Brooklyn's Progress
April/May 2007

“Real Brooklyn” On Display at International Food Expo
“Real Brooklyn,” a new marketing campaign by Brooklyn Goes Global, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s export/import assistance program, made its debut at the international food trade industry’s annual Food Export USA - Northeast Buyers Mission on Jan. 10, and now A Real Brooklyn catalogue/ brochure is being developed. The Real Brooklyn marketing campaign is expected to lead to special displays in stores and supermarkets. Steve Kaplansky, director, Brooklyn Goes Global, spent time discussing the new initiative and how it would create excitement for Brooklyn-made products with several leaders in the food manufacturing industry during the day-long event. For more information about Brooklyn Goes Global and the “Real Brooklyn” campaign, contact Steve Kaplansky at skaplansky@brooklynchamber.com or at 718-875-1000 ext. 104.

NYER Small Biz Awards Call for Nominations
The New York Enterprise Report will again host its Small Business Awards that will honor five small businesses for their accomplishments and best practices to generate a competitive edge and generous profits for their business in the areas of Human Resources, Marketing, Leadership, Sales and Technology. Winners will be featured in The New York Enterprise Report’s November 2007 issue, as well as other media and will be announced at The Awards Gala on Sep. 25. After last year’s sold out event, some winners and finalists were even featured on FOXNews.com. “I’ve gotten more congratulations on being named a finalist for the New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards than making the Inc. 500 list. [The Report has] built a great community,” said Dan Hoffman of M5 Networks. Nominations are being accepted until the submissions deadline of Tuesday, May 15. For more information about the event and how to nominate your company, contact HJMT Communications, LLC at 516-997-1950 or visit http://www.nyreport.com/awards

LIU and SIOSS Host Professional Development Workshops
Long Island University Continuing Studies, Corporate Education and Training Center has partnered with Small Industries' Organizational Success Strategies (SIOSS), to provide professional development training. The SIOSS Success Series is designed with a focus on developing administrative support, work teams, communications, customers/ client relations, management, and organizational skills. Spring session began in mid-April with two workshops per day from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. SIOSS will host business seminars to empower your lunch hour entitled "Lessons Over Lunch,” covering a variety of professional themes from a cultural/ community perspective, examining issues specifically related to women, entrepreneurs, and other hot topics. For more information contact an SIOSS representative at 718-919-0300 or LIU Continuing Studies, Corporate Education and Training Center at 718-488-1364.

Michael Burke Hosts “Sector B” on BCAT
"Sector B: The Business of Brooklyn" is a monthly half-hour show on Brooklyn Cable Access Television (BCAT) hosted by Michael Burke, executive director of policy and strategic planning, at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP). “Sector B” premiered in Nov. 2006 with a profile of the Business Solutions Center, a mayoral initiative that links the services of the NYC Department of Small Business Services to businesses in the five boroughs. Subsequent episodes have profiled a diverse cross-section of small business owners and professionals as well as for-profit and nonprofit institutions and organizations that provide business services in the borough. New shows air the second Tuesday of the month at 9 p.m. with encore presentations cablecast throughout the month. For more information about past shows and to view video clips, visit the BRIC (Brooklyn Information and Culture) Web site at: http://www.briconline.org/bcat/features/sectorb.asp

Small Biz Lack Plan For Protecting Credit Card Holders
The National Federation of Independent Business and Visa USA announced a partnership to help small businesses develop stronger security practices, as new survey results show that few small businesses have established data-security processes in place. More than 61% of small businesses have never sought out information about how to properly handle and store customer information. In fact, 57% of small businesses do not see securing customer data as something that requires formal planning, and 39% say they rely on common sense to keep data safe. Yet, this is the type of situation that criminals seek in order to commit payment fraud. To reach as many small businesses as possible, NFIB and Visa will be launching a comprehensive data security education program later this year. More information about NFIB is available online at http://www.nfib.com/.

SBA and USPS Unveil Video Internet Tool for Small Biz
Delivering Success, an online video-on-demand resource of successful entrepreneurs, is a nationwide SBA co-sponsorship with the U.S. Postal Service to provide small business owners with invaluable information through video interviews that are both accessible and convenient for entrepreneurs. The Delivering Success video interviews chronicle the experiences of successful entrepreneurs from around the country, and offer guidance and insight on the road to success. The videos also provide key information on the ingredients of small business success including: an overview of business basics, resources to help with business plan development, small business friendly financing, business promotion, and planning & research. For more information visit online at http://www.sba.gov/deliveringsuccess.

WIBO Workshop Fall Session
Workshop In Business Opportunities (WIBO) will be accepting applications in May for the fall semester of its 16-week workshop, "How to Build a Growing Profitable Business.” Sessions will begin in September and run through December/January. Each week budding and active entrepreneurs will be taught key business components to start and grow a business. Brooklyn Chamber Member Emily Robinson completed the WIBO course and graduated from the program on Jan. 30. She successfully launched her product, Purse Hanger™ (http://www.purse-hanger.com/), a fashionable and functional handbag accessory solution, based on what she learned at the workshop. WIBO has two locations in Brooklyn, as well as locations in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. The course is free but includes a fee for materials. Contact 212-684-0854 option 3, or visit http://www.wibo.org/.

National Celebration of Small Business Week
For the past 44 years, the nation has celebrated the achievements of entrepreneurs during the U.S. Small Business Administration’s annual Small Business Week Celebration from April 23 to April 28. This year’s annual celebration honoring the nation’s leading small business entrepreneurs is co-sponsored by SCORE. Awards will be given in the categories of National Small Business Person of the Year, Export Lenders of the Year, Small Business Prime Contractor and Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, among others. For more information on Small Business Week 2007 events, including award winner bios, visit http://www.sba.gov/sbw.

NYS Behind in Lucrative “Cleantech” Industry
The New York City Investment Fund released a recent study that showed New York State lagged far behind in the fast-growing business of clean technology or “cleantech”-basically companies that develop products or services to promote natural resource conservation. According to industry forecasters it will be a $150 billion worldwide market by 2015. Yet few New York companies are engaged in the industry. From 1999 through 2005, a mere 3.45% of $6.8 billion nationwide was attributed to New York State’s participation, which is far behind California, Massachusetts and Texas. The report makes half a dozen recommendations aimed at spurring the number of cleantech companies in the state and bolstering their ability to attract capital. New York businesses need to jump on the bandwagon as the opportunity looms for it to become the nation's largest market for cleantech products and services. To view the Investment Fund’s full report visit http://www.nycif.org/.

Council Member Liu Proposes Taxi Stands in Outer Boros
The New York City Council's Transportation Committee, sponsored by Chairperson John C. Liu, convened a hearing in March to consider legislation that would expand availability of yellow taxicabs to areas outside of the Manhattan central business district. The proposed bill would establish ten new taxi stands around the city where demand for taxicab service exists, including major transportation hubs in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Another bill sponsored by Council Member Daniel Garodnick, would grant alternative fuel taxicabs, including hybrid electric vehicles, priority status at taxicab stands operated by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

Magic Johnson Invests in Greenpoint Condos
Former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. and his joint-venture partner, Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund, will provide $12.4 million of financing to help build 110 Green Street Condominiums, a six-story, 130-unit residential building located two blocks from the Brooklyn waterfront in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. During the past four years, Canyon has helped finance several local developments, including a 17-story condominium project at 369-371 Broadway in Manhattan, and a bookstore, medical office and condominium project in the landmarked former Williamsburg Savings Bank building in downtown Brooklyn. Canyon also helped fund a 90,000-square foot project on the site of the former Brooklyn Tabernacle in Park Slope in 2003. The project includes 47 residential condominiums and 4,500 square feet of retail space. The Green Street project will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

KeySpan Merger Opposed
Citing concerns about rate increases, reliability and the large amount of debt that would be needed to finance the deal, New York state regulators opposed National Grid's $11.8 billion acquisition of KeySpan Corp., which is the largest electric generator in New York state—supplying 25% of New York City's power capacity. The Department of Public Service's merger policy panel believes the proposed transaction would create too many risks and uncertainties due to heavy debt financing and the deterioration of electric service at Niagara Mohawk, a Syracuse, N.Y. based utility that was acquired by National Grid in 2002. But according to KeySpan the company has received approvals for the merger with the exception of the state Public Service Commission and the New Hampshire Public Service Commission.

Open Call For Art Exhibition Proposals
Brooklyn’s d.u.m.b.o. arts center (DAC) invites artists or curators (individuals or groups) from all levels of experience to submit exhibition proposals for realization in its gallery space for 2008. The 3,000-square foot space is located in the historic neighborhood of DUMBO. Proposals must be original and should not exceed 2,000 words. All interested applicants are required to visit the physical gallery space and pick up a gallery floor plan from the front desk. Proposals must be e-mailed to DAC no later than Friday, June 1, to: mail@dumboartscenter.org. Subject line: Exhibition Proposal 2008. Please do not include attachments or support material. All applicants will be notified by mid-June. For more information visit http://www.dumboartscenter.org/ or call 718-694-0831.