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SPD Gazette |
Week of Jan. 7, 2007 / Issue 17 |
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DECISION MAKING Are you empowered to make decisions at work? The Professional Development and Staff Retention objective states that SBDC should: Recognize and understand the employment environment to better identify resources, programs and efforts that will enhance the skills of staff, improve retention of skilled staff, and continuously develop the skills, knowledge, creative and critical thinking skills of the staff. One of the ways the SBDC as an organization can achieve this objective is by empowering the staff to make decisions. Empowerment is a key strategy that enables staff with the need, the answers, and the knowledge to make decisions about how to best serve the customers. When you empower employees, they improve their skills and your organization benefits from their empowerment. Think about empowerment not as something a supervisor bestows on employees, but rather as a philosophy and a strategy to help people develop talents, skills, and decision-making competency. Empowerment helps employees feel competent, capable, and successful. An effective organization such as the SBDC wants to have competent, capable, and successful people delivering services to customers and making decisions to improve its processes for delivering services. It is especially important to empower the staff that is in direct contact with customers and with a unique understanding of customer needs. Supervisors can support these staff by providing information and establishing the boundaries within which they can make decisions. Effective supervisors that are committed to the success of the organization can provide both. Effective supervisors understand the following about making decisions:
SBDC wants to create a work environment that helps foster the ability and desire of staff to act in empowered ways. Supervisors can provide the growth and challenge opportunities and goals that their staff can aim for and achieve. They also can provide direction about how and when to make decisions. Supervisors can help staff make good decisions by coaching, training, and providing the information necessary. Supervisors also can model good decision making. The bottom line is that empowerment does not work until the supervisors trust staff to make decisions for the good of the organization, and the staff are willing to accept decision-making responsibility. Empowerment can help the SBDC to both develop and retain staff. |
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| "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." --- Benjamin Franklin |
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WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK? |
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The Director of the North Country SBDC attended two sessions of the EXPORT NY program, which is jointly sponsored by Empire State Development, CITEC, SUNY at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, the US Department of Commerce and the SBDC. The six-session program is designed to provide in-depth training for regional companies involved in exporting. Michael Grossman from the US Department of Commerce and Gerald Shaye from Empire State Development presented information. The second session of Export NY dealt with cultural differences, how to determine country of origin, and how to obtain a certificate of origin for various countries. The SBDC Director and two interns attended a meeting at Schonbek Industrial Lighting. On November 29, the Director of the Mid-Hudson SBDC addressed the SUNY Ulster Business Club with a presentation of How to Start Your Own Business. The event was coordinated by Professor Robert Amundson of the SUNY Ulster Business Department. The Director of the North Country SBDC attended a Government Affairs Committee Meetingthat dealt with defining the new and continuing issues for businesses in the North Country. The meetings serve as a listening post for the SBDC, and keep staff informed about the needs of the business community. The meetings also provide the SBDC and opportunity to offer input for legislative solutions to small business issues. |
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The Staten Island SBDC set up a display at one of the local banks, Victory State Bank, to distribute SBDC flyers and information packets to potential start-up clients that inquire about loans. A Baruch SBDC mentor, Prof. Robert Foskey, who counsels 6 hours per week at the center, was interviewed on The Marketplace, a radio show on American Public Media. The story dealt with franchises, one of Foskey's specialties, and as a result the SBDC-sponsored franchising seminar that he presented on December 20, 2006, was packed with last minute registrants. Although the SBDC was not specifically identified in the news report, the center expects to receive a number of calls from potential clients as a result, and expects that some of the workshop attendees will become clients. The interview is part of the SBDC’s marketing strategy of working with the Baruch PR department of the college to develop quality clients. The North Country SBDC set up a booth at the Bombardier Job Fair to inform employees about SBDC services and to make contact with individuals who might be interested in self-employment as a result of the layoffs. The Jamestown SBDC Director and two Business Advisors attended a seminar by Congressman Michael Oxley, co-author of the Sarbanes-Oxley bill, at the Chautauqua Institution. The bill, which set guidelines for ethical reporting and accounting practices by corporate CEOs, was enacted to help restore faith in American investing after Enron and a multitude of smaller unethical incidents. The new Staten Island SBDC Business Advisor is registered to attend several computer classes offered by the College of Staten Island (CSI) during the month of January. The Staten Island Office Manager is registered to attend advanced computer classed offered by CSI during the middle of the winter semester. The Director and Business Advisors from the Boricua College SBDC attended a day long Small Business Technology Boot Camp sponsored by Intel and the Small Business Technology Institute. Modules covered information about information security risks and protection, document management systems, business management applications, e-marketing, customer relationship marketing and several software applications, i.e. ACT, Microsoft CRM, Goldmine, NetSuite, Siebel CRM, and Salesforce.com, and other technology based tools.
Canton SBDC Business Advisors presented a series of workshops on business development issues for the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce's Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative. The NATC provides training and support for local businesses wanting to expand with internet-based sales. Programs were held for businesses in St. Lawrence County, Franklin County, and Essex County. The Director of the Mid-Hudson SBDC presented a seminar entitled How to Start Your Own Business at the Community Transition Center in Poughkeepsie, a half-way house program for young adults. The North Country SBDC and West Bay Financial Services co-sponsored a Small Business Employee Benefits and Retirement workshop to inform local business owners about programs to improve employee retention and take advantage of tax savings. The workshop included a brief presentation about Health Savings Accounts by an SBDC Business Advisor.
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The Boricua College SBDC Director was a presenter and Business Plan reviewer of the PowerUP! Business Plan Competition sponsored by Citibank and the Brooklyn Public Library Business Library. One of the winners was a client of the SBDC whose success story appeared in the 2005 glossy program report. |
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The Boricua College SBDC joined forces with the College of Staten Island SBDC to discuss developing two technology themed workshops with the Small Business Administration, the Department of Commerce, and the Opportunities Development Association. At the planning meeting they also discussed additional workshop topics, including Certification of Minority & Women Businesses, Procurement with Federal, State, City, and other agencies. The group proposed holding one event in Staten Island and another in Brooklyn. The Administrative Assistant of the North Country SBDC attended a presentation on video conferencing technology hosted by the School of Business and Economics on the campus of SUNY College at Plattsburgh. Though the presentation was essentially for faculty, SBDC staff was investigating potential utilization by the regional center. There were three technological methods demonstrated: “live” video conferencing; “Soft TV’ and “captivate”. Though the technology has some potential use for the SBDC, it does not appear to be convenient to the services currently offered. Perhaps as the technology and systems are refined, it may become a better option for off-site training or meeting options.
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