BusinessUSA Best of 2015: That's a Wrap!

Read the best in BusinessUSA articles, tweets and resources from 2015

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.  12/29/2015 Whew! 2015 was quite a year. In the last 12 months, we've seen stories affecting American business from foreign trade treaties and cybersecurity breaches to the rise of the "gig" economy and changes in interest rates and oil prices. At BusinessUSA, we also covered a lot of ground in 2015, highlighting the different tools and techniques business owners and managers can use to grow their businesses. Here are the 10 articles that most resonated with our readers this past year: 1. The importance of market research: In March, we ran this article on market data in our newsletter focusing on data and decision-making tools. After all, it's important that all business owners do proper research before they launch a business or new idea. View a full list of business data resources available to you. 2. Costs of going from idea to startup: Every startup is structured differently but one thing remains the same: Seed money is required to launch a new business. Read more on how to identify one-time costs vs. ongoing costs (included fixed and variable expenses) in this article. 3. Is entrepreneurship for you? Business ownership requires certain personal skills such as creativity, persuasiveness and risk taking. Uncover other important skills that are commonly associated with successful entrepreneurs. 4. 10 Government resources for starting or growing your business: Earlier this month, we created a helpful infographic that illustrated government resources for businesses. So whether you need additional insight on financing options or new information on licensing, BusinessUSA has what you need! Find out more about those tools and resources. 5. 100s of new state resources for you: In addition federal services for businesses, we know each state has its own business incentives, procurement opportunities, permits and regulations. Explore our expanded state business resources portal, which we launched back in September, to find up-to-date information for your business in every state and U.S. territory. 6. Federal funding for research: The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Road Tour initiative is a multi-state tour that educates innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and business assistance providers on these science and technology grants available to U.S. small businesses to engage in federal R&D projects that have commercial potential. The tour has ended for 2015, but you can learn more about the SBIR Program here. 7. Building an Army of Veterans: To honor Veteran's Day, we created an infographic equipped with tools that can help military veterans navigate through each step of business ownership, from market research to exporting to international markets. Find a complete list of our veteran entrepreneur resources in this infographic. 8. Healthcare 101: Given its impact on businesses, it's no wonder that business owners were interested in learning more about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and how it affects their bottom line this past year. To ensure that you are up-to-date on provisions that may impact your business, we encourage you to check out our healthcare tool. 9. Your network is your net worth: 2015 may be coming to a close, but now is a great time to finalize a list of events you plan to attend in 2016. Find your next client, customer, partner or idea with help from our business events database. 10. Risk insurance: A growing number of U.S. companies are expanding their operations into developing nations, which can yield plenty of benefits. However, the risks, such as political instability, can hinder or harm business operations. Back in September, we sat down with the VP of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to discuss political risk insurance. If you're considering expanding your business overseas, check out this article for tips and additional insights. BusinessUSA Twitter Highlights and Digests Here's a few of our top tweets from the past year: 1. Read about the Projected #TopMarkets for #RecreationalTransportation #Exports in this report: [Tweet] 2. .@SCOREMentors, @SmlBizMajority, @TwitterSmallBiz & more will be participating in @SBAgov's #SmallBizHoliday #tweetchat on 11/17 at 1p ET: [Tweet] Note: We've summarized the experts' advice in the Best Tweets from the 2015 Small Business Holiday Marketing Twitter Chat. 3.  #SmallBiz can help curb the tide of youth #unemployment by taking the #SmallBiz4Youth pledge @SmlBizMajority @SBAgov: [Tweet] 4. 1st #NationalMakerFaire NOW! 6/12-13 in #DC, with @NSF, @USNISTgov & @USPTO. #NationOfMakers: [Tweet] Note: Find upcoming Maker Faires near you or learn How to Make a Maker Faire for your own community. 5. #TradeWinds15 is all about the issues your biz needs to understand to succeed in #Africa: [Tweet] Interested in getting all of our BusinessUSA business advice and news from our Twitter stream in one, easy-to-read email? Sign up for the BusinessUSA Twitter digest here. 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