score business advice

Table of contents

ScoreBusinessAdvice.com SCORE Business Advice 1

Before Starting Your Business, Ask Yourself Pg 2

Business Plans Are Not Difficult Pg 3

Do You Have the Right Insurance Coverage? Pg 4

Business Planning – It’s the Process Not the Product Pg 6

3 Steps to Finding a Free Business Mentor to Help Start or Grow Your Business Pg 8

Meet Your Orange County SCORE Volunteers Pg 9

What is Crowd Funding and How Can it Help You? Pg 10

Promoting Your Business On the Internet Pg 12

Local Chambers of Commerce Pg 14

County Clerk Offices Pg 15

Local SCORE Chapters Pg 15

Business Resources Pg 16

SCORE Business Advice www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com

Published 1 time per year.

Advertising inquires: A&E Advertising and Web Design Edison Guzman: (845) 940-5369

Subscription inquires: www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com

Publisher: A&E Advertising and Web Design

Editor: Edison R. Guzman

Advertising: Edison R. Guzman

Published: September 2013

Copyright© 2013 A&E Advertising and Web Design

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated or converted into machine-readable form or language without

the written consent of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the

publisher.

Please note: The information contained within this magazine is for

educational purposes only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up to date and reliable complete information. No warranties of any kind are

expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in rendering legal, financial or professional advice. By reading this magazine, the reader agrees that under no circumstances we are responsible for any losses,

direct or indirect, that are incurred as a result of use of the information contained within this publication, including - but not limited to errors,

omissions, or inaccuracies.

2 SCORE Business Advice ScoreBusinessAdvice.com

Hello. My name is Edison Guzman, and

I am the current Chapter Chair of

Orange County SCORE Chapter #465.

This publication was created to help

you either start your own business, or

help grow your existing business.

Our Chapter and others nation-wide are

here to help you realize your dream of

starting and growing your business.

You are welcomed to call and schedule

a one-on-one confidential, no-cost

counseling session, so that we can

answer any questions and guide you on

your road to business success.

Our SCORE Chapter is conveniently

located in Montgomery, NY within the

Orange County Chamber of Commerce

Business Resource Center.

You can reach us at (845) 457-9700

between the hours of 9am to 5pm

Monday through Friday.

We also host workshops throughout the

year, so ensure to visit our web site,

www.OrangeNYScore.com for the

most up-to-date schedule.

Take Care,

Edison R. Guzman

Chapter Chair SCORE #465

Before Starting Your Business, Ask Yourself: 1) What are you best at?

What is your past experience? Do you have natural talents? What do

you like to do? Are you a fast learner?

2) Is your idea a good idea?

Check the trends. Google.com/trends, Google.com/think

3) Is there a big enough market?

Infousa.com, google.com/publicdata, City-Data.com

4) Is there a need?

Does your idea get rid of pain, gives pleasure or none?

5) Who else is doing it?

Google.com, Bing.com, YellowPages.com

6) What is the profit potential?

How many products must you sell or service hours must you deliver in

order to meet monthly expenses and thrive?

7) How do I fund it?

Savings, friends, family, banks, investors, credit cards.

8) Do I need to protect my idea?

USPTO.gov

9) Build or buy?

Do I build a business from scratch, buy an existing business, or invest in

a franchise?

10) Partnership or alone?

Do you thrive with others, need their expertise, or their money?

Answering these questions is just the start. In order to really see if your business

is truly a good idea, you will need to create a business plan. You can do it

yourself, with the help of SCORE counselors, or hire someone to create the plan

for you.

Once you’ve gone through the business plan process, there are 7 steps to

starting your own business:

1) Choose your company name.

2) Research and register the domain name for your company . aeDomain.com, GoDaddy.com, NameCheap.com

3) Choose company legal entity (Sole Proprietor, Partnership, C Corp, S Corp, LLC, LLP, PLLP) and file. dos.state.ny.us/corps/bus_entity_search.html

4) Apply for EIN (TIN) number . IRS.gov

5) Open company bank account.

6) Acquire required permits, licenses, and file retail tax collection forms if necessary. nys-opal.com

7) Implement marketing plan.


Business Plans Are Not Difficult Charlene Maurer Finerty

Would you believe business plans need not be difficult nor confusing? But they take time. Plans are a step-by-step process to organize, refine and develop dozens or hundreds of scattered thoughts. Not having one is an invitation to consume more time and money later, money you may not have then. Planning discovers mistakes and omissions.

To make a business plan less scary, think of it as an overgrown term paper with a cover page, table of contents, body and appendix. Sound familiar? It is a story in words and numbers. The Narrative holds primarily words and some numbers. The Appendix may contain more numbers than words. Various options may be considered and decisions made. The longer it takes the more arduous the changes become. I think 6 to 8 weeks is a good time frame.

The process of writing a plan records what you know and alerts you to what you need to find out. It helps you work through facts like www.Census.gov indicates the population for Orange County NY in 2010 was 372,813, and 26,488 or

7.1% were under 5 years old. Projections for 2012 indicate 6.8% to be under 5. We learn 1,726 males and 3,862 females were over 85. If we want to sell a product or service for young or older individuals these are clues to judge demographics. It tells us there were 137,025 households in 2011 and 91.5% were occupied. You may not find the exact information you want, but may glean enough detail to work the numbers to fit your need. Local Librarians are your best friends to recommend and use databases.

One of the main concerns is to keep the Narrative and Appendix in agreement. I’ve seen statements under management that the owner will be the only worker yet under business description it said open from 5:00 am til 9:00 pm seven days a week.

Advertising comments may say the business will use business cards, fliers, Little League shirts and billboards yet have only $25 twice a year in advertising expense. This happens as we get tired and/or rushed and review the same composition so many times we do not recognize variances.

Ask detail-oriented people you know and trust who have not worked on the plan to see if facts match and it makes sense to them. Or, have a professional critique your plan before relying on it for management or a loan request.

The Year One Cash Flow is probably the most important page in the plan. It is called Cash Flow for a reason – cash on hand balance must flow from month to month for twelve months. Amazingly many published cash flow examples do not do this. So be careful. The Cash Flow is a prediction of the company checkbook in a perfect world but the world is not perfect. Thus, don’t spend all the money you have or have access to borrow. Keep an untouched pot of gold at the end of your dream because running a business is reality.

Charlene owner of Plans and Profits, LLC teaches, edits and writes custom business plans. She also markets a 6 ½-hr class on DVD. See PlansAndProfits.com, and BusinessPlanWritingClass.com. Contact at 845.343.1515 or [email protected]

http://www.Census.gov

http://www.PlansAndProfits.com

http://www.BusinessPlanWritingClass.com


Do You Have the Right Insurance Coverage? Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, CLU, RHU

During client interviews, my goal is to understand clients’ risks and needs so I can best help them.

By asking questions and listening, areas that cry out for coverage are discovered. Many times the business owner never knew coverage was available for a need she didn’t know she had. “I’ve never heard about that before”, they’ll say. “Do I really need that coverage?” The answer is usually, ‘it depends’.

It depends on the business type, the business owner’s landlord or lender, even the business owner’s willingness (and ability) to take risks. Some coverages are mandated by law, such as Workers Comp and NY Disability. Some are required by lenders and landlords (property/liability), and all are designed to provide payment should you suffer a covered loss. The paragraphs below highlight some of these coverage types and identifies why they may be necessary.

Workers Compensation (WC) - Do you have employees, on payroll or not, and do you want to cover yourself? Even if you pay your workers on a 1099 basis, you may have to cover them for WC, but too often employers learn this when it’s too late...after someone is injured or the state sends a

noncompliance letter with a fine attached. If you need WC, you most likely also need NY Disability. Did you remember to get it?

Property - Do you have a building or business contents that you’d lose, say, in a fire? Does your lender require it to cover their interest in a loan to you? Think about it, you may have thousands of dollars in equipment and inventory that could be gone in a flash. A few premium dollars today, could prevent thousands lost tomorrow.

Liability - Do you have customers come see you? Do you go see customers? Does your landlord require it? As a business owner, you have a target on your back and people will sue you. Are you prepared? If you are an LLC or corporation you may think you are protected from personal lawsuits. Think again. There are plenty of cases where a business owner was held personally responsible, despite being a corporation or LLC.

Auto - Do you have a vehicle(s) for use in your business? Do your employees use their cars for your business? Just because the car is insured through a personal policy does not mean you are covered. Some of the largest writers of personal auto insurance will deny claims that occur

during business use of a vehicle. Depending on the vehicle, a business auto policy may provide more coverage at a lower premium.

Errors & Omissions - Do you give advice to clients for a fee? Could someone sue you for breach of contract? Lawsuits for bad advice or improper dealings are not covered in standard liability policies.

Business Income - Will your revenue stop if your business is shut down due to a covered loss? Will your employees suffer with no income while the business is not operating? Sure, you may have property coverage to rebuild your building and buy new stock, but will the business survive this downtime? Business income coverage can provide the capital needed to keep a business afloat.

Employment Practices Liability - Do you have employees or customers? If so, then this coverage is almost mandatory in today’s climate. It will cover employee or customer lawsuits for discrimination, among other things.

Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, CLU, RHU is

a broker at Hutchings Insurance

Agency in Middletown NY. Visit his web

site at HutchingsInsurance.com or call

him at (845) 343-2148.


Business Planning – It’s the Process Not the Product Eric Egeland, CPCU, AU

As a consultant I am constantly trying to explain to people the value of research and planning.

A child who wants to be a CEO doesn’t want to have to learn how to be a CEO… they just want to be one. As adults, we learn that’s not how it works. Even if we get that degree, people still want experience. They want to know you have gone through some processes, growth, pain, and failure so you know what to do next time. The degree gets you a $50,000 salary but the experience is what gets you the $500,000 salary.

So why it is that some entrepreneurs and managers constantly want to skip the value that lies in the process? When they are contemplating starting a new company, buying an existing one, or marketing a new product they want to just get to it. Is it because they think they are too smart? Maybe they feel they have already paid their dues and have enough experience? Is it because they are lazy? Or is it because it is just no fun to learn when you can just get to the end product?

I guess maybe that’s part of the fun of being an entrepreneur... doing what you want. But if you look at successful large companies with long term profitable success; they are able to sustain because they don’t skip the process. The CEO of Honda doesn’t pick the shape and color of his personal dream car. He engages the company in the process of determining what the customer wants. Then they determine the best way to effectively market the new car using that information. This process allows them to put out a car that has the best chance of selling. And they are pretty darn good at it based on historical results. Now just imagine what kind of company they would be if the CEO just churned out whatever fit his fancy over the years.

I think entrepreneurs and managers blow off analysis and planning because they don’t understand the tremendous value in doing them.

The process is nothing more than collecting information and answering

thought provoking questions. For instance, who is your ideal customer? I often get, “anybody who purchases the product I sell.” Yes, the world is your oyster but we are looking to grow your company. We need to determine who your IDEAL customer is so we can more effectively find them and appeal to them. Six hours later the value of this not so simple, but crucial question starts to emerge.

Those stumper questions (whatever they may be for your particular situation) are the ones that will make your business successful because they force you to figure out the answer BEFORE lunging forward.

This process has saved many an entrepreneur and manager from financial failure just like it saves Honda from putting out ugly cars.

By Eric Egeland, CPCU, AU – President of Capacity Business Consulting, Inc. – CapacityConsultingInc.com


Your Marketing Plan In a Nutshell What Why When How How Much Who

Products/

Services

What products do

you need?

What need does it

fill?

When do you

need it?

How will the

product fill the

need?

Product cost,

volume to be

sold, etc.

Who is your

target market?

Price What price will

you sell it for?

Why is that the

right price?

How long will that

price be valid?

How will the price

develop over

time?

How much sales

and margin will be

created?

Different prices

for different

segments?

Place How will products

be distributed?

Why choose

these channels?

When do

customers

choose different

channels?

How will we

create or enter

these channels?

What are the

cost/benefits of

these channels?

How do different

segments use

different

channels?

Promotion What types of

promotion to be

used?

Why choose

these activities?

Timing: Launch,

lifecycle, etc.?

How will the

promotions be

executed?

Costs/benefits of

the promotions.

Target groups

for various

promotions?

Other What is the

market size of

your market?

Why should

someone buy

from you?

When do you test

different

strategies?

S.W.O.T.

analysis?

How much can

you scale/grow

your business?

Who is your

competition?

3 Steps to Finding a Free Business Mentor to Help Start or Grow Your Business

In just 3 steps, we’ll show you how to find, develop and

nurture a business mentor that will help you through the

booms and busts of small business ownership. Whether

you’re just getting started, or are a business veteran and

looking for answers, the following will help you find the

right help for you.

Step 1 - Figure Out What You Need Help With — and

Yes, Everyone Needs Help from Time to Time

Pick out the top three challenges you or your business

faces—and prioritize them in order of having the biggest

impact on your business success.

Step 2 - Carve Out Time in Your Busy Schedule to

Devote to Meeting with a Business Mentor It’s not easy for entrepreneurs to find time to meet with a

mentor when so much is happening with the business that

appears to be and maybe is, more pressing. But, in order to

get help, you have to commit some of your time and energy

to meeting with your mentor. It’s just like exercise—you’ll

be glad that you did it and will feel energized when you

finished.

Step 3 - Find a Mentor you Click With There are several local SCORE chapters nationwide. Choose

the most convenient for you for a face-to-face confidential

meeting. If you can’t get to a local chapter, visit

www.Score.org for an online, or “virtual,” mentor.


Meet Your Orange County SCORE Volunteers

Volunteer: Paul Campanella

Company: Action Plus Project Management Expertise: Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, Food and Cosmetic Manufacturing and FDA Compliance. Project Management, ISO9000, HACCP, Global Food Safety

Volunteer: Kristian Diaz Company: Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union Expertise: Banking, financial services and Insurance

Volunteer: Eric Egeland, CPCU, AU Company: Capacity Business Consulting, Inc. Expertise: Feasibility Studies, Funding, Analysis, Business Improvement

Volunteer: William Fioravanti Company: Orange County Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Sales, Marketing & Public Relations, Non-Profit, Business Operations, Retail and Wholesale Trade

Volunteer: Charlene Finerty, Chapter Co-Chair Company: Plans and Profits, LLC Expertise: Business Plan Service, Business Operations, Business Strategy & Planning

Volunteer: Valerie Gross Company: Orange County Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Chapter Support, Workshop Registrations, Appointment Schedule

Volunteer: Edison Guzman, Chapter Chair Company: A&E Advertising and Web Design Expertise: Advertising, Marketing, Web Design, Internet Marketing, Graphic Arts

Volunteer: William Herring Company: Retired Expertise: Sales and Marketing, Manufacturer Representative, Mergers & Acquisitions, Wholesale Operations, Business Services Consulting

Volunteer: Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, CLU, RHU Company: Hutchings Insurance, Inc. Expertise: Property, Casualty, Life, Health and Disability Insurance Broker

Volunteer: Harvey Horn (Former Chapter Chair) Company: Retired Expertise: Management, Product Development, Plastic Manufacturing and production

Volunteer: Lewis Kornish Company: Retired Expertise: Business Operations, Sales, Marketing & Public Relations, Supply Chain Management, Business Strategy & Planning

Volunteer: Cynthia Marsh-Croll Company: Orange County Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Business Operations, Public and Professional Organizations, MWBE Certifications

Volunteer: Michael Mazzuca Company: Riverside Bank Expertise: Business Banking, Commercial Lending and General Banking

Volunteer: Rolland Peacock III Company: TD Bank, N.A. Expertise: Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Business Finance & Accounting, Business Strategy & Planning

Volunteer: Kim Petro-McCrum Company: Petro McCrum Consulting, LLC Expertise: Small Business Accounting, Budgeting, and Process Improvement, QuickBooks

Volunteer: John Rosenberger Company: Goldstein Karlewicz & Goldstein LLC Expertise: CPA, Tax Manager

Volunteer: Carol Smith, Chapter Co-Chair Company: Orange County Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Government Initiatives and Special Projects

The volunteers of Orange County SCORE, Chapter #465, have rich and varied business backgrounds. Counselors share their business expertise and knowledge in all aspects of small business. In addition, all counselors have specific areas of expertise, which are listed below. To learn more about each counselor, please visit our local web site, www.OrangeNYScore.com.

Call (845) 457-9700 to schedule a free face-to-face counseling session. We will evaluate your needs and match you with the perfect counselor that will help you start or grow your business.

http://actionplusprojectmanagement.com

http://capacityconsultinginc.com

http://orangeny.com

http://plansandprofits.com

http://orangeny.com

http://aeadvertising.com

http://hutchingsinsurance.com

http://capacityconsultinginc.com

http://orangeny.com

http://petromccrum.com

http://gkgcpa.com

http://orangeny.com


What is Crowd Funding and How Can it Help You?

You have a business idea and need

financing? What if you could connect

with a group of like-minded people

with funds to spare? You will have a

good chance of getting investors, right?

That’s exactly what crowd funding is.

In simple terms, crowd funding means

raising capital for any business venture

through a ‘crowd’ of small investors.

Is it Legal?

Yes, crowdfunding is legal, Congress

passed H.R.3606 on 3/23/2012.

How does it work?

Crowdfunding uses the reach of the

social media and the Internet to make it

easy for entrepreneurs to connect with

potential investors. Add to that, the

power of microfinance, and you have a

capital raising technique with a huge

potential.

In simple words, you post a pitch

online, use tools like social media,

blogs, and word of mouth of publicity

to spread the word and catch the

attention of potential investors.

Crowdfunding sites offer a powerful

platform where entrepreneurs can pitch

their business ideas, spread the word

about their pitch, and connect with

interested investors registered on the

site.

The Crowd Funding Advantage:

The hardest part of starting a business is

raising capital. Crowd Funding can

make the road smoother. Here are the

top advantages:

It’s the most cost effective

technique to raise funds for your

project.

You get feedback on your idea,

even before you launch your

business and get a feel of what the

market response is likely to be.

Crowd Funding can also double-up as a

marketing tool! You can create a buzz

about your business even before it’s

launched.

Crowdfunding websites can help you

find a community of small investors to

fund your business, without the risks of

traditional financing.

Some sites focus on funding creative

projects. Other sites focus on meeting

specific needs in the marketplace or

community.

Crowdfunding Websites

(SCORE does not recommend or

endorse any crowdfunding sites)

33needs. 33needs enables everyone to

invest, make a social impact, and earn

financial rewards. Promoting business-

led solutions to our world’s biggest

needs, it provides crowdfunding for

social entrepreneurs, social enterprises

and companies with a social mission.

Ventures are organized under these

categories: the planet, education,

community, health, opportunity, and

sustainable food. Investment dollars are

exchanged for rewards offered by

crowdfunded companies, as well as

points to redeem for special offers.


AppBackr. Appbackr is a wholesale

marketplace for mobile phone apps.

The developer posts an app or app-in-

development to the appbackr

marketplace. Backers can purchase a

bulk of apps wholesale, and the

developer receives immediate payment.

Backers can view monthly sales reports

and the daily run rate of purchased apps

on the appbackr dashboard. The

developer must be a registered Apple or

Android developer.

Cofundos. Cofundos crowdfunds open-

source software projects. Open source

software ideas are submitted and

discussed. Requirements are defined.

Specialists offer estimates on

completing the project. Bidders select

the specialists and donate bid amounts.

FansNextdoor. FansNextdoor is a

platform for all creative professionals to

promote and fund their projects

together with their fans. Create your

project, its financing goal and deadline.

If the financing goal is met or exceeded

by deadline, all contributions are

transferred to your PayPal account. If

the financing goal is not met, all funds

are returned. FansNextdoor is currently

free, but lists a fee target of 3 percent.

Transactions are subject to PayPal fees.

Kickstarter. Kickstarter claims to be

the largest funding platform for creative

projects in the world. Kickstarter

grabbed the crowdfunding spotlight

after the open source Facebook

alternative Diaspora raised more than

$200,000 on the site. Kickstarter

projects must be fully funded before

funding time expires or no money

changes hands.

Project creators are required to offer

rewards — products, benefits, and

experiences — to project backers.

Integrates with Facebook, Twitter, and

offers a widget for your website.

Kickstarter charges a 5 percent fee, in

addition to third party processing fees.

MicroVentures. MicroVentures targets

companies that are creating

technologies, products and services in

core areas, such as business products,

consumer products, electronics, online

technology, and more. Submit your

business plan and $100. If you are

approved, your business will be listed

on the website for investors to fund.

MicroVentures charges 10 percent of

the offering amount, if the offering is

completed.

PeerBackers. Peerbackers is for

business owners to raise capital from

their peers — in small increments — in

exchange for tangible rewards. Create a

personal and venture profile. Share your

story through social media share

buttons on your project page. Once

your campaign is launched, send

updates on your progress. If you reach

at least 80 percent of your funding goal

by deadline, your funding is released to

you. Peerbackers charges a 5 percent

fee, in addition to third party processing

fees

ProFounder. ProFounder is a

crowdfunding platform for

entrepreneurs to raise investment

capital from their communities. With

ProFounder tools, you plan your

fundraising, create your pitch, and offer

terms. You choose how much revenue

to share and how long (the number of

years) you’ll share it. Because this is

not a loan, your payments to your

investors are not fixed, and depend only

upon your success. And because this

isn’t equity either, you give up no

control or ownership of your company.

Each quarter throughout the investment

term, ProFounder helps you calculate

payments that each investor is due and

manage the distribution of funds owed.

Profounder charges up to a 5 percent

fee of the total funding.

Quirky. Quirky offers product

designers and inventors the chance to

bring their products to market. Submit

your idea for $10. If your idea is

selected and brought to market, you’ll

earn a share of the revenues. Influence

the communal product development

process and you’ll also earn a share of

the revenue.

RocketHub. RocketHub is a

community for “Creative and Fuelers”

— those with projects and those who

contribute. Submit your project to the

“Launchpad” for fueling. Users earn

rewards and badges, designed to display

dedication, enthusiasm, experience and

success. Keep any money raised.

RocketHub charges a flat 8 percent if

your venture meets its financial goal,

including payment-processing fees.

IndieGoGo. IndieGoGo offers anyone

with an idea — creative, cause-related,

entrepreneurial — the tools to build a

campaign and raise money. Project

categories include gaming, film, design,

education, mobile, and technology.

Integrates with Facebook, Twitter, and

other social media platforms. Offers a

widget to showcase your campaign on

your website. Unlike many

crowdfunding sites, you keep all the

money you raise, even if you don’t

meet your goal. Track contributions

with the analytics tools and stay on top

of fulfillment with the dashboard. There

is a 4 percent fee on the money you

raise when you meet your funding goal.

Third party payment processing fees

also apply.

Kiva Microfunds. Kiva allows people

to lend money via the Internet to people

in developing countries. Kiva itself

does not collect any interest on the

loans it facilitates. It is purely supported

by grants, loans, and donations from its

users, corporations, and national

institutions.

Do your research and due diligence to

see which, if any of these services is

right for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_country


Promoting Your Business On the Internet Edison R. Guzman

The internet is no longer just about

having a web site, it’s about being

found online when someone needs what

you have to offer.

Your prospective customers may

need you today, in a week, a month, or

even a year. This is why when you

create your online presence, you must

keep this in mind and plan for it.

When creating a web site, you can

do it yourself, or hire an experienced

company to do it for you.

There are many free web site do-it-

yourself services available on line, and

if that’s where you have to start, it’s

better than not having a web site.

Just keep in mind that your web site

represents you, your product and/or

services and your overall business. If

you design it poorly, it will reflect

badly on you.

These are the basic tools you need

when creating your web site:

Domain name

(aeDomain.com)

Hosting account

(GVOToolKit.com)

Web site (HTML or CMS such

as Wordpress)

Email marketing system

(GVOToolKit.com)

Merchant account

(Local bank, PayPal.com,

AcceptCreditCardsNow.biz)

Advanced users:

- FTP software (filezilla-project.org)

- HTML editor or web design

software (Kompozer, CoffeeCup

or Dreamweaver)

Photo editing software

(Photoshop, GIMP)

Audio recording and editing

software (Audacity –

audacity.sourceforge.net)

Video Camera or Web Cam

Video ripping, editing and

converting software

(AVSMedia.com)

Screen Capturing Software

(Camtasia by Techsmith.com)

These tools will allow you to create

an online presence, accept credit card

payments, keep your web site up-to-

date, add audio, add video and make

your company look as professional as

possible.

You can learn to use all of these

tools by watching online tutorials,

educational videos or becoming a

member of educational web sites such

as www.BusinessU.co.

Once you’ve created your web site,

you need to get people to see it. You do

this by driving traffic with specific

internet marketing strategies.

Here are some ways to do this:

Pay-Per-Click advertising

Search engine optimization

Search engine marketing

Back-linking

Press releases

Article marketing

Email marketing

Joint ventures

Social Media Marketing

Video marketing

Banner advertising

Solo ads

Co-op ads

Blog posting

Webinars

Teleseminars

Affiliate marketing

Forum marketing

Product reviews

Testimonials

There are dozens of ways to get

traffic to your web site. You simply

need to start a campaign and test your

way to success.

If you don’t have the time, but you

have the budget, then I suggest you hire

someone that can do this for you, so

that you don’t waste too much time and

money.

In business, you’re either investing

time in growing your business, or

investing money. You choose which is

less costly for you.

Edison Guzman is owner of A&E

Advertising and Web Design, and

founder of hvBiz.com. He can be found

at (845) 940-5369. His web site address

is www.aeAdvertising.com.


Local Chambers of Commerce Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce One Civic Center Plaza Poughkeepsie NY 12601 DutchessCountyRegionalChamber.org

(845) 454-1700

Goshen Chamber of Commerce 223 Main St. P.O. Box 506 Goshen NY 10924 GoshenNYChamber.com

(845) 294-7741

Greater Monroe Chamber of Commerce PO Box 330 Monroe NY 10949-0330 gmcoc.com

(845)475-8686

New Paltz Chamber of Commerce 257 Main Street New Paltz NY 12561 NewpaltzChamber.org

(845) 255-0243

Orange County Chamber of Commerce 30 Scott's Corners Drive Montgomery NY 12549 OrangeNY.com

(845) 457-9700

Putnam/Brewster Chamber of Commerce 31 Main Street Brewster NY 10509 BrewsterChamber.com

(845) 279-2477

Rockland Business Association P.O. Box 1567 Pearl River NY 10965 RocklandBusiness.org

(845) 735-2100

Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 405 Mongaup Valley NY 12762 Catskills.com

(845) 791-4200

The Business Council of Westchester 108 Corporate Park Drive, Suite 101 White Plains NY 10604 WestchesterNY.org

(914) 948-2110

Tri-State Chamber of Commerce 5 S. Broome St. P.O. Box 121 Port Jervis NY 12771 TriStateChamber.org

(845) 856-6694

Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce 214 Fair Street Kingston NY 12401 UlsterChamber.org

(845) 338-5100

Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 202 Warwick NY 10990 WarwickCC.org

(845) 986-2720


County Clerk Offices If you’d like to start your own business as a sole proprietor or partnership, you

must file with your local county clerk’s office. Below are seven local county

clerk’s office within the Hudson Valley. You must file a business certificate

for each county you wish to do business within. Visit each county’s web site in

order to download a copy of the business certificate.

Dutchess County Dutchess County Clerk 22 Market Street

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Phone: (845) 486-2120 Fax: (845) 486-2138

Web: www.co.dutchess.ny.us

Sullivan County Sullivan County Clerk 100 North Street Monticello, NY 12701 Phone: (845)794-3000 Web: www.co.sullivan.ny.us

Orange County Orange County Government Center 255 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924 Phone: (845) 291-2700 Fax: (845) 291-2724 Web: www.co.orange.ny.us

Ulster County Ulster County Clerk's office.

244 Fair Street

Kingston, NY 12401

Phone: (845) 340-3288 Fax: (845) 340-3299 Web: www.co.ulster.ny.us

Putnam County Putnam County Office Building

40 Gleneida Avenue, Room 100

Carmel, NY 10512 Phone: (845) 808-1142 Web: www.putnamcountyny.com

Westchester County 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.,

Room 330 White Plains, NY 10601 Phone: (914) 995-3070 Web: www.westchestergov.com

Rockland County Rockland County Courthouse

1 South Main Street, Suite 100

New City, NY 10956 Telephone (845) 638-5070

FAX (845) 638-5647 Web: www.co.rockland.ny.us

Local SCORE Chapters Dutchess - Chapter: 59 1 Civic Center Plaza Poughkeepsie, NY 10261 Phone: (845) 454-1700 x1021 Fax: (845) 454-1702 Web: www.ScoreDutchessNY.org Orange - Chapter: 465 30 Scott's Corner Drive Montgomery, NY 12549 Phone: (845) 457-9700 Fax: (845) 457-8799 Web: www.OrangeNYScore.com Putnam - Chapter: 678 34 Gleneida Avenue Carmel, NY 10512 Phone: (845) 225-6030 Fax: (845) 225-0311 Web: www.PutnamScore.org Rockland - Chapter: 677 4 North Main Street Spring Valley, NY 10977 Phone: (845) 426-1206 Web: www.RocklandScore.org Sullivan - Chapter: 697 c/o Sullivan County Partnership 198 Bridgeville Road Monticello, NY 12701 Phone: 845.343.1515 www.SullivanCounty.Score.org Ulster - Chapter: 533 1 Development Court Kingston, NY 12401 Phone: (845) 339-0468 Fax: (845) 339-0780 Web: www.ScoreUlster.org

Westchester - Chapter: 306 120 Bloomingdale Road White Plains, NY 10605 Phone: (914) 948-3907 Fax: (914) 948-4645 Web: www.ScoreWestchester.com

Business Resources Business Resources in NYS www.Business.gov

Just about anything you want to know

about running a business, including a

searchable database of available

grants and financial resources for

your business.

NY State Web Site www.dos.state.ny.us

Everything you need to know about

doing business in NYS can be found

within this web site including

taxation and finance.

Corporation and Business Entity

Database Search

www.dos.state.ny.us/corps/

bus_entity_search.html

See if your company’s name is

available before you incorporate.

Corporation filing information,

fees, and publications www.dos.state.ny.us/corps/

dom_busfile.html

NYS filing fees when incorporating

your business.

Domain Name Research and

Registration www.aeDomain.com

See if your desired domain name is

available for registration. A domain

name is the address your potential

customer will use to find you on the

Internet.

Government Loan Programs www.GovLoans.gov

A comprehensive list of all

Government loan programs, and how

they can financially help you start or

grow your business.

Grant Programs www.Grants.gov

Free listing of all available

government grant programs.

Minority and Women Owned

Business Development www.esd.ny.gov/MWBE.html

You will find information related to

the certification process, resources

for technical assistance, access to

capital, contract opportunities,

MWBE Events, and a vendor registry

search tool to help you find New

York State certified MWBEs.

Internet Tools and Resources www.GVOToolkit.com

Tools needed to get your business on

the Internet. Hosting, company email

accounts, video conferencing, email

marketing, video hosting and more.

Build your own website with these

tools.

NYS Department of Labor www.labor.ny.gov

Have employee questions? This is the

place to answer anything and

everything which has to do with labor

laws within NYS.

NYS Online Permit Assistance and

Licensing www.nys-opal.com

If you want to start a new business or

expand your current business, this

site will help you find the New York

State business permits you may need.

SCORE “Counselors to America’s

Small Business” www.Score.org

Main web site which contains many

business resources, business

templates, examples, and online

counseling.

US Patent and Trademark Web

Site www.uspto.gov

An agency of the department of

commerce. Just about everything you

need to know about protecting your

invention and more, can be found on

this site.

Small Business Administration –

www.sba.gov

The official SBA web site offering

programs and services that will help

you start, grow and succeed in

business.

IRS Web Site www.IRS.gov

Find all related issues with US

Federal taxes.

SBA (Small Business

Administration) www.sba.gov

You can get information on starting,

financing and expanding your

business.

Official U.S. Internet Gateway www.usa.gov

This is the official home page to all

of government.

Veterans www.sba.gov/vets

The Office of Veterans Business

Development's mission is to

maximize the availability,

applicability and usability of all

administration small business

programs for Veterans, Service-

Disabled Veterans, Reserve

Component Members, and their

Dependents or Survivors.

Women Business Owners www.WomenBiz.gov

Federal contracting opportunities for

women-owned small businesses

(WOSBs) .

Find Business Opportunities www.fbo.gov

Federal agencies are mandated to

advertise on this site. You can

download the solicitations that you

are interested in, and receive emails

on types of work that you are

interested in.


http://www.aedomains.com/

score business advice

Documents