Today,  key stakeholders expect companies to conduct business in a Sustainable  manner, attentive to the company’s positive and negative impact on the  Environment, Social structure, and Governance process (ESG). Such  sustainability considerations are not just for large companies, but businesses of all sizes in all sectors.

Steven  Mezzio, Ph.D., CPA, and Associate Dean and Executive Director, Center  for Sustainable Business for Pace University's Lubin School of Business,  and Richard Kravitz, Editor in Chief of The CPA Journal led this live session to achieve the following:

• Help attendees better understand ESG context, terminology, approaches, and applications.

•  Present the potential benefits associated with integrating ESG into a  small business model, such as a more resilient supply chain,  establishing ESG criteria for product/service development and vendor  selection, attracting customers, partners and employees, and brand  enhancement in the marketplace.

•  Discuss the initial steps a small business can take to begin the process  of strategically integrating and reporting ESG impacts and outcomes.

Have  you developed an innovative product or service, and found yourself hesitant to share it with prospective investors or partners because you didn’t want to see your concept stolen or duplicated? The Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) partnered with the City Bar Justice Center’s Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project (NELP) to  bring entrepreneurs legal professionals who will help small businesses navigate through the  intricacies of intellectual property law to better protect start-up ideas and business concepts.

After the presentation, there was a Q&A to address any questions or concerns participants had, and a review of free and low-cost 1:1 legal assistance available through the City Bar Justice Center.

Looking for guidance on how to form a company? The Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is partnering with the City Bar Justice Center to explain the different forms of business structure and help you choose the right one for your business. The presenting attorney will describe the respective benefits and tax implications of each structure, as well as the steps and corresponding costs associated with each.

After the presentation, there will be a Q&A to address any questions or concerns you may have, and a review of free and low-cost 1:1 legal assistance available through the City Bar Justice Center.

Want to build and grow your business and expand your client base? This workshop was hosted by the Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Pace University Marketing Professor Harvey Markovitz and highlighted sales strategies entrepreneurs can implement to land new  customers. The session also featured effective techniques for planning and executing business-to-business (B2B) and  business-to-consumer (B2C) campaigns, including "learning to cold call  the right way" to turn prospective customers into sales. Topics included developing an effective sales pitch by understanding your target customers’ needs and evaluating your lead generation efforts.

Are you sick of making small business rent payments? Have you considered purchasing a commercial property from where you can operate your small business? The Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) partnered with the NYSBDC network, US Small Business Administration's (SBA) New York District Office, and several small business lenders to review the range of resources in place to help take your business to the next level.

The panel addressed financing options for owner-occupied commercial real estate purchase and was led by SBA New York District Office District Director Beth Goldberg. This session included a review of the SBA’s 504 and 7(a) loan programs and featured active small business lenders including Dime Bank, TruFund Financial Services, and Pursuit. We celebrated National Small Business Week and meet key contacts as they grow their business!

Learn how your business can be found online with Google. Presented by Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and led by Grow with Google facilitator Petia Abdur-Razzaaq, this workshop explains how Google Search works and how you can improve a website's visibility with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The session also introduces products like Google My Business, Google Trends, Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Ads, and more.

In this workshop we’ll discuss best practices for:

• Improving your website’s visibility in Google’s organic search results, on all devices

• Creating a free Google My Business listing

• Advertising your business on Google.

The Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) partnered with the US Small Business Administration's (SBA) New York District Office to help entrepreneurs identify and respond to  government contract opportunities and deliver on those contracts for which they are selected. The workshop highlighted contracting resources available for small businesses and strategies for how to increase your likelihood of obtaining contracts from government agencies  and prime contractors.

After attending this webinar, Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners:

• Better understand the systems involved in government contracting

• Learned about the contracting support for small businesses provided by the Small Business Administration

• Learned more about how to increase your likelihood of obtaining contracts from the federal government and prime contractors​.

Cybersecurity should be of high concern for every small business because of the persistent threat of cybercrime and the many increasing legal requirements. In this webinar, attendees learned foundational information plus practical tips to secure their organizations and the personal information they are entrusted with. Then, they learned how this can translate to compliance with important cybersecurity and breach notification laws they should be aware of, such as New York's new SHIELD Act. With proper attention to cybersecurity, organizations can prevent a serious cybercrime, protect customer and employee personal information, and improve upon efficiency and information governance.

This webinar was hosted by the Pace University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and presented by John Bandler. John is the author of "Cybersecurity for the Home and Office" and "Cybercrime Investigations", runs legal and consulting practices, and teaches about cybercrime, cybersecurity, technology, and law at Pace University's law school and Seidenberg school of computer science and information systems.

The Pace University SBDC and Grow with Google Speaker Petia Abdur- Razzaaq presented this online webinar. Showing up when  customers are searching online is more important than ever. Ensure customers can find accurate, updated information about your local business on Google Search and Google Maps, no matter which device they use.

In  this workshop, attendees learned how to create and manage a Google  business profile from start to finish. In this session attendees were shown how to:

• Create or claim your Business Profile on Google
  

• Manage your business info across Google Search and Maps
  

• Use Google My Business to connect with potential customers

As  a bonus, ALL ATTENDEES received up to $150 in Google Matching Ad Credit (first-time users only) to immediately market their business with the lessons they learn and apply. 

Want to build and grow your business and expand your client base? This workshop was hosted by the Pace University Small Business Development Center, where Pace University Marketing Professor Harvey Markovitz highlighted sales strategies entrepreneurs can implement to land new customers. The session highlighted effective techniques for planning and executing business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) campaigns, including "learning to cold call the right way," to turn prospective customers into sales. Topics included developing an effective sales pitch by understanding your target customers’ needs and evaluating your lead generation efforts​​.