Register at www.technyc.org/registration.html to ensure that your business is counted among the thousands of other technology firms in NYC! The first 200 firms to register will receive a free USB memory stick! For more information, or to register your business, visit www.technyc.org or contact Leah Archibald at 212-442-2990 or larchibald@itac.org. ITAC is a non-profit economic development organization that works one-on-one with manufacturing and technology firms in NYC--visit www.itac.org for more details.

For Firms Investing in Workforce Skills: NYC Business Solutions Training Grants and NYS BUSINYS Grants

Great news for manufacturing and technology businesses investing in their employees' skills: there are two new grant programs to support that investment--the NYC Business Solutions Training Grants and New York State Department of Labor Building Skills in New York State (BUSINYS) grant. ITAC clients have used such training grants to pay for a variety of skills-building programs for their workforce, including lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and supervisory training.

The NYC Business Solutions Training Grant can fund up to 50% of eligible training costs, including employee wages, fees for trainer and materials costs. The maximum grant award is $300,000.

The NYS BUSINYS grant will provide funds to businesses to train workers in specific skills needed by that business or industry and that lead to potential career growth and increased wages. The positions targeted for training must exist and be filled at the time the application is submitted. Funds will be awarded on an ongoing basis, and may not exceed $50,000 per company. Training must take place on company time. Applicants must include only those training needs that can be reasonably accomplished within a twelve-month time period.

Contact Jane Tabachnick of ITAC at 212-442-2990 to learn more about how your business can develop a training program that might be eligible for these grants. For BUSINYS grant details, visit http://www.workforcenewyork.com/r fa37-l/rfa37-l.htm. For more information on both grant programs, contact the NYC Department of Small Business Services at 212-618-6792, 311 o r training@sbs.nyc.gov.

Know Your Competition: Competitive Intelligence for NYC Businesses

In today's competitive, global marketplace of ever changing technology and consumer needs, information has become more important than ever. Companies gather piles of data and statistics in an attempt to better understand their market and improve their production processes. One area that often lags behind is a solid understanding of the competition. A branch of knowledge, known as competitive intelligence (CI) has arisen to help fill this gap. Competitive intelligence has gained increased interest in recent years, although to date, it is often little understood by company executives. In fact, a solid competitive intelligence program can improve a company's understanding of potential competitors, help to eliminate surprises in the marketplace and locate new business opportunities. Information gained from CI can be utilized to set goals and objectives, institute marketing and sales projects, direct new product development and guide strategic planning initiatives.

Competitive intelligence is practiced by corporate librarians, company executives, market researchers, former intelligence professionals, information specialists, business development professionals and strategic planning consultants. Some CI professionals specialize in specific industries, such as pharmaceuticals. Competitive intelligence is a diverse area and only in recent years has it emerged as a specific field of endeavor. One industry association, the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) is specifically devoted to the field.

Types of Information

CI practitioners gather a wide variety of information about rival companies. Some of the more important information would include the following:

Financial data (annual revenues, company profits, expenses, stock prices, etc.).
Detailed information on products and services. What products does the competition offer and what are their specifications and intellectual property positions? Does the company offer technical or customer support and other services (consulting, training, etc)?
Industries served, major customers and distribution channels.
Information on new or upcoming products and services.
New technology (current research and development activity, technology acquisitions, patents and copyrights, etc.).
Personnel information (biographies of company executives, salary structure, and organizational structure).
Facilities and equipment (size and structure of all facilities, computing and process equipment available, fleet size, technological capabilities, energy use, etc.).
Details about manufacturing processes, sales and marketing techniques, inventory control and customer service.
Information on recent or upcoming mergers or acquisitions, strategic partnerships or contract agreements (sales, joint marketing, distribution, etc.).
Lawsuits, regulatory or safety violations, product recalls, etc.

In addition to information about specific competitors, an effective competitive intelligence program should look at related information about the total business environment. This would include market and industry trends, environmental conditions, as well as legal and regulatory issues. Domestic and international political developments, and local and global economic conditions should be considered as well. The relative strength of competitors can only be properly and accurately assessed within the framework of these factors.

Sources of Information

With the explosion of the Internet and World Wide Web, as well as public and private databases, there is a rich variety of information available to the CI practitioner. Competitive intelligence data can be gathered from annual reports and company press releases and promotional material, corporate web sites, newspapers, business and periodical databases, patents, government databases, industry trade shows and trade associations. In addition to secondary sources, people are also important sources of information. Relevant information can be obtained from a company's own sales and market research departments, as well as interviewing customers and industry distributors. On-site observation of competitor operations and product examination and testing are also common.

Competitive intelligence research should begin with some of the resources listed below. (Note: some of the linked resources are free, other are fee based with links that provide more information.)

Corporate Web Sites. Competitor web sites can provide a wealth of information about company products, organizational structure, executive backgrounds and new technology.
Business Databases. These can provide some useful basic information such as revenues, total employees and lists of executives. Some titles include:

Periodical Databases are useful for obtaining a wealth of up-to-date information about competitors, including new products and research activities, mergers or important acquisitions, personnel changes, legal and regulatory activities, etc. Well-known databases include:

Dialog: hundreds of databases covering general business topics as well as specific industries and technologies.
Prompt: business database with hundreds of titles from a variety of business and trade publications
Wilson Business Full Text: full-text of hundreds of business and trade publications dating back to 1982

Local newspapers are an excellent source of updated information for smaller companies that are not covered in national news sources and leading trade publications. ProQuest Newstand offers full-text coverage of over 350 national, regional and local newspapers.
SEC Edgar: online database of company annual reports and other financial related filings.
U.S. Patent Database: search for patents or patent applications assigned to competitors.

NYC Resources

Upcoming Events

Lean Manufacturing 101 Workshop
Date: February 9, 8:30 am
Location: ITAC Offices, 253 Broadway, Suite 302, New York, NY
Cost: $95
Would you like to produce faster, better and less expensively with your existing resources? What if, in doing so, you could increase your sales, improve customer satisfaction and increase profitability? Principals and key managers at local manufacturing firms should attend this workshop to learn how lean manufacturing techniques help firms produce more with existing resources by eliminating non-value added activities. Workshops simulation exercises help participants experience first hand how lean techniques increase space utilization, improve quality, reduce cycle time, improve delivery performance, and reducde work-in-process. Application of lean techniques enables firms to increase profits, improve customer satisfaction and become more competitive.

For more information contact Mei Sit at 212-442-2990 or msit@itac.org

FastTrac
Date: February 22, 2006 to May 17, 2006
Cost: $1000 for technology businesses, $500 for manufacturers.
FastTrac is a 12-session business development and growth program that teaches growing companies how to develop or imporve their business model, acquire strategic partners, and position their company to attract capital and grow.

For more information, contact Franklin Madison at 212-442-2990 or fmadison@itac.org

Coming Soon:

The State of Investing in NYC: FastTrac CEO Roundtable Breakfast
Date: February 2, 2006, Location and time TBA
David Rose will be talking about the state of early stage investment in NYC--how to raise capital, and the potential pitfalls and obstacles to look out for when raising capital in the NYC Marketplace.

About ITAC

ITAC is a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to creating and retaining jobs for New Yorkers. We provide indepth one-on-one technical assistance for New York City manufacturers and technology firms to help them stay competitive in the marketplace. ITAC'sunique combination of business expertise and expert resource network makes us a valuable partner to help NYC companies grow, change and thrive.

ITAC receives significant financial support from the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), New York's high-technology economic development agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). ITAC serves as NYSTAR®'s designated Regional Technology Development Center for New York City and one of nearly 350 MEP locations across the country and works directly with regional companies to increase their competitiveness and profitability.

December 2005

Wanted: New York City Technology Companies for TechNYC Census

For Firms Investing in Workforce Skills: NYC Business Solutions Training Grants and NYS BUSINYS Grants

Know Your Competition: Competitive Intelligence for NYC Businesses

Upcoming Events

Coming Soon:

About ITAC


	December 2005 Wanted: New York City Technology Companies for TechNYC Census New Resources For Firms Investing in Workforce Skills Know Your Competition: Competitive Intellience for NYC Businesses Upcoming ITAC Events About ITAC Wanted: New York City Technology Companies for TechNYC Census Are you a technology business? Then stand up and be counted! TechNYC, a program of the Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation (ITAC) is conducting a census of New York City technology businesses. The technology industry in New York City is extremely diverse, encompassing information systems, biotech and medical products, advanced manufacturing and more. ITAC wants to learn who these businesses are, what they do and what their unique needs are in order to promote growth in and raise the profile of the technology sector.	The first 200 qualified technology firms to register at www.technyc.com will receive this free combination pen/USB memory stick!
	Register at www.technyc.org/registration.html to ensure that your business is counted among the thousands of other technology firms in NYC! The first 200 firms to register will receive a free USB memory stick! For more information, or to register your business, visit www.technyc.org or contact Leah Archibald at 212-442-2990 or larchibald@itac.org. ITAC is a non-profit economic development organization that works one-on-one with manufacturing and technology firms in NYC--visit www.itac.org for more details. For Firms Investing in Workforce Skills: NYC Business Solutions Training Grants and NYS BUSINYS Grants Great news for manufacturing and technology businesses investing in their employees' skills: there are two new grant programs to support that investment--the NYC Business Solutions Training Grants and New York State Department of Labor Building Skills in New York State (BUSINYS) grant. ITAC clients have used such training grants to pay for a variety of skills-building programs for their workforce, including lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and supervisory training. The NYC Business Solutions Training Grant can fund up to 50% of eligible training costs, including employee wages, fees for trainer and materials costs. The maximum grant award is $300,000. The NYS BUSINYS grant will provide funds to businesses to train workers in specific skills needed by that business or industry and that lead to potential career growth and increased wages. The positions targeted for training must exist and be filled at the time the application is submitted. Funds will be awarded on an ongoing basis, and may not exceed $50,000 per company. Training must take place on company time. Applicants must include only those training needs that can be reasonably accomplished within a twelve-month time period. Contact Jane Tabachnick of ITAC at 212-442-2990 to learn more about how your business can develop a training program that might be eligible for these grants. For BUSINYS grant details, visit http://www.workforcenewyork.com/r fa37-l/rfa37-l.htm. For more information on both grant programs, contact the NYC Department of Small Business Services at 212-618-6792, 311 o r training@sbs.nyc.gov. Know Your Competition: Competitive Intelligence for NYC Businesses In today's competitive, global marketplace of ever changing technology and consumer needs, information has become more important than ever. Companies gather piles of data and statistics in an attempt to better understand their market and improve their production processes. One area that often lags behind is a solid understanding of the competition. A branch of knowledge, known as competitive intelligence (CI) has arisen to help fill this gap. Competitive intelligence has gained increased interest in recent years, although to date, it is often little understood by company executives. In fact, a solid competitive intelligence program can improve a company's understanding of potential competitors, help to eliminate surprises in the marketplace and locate new business opportunities. Information gained from CI can be utilized to set goals and objectives, institute marketing and sales projects, direct new product development and guide strategic planning initiatives. Competitive intelligence is practiced by corporate librarians, company executives, market researchers, former intelligence professionals, information specialists, business development professionals and strategic planning consultants. Some CI professionals specialize in specific industries, such as pharmaceuticals. Competitive intelligence is a diverse area and only in recent years has it emerged as a specific field of endeavor. One industry association, the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) is specifically devoted to the field. Types of Information CI practitioners gather a wide variety of information about rival companies. Some of the more important information would include the following: Financial data (annual revenues, company profits, expenses, stock prices, etc.). Detailed information on products and services. What products does the competition offer and what are their specifications and intellectual property positions? Does the company offer technical or customer support and other services (consulting, training, etc)? Industries served, major customers and distribution channels. Information on new or upcoming products and services. New technology (current research and development activity, technology acquisitions, patents and copyrights, etc.). Personnel information (biographies of company executives, salary structure, and organizational structure). Facilities and equipment (size and structure of all facilities, computing and process equipment available, fleet size, technological capabilities, energy use, etc.). Details about manufacturing processes, sales and marketing techniques, inventory control and customer service. Information on recent or upcoming mergers or acquisitions, strategic partnerships or contract agreements (sales, joint marketing, distribution, etc.). Lawsuits, regulatory or safety violations, product recalls, etc. In addition to information about specific competitors, an effective competitive intelligence program should look at related information about the total business environment. This would include market and industry trends, environmental conditions, as well as legal and regulatory issues. Domestic and international political developments, and local and global economic conditions should be considered as well. The relative strength of competitors can only be properly and accurately assessed within the framework of these factors. Sources of Information With the explosion of the Internet and World Wide Web, as well as public and private databases, there is a rich variety of information available to the CI practitioner. Competitive intelligence data can be gathered from annual reports and company press releases and promotional material, corporate web sites, newspapers, business and periodical databases, patents, government databases, industry trade shows and trade associations. In addition to secondary sources, people are also important sources of information. Relevant information can be obtained from a company's own sales and market research departments, as well as interviewing customers and industry distributors. On-site observation of competitor operations and product examination and testing are also common. Competitive intelligence research should begin with some of the resources listed below. (Note: some of the linked resources are free, other are fee based with links that provide more information.) Corporate Web Sites. Competitor web sites can provide a wealth of information about company products, organizational structure, executive backgrounds and new technology. Business Databases. These can provide some useful basic information such as revenues, total employees and lists of executives. Some titles include: ReferenceUSA Dun's Million-Dollar Directory Hoovers Online Ward's Business Directory of US Private and Public Companies Business and Company Resource Center Harris State Industrial Directories Periodical Databases are useful for obtaining a wealth of up-to-date information about competitors, including new products and research activities, mergers or important acquisitions, personnel changes, legal and regulatory activities, etc. Well-known databases include: Dialog: hundreds of databases covering general business topics as well as specific industries and technologies. Prompt: business database with hundreds of titles from a variety of business and trade publications Wilson Business Full Text: full-text of hundreds of business and trade publications dating back to 1982 Local newspapers are an excellent source of updated information for smaller companies that are not covered in national news sources and leading trade publications. ProQuest Newstand offers full-text coverage of over 350 national, regional and local newspapers. SEC Edgar: online database of company annual reports and other financial related filings. U.S. Patent Database: search for patents or patent applications assigned to competitors. NYC Resources The Business Library at the Brooklyn Public Library New York Public Library - Science and Industry and Business Library ITAC Website--Resources and Links Upcoming Events Lean Manufacturing 101 Workshop Date: February 9, 8:30 am Location: ITAC Offices, 253 Broadway, Suite 302, New York, NY Cost: $95 Would you like to produce faster, better and less expensively with your existing resources? What if, in doing so, you could increase your sales, improve customer satisfaction and increase profitability? Principals and key managers at local manufacturing firms should attend this workshop to learn how lean manufacturing techniques help firms produce more with existing resources by eliminating non-value added activities. Workshops simulation exercises help participants experience first hand how lean techniques increase space utilization, improve quality, reduce cycle time, improve delivery performance, and reducde work-in-process. Application of lean techniques enables firms to increase profits, improve customer satisfaction and become more competitive. For more information contact Mei Sit at 212-442-2990 or msit@itac.org FastTrac Date: February 22, 2006 to May 17, 2006 Cost: $1000 for technology businesses, $500 for manufacturers. FastTrac is a 12-session business development and growth program that teaches growing companies how to develop or imporve their business model, acquire strategic partners, and position their company to attract capital and grow. For more information, contact Franklin Madison at 212-442-2990 or fmadison@itac.org Coming Soon: The State of Investing in NYC: FastTrac CEO Roundtable Breakfast Date: February 2, 2006, Location and time TBA David Rose will be talking about the state of early stage investment in NYC--how to raise capital, and the potential pitfalls and obstacles to look out for when raising capital in the NYC Marketplace. About ITAC ITAC is a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to creating and retaining jobs for New Yorkers. We provide indepth one-on-one technical assistance for New York City manufacturers and technology firms to help them stay competitive in the marketplace. ITAC'sunique combination of business expertise and expert resource network makes us a valuable partner to help NYC companies grow, change and thrive. ITAC receives significant financial support from the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), New York's high-technology economic development agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). ITAC serves as NYSTAR®'s designated Regional Technology Development Center for New York City and one of nearly 350 MEP locations across the country and works directly with regional companies to increase their competitiveness and profitability.