633 Third Avenue | 16th Floor | New York, NY 10017 | (212) 219-7777
loug@balconynewyork.com
www.balconynewyork.com
Special Report: BALCONY Access for
Small Business Forum
November 20, 2009
White Plains, NY
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Small businesses are the cornerstone of the New York State economy, accounting for 98% of all businesses and employing 52% of the non-farm, private sector workforce.
Even in the best of economic times, New York Small Businesses are facing insurmountable challenges due to excessively high taxes, high regulatory costs, and burdensome processes. And, now those issues have become compounded during this time of recession. Small Businesses need to know where to turn for some answers, which is why BALCONY has taken on this challenge.
On Friday, November 20, 2009, the Access for Small Business Forum – a four-panel discussion organized by BALCONY, the Business and Labor Coalition of New York and co-hosted with The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce – addressed these key small business concerns.
 Lou Gordon BALCONY Director |
Event co-sponsors included Verizon, the American Cancer Society, WCBS880 Radio, Saratoga Capital Management, Citizens Bank, H&R Block, Atlantis Health Plan, White Plains Business Improvement District, and the New York State United Teachers. Panelists addressed an audience of more than 100 small business owners and community leaders who convened at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains to explore the possibilities that are available to foster growth and stability. BALCONY Director Lou Gordon noted that despite, or perhaps in spite of the economy, small businesses continue to forge ahead. In recognizing that small businesses play a role in BALCONY members lives, he set the stage for the panelists to come and share their information. |
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Click here for the Forum Program.
Access to Technology Solutions for Small Business
(Chris Levendos, Michael Ridley, Heather
O’Donnell, Chris Zawacki, Ron Koff, Lou Gordon)
Technology Presentations
(Click here to view the questions from the audience re Access to Technology)
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Networks, global thinking, e-resources and IT support systems now shape the profile of small businesses. As companies integrate technology into their daily operations, they also face a new set of risks that were unheard of 20 years ago. Chris Levendos, Executive Director of Verizon FIOS, explained how Verizon opted to make major infrastructure investments to meet small business technology needs. The result, services like increased bandwidth give smaller companies the ability to transfer large amounts of data and compete in ways that were unheard of as recently as even a few years ago. VERIZON Click here to view Chris
Levendos' presentation. |
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The next panelist was Michael
Ridley, NYSTAR Director of Technology, who explained how NYSTAR
is working to give small businesses global opportunities to compete the
creation of public/private partnerships. “My fear is that small
businesses, being engines of the economy for New York, don’t have
time to think of the global issues,” he said. NYSTAR
offers regional technology clusters that fuse together science and economics
for the purpose of providing small businesses with an opportunity for
innovation. This investment in taxpayer-provided resources is necessary
to ensure that small businesses can complete effectively in the 21st century.
NYSTAR (Michael
Ridley PowerPoint) Click here to view Michael Ridley's presentation. |
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Heather O'Donnell, Account Executive for WCBS Newsradio 880, explained how technology has paved the way for the company’s idea sharing and networking forum. WCBS offers on-line community that allows companies with less than 100 employees to exchange ideas and information, network, share advice and take advantage of special offers. “We made a commitment to embrace this new technology,” she said. The result left WCBS on the cutting edge and also allows the station to commit time and resources in a manner that empowers small businesses. WCBS Click here to view Heather O'Donnell's presentation. |
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Chris Zawacki, a managing
partner in GreenHouse IT solutions, warned that small
businesses should be selective before making any technology changes. He
advised the audience that before investing in any new technology is evaluate
how that product will improve your productivity. “Ask yourself a
few questions, such as ‘Is this going to make my employee base more
productive,’ or ‘For what business critical reasons are we
doing this?’ ” GREENHOUSEIT (Chris Zawacki PowerPoint [2003] [2007]) Click here for Chris Zawacki's presentation. |
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Ronald Koff,
president of Astoria Graphics noted that for many small businesses,
evolving technology also means cost-effective marketing and branding
solutions. For companies like Astoria Graphics, the
job is no longer about printing, but finding innovative ways to help
businesses personalize pre-existing opportunities to command a return
on investment, he said, noting, the key is “diversity”.
(Ron Koff PowerPoint [2003]
[2007])
ASTORIA GRAPHICS |
Adam Bradley
White Plains Mayor-elect and NYS Assemblyman of the 89th Assembly District
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In introducing Adam Bradley, the session’s keynote speaker, Mark Jaffe, head of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, said that businesses today need strong leaders and White Plains mayor-elect Adam Bradley will get the job done. The mayor-elect has represented New York’s 89th District in the New York State Assembly since 2002. “White Plains is the economic engine of Westchester County, as a center for business, government and retail shopping. It is incredibly important during these economic times that small businesses have opportunities,” said mayor–elect Bradley. “There is no doubt that the challenges that small businesses are facing today in this economy are even tougher than in the past. These are difficult times and we are going to be working very hard to make sure that White Plains is business-friendly.” |
Bradley said that under his leadership, White Plains will continue to focus on growth and economic development, looking for new ways to provide capital and looking toward the federal government for health care solutions. The city is fortunate to have the opportunity to highlight the economic vibrancy that already exists. At the same time, he said, government must learn to do more with less while resolving specific budget problems and efficiencies. “It is absolutely part of the equation.”
View Adam Bradley's Presentation
(Mayor Bradley Question and Answer session Part 1 Part 2)
Access to Business Development
(Christine Serrano Glassner, William Grinker,
Rosemarie Klotz, Jim Malski, Brian Moran, Barbara Weltman)
Business Development Presentations
(Click here to view the questions from the audience re Access to Business Development)
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While New York is typically
viewed as unfriendly to small business and over regulated, Governor David
A. Paterson is committed to changing that reputation, said William
Grinker, chairman of the Governor’s New York State Small Business
Task Force and first on the Access to Business Development panel.
The task force he chairs has just released a series of recommendations
that are based on workable solutions. Among the suggestions:
Grinker said that the on-line licensing process and an information dissemination directory of services are already available while the rest, previously vetted with the State Budget Office, will be implemented in the very near future. Click here for William Grinker's presentation: Part
1 and Part
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Rosemarie Klotz, an H&R
Block tax professional, was the second panelists in this forum.
She said that small business owners would be wise to maximize their tax
liabilities. Opportunities that may be available to businesses for this
current tax year include:
Conversely, she also warned of the importance of maintaining backup documents and receipts for any deductions since the IRS is expanding its auditing capabilities to help close the tax gap. (Rosemarie Klotz PowerPoint) H&R BLOCK Click here to view Rosemarie
Klotz's presentation. |
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The next panelist was Jim Malski,
who is the founder and president of Action COACH Connecticut.
He offered six steps for small businesses to maximize their profitability:
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Panelist Brian Moran, the founder of Moran Media, discussed the value of social media. He explained that smaller companies can benefit by incorporating social media tools into their basic marketing plan. “You don’t need to know it all, you just need to know which tools work for your business,” he said. Today’s business owners find that not only do customers have an on-line presence, competitors do as well. “If you want to stay in business got to get involved in social media, right now, today,” Moran advised. Effective business sites include places like Twitter, Google Alerts, Facebook and Linked In. Click here to view Brian
Moran's presentation. |
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Barbara Weltman, publisher of “Big Ideas for Small Business”, said that a small business owner could put his or her company at big risk by failing to follow three steps: think ahead, think defensively and work with advisors and experts. Sometimes, she warns, that means preparing for the worse-case scenario by paying attention to hiring practices and screening, including employment practice liability coverage, securing trademarks for intellectual property and creating a disaster plan since statistics show that 40% of small businesses never recover from a disaster. (Barbara Weltman PowerPoint) BARBARA WELTMAN Click here to view Barbara Weltman's presentation. | |
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"Our Business Development Solutions experts identified some of the problems Small Businesses are facing in New York, and helped steer us to some of the answers. In this time where it is no longer 'business as usual' the key to survival and prosperity is to stay on top of your business basics, think ahead, and remain flexible,” said panel moderator/Forum consultant and former U.S. SBA Advocate and Principal of C and M Transcontinental LLC, Christine Serrano Glassner.
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Access to Capital for Small Businesses
(Bruce Ventimiglia, Pravina Raghavan, David J. Conrad,
David Kornfeld, Paul Quintero, Louis Scamardella)
Access to Capital Presentations
(Click here to view questions from the audience re Access to Capital)
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Next to access to affordable
health care, accessing small business capital remains a critical concern.
A variety of government and private resources are available to assist
small businesses from conventional and government secured funding, to
less conventional high interest loans.
The Small Business Administration guarantees small business loans and also allocates funds to certain minority and socially-disadvantaged businesses. SBA New York District Director Pravina Raghavan and David Conrad, the vice president of Citizens Bank (an SBA preferred lender) said that all three entities have a strong working relationship designed to provide solid small businesses with access to growth capital. Pravina explained the variety of new SBA programs that have been released since the passing of the American Stimulus Act 2009. After a significant drop in loans last year the SBA has been marketing their programs aggressively and have begun to see an increase in loans to small businesses through their banking partners. She explained how this increase was due to the new programs and the generous new terms of some existing programs. SBA Click here to view Pravina Raghavan's presentation. David Conrad warned that while making a loan request,
the business owner must be prepared to answer what the money is for
and what type of funding is needed. For example, he said that it is
important to specify between short-term working capital or a major infrastructure
undertaking. He also noted that banks are no longer interested in taking
risks but looking for solid investments. CITIZENS
BANK |
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Click here to view David
Kornfeld's presentation. |
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Click here to view Paul Quintero's presentation. |
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Louis Scamardella, who works at the Westchester Small Business Development Center noted they can work with a business owner to prepare the loan application and other paperwork that is needed for the lending process. Additionally, SBDC (Small Business Development Centers) provide a host of business preparedness training and advisory services to businesses with challenges. NYSSBDC Click here to view Louis Scamardella's presentation. |
Access to Health Care
(Lou Gordon, Troy Oechsner, Ben Geyerhahn, Vince Ashton, Peter
Slocum, Ernie Vitolo)
Access to Health Care Presentations
(Click here to view the questions from the audience re Access to Health Care)
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Access to affordable healthcare is a priority concern for New York’s small business community. It is also a multi-faceted problem. Panelists provided an overview of insurance options, a preview of a federal universal healthcare coverage, and employee wellness options. According to Troy Oechsner, Deputy Superintendent for Health, NY State Department of Insurance, the ability to attract and retain skilled employees is closely linked the benefits package offered by small businesses. New York State has already taken steps to provide greater access to coverage by expanding Child Health Plus up to 400% of poverty level and by expanding the federal COBRA subsidy from 18 to 36 months and expanding COBRA coverage for children up to age 29. Programs like Healthy New York and an expansion of the successful Brooklynworks model have broadened the playing field for small business coverage. HEALTH Click here for Troy Oechsner's presention: part 1 and part 2 |
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In looking toward federal changes, both Oechsner and Ben Geyerhahn, New York State Project Director from the Small Business Majority, say that small businesses could fare well under a federal Universal Coverage Plan. On November 4, The Small Business Majority released its report titled “The Economic Impact of Healthcare Reform on New York’s Small Businesses,” which notes that, among other things, New York’s small business community could fare well under the system of a public/private partnership. (Ben Geyerhahn PowerPoint [2003] [2007]) SMALL BUSINESS MAJORITY Click here to view Ben Geyerhahn's presentation. |
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Click here to view Vincent Ashton's presentation.
Atlantis Health Plan is a physician-owned health insurance carrier that focuses on strong preventative care and offers online access for medical records, plus zero copay for generic drugs. Vitolo said that physician oversight is a key cost-cutting measure. ATLANTISHP Click here to view Ernie Vitolo's presentation. |
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However, the healthcare discussion is not complete without recognizing the role of personal responsibility. Peter Slocum is the Vice President of Advocacy for the American Cancer Society which has created a “Workplace Solutions” program designed to help employers foster employee wellness. This customized program is based on proven strategies geared toward specific health behavior, and offers proactive company policies fosters involvement in wellness programs and community involvement. (Peter Slocum PowerPoint) AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY NEW YORK ACTION CENTER. Click here to view Peter Slocum's presentation. |
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| The event concluded with the acknowledgment that while that the challenges faced by small businesses are vast, solutions exist through both public and private options. The key remains innovation and determination – two traits that have already helped establish New York’s small business community as the bedrock of the economy in New York State. Forum Photos may be viewed here: PHOTOS
For more information Lou Gordon, Director BALCONY | 633 Third Avenue | 16th Floor | New
York, NY 10017 | (212) 219-7777 |
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