRS staff to get the job done.

The open house on June 5 is the second of three events scheduled after tax season this year. The first was held on May 15. The next event, previously scheduled for Saturday June 26, will be held later this fall. Details regarding that event will be available later. 

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We took some advice recently to improve the navigation on the site.  Keep in mind, this site was built to serve three purposes. 

1. It serves as a means to an end.  Since people learn to be entrepreneurs, we needed a way to connect people to the things that can help them.
2. It serves as an online mall to connect consumers to local businesses.
3. It provides a platform on which MicroBiz Buffalo offers local businesses a way to incubate their online revenue stream.

With that in mind, here’s the navigation…

Click our logo  in the upper left hand corner to get to the site’s home page, the information desk, if you will.  If you are a searcher like me (you know exactly what you want), go to the search box and type it in.  If you don’t find the answer on our site, contact us (bottom left).  If you want to know what else we do, try the drop-down menu shown below.

 Do you have some advice you would like to give us about the site?  If you do, you can contact us or Register on the blog (right-hand side of page and down) and comment.

 Thanks.

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Hello my name is Ashley, I am a student at Bryant & Stratton College working on my Bachelors degree.  As part of our Capstone project we are currently working on developing a workshop for the Web Incubator Program.

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This is my first time blogging. I’ll be graduating in August with my BBA as long as I pass the Capstone Project. The Capstone project is about helping MicroBiz develop a web incubator program to help support  local companies have a presence on the internet and increase their revenues.

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