Monday, March 30, 2015

EisnerAmper LLP named as Institutional Investor’s Alpha Awards Top Accounting Firm

Here is some news from MCC Bronze Partner EisnerAmper : 

"We’d like to share some very good news with all our clients and friends. EisnerAmper LLP is named as Institutional Investor’s Alpha Awards Top Accounting Firm providing services to hedge funds for 2015. EisnerAmper, in fact, swept the top spot in EACH of the five categories in which firms were rated: audit, tax, regulatory & compliance, hedge fund expertise and overall client service. More than 625 hedge fund firms participated in the survey. 

What makes this award and recognition so special to us is the fact that it is our clients who spoke out so positively on the quality and value of our work. It is the goal of everyone here at EisnerAmper that clients in all of our practice areas and across all of our locations receive the same award-winning service for which our financial services team has been recognized.

We are, as always, grateful to our clients and friends for the support we receive and your enduring vote of confidence. Thank you. 

Sincerely, 

Charly Weinstein CEO, 
EisnerAmper LLP"

Please click here to get more information.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

2015 IWEC Awards

The International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge was established in Barcelona in 2007, with the goal of connecting small & mid-size women business owners globally - those who are already in the global marketplace & want to expand, or are ripe to get into the market and learn from other women leaders. Also the goal is to “pay it forward” with the IWEC awardees emphasizing their own CSR programs be in mentoring, board participation, community outreach and support, etc. The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Chambers of Commerce in India/FLO and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce originated this initiative and were quickly joined by The US State Department and Cape Chamber of Commerce. Each year a new country is added to the roster and currently we have representation from: Barcelona, NYC/US, India, Sweden, Peru, Central Asian countries, Turkey,South Africa and other African countries. In addition, four women’s business associations are engaged with IWEC and also nominate one awardee: Women Presidents Organization, WeConnect International, Taiwan Women’s Entrepreneurs Association and United Succes. The location of 2015 Annual IWEC Conference will be Istanbul, Turkey Nov. 15-18th.

Three awardees are chosen by the individual chambers and, along with chamber executives, they are invited to participate in the annual conference to receive their award and to network and share best practices. Conferences to date have been held in Barcelona, NYC, New Delhi India, Cape Town South Africa, Lima Peru and Stockholm Sweden.

Why should you apply? If chosen, you have the opportunity to:

*gain further international recognition for your business
*network with potential strategic partners and clients
*share and learn from best practices to help your business grow globally
*share your corporate responsibility/mentorship programs and learn of others from awardees
*connect with a network of other awardees/chambers and be a part of the IWEC family

The Awards Criteria:


Must be a woman-owned, for-profit business and must be actively involved in importing or exporting goods or services or be a successful company ready to begin global business

Business must be 51% owned by a woman (or if handed down through a family, a woman must be the president, CEO or managing director for at least three years) actively involved in the day-to-day running of the business

Business must be a for-profit entity in services or manufacturing (excluding performing arts)

Business must be in existence at least three years

Business must have a minimum annual revenue equivalent to US $2.0 million

Agrees to be involved with IWEC as a past awardee for two years (supporting, attending conferences, etc.)
Company must be run ethically that express our values and standards that guide our conduct – must exhibit a commitment to honesty, fairness, objectivity and responsibility.

Must be able to attend the annual conference
I hereby acknowledge and affirm that I and my company meet the above criteria.

______________________________________________________________________
Print Name Signature

2015 IWEC Universal Awards Application


Deadline for submission: April 30, 2015


Contact information

Name:_________________________________________________________________

Title:___________________________________________________________________

Company name:__________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________________

City, State, ZIP/PIN/Postal Code_______________________________Country________

Phone:_____________________________Fax:_________________________________

Email address:___________________________________________________________

Website:________________________________________________________________

Chamber affiliation: _______________________________________________________

Business information

% of ownership by woman:__________________(must be 51% or more)

Years in business:_________________________(must be a minimum of 3 years)

Annual revenue:___________________________(must be a minimum of $2.0mill in US dollars)

Industry:_________________________________(not including non-profits or performing arts)

How many employees do you have?___________(total number of employees throughout your company)

Please attach document to answer the following questions in 500 words or less per question (additional supporting documents are welcome):

Describe the story of you and your business:

Why should you be considered for this award?

What is your Business Plan for the next 3-5 years?

Where would you like to further import or export your goods or services and why are you choosing this/these markets?

Have you or are you involved in a CSR initiative? If so, please describe.

What is your philosophy on corporate social responsibility and how does your company you support it? Please describe.


Mail to: 
Nancy Ploeger, MCC, 1375 Broadway/3rd floor, NY, NY 10018
Or email to np@manhattancc.org or fax to 212-473-7875

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Progressive Computing and Clancy Relocation & Logistics to Sponsor E-Waste Program at the 2015 Westchester Business Expo

White Plains/Rye Brook, NY (March 12, 2015) Progressive Computing, Inc. (PCI) and Clancy Relocation & Logistics are teaming up with The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) and the Westchester Green Business Challenge to head an E-Waste Initiative as a part of this year's Westchester Business Expo.

In December of 2014, with guidance from Progressive Computing, the Business Council of Westchester collected all of their old computers and Clancy Relocation & Logistics, a client of PCI and member of the BCW, came and hauled the equipment away to process for recycling. In doing this, the BCW became invested in better understanding the effects of improperly disposing of e-waste and decided to make it their mission to share this knowledge with the business community.
One of the things the Business Council noticed while working with PCI and Clancy was how surprisingly seamless the process was. So at this year's Business Expo, they want to make it even easier for businesses to get on board. Not only will the BCW be spreading the word on the appropriate disposal of e-waste, but a dedicated e-waste truck will also be on-site to collect any and all unwanted small to mid-sized electronic office equipment.

"Disposing of e-waste will be easier than ever and the Business Council of Westchester and the Expo Committee is proud to bring our members and the community this amazing opportunity," said Allison Calvert of the BCW.

The Business Council's involvement with the Westchester Green Business Challenge in recent years has acted as a catalyst in bringing this e-waste initiative to the forefront. The goal of the WGBC is to help Westchester businesses become more environmentally-friendly through their green certification program. Companies in the WGB-Certified program are required to properly dispose of their e-waste in order to become certified. They recently gained the support of New York state government with a grant of $540,000 to expand the program over the next three years.

In recent years, more businesses have begun properly disposing of e-waste and there has been a greater awareness about what should and should not be thrown in the trash, especially when it comes to office equipment. Part of this awareness comes from the fact that companies want to ensure the appropriate elimination of the sensitive data that their computers may contain. Since 2009, the WGBC has helped raise awareness in the Westchester business community about what it really means to "go green" and has provided practical solutions to allow this to happen on a larger scale.

In 2014, 283 Westchester businesses completed a scorecard which included a section on the proper disposal of e-waste and some larger companies have already taken action by contracting with e-waste removal services and allowing employees to bring in any home or office e-waste they may have accumulated for proper disposal a couple of times per year. As a result, they've educated their staff about the importance of proper e-waste disposal, however not all small businesses have been able to make this a priority.

"One of the challenges of e-waste disposal for the small to medium-sized business is the cost of arranging an affordable pick up service," said Dani Glaser, CEO of Green Team Spirit, which runs the WGBC. "While it can be free to dispose of e-waste when you bring it to the drop-off site, it can be expensive to arrange a pick-up. One suggestion is for them to share the cost with fellow tenants in an office building, for example."

Progressive Computing, as a small business of Westchester, understands the problems with e-waste that many others are facing all too well. At first, the issue sparked their curiosity but soon enough, it became a personal passion of theirs.

"It's the dirty little secret in nearly every small business," Robert Cioffi, CEO of Progressive Computing says. "Most small businesses simply don’t have the means to properly dispose of their old electronics or the task is just too cumbersome...Eventually, we reach a breaking point and the disposal is not always performed in an environmentally friendly or secure way."

After studying the problem for years, they recognized what they considered to be two very large dangers. The first was the potential risk of leaking corporate data. The second was that most are unaware the ecological dangers of improper disposal of e-waste. Using what they've learned, they hope to address these problems on a broader scale and encourage the rest of the small-to-medium sized business community to do the same.

"We only work with vendors who are eStewards or R2 certified. These certifications are rigorous international standards that regulate the processing and disposal of electronics in an environmentally safe manner and also adhere to high standards that meet or exceed regulatory compliance such as HIPAA, PCI and SOX," said Cioffi. "Our clients are thrilled that we are beginning to offer reasonable, economical and viable options for doing the right thing."

Clancy Relocation & Logistics, a client of Progressive Computing, has played an integral role in moving their e-waste initiative along. In 2003, Clancy started picking up office equipment from larger customers who already had their own solution in place. In 2007, they began working with and providing transportation to Geodis Wilson, a freight management company that already had an effective e-waste plan in place. This inspired Clancy to figure out a better way to help their own customers solve the problem. After working with Geodis, Clancy developed their own system and today, they handle roughly 4.5 million pounds of e-waste each year.

"We bring e-waste to Geodis in Endicott, NY. There, they completely reverse engineer the e-waste. Components and raw materials are separated," explained Senior Vice President of Clancy Relocation & Logistics, Jim Carey. "They have taken a very bold approach in their method for handling e-waste because their methods require more work. But in the end, over 99% of the e-waste stays out of landfills."

There are many moving parts to putting into place and maintaining an e-waste solution, but the proper education and assistance is out there and that begins with the 2015 Westchester Business Expo. It's particularly important for more businesses to get on board with this initiative now, because as of January 1, it is illegal to throw anything that could be considered e-waste in the trash throughout the state of New York. This mean computers, televisions, game consoles and other electronic equipment and those in violation can be fined $100. The Business Council of Westchester wants the community to know how simple it can be to properly dispose of e-waste and wants to get people and businesses involved in the action.

"We encourage businesses of all sizes to follow set guidelines and procedures when disposing of important office technology so it does not negatively impact the environment," said John Ravitz, Executive Vice President of the BCW. "We all have a personal and professional commitment to protect our environment for generations to come."

The 2015 Westchester Business Expo will be held at the Hilton Westchester on March 18, from 1pm to 5pm. For more information, visit http://wbxpo.com/.

Business Council of Westchester
Contact: (914) 694-3919
www.westchesterny.org



Westchester Green Business Challenge
Contact: westchestergbc@gmail.com
www.westchestergreenbusinesschallenge.org


Progressive Computing
(914) 375-3009
www.progressivecomputing.com


Clancy Relocation & Logistics
(914) 712-6837
http://www.clancymoving.com

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

The Voice of Manhattan Business Podcast: Testimonial by Financial Advisor Noal C. Goldfarb, CFA

From the initial meeting to the end of the interview, Bruce and his Internet radio show The Voice of Manhattan Business was an great experience.

I recommend anyone that has a business and would like to showcase an interesting topic be a guest on this show. I have received some encouraging feedback from listeners.

Noal C. Goldfarb, CFA

Financial Advisor
Park Avenue Securities LLC
P. 646-885-2811 M. 917-449-4653 F. 212-764-6976
7 Hanover Square, Suite 8A
New York, NY 10004
noal_goldfarb@natfin.net

See this 3 minute video to learn what is available exclusively for my clients:
http://videos.thelivingbalancesheet.com/videos/generic

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

MCC Member Testimonial: Elizabeth Kim, Welcomemat Services NYC

Hi Laura,

I've only been to 2 MCC events so far and I have already signed up a client who I met at one of the events, and received a call from a lead that got my information from another MCC member. Thank you for organizing these events, and I am so glad I joined the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce!

Best,
Elizabeth Kim
Welcomemat Services NYC
http://www.welcomematservices.com/nyc

MCC Thanks February's Renewing Members

Organization Main Contact Website
Sayles & Winnikoff Communications Alan Winnikoff www.sayleswinnikoff.com
The CHS Group Kristina Iulo www.thechsgroup.us
Mad River Bar and Grille Michael Mastellone www.madrivergrille.com
Huntington Learning Center Michael Gangi
NorthEast Community Bank (@ First Avenue) George Chiffriller www.necb.com
Quadlogic Controls Corp. Phil Fram www.quadlogic.com
Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP Ralph Siciliano www.thsh.com
True Identity Branding Faith Kinslow www.trueidentitybranding.com
Larocca, Hornik, Rosen, Greenberg, & Blaha LLP Eric Blaha
(I V & C) Internet Video and Communications Jorge Guano
Lesia M. Ruglass, Ph.D. Lesia Ruglass www.lesiaruglass.com
Watch Repair & Co. Eric Abraham www.watchrepairco.com
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Joseph Kirk www.wellsfargo.com

MCC Welcomes February's New Members

Organization Main Contact Website
The New York Public Library - SIBL Kristin McDonough www.nypl.org\sibl
TLN Worldwide Enterprises, Inc. (DBA: The Leading Niche) Tamara Nall www.theleadingniche.com
The Pen and Brush Inc Janice Sands www.penandbrush.org
DSI SVA Aubrey Hays
Business Outreach Network Christophe Le Gorju
DSI SVA jill teckenbrock
Reinhardt IP Gerard Reinhardt www.ReinhardtIP.com
DB Management Consulting Services LLC Dina Bologa
SUM Innovation Alexandra Breines
Gavin Brown's Enterprise Gavin Brown
SLG Construction Johnathan Burrus www.slgconstruction.com
CBIZ MHM, LLC J. Terence MacAvery www.cbiz.com
JMH Education Inc., dba CarrotNY Janice Hamilton http://www.carrotnewyork.com/
Morgan Barrington Associates of NY, Inc. Ken Biberaj
St Jude Medical Joia Spinelli
T.Williams Group Bernadette Conaty www.Twilliamsgroup.com
InnerPC Computer Solutions Dan Fusco
Merchant Cash and Capital, LLC Lindsey Rodriguez www.merchantcashandcapital.com
Allied Barton Security Services Steve Sacchetti www.alliedbarton.com
Century First Credit Solutions William Nowottny www.centuryfirst.net
BELLMARC Frances Wilson www.bellmarc.com/pfw
Better Brokers, LLC Nick Petkoff
Popular Health Care Solutions Joanne Joseph www.popularhealthcaresolutions.com
Lucent Partners Jeffrey Lin
Butler Equities, LLC Angel Cuevas
United ARTs Press Jack Schursky http://www.unitedartspress.com/
HudsonPlatte Roger Bacon www.hudsonplatte.com
Seth Heine Seth Heine
Carter Burden Center for the Aging Funmilayo Brown www.carterburdencenter.org
The Connected Hearts, Inc Nelly Niyonzima www.theconnectedhearts.org
Welcomemat Services NYC Elizabeth Kim www.welcomematservices.com/nyc
Andrew Richards Andrew Richards http://www.mccarter.com/r-andrew-richards/
BRIDGEHAMPTON NATIONAL BANK KYAH PATERSON https://www.bridgenb.com/
ElderCareGiving Joanna Leefer www.joannaleefer.com
Tutor the People, LLC Eliza Morrison http://tutorthepeople.com/
Corage Dina Gardner
QCoefficient, Inc. Vincent Cushing Www.qcoefficient.com
Airbnb, Inc. Max Pomeranc http://www.airbnb.com/
Scott Wigley Business Coachmg Scott Wigley www.Scottwigley.com
LBR PR Lauren Banyar Reich
AXA Advisors Mindy Dunnigan
KEN LAZER CASTING COMPANY Ken Lazer www.kenlazercasting.com
Jen Slaw Speaks Jen Slaw www.jenslawspeaks.com
Blueprint Technologies Ilana Yaari www.bptech-inc.com
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Benjamin Mihalik

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

MCC Chairman’s Breakfast: A Conversation with William J. Bratton, NYPD Police Commissioner.

MCC was pleased to host NYPD Police Commissioner William J. Bratton for its first MCC Quarterly Chairman’s Breakfast of 2015. MCC Chairman Ken Biberaj moderated the lively discussion with Q&A with MCC members.