“ AWARD-WINNING

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

PROGRAMS

FOR THE NEW

MILLENNIUM”

NEW YORK STATE SMALL BUSINESSDEVELOPMENT CENTER

1999 Program Report

www.nyssbdc.orgNEW YORK STATE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

THE NEW YORK STATESMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

A Partnership Program with the SBA,administered by the State University of New York

of the New York State SBDCThe Vision of the NYS/SBDC is to create prosperity for all New Yorkers.

Our Mission is to provide the best business advisement and information.

IMAGINE what you can do with the best available . . .

INSTRUCTION that reaches out to local business com-munities by presenting current and emerging ideas andstrategies in an open, interactive learning environment.

MENTORING that is respectful and enriching, and thatresults in greater business success now and in the future.

ADVOCACY that seeks to engage decision makers in cre-ating a more business friendly New York.

GATEWAY to the virtual marketplace.

INFORMATION that is collected, distilled, and presented by experts utilizing state-of-the-art technology.

NETWORK of partners that helps fulfill our promise to provide the most complete and comprehensive servicespossible.

EXPERTISE that is recruited and developed to meet theunique needs of those we serve.

The Vision and Mission

Written by D. Michael Ross

Design by State University of New YorkOffice of University Relations Design & Printing

This publication is based upon work supported by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) under cooperative agreement number 9-7260-0033-14.

The support given by the SBA through such funding does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of the participants’ opinions, products, or services.

As New York prepares to embark on the New Millennium,our economic revival is accelerating and New York is once againone of the most desirable locations in the country in which tostart a business, raise a family, and shape a promising future.

New York’s government, working in partnership with privateindustry, has taken a leadership role in fostering economicrenewal by reducing taxes, cutting back on restrictive regula-tions, and giving business the environment it needs to fostereconomic development and prosperity.

Helping small business thrive and grow is the keystone for New York because small business is the backbone of New York’s economy now and in the next millennium. The New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is at the heart of ourefforts to help entrepreneurs and the owners of small businesses survive and thrive inNew York.

The SBDC has formed an important strategic partnership with the New YorkInstitute of Entrepreneurship (NYIE) for World Wide Web delivery of on-line businesseducation and training for entrepreneurs across New York and around the world. Theaffiliation with NYIE opens a significant new chapter in the 16-year history of NewYork’s SBDC that will further award-winning entrepreneurship in New York.

In this and many other ways, New York’s SBDC is a national leader with manyaward-winning programs that benefit citizens across the state. In just the last year, theSBDC at SUNY Geneseo won a 1999 Outstanding Project of the Year award from theNational Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers for its work withAmerican Rock Salt L.L.C. in Livingston County. The mine, formerly foreign owned,had closed—costing several hundred well-paying jobs—when the SBDC, working withlocal entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, assembled the financing to reopen and mod-ernize the mine. In the year 2000, American Rock Salt will produce 2.5 million tons ofsalt a year—60 percent of New York’s annual production—saving New York taxpayers$25 million a year in transportation costs related to importing rock salt. The economicimpact of this one project was $135 million.

The SBDC at Corning Community College has won the SBA’s Vision 2000 Model ofExcellence Award for their Women’s Business Roundtable—an information and entrepre-neurial assistance network for female small business owners in the Southern Tier. Overthe last decade, hundreds of women business owners have helped each other along theroad to success.

The SBDC at SUNY’s Buffalo State College won another Vision 2000 Model ofExcellence Award for their KidBiz Program in which over 350 youngsters in grades threethrough seven learn about entrepreneurship and sell their own products at special tradeshows.

I congratulate the SBDC for its award-winning programs and for helping NewYorkers realize their dreams by starting their own successful small businesses here inNew York.

Governor, New York State

Governor George E. Pataki

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Since its founding in 1948, the State University of

New York and its campuses have pursued leadership in public

higher education, research, and public service. This mission

drives our strong commitment to the economic well-being of

New Yorkers and the communities in which they live.

The New York State Small Business Development Center

(SBDC), administered by the State University in partnership

with the Small Business Administration, is a fine example of this commitment.

Through 23 regional centers and 40 outreach offices across the state, on the campuses

of State University and its educational partners—including CUNY and private

universities—the SBDC provides entrepreneurs and the owners of small businesses

with the assistance they need to turn an idea into a business, or help an existing

business thrive.

The diversity and strength of small business has been a key factor in New York’s

economic resurgence. Small business will lead the way for growth in the new millen-

nium, and the State University will be a proactive partner in that growth.

By complementing local ingenuity with business know-how, the SBDC contributes

mightily to the growth of regional economies across New York. As the SBDC’s adminis-

trator, SUNY is proud of our role in supporting the state’s small business sector and in

helping an ever-increasing number of New Yorkers achieve financial independence by

owning and operating their own successful businesses.

Chancellor, State University of New York

Chancellor Robert L. King

• Every ten minutes of every day, a New York entrepreneur launches a new business.

• Every five minutes, the owner of an existing business takes positive steps to improve, expand, or restructure his or her New York business.

• These entrepreneurs manage change creatively and serve as the backbone of the New York economy today and in the New Millennium.

Did you know, for example, that:

• US businesses employing fewer than 20 people create more jobs each year than the Fortune 500 companies combined;

• With fewer than 500 employees, 99 percent of businesses in New York qualify as small businesses;

• 89.9 percent of the exporters in New York are small businesses, exporting $48.9 billion in goods and services;

• between 1992 and 1996, small businesses created most of the new jobs in New York; and very small businesses (fewer than 20 employees) represented 80.5 percent of small business growth;

• from 1987 to 1996, the number of woman-owned small businesses in New York increased by 70.2 percent.

If you are a New Yorker who has a dream of starting your own business…or if you own a business that you want to make moresuccessful and profitable, here’s the one name you need to know: The New YorkState Small Business Development Center(SBDC).

The SBDC offers world-recognized expertise in helping you start and grow abusiness—and in working directly with youto get your existing business headed towardgreater profitability.

The SBDC works with entrepreneurs andsmall- or medium-sized business owners like

The New York State Small Business Development Center

SMALL BUSINESS: EMBARKING ON A NEW MILLENNIUM

3

you on a one-on-one basis, helping youdevelop a winning business plan, locateappropriate sources of funding, and findmanagement information, market research,and export opportunities around the globe.

The SBDC can help you integrate e-com-merce into your marketing plans. We canhelp you get a grip on rapid changes in technology and help you avert any negativeimpact on your business from global competition.

We are committed to your success. Andthere is no charge for the SBDC’s direct coun-seling services.

The New York SBDC is sponsored by theUS Small Business Administration (SBA) andadministered by the State University of NewYork (SUNY). SBDC regional offices arestrategically located around the state, on thecampuses of SUNY and SUNY’s educationalpartners, including City University of NewYork and private universities.

There are 23 of these strategic counselingsites, along with 40 networked, full-time out-reach offices—one of them is near you (seemap on page twent-five). Wherever you livein New York, you are never more than anhour away from an SBDC office.

At these centers you will find talented,dedicated business advisers who have onegoal in mind: assisting you and assuring yourbusiness success. They undergo a rigorousprofessional certification process to keep theirbusiness expertise up to the minute and theirinteractive skills sharp.

SBDC business advisers also can tap intoone of the most advanced and responsivebusiness information resources in the coun-try. The New York State SBDC ResearchNetwork is a statewide clearinghouse of busi-ness information and research. The ResearchNetwork provides SBDC business adviserswith the latest enterprise-specific informationthat can help you turn a great idea into athriving business.

• 78 percent received specific recommen-dations that improved their business’bottom line.

Opening Doors to China

Exporting goods and services to expand-ing markets overseas will be a major growthopportunity for small business in the NewMillennium. The People’s Republic of Chinais a rapidly emerging economic power—with1.27 billion consumers and a ready marketfor New York products and services. TheSBDC—representing New York State—hasassumed a key role in opening up trade oppor-tunities for New York’s small- and medium-sized businesses by entering into cooperativeagreements with the State Science and Tech-nology Commission of China and Chineseindustrial parks to take advantage of a rangeof business, trade, and investment opportunities.

At two exhibition halls in north and southChina (Nanhai and Tianjin), major exhibitionspaces have been set aside for the display ofNew York products and services to Chinesemarkets. Purchasing agents and buyers fromprovinces, special districts, and autonomousregions regularly visit these cities to inspectand purchase goods for use back home.These exhibition spaces are the best-knowndestinations in China for buying goods andservices from New York’s small- and medium-sized businesses.

One of China’s most pressing needs is for pollution remediation and environmentalcontrol products and services. For fifty yearsas a closed society, China was not in a posi-tion to address its spiraling environmentalpollution problems. Today, China’s booming,Western-oriented economy has added signifi-cantly to existing high levels of air, water, andsoil pollution. The government of China hasearmarked $4 billion to help arrest and solvethis problem.

A partnership between the SBDC and theEnvironmental Business Association (EBA) of NYS—representing the majority of NewYork’s environmental protection and remed-iation businesses—has opened up this enor-mous market to New York companies. TheSBDC and EBA will jointly sponsor a specialEnvironmental Products Trade Show at theNew York State Small Business Trade Centerin the city of Tianjin, showcasing New Yorkenvironmental protection products and services. The New York businesses that

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The SBDC focuses on manufacturingbusinesses, technology-oriented firms, andcompanies in economically distressed areas,incubator tenants, exporters, and projectsthat advance the job development and invest-ment priorities of New York State. The SBDCprioritizes the needs of minorities, women,veterans, and the disabled.

The SBDC works in partnership withother state and federal agencies and with theprivate sector to develop innovative programsthat respond to New York’s economic devel-opment needs. The quality of its programs iswidely recognized. In 1999, for example, theCorning Community College SBDC won anSBA Vision 2000 Model of Excellence Awardfor its Women’s Business Roundtable. Thiswas on of five major national awards theSBDC has won in the last two years.

People Helping People Gain Business Expertise

Although the SBDC’s expertise is availableto all New Yorkers, we especially target under-served populations. Statewide, of the 14,012SBDC clients served last year, minority clientscomprised 33 percent of the total. Of thisnumber, 59 percent were African-American,18 percent Hispanic, 13 percent Asian, 5 percent Puerto Rican, and 5 percent NativeAmerican. In all, a full 48 percent of SBDCclients were women.

Since its founding in 1984, the SBDC has worked with 138,426 clients one-on-one,accumulating a total of more than one millioncounseling hours—an average of 8.5 hoursper client. During this time, the SBDC hashelped clients acquire and invest over $1.36billion in private and public funding for theirbusinesses; in turn, these companies havehelped create or save 62,286 jobs in NewYork State.

The SBDC conducts a post-counselingevaluation survey of clients to find out how it is doing and how it can improve services.Results from the 1999 survey indicate thatalmost all clients reported having been wellserved:

• 96 percent reported that their inquiries received prompt attention;

• 92 percent said that they could not have afforded private counseling services;

• 93 percent would recommend SBDC services to other small businesses; and

continued on page 7

One of the priorities of the NYS/SBDC is compli-ance assistance—helping New York companies

become aware of, and compliant with, state and feder-al regulations that impact their businesses. The SBDCResearch Network is an invaluable resource in mattersof compliance assistance. When, for example, theFirst Coast Guard District (covering Maine throughNew Jersey) issued a regulation that prohibited singleengine tugboats from hauling petroleum, VeronicaMarshall, vice-president and co-owner of KosnacFloating Derrick Corp. was directly affected.

Kosnac is a 68-year-old family-operated tugboatbusiness located in West Brighton, Staten Island, andoperating in New York harbor. All of its tugs aresingle-engine.

Compliance with the new regulation would betime-consuming and cost many hundreds of thousandsof dollars, and Marshall thought they might have to goout of business. Enter the SBDC Regional Office at theCollege of Staten Island. SBDC representatives workedclosely with the family, the Small Business Adminis-tration, and US Congressman Vito Fossella, amongothers, to obtain a tempory waiver of the regulationfrom the Coast Guard while the family consideredretrofitting options. As a result of concerted effort byall involved, the temporary waiver was granted, and a company important to Staten Island’s economy forsix decades stayed in business.

Millions of Dollars

Thousands of Jobs

Retail

Serv.

Whol.

Manu.

Const.

Ag.

Other

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Program Inceptionto September 30, 1999

Total Investment Impact:$1,368,976,106

Total Number of Jobs:62,286

Investment in niche market and specializedmanufacturing continues to grow in New York.

Business Sectors Economic Impact

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Staten Island Success Story

KOSNAC FLOATING DERRICK CORP.

Victoria Marshall and her mother, June Kosnac

In the Oswego County hamlet of Texas, New York, The New York State Department of

Labor/Small Business Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP) has made a difference

for Debora Backus. SEAP participants can collect unemployment while they launch their

small businesses. “I couldn’t have afforded to start my own business if I’d had to give up my

unemployment,” says Backus. She had often thought of turning her apple orchard into a farm

market and craft store. When she was laid off from her management position in retail, the

opportunity to realize her dreams presented itself. The SEAP program helped, and the SBDC

at Onondaga Community College worked with Backus to develop a marketing plan and

sources of supply for her products. The stand is open and thriving.

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Onondaga Success Story

FARM MARKET/CRAFT STORE

Debora Backus

participate in the special trade show will have a head start in supplying the needs of a gigantic market and impacting our globalenvironment.

Turning Unemployment InsuranceRecipients into Employers

The SBDC works in partnership withmany other state and federal agencies, as wellas the private sector, to develop innovativeprograms that respond to New York’s economic needs.

An example is the federal Self-Employ-ment Assistance Program (SEAP), a coopera-tive effort between the New York StateDepartment of Labor and the SBDC.

SEAP encourages New Yorkers to re-enterthe workforce by helping them start theirown business while they collect unemploy-ment insurance during startup. The program is targeted at people most likely toexhaust their unemployment benefits beforefinding comparable conventional jobs.Individuals who fit this profile attend SBDCworkshops detailing the challenges andopportunities of starting a business.Participants are then required to take at least20 hours of entrepreneurial training.

Since the inception of the SEAP program,over 3,750 enrollees have come to the SBDCto receive a full complement of business ser-vices. SBDC adviser services have been verysuccessful in helping 77 percent of enrolleescreate their own jobs by starting companies.

Unemployment Insurance recipients inthe SEAP partnership have a far greater like-lihood of ending up gainfully employed thando non-enrollees. SEAP enrollees who havestarted enterprises leverage their success further by creating, on average, 1.7 new jobs per venture. For all enrollees, this hasresulted in over 5,400 new jobs per year. It is conservatively estimated that these newemployees generate over $28 million in new state tax revenues and reduce transferpayments by a similar amount. It also is estimated that a commendable 31 percent ofenrollees who start businesses earn incomeexceeding their pre-layoff income.

The NYS/SBDC and NYS Department ofLabor were 1998 recipients of the SBA’s Office ofAdvocacy Vision 2000 State Model of ExcellenceAward for the Self-Employment Assistance Program.

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Thousands of Clients

Thousands of Hours

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Counseling Statistics

Transforming Information into Profits

In today’s rapidly changing business climate, if you don’t have the latest informa-tion on markets, demographics, regulations—and better information than your competi-tion has—you could be out of business.

Since 1992, New York’s SBDC has spon-sored the SBDC Research Network – a clear-inghouse of the latest and most useful busi-ness information. Since its inception, theResearch Network has provided reference,research, and other specialized informationservices in response to more than 35,000requests by SBDC business advisers on behalfof entrepreneurs and small businesses. Theresearch requests cover a range of topics, asillustrated by the following sample questions:

• “My client runs his family’s manufacturing business. He wants to expand the line of products fabricated at the main plant. Can you tell us what our competitors are doing?” The Research Network informa-tion specialist assembles an information packet for the client that includes a list of competitors within as well as outside the local area and information about the range of products sold by those competitors.

• “My client has an idea for children’s clothing in which a picture or lettering is positioned on the garment so the child can see it. Can you find a patent for this type of thing?” The information specialist conducts a search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark database and locates a patent that exactly matches the client’s invention. A researcher doesn’t always find an exact match during a patent search, but in this case, the specialist can tell the adviser and client that someone else has already patented the idea.

• “I have a client who owns a tugboat and has provided a variety of services in a local harbor for several years. The prob-lem is that a new Coast Guard regulation will force her out of business unless we can find the right contacts to request a waiver or exception.” The Research Network information specialist identifies several contacts that might help solve the problem and works in concert with the adviser to assist the client. Based upon

continued on page 11

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the proper appeal, the regulation is deferred up to 18 months to allow impacted small businesses to comply.

The highly trained and experiencedlibrarians who serve as information specialistsat the Research Network use a variety of print and electronic sources to locate infor-mation for clients. In step with trends in theinformation industry, these librarians andspecialists make extensive use of the Internetto locate information of specific interest tosmall business.

The Research Network page on theNYS/SBDC website www.nyssbdc.org provides electronic access to the constantlygrowing body of information bearing on thesuccess of small business. Those interested insmall business topics will find over 250 linksto associations, nonprofit organizations, gov-ernment agencies (including the SBA), andeducational institutions. The informationspecialists continuously update an in-housefile of information collected from trade associations, government agencies, businessand trade publications, and a variety of other sources.

The Research Network is always lookingfor ways to improve the identification, collec-tion, and delivery of information to SBDCclients. The latest innovation is the develop-ment of a collection of information to helpsmall businesses comply with local, state, andfederal government regulations. The collec-tion will contain reports from federal andstate agencies with regulatory jurisdictionover small businesses.

Visit the SBDC on the World Wide Web

E-commerce is the wave of the new mil-lennium. An estimated 17 million Americanhouseholds will make a purchase online thisyear. And business-to-business e-commercewill outpace traditional business-to-consumercommerce. The Internet is an extraordinarybusiness tool—not just for sales, but also forbusiness information. In June 1999, a newSBDC website was rolled out, as a one-stopresource for your small business needs.

Visit our website, at www.nyssbdc.org.You can learn more about the mission of theSBDC, and read about successful New York

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Millionsof Dollars

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Retail Service Whole. Manuf. Const. Ag. Other

FundingJobs

When Faith and Robert Sigler wanted

to purchase a safe and secure indoor

childcare/children’s amusement facility in Vestal,

New York, consisting of jungle gyms and other

healthy exercise equipment, they asked the

SBDC at Binghamton University for assistance.

The SBDC helped the partners prepare financial

projections and other documentation required

by lenders. The Siglers soon had assembled

$325,000 in financing, and Smartplay reopened

under new management. Eighteen jobs were

saved.

Binghamton Success Story

SMARTPLAY USA

Robert and Faith Sigler

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October 1, 1998-September 30, 1999

Total Investment Impact:$296,227,804

Total Number of Jobs:6,887

Business Sectors Economic Impact

In just the past twelvemonths, SBDC clientsinvested nearly $300 million to impact almost7,000 jobs.

Orbit Digital is a post-production services company for the motion

picture industry. The principals — Randall Harris, Eric Zeller, and

Alastair Binks — digitize and edit feature-length films and edit for theater

and home videotape. The three started their company in a corner of a loft

in downtown Manhattan. With help from the SBDC at Pace University, the

partners have grown their company to 12 full-time employees and offices

on both coasts. The SBDC worked with them to develop a business plan

that produced $375,000 from a commercial lend-ing institution for new

equipment and facilities. Orbit Digital achieved a three-year revenue and

profitability goal in just 12 months. Annual revenues are approximately

$3 million and growing. “We couldn’t have achieved nearly as much

without the SBDC,” says Harris.

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Pace Success Story

ORBIT DIGITAL

Randall Harris, Eric Zeller and Alastair Binks

entrepreneurs. You can locate the SBDCregional center nearest you, and find key contacts to answer questions fundamental togetting a business up and running. In addi-tion, the SBDC Research Network has identi-fied over 200 hot links of potential interest toyou, in categories as diverse as Internet com-merce, intellectual property, and financingissues. For example, there are links to theSBA, the Venture Capital Resource Library,the Export Institute, the Intellectual PropertyNetwork, and more.

The New York SBDC website strives to bethe preeminent stop for entrepreneurs aroundthe state. We invite you to e-mail us withyour reactions to the site, and suggestions tomake it better.

Transitioning Defense Industries to Commercial Enterprises

The Defense Economic TransitionAssistance (DETA) program was authorizedby the Small Business Administration toenable SBDCs to help small businessesimpacted by the reduction in defense spend-ing and closing of military bases in recentyears. The program is designed to allowsmall- and medium-sized New York defensecontractors to reposition themselves andserve commercial clients.

The Defense Loan Transition Assistance(DELTA) program is a joint effort of the USSmall Business Administration (SBA) andDepartment of Defense (DoD) to providefinancial and technical assistance to smalldefense-dependent firms adversely affectedby defense spending reductions. Using fundstransferred from DoD, the SBA guaranteesloans by participating lenders to qualifieddefense-dependent businesses. The loans are made through the SBA’s 7(a) and 504 programs, under modifications coveringdefense economic transition loans.

The NYS DETA program has helpedclients access over $16,740,000 in capital.This translates into 542 New York jobs savedor created. Over the last 12 months, programeconomic impact has increased by more than$8.9 million in capital accessed and 228 jobssaved or created.

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You can access additional informationabout DETA/DELTA at www.wixvax.net/mfo/delta.html

Helping Native Americans Become Entrepreneurs

For the past seven years, the SBDCregional center in Jamestown has encouragedentrepreneurship and the formation of smallbusinesses among the Native American popu-lations in Western New York. NativeAmerican tribal communities have been iden-tified as a special needs group within NewYork State, experiencing higher unemploy-ment rates than the population at large, andthe negative impacts of social problemsaccompanying high unemployment (such as drug abuse and broken homes).

In 1993, the Jamestown SBDC was con-tacted by the Seneca Nation of Indians tohelp develop small businesses on theCattaraugus and Allegheny reservations.Today, an SBDC business adviser staffs anoffice at each of these reservations to helpclients solve business startup problems. ASeneca Nation Revolving Loan Fund—set upwith funds contributed by New York State—has helped underwrite Native Americanenterprises.

In 1997, the SBDC received an $80,000award from the Kauffman Foundation todevelop Native American entrepreneurialtraining programs. Nationally, this was oneof just eight awards specified for minorityoutreach programs and the only one forNative Americans. Thanks to this award, theSBDC now has an effective business-trainingcurriculum in place for Native Americanscalled Business for Beginners, or Jumpstart.In the past four years, Native Americanclients have completed over 237 traininghours. Two hundred six clients have com-pleted the counseling program. Twenty-twoNative American companies have beenfinanced, with total funding of $3 million.One hundred nine new jobs were created,and 27 jobs saved.

Through additional support from theKauffman Foundation, a curriculum inBusiness Ownership was presented to theMohawk tribe in the Akwesasne Territory. An additional 45 Native Americans attended

Entrepreneurs of the Year

1999 SBDC VeteraWhen a North Couwhich Mike Colelloput up for sale, ColPeter and Joseph, achased the companSprings, a bottler oWhen the companypercent per year, neto customer demanJefferson Commun$750,000 in financthat has increased c

1999 SBDC Growth Company of the YearVirtual Development Systems (VDS) David Leis, president,specializes in developing and implementing growth strate-gies for corporations involved in construction, engineering,manufacturing, health care, and education. When VDSneeded to expand from a local into a regional company,Leis visited the SBDC at Corning Community College.With SBDC help, Leis developed a business plan that net-ted $239,000 in financing. The company has grown froma sole proprietor to a leading-edge management consultingfirm with offices in New York, New Jersey, andPennsylvania.

Joe Bucci with Bud Van Arsdale, Director, Geneseo SBDC

1999 SBDC High-Technology Company of the YearPeter and Nancy Woytowich are partners inFluorotechniques Membrane Products, Inc., a Schodackcompany that manufactures porous filter membranes forthe biomedical, chemical, instrumentation, and pollutioncontrol industries. Roughly a quarter of its sales are over-seas. When the partners needed a larger manufacturingfacility, they contacted the SBDC’s Manufacturing FieldOffice (MFO) in Troy. The MFO provided assistance withbusiness planning and site selection. With MFO help, thepartners located $700,000 in financing to construct a new10,000-square-foot plant. Fluorotechniques aims toincrease its skilled personnel from nine to 20 by the end ofthe year and expand into oil/water/chemical separationequipment for markets in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

1999 SBDC Entrepreneur of the YearWhen a Dutch-owned salt mine, which had been operatingin rural Livingston County for many years, flooded and theowners announced it was closing, 200 well-paying jobswere eliminated. Joe Bucci, a local real estate broker, wanted to reopen the mine. With help from the SBDCGeneseo Outreach Center, and after two years of intensivework, American Rock Salt began operations. Today, themine produces 60 percent of New York’s annual saltrequirement and saves taxpayers $25 million a year intransportation costs. The economic impact of this oneproject totaled $135 million. American Rock Salt won theNAMTAC 1999 Outstanding Project of the Year Award.

David Leas with Bonnie Gestwicki, Director, Corning SBDC Assemblyman H. Rob

1999 SBDC Rural Entrepreneur of the YearNancy Merkley, RN and nurse practitioner, dreamed opening a family-oriented health clinic in rural Lisbonear Ogdensburg. She had worked for years at area htals and outpatient clinics and had seen how rural hecare needed to be improved. In spring 1998, Merkleher dream to the Canton SBDC. With SBDC help, Mlocated an appropriate site for a clinic and identified ing sources. The SBDC helped with marketing. She another RN formed a partnership with a local physicpurchased and renovated a building, and opened UpFamily Health Care in May. Total economic impact: o$180,000.

(From left) VP Deborah George, Nancy and Peter Woytowich Paul Higgins, representing State Senator James Wright, and Nancy Merkley

The New York State SBDC’s 1999 Staff Training and Professional Development Conference, heldOctober 20-22 at Alexandria Bay, on the St. Lawrence River, included a special awards luncheon t which 1999 SBDC Entrepreneurs of the Year were honored. Here are the award-winners.

reneur of the Yeared spring water business— inveteran, was a partner—wasan opportunity. With sons-law Scott Clement, he pur-nded Frontenac Crystalturally filtered spring water.as grown by a steady 10 to 15xpand and retool in response

o called on the SBDC ate to help him assemblenew automated bottling planty 500 percent.

1999 SBDC African-American Entrepreneur of the YearBorn and raised in Nigeria, Diana Ramsey Oduwa personi-fies vision, persistence, and the will to succeed. For 15years, her ADI Acorn Distributors, Inc., has merchandisedreplacement parts for computer, medical, and automotiveequipment for the U.S. Agency for International Develop-ment and New York State government agencies. Whendemand for her services grew, Ramsey Oduwa needed tobuild an 8,000-square-foot distribution center and officebuilding. With help from the Utica/Rome SBDC, sheobtained $500,000 from a commercial banking institution(and guaranteed by the SBA) for a new distribution centerin Utica. Last May, Ramsey Oduwa received the SBA’sExcellence in Small Business Award.

1999 SBDC Manufacturer of the YearStollberg, Inc., a Niagara Falls firm, produces casting flux-es, bottom pour fluxes, and tundish covers used in thecontinuous casting of steel. To meet increasing demand,Stollberg needed a 24,000-square-foot, $3.5-millionexpansion in 1998. They planned to borrow funds fromtheir parent company, secured by a sale/leaseback arrange-ment from the Niagara County Industrial DevelopmentAgency (NCIDA). Stollberg worked closely with theNiagara SBDC in preparing the bond application for thesale/leaseback. The application was successful. Stollbergreceived a $3,584,187 loan and has moved into expanded,modernized facilities. Forty-eight jobs were saved; fourjobs were created.

1999 SBDC Turnaround Company of YearIn the 1950s, a company called Spoken Arts pioneeredrecordings of poetry, classic literature, and multi-media edu-cational materials for adults and children. But when DanWelch looked into the company in 1995, he found that ithad been poorly managed and had lost market share. Withhelp from the Bronx SBDC, Welch assembled $175,000 infinancing—75 percent of it from the SBA, the remainderfrom a commercial bank—to purchase the company andlocate it in New Rochelle. Today, Spoken Arts has changedcourse, is developing new product lines, and is on the roadto recovering its historical position as industry leader.

with Mike Colello and family Manfred Beck, President, Stollberg, Inc. Diana Ramsey Oduwa

1999 SBDC Hispanic Entrepreneur of the YearIn 1995, Alain and Maria Mariduena started StressPublishing, Inc. in New York City. The business publishesStress magazine, directed at teenagers and young adult readers and an urban, hip-hop lifestyle. Stress, a bimonth-ly, is marketed on newsstands in the United States,Canada, Central and South America, South Africa, andEurope. When the Mariduenas needed additional workingcapital, they went to the Queens SBDC. With SBDC assis-tance, the partners were able to locate over $77,000 in private funding that positioned them to meet increasingdemand and expanding markets. Future plans call forexpanding the business to include online media.

The SBDC’s Rosa Figueroa and Rose Caban with AlainMariduena and York College Dean Ron Thomas

Dave Whitmore, representing Congressman John McHugh, with Dan Welch

this second program series, and then tookadvantage of counseling and additional SBDCtraining programs at Jefferson CommunityCollege in Watertown.

The Jamestown SBDC is the recipient of theSBA’s Office of Advocacy 1998 Vision 2000 StateModel of Excellence Award for the NativeAmerican Program.

MADE-IT!

Another innovative program made possible by a special grant from the KauffmanCenter for Entrepreneurial Leadership inKansas City, MO, is the MADE-IT program,which fosters entrepreneurial skills amongseventh-grade girls and their mothers. Fourmother-daughter teams from the Jamestown,NY, area were selected to participate inMADE-IT! The teams went through an orientation program at the Kauffman Centerfollowed by weeklong entrepreneurial train-ing. Over the summer, the mother-daughterteams wrote their business plans and prepared an infomercial.

The Jamestown SBDC provided guidancefor business plan development and imple-mentation. The SBDC also coordinatedbooster workshops to sharpen entrepreneur-ial skills, and a mentorship program withlocal entrepreneurs. The teams started theirbusinesses—which included arts and crafts, a hiking and camping service, and equestriantraining—at the beginning of the school year.Two mother-daughter teams from Jamestownmade the Kauffman Center’s final competi-tion, winning gold and silver awards.

Saluting All Veterans

The NYS/SBDC is initiating a specialpilot Veterans Business Outreach Program(VBOP) sponsored by the Small BusinessAdministration’s Office of Veterans’ Affairsand designed to provide special outreach inthe form of targeted business training, coun-seling, and mentoring for eligible veteransand especially for disabled veterans. Theprogram is directed at veterans who want tostart their own businesses and veterans whoown businesses and want to improve prof-itability. The program sets up Veterans’Business Outreach Centers (VBOC), wherecertified business advisers (and veterans)

14

help other veterans with:

1. Pre-business plan workshops

2. Business concept assessment

3. Preparing the business plan

4. Comprehensive feasibility analysis

5. Business-to-Business commerce

6. Entrepreneurial training and counseling, specifically:

• Financial assistance

• Management assistance

• Marketing assistance

• Government procurement/certification assistance

7. Mentorship.

The NYS/SBDC has always prioritized veterans for its business training and coun-seling services. But VBOP is the first programspecifically dedicated to veterans, their business needs, and the unique obstaclesconfronted by disabled veterans.

An Activist Advisory Board

The SBDC Advisory Board consists ofoutstanding individuals from banking, gov-ernment, and industry who have a majorcommitment to the future of small businessin New York. Many of them own and operatetheir own small businesses. The Chairpersonof the SBDC Advisory Board is RaymondNowicki, Managing Partner of Nowicki andCompany, CPAs in Buffalo, NY. The ViceChairperson is Gary Swann, President &Chief Operations Officer of Support ServicesAlliance, Inc., in Schoharie, NY.

This Board is making its impact feltnationally. Loretta Kaminsky, owner of Lou-Retta’s Chocolates in Buffalo, and member of the New York State SBDC Advisory Board,has been elected chair of the U.S. SmallBusiness Administration’s SBDC AdvisoryBoard for fiscal year 2000. Kaminsky is a frequent spokesperson for small businessnationally.

Additionally, Advisory Board memberWilliam Talbot, Director of Bell Atlantic’sSmall Business Market, has been elected to the National Advisory Board of the

continued on page 17

Amember of the Seneca Nation of Indians, and

a Vietnam veteran, Carson Waterman is an

artist who uses his painting to express relationships

between Mother Earth, plants, animals, and American

Indians of the Northeastern woodlands. His training

includes studies at the Cooper School of Art in

Cleveland, Ohio, an internship at the Smithsonian

Institution, and 14 years as the artist/exhibit designer

at the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum on the

Allegany Indian Reservation in western New York.

Here he operates the Carson Waterman American

Indian Art Company. His paintings are displayed at

the Museum of the American Indian in New York City

and across the US. The Jamestown SBDC helped

Waterman write a business plan that obtained over

$27,000 for his business, and advises him frequently

on marketing his extraordinary paintings.

Equity Collateral$7,369,717

Private Investor$8,497,272

Equity Cash$45,755,528

Commercial Lender$63,700,445

Venture Capital$115,135,000

Public$50,644,220

Other$5,125,622

Private$240,457,962

15

Jamestown Success Story

CARSON WATERMAN AMERICAN INDIAN ART COMPANY

Carson WatermanOctober 1, 1998 - September 30, 1999

Total Investment:$296,227,804

Funding/Investment

Scarce owner equity isleveraged by public andprivate funding to bringentrepreneurs’ dreams to life.

Cotton Hill Studios began in a private home in Albany, and has evolved into

the Capital District’s largest recording studio. With a lot of savvy and a

degree in music, Ray Rettig opened Cotton Hill Studios in 1988, and since that

time his company has grown steadily. In 1994, the company expanded into a

new facility, twice the size of the old one. With almost a half-million dollars in sales

annually, Cotton Hill Studios is known nationwide and has expanded into custom

music and videos. The Albany SBDC helped Rettig prepare a business plan and

marketing plans that have fueled Cotton Hill’s growth. In June, SBA District

Director B.J. Paprocki presented Cotton Hill Studios with the SBA’s Excellence

in Small Business Award.

16

Albany Success Story

COTTON HILL STUDIOS

(From left) SBA District Director B.J. Paprocki, SBDC Business Adviser Kelly MacDonald, Cotton Hill Studios President Ray Rettig, Cotton Hill Manager Margarite Petti, Albany SBDC Director Bill Brigham

17

Association of Small Business DevelopmentCenters (ASBDC). Talbot serves as a tele-communications, e-commerce, and technol-ogy expert in evaluating small businessopportunities.

New York Institute of Entrepreneurship

The NYS/SBDC has evolved a strategicpartnership with the New York Institute forEntrepreneurship (NYIE), which was fundedin 1998. NYIE provides the tools and skillsrequired by current and future entrepreneursthrough a combination of on-line courses,certificates, and workshops. Its current educational offerings include a certificate inentrepreneurial studies, as well as associate’s,bachelor’s, and master’s degrees with a con-centration in entrepreneurship. All NYIEprograms are taught online, making themaccessible and convenient for today’s busyprofessional. NYIE also acts as host and portalfor other educational institutions interested in delivering entrepreneurial courses via theInternet.

New Yorkers looking to open a businessalso can turn to NYIE for a variety of specialprograms. The Gerald Solomon YouthEntrepreneurial Program, for example,enables students to find out what it takes tostart and run a business of their own.Programs are offered for junior high school,high school, and college students.

Biz Tech is an online, multi-media learn-ing system for junior high school and highschool students combining entrepreneurshipeducation with information technology, whilereinforcing reading and math skills. Studentswho complete the program and pass anonline exam can earn up to three collegecredits awarded by NYIE through SUNY’sEmpire State College. You can meet theSBDC’s newest partner at www.nyie.org.

The Business of Art

Many New Yorkers are talented artists.But turning artistic talent into a profitablebusiness is not easy. The SBDC has a plan forassisting the growing number of New Yorkerswho find satisfaction in producing art. TheColeman Foundation in Chicago has awardedthe Corning Community College SBDC a

special Entrepreneurship Awareness andEducation Grant to provide entrepreneurialtraining geared specifically to artists andcraftspeople in New York’s Southern Tier.The Southern Tier is a beautiful rural areathat is home to numerous artists: painters,glass blowers, weavers, silversmiths, wood-workers, photographers, sculptors, print-makers, and musicians. Most of these artists,not accustomed to thinking of their art as apotential source of income, need specializedentrepreneurial training.

The grant has begun to have an impact.In October, the SBDC, in partnership withARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes, present-ed “The Business of Art for Artists andCraftspeople,” a day-long session on planningmarketing strategies, developing pricing,writing contracts, executing mail order,preparing for shows, and managing recordkeeping. Thirty-seven artists attended

The SBDC is seeking additional publicand private-sector funding for the program,with the goal of offering the programstatewide.

Fostering New York Manufacturing

When manufacturers thrive, the econom-ic benefits of their success spread throughoutthe economy—creating well-paying jobs aswell as new markets for materials and servicesfrom other New York companies. A coopera-tive agreement struck in 1994 between theSBDC and the New York ManufacturingExtension Partnership created the SBDCManufacturing Field Office (MFO) to assistNew York manufacturing.

The MFO was one of seven pilot pro-grams in the US that focuses on solving theproblems of small manufacturers in a rapidlychanging global economy. The MFO pro-vides broad-based, manufacturing-related ser-vices, including financial and organizationalanalysis, marketing studies, and strategicplanning for growth.

In five years of operation, the MFO hasprovided over 9,000 hours of direct manufac-turing client services. As a result, MFOclients have accessed $19 million in capital,with 880 jobs created or saved.

Hazel Davis has an entrepreneur’s

optimism. She saw an early retirement

after many years with a large company as a

beginning and an opportunity—not as an

ending. Having dreamed of starting her own

business, she set out carefully and patiently

to find the right business. When a laundro-

mat became available, she saw her chance

for success. She sought the assistance of

the Rockland SBDC. The SBDC helped

her expedite the lease, contract of sale, and

financing applications. In the end, she

assembled over $329,000 in financing,

consisting of $161,250 in an SBA-guaranteed

loan, $53,750 from a commercial lender,

and $114,150 in equity. The Briar Laundry

Center in Ossining is now open, and six

jobs have been created.

18

Rockland Success Story

THE BRIAR LAUNDRY CENTER

Hazel Davis

When Roni Figueroa wanted to start a

daycare center on Long Island, she

came to the SBDC Regional Office at SUNY

Stony Brook for assistance. The SBDC

helped her with a business plan that allowed

her to close on a $115,000 loan from a

commercial banking institution. Her daycare

center opened, with sales of $20,000, in

1994, and has grown to sales of $750,000 in

1999. Roni started her business at a time

when the importance of daycare was not

fully recognized by the business community.

Today, programs such as the Nassau County

Child Care Loan Program—a joint effort of

the Rouch Foundation, the Child Care

Council of Nassau, the Community

Development Corporation, and the SBDC at

Stony Brook—are available to help more

childcare providers find the financing they

need to get started.

Stony Brook Success Story

DAYCARE CENTER

Roni Figuroa (far right) and Stony Brook SBDC Asst. Director Lucille Wesnofske with future SBDC clients

The Buffalo SBDC, together with local

businesses, launched Kidbiz, a program

designed to give children in grades three

through six the experience of running their

own business. Four Kidbiz days are held

each year and over 350 very young entrepre-

neurs have participated. The SBDC holds a

training session beforehand, during which

the young entrepreneurs become familiar

with topics like pricing, marketing, and

customer service. The day includes music,

fun, and hard work, as the children sell

goods such as old books, toys, crafts, plants,

and baked goods. Articles about Kidbiz

have appeared in local newspapers and

Ladies Home Journal. The Buffalo SBDC

won the SBA’s Office of Advocacy Vision

2000 State Model of Excellence Award in

1999 for Kidbiz.

Buffalo Success Story

KIDBIZ

Two new millennium entrepreneurs

Dorothy Hamburg of Clinton Corners,

NY, is a physical therapist who helps

people recover their mobility after an

accident or surgery. A participant in the

Self-Employment Assistance Program

(SEAP), she wanted to rent her own facility,

where clients could exercise and receive

physical therapy. With help from the Mid-

Hudson SBDC, Hamburg located $50,000

in funding from a commercial lending

institution, and combined it with $30,000

in personal equity. Today, her business is up

and running in an excellent, well-equipped

space, where clients can receive the care

and attention they need.

Mid-Hudson Success Story

PHYSICAL THERAPY

Dorothy Hamburg

19

Mike McCorry runs Lake City Aquarium,the only fish pet store in Plattsburgh.

His motto is “We treat fish like people.” Hisshop sells fresh- and salt-water fish, aquaticplants, tank leasing and maintenance, fish-ponds, and coral reef tanks, which havebecome very popular in decorating offices.

A Vocational and Educational Services forIndividuals with Disabilities (VESID) client,Mike was referred to the SBDC at PlattsburghState University for help with a business planin preparation for starting his business. Heworked with the SBDC to research industrytrends and local market needs. Together,they developed a business plan, identifyingcompetitors’ deficiencies and new marketsnot being reached.

The hard work paid off. McCorryreceived a grant of $11,000 to help get hisbusiness launched, to which he added$3,000 of his own and $9,000 in equipment.In 1999, VESID recognized McCorry asEntrepreneur of the Year and has contractedwith him to work with other business start-ups. “I don’t think this would havehappened without the SBDC,” says McCorry.

20

North Country Success Story

LAKE CITY AQUARIUM

Mike McCorry

Jeanette Dean, and her mother, Norma

Magin, are co-owners of Kuddle Bear Day

Care in Victor, NY. They demonstrate the

tenacity, determination, and vision that are

necessary to succeed in business. In turning

their business from a home-based enterprise

into a full-fledged day care, Jeanette and

Norma overcame obstacles that would have

stopped less goal-oriented entrepreneurs.

Fortunately, they called on the SBDC

Regional Office at SUNY Brockport for assis-

tance. With SBDC help, the partners rewrote

their business plan, investigated potential

building sites, and reviewed the government

regulations that apply to the operation of day

cares. Their persistence has paid off. Today,

Kuddle Bear Day Care cares for 55 children

in an attractive facility and provides employ-

ment for nine people. “We couldn’t have

done it without the SBDC,” say the co-owners.

Brockport Success Story

KUDDLE BEAR DAYCARE

Norma Magin and Jeanette Dean

Two young entrepreneurs, Karen Kashkin

and April Hoffer, formed Creative

Apryns, Inc., in spring 1999. Both women

had extensive culinary and food service expe-

rience at New York City institutions such as

the American Museum of Natural History,

Presbyterian Hospital, and CBS. Their idea

was to start a business in “Home Meal

Replacement,” specializing in the preparation

of unique take-out meals for busy profession-

als on Long Island’s North Shore. With help

from the SBDC at SUNY Farmingdale, the

partners developed a business plan with cash

flow projections. The result was a $132,000

SBA-guaranteed loan combined with

$126,000 in equity from the partners.

Creative Apryns opened this fall, a beautiful

1600-square-foot facility on Main Street in

Port Washington that seats 42 and offers

distinctive eat-in and take-out meals.

April Hoffer and Karen Kashin

Emir Lopez has operated a successful

franchise pizza restaurant for three

years in Manhattan. When he wanted to

open a second Big City Pizza in Harlem, he

found the help he needed at the Midtown

Manhattan SBDC, located at Baruch College.

The SBDC helped him estimate project costs

and document and expedite the loan request.

As a result, Lopez was able to obtain a

$180,000 business loan from a commercial

lending institution, $135,000 of which was

SBA-guaranteed. To this, he added $60,000

in equity. The new establishment, which

created 30 jobs, is now open for business.

Midtown Manhattan Success Story

BIG CITY PIZZA

Big City Pizza

21

Farmingdale Success Story

CREATIVE APRYNS, INC.

22

NYS/SBDC Corporate SponsorsBell AtlanticAmerican ExpressSupport Services Alliance, Inc.Nowicki and Company, CPAs LLPLou-retta’s Custom Chocolates, Inc.City BankChicago TitleNew York Business Development Corp.

NYS/SBDC Public PartnersNew York State Department of LaborOffice of Veterans AffairsDefense Economic Transition Assistance

(DETA) ProgramU.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

SBA OfficersThomas BettridgeRegional AdministratorNew York, NY

Aubrey RogersDistrict DirectorNew York, NY

Franklin SciortinoDistrict DirectorBuffalo, NY

B.J. PaprockiDistrict DirectorSyracuse, NY

James J. CristofaroBranch ManagerElmira, NY

Bert HaggertyBranch ManagerMelville, NY

Peter FlihanBranch ManagerRochester, NY

SBDC Advisers of the Year

Michael Heftka (Buffalo SBDC), Business Adviser of the Year

George Telamy (Stony Brook SBDC)

1st Runner-up

Ann Durant(Watertown SBDC)

2nd Runner-up

Gloria Glowacki (Stony Brook SBDC)

3rd Runner-up

Rawle Brown(Pace SBDC)

4ndth Runner-up

23

NYS/SBDC RecentNational Awards1999 OUTSTANDING PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD from the NationalAssociation of Management and TechnicalAssistance Centers (NAMTAC)American Rock Salt(SUNY Geneseo SBDC)

1999 SBA VISION 2000 MODEL OF EXCELLENCE AWARDWomen’s Business Roundtable(Corning Community College SBDC)

1999 SBA VISION 2000 MODEL OF EXCELLENCE AWARDKidBiz(SUNY Buffalo State College SBDC)

1998 SBA VISION 2000 MODEL OF EXCELLENCE AWARDNative American Initiative(Jamestown Community College SBDC)

1998 SBA VISION 2000 MODEL OF EXCELLENCE AWARDSelf-Employment Assistance Program(In partnership with the NYS Dept. of Labor)

1997 GOVERNOR’S AWARDas the Small Business Not-for-Profit Organization of the Year

SBDC Advisory Board Officers and National Board Members. (From left) NYS/SBDC Advisory Board Vice Chair Gary Swann;

Loretta Kaminsky, Chair, SBA Small Business Advisory Board; WilliamTalbot, Association of Small Business Development Centers Advisory

Board; Raymond Nowicki, Chair, NYS/SBDC Advisory Board.

The SBA’s Daniel O’Connell, and the SBDC’s Gary Swann and Ray Nowicki, present the SBA Vision 2000 Award to

Carolyn Vaccaro, NYS Department of Labor

24SBDC ADVISORY BOARD

CHAIRPERSONMr. Raymond M. NowickiManaging PartnerNowicki and Company, CPAs LLP3198 Union Road, Suite 100Buffalo, NY 14227Tel: (716) 681-6367Fax: (716) 681-6711e-mail: nowcpal@aol.com

VICE CHAIRPERSONMr. Gary SwannPresident & Chief Operations OfficerSupport Services Alliance, Inc.102 Prospect StreetP.O. Box 130Schoharie, NY 12157-0130Tel: (518) 295-7966Fax: (518) 295-8556e-mail: gswann@ssainfo.com

EX-OFFICIOMr. Joseph MagnoManaging DirectorOffice of Entrepreneurial Partnership State University of New YorkState University Plaza, 8th FloorAlbany, NY 12246Tel: (518) 443-5502Fax: (518) 443-5469e-mail: magnojl@sysadm.suny.edu

EX-OFFICIOMr. Daniel O’ConnellProject OfficerCapital Business Resource CenterU.S. Small Business Administration1 Computer Drive Albany, NY 12205Tel: (518) 446-1118 x231Fax: (518) 446-1228e-mail: daniel.oconnell@sba.gov

EX-OFFICIOMr. Robert L. KingChancellorState University of New YorkState University PlazaAlbany, NY 12246Tel: (518) 443-5355

EX-OFFICIOMr. Felix StrevellChairman and CEONew York Institute of Entrpreneurship41 State Street, Suite 110MAlbany, NY 12207Tel: (518) 443-5606Fax: (518) 443-5610 e-mail: strevejf@nyssbed.orgwww.nyie.org

MEMBERSMr. Robert AndrewsPresidentMorse Manufacturing727 W. Manlius StreetE. Syracuse, NY 13057Tel: (315) 437-8475Fax: (315) 437-1029e-mail: bandrews@morsemfgco.com

Mr. Lee BorlandBorland Product Development, Inc.43 Saranac AvenueLake Placid, NY 12946Tel: (518) 523-4547Fax: (518) 523-4547e-mail: borland@capital.net

Mr. Richard BuerkPresidentBuerk Tool & Machine Corporation135 Grote StreetBuffalo, NY 14207Tel: (716) 873-3373Fax: (716) 873-3379

Mr. Richard D’AmbrosioDirector, Public AffairsAmerican Express Small Business Services 200 Vesey Street, NY-01-48-09New York, NY 10285Tel: (212) 640-4868Fax: (212) 619-8998e-mail: richard.d’ambrosio@aexp.com

Ms. Barbara DragoDirector New York Institute of EntrepreneurshipEmpire State College41 State Street, Suite 110MAlbany, NY 12207Tel: (518) 443-5606Fax: (518) 443-5610e-mail: dragoba@nyssbdc.orgwww.nyie.org

Mr. Hugh M. Flynn Senior Vice President, Business BankingFleet Bank69 State StreetAlbany, NY 12207Tel: (518) 447-3111Fax: (518) 447-2321

Mr. James H. Hartman Director of Veteran’s Employment

and Training for New York StateState Office CampusBldg. #12, Rm. 518Albany, NY 12240Tel: (518) 457-7465Fax: (518) 435-0833

Ms. Loretta KaminskyPresidentLou-retta’s Custom Chocolates, Inc.3764 Harlem RoadBuffalo, NY 14215Tel: (716) 833-7111Fax: (716) 833-4260e-mail: lorettak@aol.comwww.louretta.com

Mr. James A. LaskyGovernment Affairs DirectorBogdan and Faist, P.C.111 Washington Avenue, Suite 750Albany, NY 12210-2213Tel: (518) 434-9000Fax: (518) 434-2510

Mr. Robert W. LazarPresident and Chief Executive OfficerNew York Business Development Corp.41 State StreetAlbany, NY 12207Tel: (518) 463-2268Fax: (518) 463-0240e-mail: rlazar@nybdc.comwww.nybdc.com

Ms. Linda McQuinn tasmithassociates, inc.P.O. Box 544Ogdensberg, NY 13669-0544Tel: (315) 393-7991Fax: (315) 393-6250e-mail: imcquinn@northnet.orgwww.tasmithassociates.com

Mr. Greg NazarianLevonian Brothers, Inc.27 River StreetTroy, NY 12180Tel: (518) 274-3610Fax: (518) 274-0098e-mail: gregnazarian@aol.com

Ms. Elizabeth (Lisa) OliverSenior Vice PresidentNational Sales Manager, Small Business

ServicesKey Bank267 Wall Street, P.O. Box 3777Kingston, NY 12402Tel: (914) 339-6012Fax: (914) 331-3105e-mail: E_Oliver@keycorp.e-mail.com

Mr. John B. Rooney, PresidentAspen Tax Consultants, Inc.130 Albany StreetP.O. Box 324Cazenovia, NY 13035Tel: (315) 655-2525Fax: (315) 655-2545e-mail: aspengrp@dreamscape.com

Mr. William TalbotDirector, Market ManagementBell Atlantic Corp.1095 Avenue of the Americas19th Floor, Room 38New York, NY 10036Tel: (212) 395-5650Fax: (212) 840-1473e-mail: william.talbot@bellatlantic.com

Mr. Ronald ThomasAssistant Dean, Division of

Institutional AdvancementYork CollegeThe City University of New YorkJamaica, NY 11451Tel: (718) 262-3810Fax: (718) 262-2570e-mail: ethomas@york.cuny.edu

Ms. Carolyn VaccaroDirector of Re-Employment ServicesDepartment of LaborBuilding 12, Room 266State Office CampusAlbany, NY 12240Tel: (518) 485-6176Fax: (518) 457-1413e-mail: usacjv@lobor.state.ny.us

State Director/SecretaryMr. James L. KingState Director, New York State

Small Business Development CenterState University of New York41 State StreetAlbany, NY 12246Tel: (518) 443-5398Fax: (518) 443-5275e-mail: kingjl@nyssbdc.orgwww.nyssbdc.org

7.1.84 Albany

7.1.84 Binghamton

7.1.84 Buffalo

7.1.84 Niagara

10.1.85 Farmingdale

10.1.85 Mid-Hudson (Ulster County Community College)

4.1.86 Watertown

7.1.86 Jamestown

7.1.86 Utica / Rome

9.20.86 Syracuse

10.1.86 Pace University / Manhattan

4.1.87 Corning

4.1.87 Brockport / Rochester

The statewide network of 23 SBDC regional centers — and 40 full-time outreach locations — is a fully integrated and interactivesmall business consulting and training delivery system. The New York State SBDC Central Library in Albany supports the system with up-to-datebusiness information and electronic search mechanisms. When you seekbusiness counseling at one of the SBDC’s regional centers, the resources ofthe entire system are at your disposal. The centers and founding dates:

6.1.87 Rockland

8.15.88 York College (CUNY)/ Queens

8.15.88 Stony Brook

9.1.93 College of Staten Island (CUNY) / Staten Island

6.1.94 Manufacturing and Defense Development Office

9.1.94 Baruch College (CUNY) / Manhattan

10.1.98 SUNY Canton

11.1.98 Baruch College (Brooklyn)

12.1.98 SUNY Plattsburgh

1.1.00 Lehman College (CUNY) Bronx

1.1.00 Boricua College (Brooklyn)

SBDC REGIONAL CENTERS

NEW YORK STATE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERState University of New York • 41 State Street • Albany, New York 12246

SBDC Customer Service PrinciplesOur goal is to treat customers as we expect to be treated.

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

All 190+ members of the SBDC staff subscribe to the

Customer Service Principles. These ideals are embodied

by our 1999 SBDC Business Advisers of the Year.