Small Business

Government Offers Immediate Funding to Promote Business Success

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From left: Rosalie Drago, Commissioner, Suffolk County Department of Labor; Kelly Murphy, Deputy Executive Director, Suffolk County IDA, and; Cara Longworth, Regional Director, Empire State Development.

The public sector stands ready to provide immediate financial assistance to help Long Island companies achieve their goals and fulfill their workforce needs.

HIA-LI works closely with officials at all levels of government to bring these resources to the attention of our members and to help members take advantage of a wide range of public-sector assistance programs.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with three government officials whose agencies have an outstanding track record of success in providing financial support to local businesses. They are:

These three entities are true partners of Long Island business. Let’s take a quick look at what each has to offer:

Empire State Development isthe state’s main arm for economic development. It encourages business growth and investment, job growth, and a diversified economy through loans, grants, tax credits, marketing, minority/women-owned business support, workforce development, technical support, export assistance, COVID support, and other business-friendly tools.

Long Island’s Regional Economic Development Council channels State resources pursuant to a regional strategic plan. And to make the process highly efficient, Cara’s office uses a “Consolidated Funding Application.” It enables businesses to tap into multiple sources of funds through a single application

The Suffolk County Department of Labor supports business growth through recruitment services and hiring incentives, and also with economic and labor market data. The department serves workers directly through job training, job development, placement, and supportive services.

While Empire State Development can provide funding for businesses to create jobs, the County Labor Department’s key role is to draw talent to companies and to get them ready for work.

Rosalie wants to hear from business about gaps in the workforce. Her agency’s funds are then used to train the talent pool. She works with local training providers – including local colleges and trade schools – to train existing workers and the emerging workforce for available jobs.

The Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency serves the entire county except the towns of Brookhaven, Islip, Riverhead, and Babylon, which have their own IDAs. Suffolk IDA promotes and attracts job and recreational opportunities. It targets companies wishing to remain or expand in Suffolk, or to move into the county. The types of industries the IDA generally helps are in manufacturing, distribution, R&D, and warehousing in addition to energy projects and multifamily housing.

Kelly’s agency, which often enhances its aid packages with incentives from PSEG and National Grid, offers three main forms of assistance: reductions in the mortgage recording tax, sales tax exemptions, and property tax exemptions.

For a link to the video of my conversation with these three remarkable women, click here. You can also listen to the conversation on my podcast, “Business Steps Up,” by clicking here.

And here’s their contact information:

Empire State Development (ESD)
Cara Longworth, Regional Director
LIREDC@esd.ny.gov
631-435-0717

Suffolk County Department of Labor (DOL)
Rosalie Drago, Commissioner
rosalie.drago@suffolkcountyny.gov
diane.lachapelle@suffolkcountyny.gov
631-853-6600

Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency (IDA)
Kelly Murphy, Deputy Executive Director
kelly.murphy@suffolkcountyny.gov
631-853-4802

I urge HIA-LI members and all local businesses to learn about the financing and services these agencies offer and to contact them. They really want you to hear from you!

Folks, this is “money on the table” that will help your business succeed. Take advantage of it!

Companies Want to See “Talent in Action”

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Small business border“You know what bosses like even more than employees who get their work done? Employees who don’t even have to be told what to do, because they’ll create value on their own accord,” says Eric Talbot, Strategic Account Manager at National Business Capital & Services in Bohemia.  That was his advice to young people – particularly Millennials and Generation Zs – who are a growing part of today’s emerging workforce.

“Customer service is not a department – it’s an attitude,” added Gregg Pajak, President and Founder of the WizdomOne Group in Islandia.  “Service is about making things easier and saving people time and money. Experience is about making things memorable and engaging and creating a desire to linger.

“The best experiences,” Pajak adds, “are those you wish would last forever.”

These were just two pieces of sage advice that was part of an HIA-LI Small Business Task Force Open Forum titled, “Is There a Difference Between the Generations?” held on November 7 at Simplay in Hauppauge.  Moderated by Rev. Joseph Garofalo, Outreach Pastor at Island Christian Church, the panel included five distinguished business leaders: Gary Barello, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development at Biodex Medical Systems, Inc. in Shirley; Scott Maskin, CEO and Co-Founder at SuNation Solar Systems, Inc. in Ronkonkoma; Teresa Ferraro, President of East/West Industries Inc. in Ronkonkoma; along with Talbot and Pajak.

Panelists were asked to provide their thoughts on a range of topics including meeting deadlines, employee initiative, work-life balance, and performance reviews.

According to Gary Barello, while there are differences in the way generations view the workplace, “employers have to be careful not to generalize.  We have to avoid stereotyping by closing our eyes when a new person joins our team and say, ‘what does this person have to offer?’”

Barello added, “Just like ethnicity and gender, business leaders like us need to avoid labeling – we need to give each person the opportunity to show who they are.”

“Each scenario is case by case,” added Talbot.  “You never know what someone has going on right outside the office.”  However, if someone was consistently submitting projects and reports exactly at deadline with no time to spare, it would “raise some red flags” and question whether the employee could “handle the responsibility of bigger projects with tighter deadlines.”

Pajak added that younger employees need to take initiative and show management how they can build teamwork and impact the bottom line.  “Companies don’t want sculptures of talent,” he said. “They want to see the talent in action.”

These Open Forums are a direct result of feedback from our membership, 80 percent of which are small businesses, a figure which mirrors the overall Long Island business community.  We understand that small businesses have their own set of unique challenges, and discussions over the years centered on how our organization could provide better guidance and support for these companies.  One result was the institution of these Small Business Task Force Open Forums, now in its third year.

A special thanks, as always, to Rita DiStefano, Chair of the Small Business Task Force and Director of HR Consulting at Portnoy, Messinger, Pearl and Associates, Inc. in Jericho and her task force members who work tirelessly to bring progressive, relevant programming to our membership.

Finally, stay tuned for future Small Business Task Force Open Forums, complimentary to HIA-LI members.