NYC Office Space & Entrepreneurs Stories
Learning how to be an entrepreneur with a cubicle pit-stop
By: Russ | Published: June 16, 2011 | Filed under: About small businesses
More and more students are graduating from business school and deciding to take a pit-stop at a corporate job before launching into business on their own, a BusinessWeek article discusses.Mike Norelli, a 2010 MBA graduate from MIT, experienced a collegiate entrepreneur’s dream when an investor pledged seed capital for the startup he and a few classmates had founded to convert food waste into fuel. Just as the venture was to receive that financial boost, however, Norelli backed out to accept a job at GE Energy, whose recruiter met with him after Norelli arrived at MIT’s Sloan school of Management (Sloan Full-Time MBA Profile).“No matter what I do afterwards, I’ll be in a better position—and that includes doing a startup,” Norelli says of his GE experience.Is this is wise move? Read the rest of the article and let us know your thoughts!
Dealing with bad customers
By: Russ | Published: February 16, 2011 | Filed under: About small businesses, Sunshine Suites in the news
It’s the bane of any small business owner’s existence: how do you handle bad customers? That’s the question MSNBC’s Your Business asked a group of small business owners, including members of the Sunshine NY office community, in this week’s “From the Floor”. Click to watch the video.Search Engine Optimization for Small Business
By: Michael | Published: January 27, 2011 | Filed under: Small Business Advice, Small business mistakes, Small Business Tools
Sunshine Suites: NY Office Space
This is the first post in a series explaining how to optimize your website for maximum search engine exposure.Many small business owners struggle to receive traffic from the search engines due to the tremendous competition in most verticals. Let’s begin by evaluating the core fundamentals of search engine optimization.Basic web page structure includes a header tag called the “meta.” This area is where you specify to the search engines what your site is about. In years past, all you had to do to rank well for a search term was to stuff this tag with a lot of keywords that you wanted to be listed for. The problems with this primitive approach to search technology is pretty clear. Even if your site had absolutely nothing to do with what you indicated it did, you would still rank well for it because the search providers didn’t know any better. This lead to the first evolution of search technology.With the first major evolution, search providers would send what are known as “spiders” or “crawlers” to pages that existed on the web. Unlike in the past where these technologies were to read only the meta content of a page, they were now programed to actually read the text that was on the pages. This now meant that sites would rank well based on what the actual contents of their site was about instead of simply what they indicated their site was about. As you can imagine, this was a tremendous game changer for search engine optimization as a whole. Now, you would not only have to indicate what your site is about via the meta tag content, but also ensure that what was in that field was consistent with the text that was actually on your site. While this was a major improvement, it still had blatant flaws. People could still manipulate the content on their page and stuff it with irrelevant keywords to convince the search engines their site was about one thing, when in reality it was about a completely different topic.So the search engines proceeded to take their algorithm to the next level once again. If people couldn’t be trusted to be honest on their page about what their site was really about, how could sites be evaluated? The engines evolved their algorithm to now not only evaluate a site based on the content written on it, but also based on what other sites were linking to it. If prominent, authority sites are linking to a site, chances are it has some kind of authority. The algorithm is now programed to evaluate, not only the on page content for a site, but also who is linking to it and what types of phrases they are linking to it with. For example, you will notice in the header of this post there is a link that says “NY office space,” and links to the Sunshine Suites home page. This indicates to the search engines that the Sunshine Suites site is about NY office space. This principle is now applied all over the web with other sites, linking back to your main web property.In the continuation of this series, we’ll look at:- How to find target keywords that you will have the most success ranking for.
- How to build quality links to your site, making the search engines see you as the authority that you are.
- How to develop authoritative content to make crystal clear to the search engines what you’re all about.
The Online Marketing Power Horse – Saying Goodbye to Print Ads and Billboards
By: Michael | Published: January 7, 2011 | Filed under: About small businesses
Sunshine Suites: New York Office Space
Let’s face it; the online marketing industry is a booming one to be in. With just about everyone owning a computer and having internet access, the internet is becoming a popular tool for both sellers and consumers. The internet is a notorious tool for breaking down the traditional geographical barriers of the business world and has made it so small businesses can compete just as much as the larger ones. The one thing that brings those barriers down and gives small businesses a fighting chance against large corporations is the use of online marketing.
Investing in online marketing is something every business has to do in order to enhance their company image, increase their customer base and receive a return on their company investment in literally no time. The growing trend in companies hiring firms that conduct online marketing is on the rise, but so is the cost. With the growing popularity of online marketing services, these professionals can raise the rates and rake in the dollars. It is a win-win for both companies, right? Well that all depends on the overall outlook for the online marketing industry in general.
The New Trend
With online marketing paving the way to new online advertising trends, the use of text and image advertising is basically a thing of the past. Now companies are relying on things like rich text and media operations for their advertising campaigns rather than the use of billboards and print ads. Up-to-date technologies such as HTML, Java Script, and Adobe Flash are the new terms when it comes to advertising. It is the goal of online marketers to grasp the attention of online visitors of a particular site and even shape the way they think about it.
After a national survey conducted in December 2009 showed that over 74% of Americans utilize the internet on a daily basis and over 55% access that internet daily from the use of their smart phones. With this large trend, how does online marketing affect other industries?
Industry Effects
With so many consumers turning to the internet, other industries have to meet the demand as well. One industry for example would be banking. Once a face-to-face industry, banking has now become a virtual industry offering consumers online access and even the ability to open, close or transfer accounts from the comfort of a computer. Internet auctions and online retail stores have also become a popular snag into the internet world. With more consumers preferring to shop from the comfort of their own home and less in person, the online industry is teeming with retailers ready to take on the demand.
With these new industries meeting the demands of internet goers, online marketing has grown as well. These companies rely heavily on online marketing firms to bring their businesses to the top of Google searches and make them the most effective in a sea of similar companies.
Success at What Cost
Online marketing is a big industry and certainly not a free one. Though some companies attempt to conduct online marketing themselves, they quickly come to realize that it is more effective to hire an outside source. So what is the cost of doing such?
For a small business alone, they can be looking at costs such as:
$1,500 to $30,000 to create a web site, market that website, perform keyword research and create an effective domain.
$100 to $2,000 to host their site monthly, maintain their site and maintain Search Engine Optimization.
$100 to $1,000 in web site linking campaigns and article writing.
$100 to $400 per month in online advertising campaigns.
$100 to $500 in SEO directory submission.
These rates are expected to change drastically within the next year or so. With the demand for internet growing even further in popularity thanks to social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter, online marketing firms are jumping into new waters and tackling more ground than ever before. Though currently a small business is looking at a final tab of $3,000 to over $38,000 for online marketing campaigns today, those numbers are expected to almost double within the next five years.

Protecting Your Small Business against Data Breaches
By: Michael | Published: November 30, 2010 | Filed under: Small business mistakes
Sunshine Suites — New York Shared Office Space
As a business, you collect numerous amounts of personal data on your clients. Whether it is something as simple as a name and telephone number or as elaborate as credit card and bank account numbers, a business has mounds of personal data stored within their company. With the growing number of identity theft cases impacting consumers each year, businesses need to take the extra precautions to protect their customers from data breaches.Data Breach by DefinitionA data breach is an event in which a company’s server files or even their physical in-house files are stolen and contained information regarding customer credit cards, names or even social security numbers. This information can then be used for fraudulent purposes or even posted on black market websites where numerous identity thieves can take advantage of it. Not to mention, this poses a large risk of lawsuits to any business that falls victim to a data breach.Why Small Businesses are TargetsOften small businesses are the best target for these data breaches because they cannot afford the costs to fully protect themselves from a data breach. Items such as high-tech alarm systems, advanced firewalls and spyware protection all cost money. Many small business owners will assume that they are not a likely target for a data breach simply because of their overall client count. Unfortunately, small business data breaches are becoming more common than large corporation breaches. The only difference is the large corporation data breaches will make the evening news, whereas a small business data breach will be in the back of the newspaper.How to Protect Your BusinessAs a small business, you certainly have some form of personal information for your customers. No matter what that information is, you need to be able to protect your company and more importantly, your customers from any form of data breach. Some ways to protect your company could be:- Collect What You Need – Often companies will collect more information than they actually need from the customer. For example, when asking customers to sign up for an online newsletter you will only need their email address, but often companies will ask for an email address, full name, address and even a phone number in order to sign up. Instead of only gathering and storing information you actually need, you now have quadrupled the amount of personal information you have on these clients.
- Use It and Dispose of It – Once you have finished a job with a client or utilized their personal information for what you need it for, dispose of it, but do so cautiously. Do not simply throw out client order sheets or information in the trash. Shred the documents prior to disposal and do a data sweep on your computer and servers to ensure all information has been removed.
- If You Need It, Secure It – If for some reason you need to store a customer’s personal information for a specific amount of time, then it is your company’s duty to protect that information. Use locks on all physical file cabinets and look into secure file hosting online such as FileDen, MediaFire, or FireHost to store customer information on.
- Don’t Broadcast – How often have other people been around as you pull up a customer file? Were they authorized to see that information? How many times have you asked a customer to give their credit card number over the phone only to have your line on speakerphone? Protect a customer’s personal information like you would expect a company to protect your own. Do not broadcast information you have.
- Deter Thieves – Often just the sight of an alarm or advanced lock on the door will deter thieves from even attempting to break into your business. Though these are added costs, it is essential that a small business protect themselves and their customers at all costs.
- Social Security Numbers are Not Account Numbers – Often companies will use specific identifiers such as social security numbers, phone numbers or dates of birth as their customer identification and account numbers. Though you can use this information to verify a customer, never use this type of personal information as an account number for your customers.

Finding the Funding for Your Small Business
By: Michael | Published: November 19, 2010 | Filed under: About small businesses
Sunshine NY — The Best Office Space in New York City
When it comes to small business, it is all about having the funds to start it up. Since most small businesses are run out of a small office or even a home, it usually means the owner is investing their own money into the business to get it running. Though this is usually the easiest route to take, there are a lot of other ways a small business owner can find funding without sacrificing their hard earned savings. If you are looking for ways to fund your business, consider the following:Government GrantsThere are a lot of government grants available for small businesses. In today’s economy, the government wants to see businesses succeed, rather than fail. Therefore the availability of government grants for small businesses has never been higher. All government grants are funded by the tax payer’s dollars; therefore to earn a grant, you have to prove your business worthiness. This includes a detailed business plan and the ability to comply with the reporting process as to where the money is going after you receive it. One thing to realize is that grants from the federal government are not meant for commercial businesses. Therefore your business needs to be part of the following to qualify:- Non-Profit Organization
- Educational Institution
- Medical
- Scientific Research
- Technological Development
- Child-Care Industry
- Disaster Assistance Victims
- Energy Efficient Companies
- Farm and Agricultural
- Exporting Companies
- Rural Businesses
- Veteran SBA Loans
Related articles

Spooking your customers
By: Russ | Published: November 2, 2010 | Filed under: Small Business Advice, Small business mistakes
Regardless of what your business is, let’s face it: your customers are everything. They are bread, butter and the knife that’s used to spread the butter on the bread. Your ultimate desire should be to make them fiercely loyal to your company, your product, your brand. With Halloween having just passed, Inc Magazine has run a story that’s like a haunted house for the small business: how to scare your customer away.#9 on the 10 Ways To Spook Your Customers list (more…)Expanding Your Small Business With the Help of Interns
By: Michael | Published: September 28, 2010 | Filed under: Entrepreneurs, Small Business Advice, Small business mistakes
Related Articles:
- Using interns for business can be a valuable experience if done right (usatoday.com)
- Let Interns Be Your Startup Competitive Edge (startupprofessionals.com)

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