Posted by Kathy Ormosi on May 20, 2013
[Source: Click here for full article at NJEDA Website]
In support of Governor Chris Christie’s commitment to get grant assistance to storm-impacted businesses as quickly as possible, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) held a special Board meeting approving the creation of the Stronger NJ Business Grant Program. Beginning May 1, small businesses that sustained at least $5,000 in Sandy-related physical damage can apply for grants of up to $50,000. …
“The Governor’s immediate goal is to get grant assistance to impacted businesses to ensure they have the capital needed to resume or maintain their operations,” [said EDA Chief Executive Officer Michele] Brown . “The Stronger NJ Business Grant program will allow us to get critically needed funding to our impacted businesses in the most expeditious way.”
Under the Stronger NJ Business Grant program, small businesses may apply for grants of up to $50,000 per location. All applicants under the program must have sustained at least $5,000 in Superstorm Sandy-related physical damage, including damage to real property and non-perishable/non-consumable inventory. Eligible uses of grant funds include reimbursement of working capital, inventory, equipment, renovation and new construction at the place of business. HUD may require funds for physical damage, including equipment, furnishings, fixtures, machinery, and construction to be subject to additional reviews, environmental clearances, and National Flood Insurance Protection coverage that could delay the provision of grant assistance. Grants to businesses located in Special Flood Hazard Areas may be structured as forgivable loans in order to assist the applicant in complying with federal requirements for property insurance. …
Applications must be received on or by October 31, 2013. For more information on the Stronger NJ Business Grant program, including: the complete list of eligibility and eligible uses of funds, application overview and instructions, Q&A, deadlines, etc. visit application.njeda.com/strongernjbusiness or call EDA’s Sandy hotline at 1-855-SANDY-BZ (1-855-726-3929).
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on April 8, 2013
Venture Association New Jersey (VANJ)
“2013 Spring Entrepreneurs Expo and Elevator Pitch Olympics”
Monday, May 20, 2013 ~ 10 am – 4 pm
Marriott Hanover, 1401 Rt. 10 East, Whippany, NJ 07981
Investors: Visit entrepreneur exhibits and
hear the elevator pitches at one event.
Entrepreneurs: Network with investors and
learn from other entrepreneurs exhibits and elevator pitches.
Network with venture capital firms, angel investors, early stage start-up companies, professional service providers, entrepreneurs and corporate licensing and strategic partnering executives.
10 AM: Exhibit Hall open – Showcasing up to 30 companies seeking capital.
12 Noon: Luncheon Program/Investor Panel – Presenting best ways for early stage companies to attract growth capital from angel or venture capital investors.
1:30 – 3 PM: Elevator Pitch Olympics*
3 – 4 PM: Exhibits Reopen – Further networking opportunities.
*An elevator pitch is a short presentation made by an entrepreneur raising money for a venture. The term describes a pitch that’s short enough that it could be given during an elevator ride when the entrepreneur has the only chance to talk with a potential investor. Just as in the real Olympics, the investor judges hold up their scores and give points ranging from one to ten.
Panelists & Elevator Pitch Olympic Judges
Moderator: Ted D. Rosen, Esq., Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP
Panelists include:
David Beatty, Managing Director, Golden Seeds
Gil Beyda, Founder & Managing Partner, Genacast Ventures
David Drahms, Principal, Osage Partners
Roger Krakoff, Founder and Managing Partner of Cloud Capital Partners
Marquee Sponsors
Fox Rothschild LLP
Raich Ende Malter & Co. LLP
Sponsors
NJ Economic Development Authority
The NY Enterprise Report
Company Exhibits and Luncheon Program: Cost : $75 (VANJ Members: $50) Given the large turnout expected for the luncheon we may not be able to accept door registrations . Reservations MUST be prepaid. Register early — last year’s luncheon was oversubscribed. Registrations after May 15th are door registrations and are $100. Registration and payment for the luncheon must be received by Monday, May 13th .
View Company Exhibits: $25 10AM – 12 Noon (Pre-registration NOT required.)
FOR REGISTRATION INORMATION AND FORM: Visit www.vanj.com and click on event button.
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on March 18, 2013
Carla Fallone
In 2013, Carla Fallone will be in Boquete, Panama, with the Global Volunteer Network, (www.globalvolunteernetwork.org), recommended and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During her tenure, she will be consulting on the design of the worldwide Entrepreneurship Development Program and the international Volunteer Placement Program.
The program is designed to work with women to promote empowerment, small business development and develop the skills for sustainable business activities. In addition, she will be facilitating the Administration, Online Communities, Marketing, Distribution channels, and Fair Trade Certification. She will also be volunteering with The GEM Project, a multinational jewelry-making initiative for mothers with children with disabilities and young pregnant teens. The project is designed to inspire empowerment, positive thinking, global giving and creative power. Its objective is to train women to start their own business, thereby encouraging self-reliance for themselves and their children.
Since 2004, Ms. Fallone has counseled and mentored entrepreneurs and existing small businesses at Raritan Valley Community College, The College of New Jersey and Rutgers University. She works with Chambers of Commerce and municipalities, small business, commercial, and economic resources throughout the area, as well as instructing workshops for various community colleges and government and business organizations. She is the owner of Fallone Business Resources and an adjunct professor for the TCNJ School of Business Management.
For more: www.linkedin.com/in/carlafallone
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on March 18, 2013
News 12 Host Cara Di Falco With Esther Psarakis
On March 14, SBDC counselor Esther Luongo Psarakis was featured baking up a batch of her “Taste of Crete” Greek Wine Cookies with Cara Di Falco, the host of “Cara’s Cucina” cooking segment airing on NJ News 12.
Psarakis, who counsels and instructs classes on food-related and start-up topics at the SBDC @ RVCC, is the founder of Taste of Crete ™ and Managing Partner of the Foodpreneur ™. Taste of Crete, located in Hillsborough, N.J., is a gourmet and natural food company whose mission is to bring the finest regional and artisan products from Greece as well as creating inspired family recipes here in the United States. Products include the company’s Gold medal-winning Taste of Crete PDO extra virgin olive oil and Evangelia’s Traditional Greek Olive Oil cookies.
Watch the video on the News 12 website: click here to watch
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on March 7, 2013
Lt. Gov. Guadano Details Work of New Jersey SBDC Network with Stop at Family Food Distributors in Kearny
Trenton, NJ – Highlighting the important resources available through New Jersey’s small business advocacy partnerships, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno today kicked off her “Critical Resources for Small Business” tour with a visit to Family Food Distributors, a specialty food distributor. The company received important assistance services from the New Jersey Small Business Development Center that have spurred its business operations in Kearny.
“The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers network is a key partner of the New Jersey Business Action Center in helping established and existing small businesses, as well as start-ups, develop, grow and create jobs for fellow New Jerseyans,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. “Their services are indispensable to our state’s economy and the success of small business and proved invaluable to Family Food Distributors.”
Married couple Patricia Mendez and John Rivas founded Family Food Distributors from the basement of their Kearney home in 2001. The company, which imports foods from Ecuador and other South American and Central American countries, now occupies a 50,000 square-foot warehouse, employs 30 workers and generates about $14 million in revenue. The company sells to supermarkets and specialty food stores in New York, New Jersey and the Eastern part of Pennsylvania.
“I still remember the first time we reached out to the NJSBDC,” says CEO Mendez. “We worked hard and we had a dream and got it started, but we needed help getting some financing. The NJSBDC located at Rutgers-Newark helped strengthen and grow our dream by guiding us through our first business plan.”
Ms. Mendez and her daughter wrote the company’s business plan after attending the NJSBDC’s eight-week business plan writing course. The NJSBDC assisted the company with its resources and finances, and helped them obtain a loan to expand operations to a new warehouse facility.
“Even today the NJSBDC consultants are always there to give us an ear,” added Andrea Castaneda, the owners’ daughter and the company’s marketing director. “The NJSBDC is usually the first place I call to get an answer. I feel like our relationship with the NJSBDC is like a partnership – it is an ongoing relationship, not just a one-time deal.”
“We look forward to working with the Mendez family to assist them with the company’s overall maintenance and growth needs,” said Brenda Hopper, CEO of the NJSBDC network.
The New Jersey Small Business Development Center’s staff and practicing business consultants help small business owners and entrepreneurs seek capital financing, expand their customer base, brand for a competitive edge, grow company revenues, write a business plan, learn about accounting and record keeping, understand small business taxes, access small business resources, enter the global market, establish e-commerce presence, commercialize technology, register a small business, and tap contract procurement opportunities.
“We are very heartened by the fact that NJSBDC was able to help the family take a dream to fruition for Family Food Distributors to the point where they are now making $14 million in sales,” said Deborah Smarth, Chief Operating Officer and Associate State Director of NJSBDC. “It shows that when businesses receive comprehensive counseling and training, it has direct impact on their development and growth and that bolsters the economy and jobs,” said Smarth.
NJSBDC’s network of 11 centers is a partnership among the federal and state governments and educational institutions. It receives funding from the Small Business Administration (SBA), New Jersey Business Action Center (BAC), the educational institutions that host the 11 centers, and other private sponsorships and grants. Small businesses may contact the NJSBDC by calling 973-353-1927 or visiting www.njsbdc.com.
The New Jersey Partnership for Action supports the vital role business plays in advancing the state’s economy and creating jobs. Led by Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, the PFA is a three-pronged public-private approach to economic development and the starting point for all initiatives, policies, and efforts to grow New Jersey’s economy and create quality, sustainable jobs in our communities. The three elements of the PFA include the Business Action Center, reporting directly to the Lt. Governor and providing the business community with a single point of contact, applying a proactive, customer-service approach to businesses’ interactions with State government; the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, serving as the state’s bank; and Choose New Jersey, a privately funded marketing, business attraction and lead generation organization that markets the state as an ideal location.
Businesses considering a move or in need of assistance are encouraged to call New Jersey’s Business Action Center at (866) 534-7789 or visit the State’s Business Portal at www.newjerseybusiness.gov.
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on January 23, 2013
Women-owned small businesses will have greater access to federal contracting opportunities as a result of changes included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program.
“Today, women own 30 percent of all small businesses up from just 5 percent 40 years ago. As one of the fastest growing sectors of small business owners in the country, opening the door for women to compete for more federal contracts is a win-win,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills.
The NDAA removes the anticipated award price of the contract thresholds for women-owned small businesses (WOSB) and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSB) to allow them greater access to federal contracting opportunities without limitations to the size of the contract.
Every firm that wishes to participate in the WOSB program must meet the eligibility requirements and either self-certify or obtain third party certification.
To qualify as a WOSB, a firm must be at least fifty-one percent owned and controlled by one or more women, and primarily managed by one or more women. The women must be U.S. citizens and the firm must be considered small according to SBA size standards. To be deemed “economically disadvantaged,” a firm’s owners must meet specific financial requirements set forth in the program regulations. . . . For additional details and to read the rest of this article, click here.
For more information on the Women-Owned Small Business Program or to access the instructions, applications or database, please visit www.sba.gov/wosb.
Source: SBA.gov News Release 13-03 Thursday, January 17, 2013
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on December 20, 2012
NJSBDC Success Award winner Brandon Kurazawa, owner of Music Notes Academy in Bridgewater, NJ.
Brandon Kurzawa, a client of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC), was recently presented with the 2012 New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC) Success Award.
Kurzawa, owner of Music Notes Academy in Bridgewater, received the award at the New Jersey Small Business Annual Growth Success Award Luncheon, held December 14 at Forsgate Country Club, Monroe Township. New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno served as the Success Award Luncheon’s keynote speaker.
Kurzawa has been teaching music since 1999. In the summer of 2005 he began meeting with SBDC counselors at RVCC to discuss starting a private music school with a retail component in New Jersey. RVCC counselors assisted him with developing business and marketing plans; securing insurance coverage; and using QuickBooks to maintain his business records, as well as other small business start-up issues.
Kurzawa officially launched Music Notes Academy in September 2006. This past June Music Notes retained 14 employees and, despite the difficult economy, in the first quarter of 2012 increased its earnings as compared with the same period in 2011. With the help of the SBDC at RVCC, Kurzawa’s award-winning Music Notes Academy has already expanded and promises to continue to grow in the future.
For additional information about working with the SBDC at RVCC to assist your small business, contact Allison Gill, 908-526-1200, ext. 8516, or email sbdc@raritanval.edu.
RVCC’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. Serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 40 years, the College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates. RVCC @ Bridgewater, located at 14 Vogt Drive, offers technical, trade, credit and non-credit courses.
The College is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on December 20, 2012
Assemblymen Troy Singleton, Declan O’Scanlon, Jr., NJSBDC Chief Operating Officer Deborah Smarth, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, NJSBDC Chief Executive Officer Brenda Hopper, Assemblyman Gary Chiusano & Senator Stephen Oroho (Left to Right)
(Monroe Township, NJ) – Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno told hundreds of small businesses there are now two New Jerseys – a green one and a red one – and one will help the other rise up.
The green area is the majority of the state that was not severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy and the following Nor’ Easter that hit the Jersey Shore so hard Oct. 29.
The red zone is “devastated to the range of about $37 billion with 230,000 homes lost … $500 million in funds have already been distributed in emergency aid,” she told attendees of the statewide New Jersey Small Business Development Centers Network Annual Luncheon at the Forsgate Country Club. ”Believe me. I know. I live on a street named Riverview in Monmouth Beach, just a block from the town that used to be Sea Bright.”
Guadagno made her remarks at NJSBDC network’s annual Small Business Growth Awards Luncheon, a tribute to the leadership of 13 thriving small businesses located across the state – all clients of the NJSBDC network – as well as their advisors from the 11 NJSBDC centers and two specialty programs located statewide. [The winners included Brandon Kurzawa, owner of Music Notes Academy, a community music school and in-home music lesson provider in Bridgewater, NJ. Kurzawa’s business benefited from counseling provided by the NJSBDC of Raritan Valley Community College at Bridgewater.]
All of the honored businesses said they could not have even expanded or started their company, let alone see it flourish, without the help of the NJSBDC network counselors and experts. They credited their success to the assistance of the network.
The Lt. Governor also thanked the NJSBDC network for all they have done to advance business in the state, as well as their incredible support of businesses during the storm.
The NJSBDC network counsels almost 6,000 small business clients annually, sponsors more than 900 training seminars and events each year attended by over 13,000 entrepreneurs and helps facilitate millions of dollars in financing for its clients each year.
For the full story and list of NJSBDC Success Award winners, click here.
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on December 12, 2012
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has announced the implementation of a business impact assessment for small businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy.
The survey, created in partnership with statewide business groups, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA), the State Chamber of Commerce, Commerce and Industry Association of NJ (CIANJ) and National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) will help inform the Administration and industry leaders about the most pressing needs of those small businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy.
The results will not only allow for direct follow up with respondents about their issues, but help formulate broader strategy when it comes to business recovery around the state, including the specific resources required by business owners and what they identify as areas of concern for the near and long term.
If your business was affected by the storm, please take a moment to fill out this survey.
Your response will help the state more fully assess the needs of our business community – both financial and otherwise – as New Jersey works to recover from the storm.
To read more about the survey, click here.
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Posted by Kathy Ormosi on November 13, 2012
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and the following storm that hit the east coast area recently, many local small businesses have been impacted and may be in need of recovery assistance. Below are helpful links to get the information and help you may need as a small business owner if your business was damaged or interrupted as a result of these storms.
Federal
For those impacted by Hurricane Sandy: Provides guidelines, forms and links to help register for assistance with FEMA, find out about shelters, housing and other aid, search for FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers in your area, receive answers to question in the FAQs section, and more.
Help from the U.S. Government before, during and after a disaster. Reduce paperwork and time required to apply for aid, check progress of your application, get latest news on declared disasters and information about federal disaster recovery centers, shelter, food, water, medical and relocation services. Learn about how to apply for help from 17 government agencies, apply for help from FEMA; research Small Business Administration loans, continue Social Security benefits, find local resources and more. Check the “Contact Us” and “FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)” sections for additional useful information.
Information about SBA’s response to the 2012 hurricane and tropical storm season. Includes state-specific links for disaster help, updates from the SBA about Hurricane Sandy, small business loan programs, procurement opportunities and more. For more information about SBA’s disaster assistance programs, visit www.sba.gov/disaster or call our disaster assistance center at 1-800-659-2955.
State of New Jersey
County
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