Research Network Blog of NYS SBDC

Empire State Development, New York City Small Business Services and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have joined up to make the certification process even easier. One application to submit for all three MWBE certification programs. Complete instructions are included in the Standard Application.

If you are currently certified as an MBE, WBE, MWBE, DBE or are part of the Federal 8(a) Business Development Programs you may be able to use the Fast Track Certification Applications.

2012 Incentives for MWBE Growth

New MWBE Regulations

New York State Contract Reporter is New York’s official publication of state procurement opportunities from state agencies, public authorities and public benefit corporations.

Check out the website.

From the Staten Island SBDC

Steve Coppola started in the alarm business in July 1977 after being with the NYPD and as a deputy sheriff in Florida. He started his working career working with his father installing fireplaces. This created in Steve a strong feeling for the importance of a family working together. It was always Steve’s goal to create an atmosphere where he could work side by side with his family and he strived to do everything possible to make that happen. He, his daughter Pamela and son Stephen are proud to say that they enjoy coming to work each day.

APB Security Systems has burglar alarms, card-access entry systems, surveillance cameras, telephone systems, intercom systems, computer networking, home theater installations and more and has a track record for the past 34 years.

Steve is the head of APB Security Systems located at 2047 Victory Boulevard, , Staten Island, NY. It is part of the family conglomerate which includes Statewide Fire Alarm Corp. a UL (under-writers laboratories) approved central station monitoring facility owned and managed by his daughter Pamela and Statewide Monitoring owned and managed by his son Steven. All three companies are headquartered in the Victory Boulevard building.

The companies have changed and grown significantly since inception. The company is a leader in the continuing changing technology. In the early days, the systems were composed of wires and foil on windows. In today’s advanced technology, items include audio detectors, radio detectors, as well as wireless systems that use transmitters to send signals back to the control panel, as well as to the central station, which will alert police and fire departments in case of an emergency.

APB recognized that they had to be more than an alarm installation business. They are in an industry where some competitors offer free systems and installation. Rather than adopting their competitor’s terms, they have chosen to emphasize quality and premium service. It has proven to be a winning combination based on result. The wholesale central station monitoring business has grown exponentially due to the integration of high tech electronics and computerization much of which has been developed by Steve’s son Steven. This business continues to grow through both their stellar reputation and their acquisitions of competitors. To prove that they are the place to work in the security industry, over 70% of the employees acquired through acquisition have chosen to stay on.

Pamela handles the finances for all three companies. She is a member of various organizations such as the Staten Island Women’s Leadership Council, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation. In 2005, Pamela was a winner of the “Make Mine a Million” business program founded by Open from American Express which is now a national movement encouraging women entrepreneurs to grow their business to the next level. In 2006, Pamela was named by the New York Daily News as one of the “30 under 30” to make 2007 “The Year of the Money.”

In 2002, Statewide Fire was started. It is only one of some 20 companies licensed to operate an approved Central Station by the NYC Fire Department. It is a female owned enterprise with WMBE Certification, which helps alarm dealers when they must show a percentage of their project is being handled by minority or woman owned firms. The company offers a full range of commercial and industrial applications ranging from small hotels, apartment buildings, and private schools to large industrial/commercial complexes with multiple locations

Some of their more recognizable clients or projects include The Richmond County Ball Park (home of the “Staten Island Yankees,”) the NYC Board of Education, Project Hospitality, the YMCA and many others.

The Coppola family is committed to giving back to the community, by volunteering and financially supporting such groups as the Boy Scouts of America, Meals on Wheels, and the Alzheimer’s Association of Staten Island, the New Springville Little League, Cooley’s Anemia Foundation, Staten Island Bucks, Staten Island Home Improvement Contractor’s Association, Staten Island Burglar Alarm Association, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Economic Development Corp.

Steven, Pamela and Steven are pillars of the Staten Island Community and have been so for many years. They currently employ 35 employees and plans are underway to expand their building so they may hire additional employees. In a time when other small businesses are contracting, they are expanding. The SBDC is currently exploring a one half million dollart 504 or 7A loan for their expansion.

Steve’s watchwords are “Integrity, what we promise we deliver and if we make a mistake, we correct it. We truly care about protecting the people. It’s not just putting another account on-line, it’s about protecting another family.”

The Coppolas have recently embarked on an expansion project. They are currently in the market for a 504 loan to expand their facilities in order to accommodate additional employees. They in the past have been a recipient of one hundred thousand dollar 7a loan. Steve is an active member of the SBDC Executive Roundtable.

Significant procurement changes recently in Article VII of the 2012-2013 NYS Executive Budget [PDF]. See Part L - modify outdated procurement procedures, pages 128-153.

The OGS Procurement Services Group's (PSG) mission is to provide customer focused procurement services through the development and management of contracts and programs that are responsive to customer needs; are cost effective, practical, and timely; and provide comprehensive and innovative procurement alternatives, thereby assisting customers in accomplishing their primary mission.

Bureau of State Expenditures Vendor Management Unit (VMU) Site
Vendor Guide to New York State’s Centralized Vendor Management Processes
Frequently Asked Questions for Vendors
Vendor Responsibility
VenRep System Welcome Package (Handbook)
SFS Forms

Let's Celebrate National Small Business Week 2012
The week of May 20th, our nation’s entrepreneurs will come together online and in Washington, DC for National Small Business Week.
Learn more about the event

Participate Online
Sign up to view the live webcast of the free educational panels. SBA will send you a reminder.
With a strong focus on how small businesses can take advantage of economic opportunities and new marketing trends, topics for the educational forums this year include:

Strategies and resources for taking your small business global through exporting
Tips and best practices for putting social media to work for your business
An open discussion on how small businesses can better position themselves to win federal government contracts
Check out the full conference schedule
...or you can follow along on Twitter with the event hashtag #SBW2012.

Attend In Person
Small business owners are invited to attend the free seminars and network with other entrepreneurs at the Washington, DC conference.
Visit the National Small Business Week site to register

Small Business Week Video Contest
Do you have two minutes and a video camera? Share your business' success story by entering the video contest. Three winning videos will be featured during National Small Business Week and shown during a Google+ Hangout hosted by SBA and the White House on May 23. The deadline for video submissions is May 15.
Enter your submission now

Would you like to receive e-mail updates directly from the Small Business Administration?
Sign up now at www.sba.gov

On May 9 the House voted to kill the American Community Survey, which collects data on some 3 million households each year and is the largest survey next to the decennial census. The ACS — which has a long bipartisan history, including its funding in the mid-1990s and full implementation in 2005 — provides data that help determine how more than $400 billion in federal and state funds are spent annually. Businesses also rely heavily on it to do such things as decide where to build new stores, hire new employees, and get valuable insights on consumer spending habits...

The fight over cutting funds for data-gathering agencies has opened up a rift in the deficit-hawk crowd. A handful of organizations that generally support big fiscal spending cuts have voiced their support for fully funding the three main data-gathering agencies: Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The Chamber of Commerce, for example, strongly advocates funding them, since its members rely so much on the information they provide on basic things such as household spending, per capita income, and population estimates. The ACS is of particular value to them, says Martin Regalia, Commerce’s chief economist. "It is especially important to some of our bigger members for trying to understand geographic distinctions and other granularity in the economy."

Tom Beers, executive director of the National Association of Business Economists, says that without good economic data, businesses would be "flying blind." He adds: "You end up in a guessing game about what’s going on in the economy. The types of losses that result are far worse than what you end up spending to fund these surveys."

More here.

At our staff training, this week we heard a series of presentations from Josepf Haslam of DragonSearch.

"We are at the dawn of a new Age with social media. It’s both an evolutionary and revolutionary age. It’s a truly disruptive technology and social system for businesses and individuals.

"I assert that you need to get social or die. If this is your view of social - and believe me, a couple years ago when I looked at Twitter, I had the idea [it was the] perfect combination of narcissism, ADHD, and stalking -... for you and for businesses, you need to change this. You need to make it your force for being found and getting business.

Headhunters, executive recruiters, employment agencies, executive search firms, staffing and personnel agencies are here to help you find that perfect career opportunity.

Finally a directory of professionals that help real people find real jobs every single day, and it is absolutely free to use!

Headhuntersdirectory.com is a great free tool out there to use.