Through a partnership with Food Export USA – Northeast, the International Trade Resource Center offers a service to assist food and agriculture companies in New Hampshire with their export initiatives.

The State Export Initiative grant program provides up to $500 per company in cash reimbursement to qualified businesses to offset a portion of the qualifying expenses associated with export promotion activities. This matching grant allows them to receive reimbursement of up to 50 percent of qualified costs.

These funds have encouraged businesses to explore exporting and have aided many in participating in export-related activities at half the price, like Heron Point Seafood of Newmarket. Because the grant extends to businesses that have agricultural-based ingredients, from beer to beauty products, they also qualify for the program.

“This grant helped fund our participation in a major food show in China last fall that allowed us to meet some 40 new potential customers, some of whom we have already made sales to,” said Dave Jermain, sales manager for Heron Point. “The reimbursement is also supporting a sales trip to Japan later this summer to help us strengthen our relationships with existing customers and meet with new potential customers, as well as translation of our product brochure.”

 So, you’re probably thinking – what’s the catch? Is it really that easy?

The program is a three-step process. A two-page application outlines the export related activity and how participating will allow the business to grow. If approved, the reimbursement of 50 percent of the receipts is made, up to $500.

This program is also in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture and agriculture-related businesses across the state have taken advantage of this opportunity.

Jill Robbins

HomeFree of Windham, which makes allergy friendly products, was awarded reimbursement for participation in a costly trade show, which president Jill Robbins said would have been costly for her small business.

The CHFA West trade show, in Vancouver, Canada, is the largest trade show for the natural health and organics industry.

“I applied and submitted my receipts after attending and they qualified to receive the maximum reimbursement,” she said. “This enabled me to make other investments in the company.”

The ITRC is still accepting applications for this program. Whether your business is just getting started or is already exporting to several markets, we are eager to help you increase you export sales and continue to grow internationally.

For guidelines and application packet, contact the ITRC; email ellie.white@dred.state.nh.us or call the ITRC at (603)-271-8444.

Adrienne Messe

Intern, International Trade Resource Center

The issue of export control is on the mind of many small and medium-sized business owners here in the Granite State. While they know of the world of opportunity in markets around the world, they also know that, depending on the kind of products they want to sell abroad, the jump overseas can be complicated.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, hosted the Granite State Export Controls Forum, connecting Granite State small business owners with a senior State Department official to discuss new ways to help New Hampshire businesses grow overseas.

While the state’s exports are running about 14 percent ahead of last year, Shaheen noted that “there is a huge opportunity for small businesses to take advantage of exporting” and leverage an inter-connected world to create jobs in New Hampshire.

Gottemoeller

Shaheen

About 75 people attended this morning’s event, including business owners and employees, attorneys and legislators and they are eager to learn more about President Obama’s Export Control Reform Initiative, a push to end what Shaheen described as “complex and antiquated” restrictions on exports and bring common-sense to the system of export controls.

She called for “the government to help, not hinder, New Hampshire companies reaching into foreign markets” and stressed the need for export controls that are relevant, timely and simple.

Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller also spoke of the need to reform the current system and make it easier for American companies, including those in New Hampshire’s defense industry, thrive in a global economy.

Why is this important? In 2012, the Granite State’s total exports reached $3.5 billion. In the first quarter of this year, they have surged 14 percent and there is increased interest in international markets, in large part because of programs like the State Trade Export Promotion (STEP) grants, which have helped scores of businesses explore or expand sales overseas.

Reform of export controls means more economic growth and progress for New Hampshire businesses trying to access foreign markets. For small and medium-sized businesses, the mission of creating a 21^st century export control system that works for them is essential.

Shaheen and Gottemoeller vowed to continue advocating for these changes and stressed the need for the private sector to weigh-in as the reform continues.

ITAR and EAR reform implementation will be explored at a training seminar hosted by the International Trade Resource Center from 9 am to noon on June 6 at the Department of Resources and Economic Development.

To register, visit www.exportnh.com online or call (603) 271-8444.

Ethan LaFrance

Intern

International Trade Resource Center

Editor’s Note: Next year – 2014 — and full implementation of the Affordable Care Act will come sooner than many realize.  Only recently have many small businesses begun to take stock of what impact the ACA will have on them and their employees.  Tom Raffio, president and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental provides some relevant information to help New Hampshire small businesses in that analysis.

Beginning Jan. 1, the Affordable Care Act will require individuals to maintain health insurance, employers to make available ‘affordable’ health insurance to employees and states to establish health benefit exchanges, which are web-based marketplaces for medical and dental plans.  Like individuals who will pay a penalty for failure to maintain health coverage, employers, too, can be subject to financial penalties for failing to meet their ACA obligations.  One big exception:  Employers with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees are exempt from at least that employer penalty.

The health benefit exchanges will serve two markets, although both will be accessed via one website; the individual exchange and the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange. Since New Hampshire did not set up its own state-based exchange, individuals and small businesses in New Hampshire will access the federal individual and SHOP exchanges to shop for health and dental plans.

Thomas Raffio

Carriers planning to offer medical and dental plans to New Hampshire residents on the exchanges are designing and filing plans with the New Hampshire Insurance Department that meet the ACA’s requirements. Carriers, too, have obligations under the ACA, some of which will significantly change what small businesses have seen in plans of prior years.  For example, all plans in the individual and small group markets must cover the “essential health benefits” (prescription drug coverage, emergency services, maternity and newborn care are three of them).  And, employers must offer plans that meet the “minimum essential coverage” standard, which is an actuarial value of at least 60 percent.

A recent study found that 44 percent of employers feel morally obligated to offer health coverage to their employees.  It is not a surprise, then, that many businesses are truly struggling to do right by their employees, but they do not have the information needed to make the best healthcare coverage decisions for their long-term financial interests and their employees.  You can read up on exchanges now at www.healthcare.gov, a website that will convert to the federal exchange portal this summer.  The U.S. Small Business Administration’s website, www.sba.gov, is another good resource.  And, before you calculate how much your business can contribute to your employees’ coverage, go to the IRS’s website, www.irs.gov, to determine if your business is eligible for the Small Business Health Tax Credit, which can equal up to 50 percent of your workers’ health care premiums.

I don’t advise you to rely on a blog for matters as critical as these, so it is best to consult your benefits team to answer questions, such as how to calculate FTE employees, whether your plans meet the ‘affordable’ standard, whether your business is eligible for the small business tax credit and others.

Thomas Raffio

President & CEO

Northeast Delta Dental

Last month, our company released a free special report, The State of NH on Facebook. The report was designed to help professionals get a better understanding of New Hampshire’s Facebook users: The sheer volume of them (two-thirds of eligible residents), the activities and interests that matter to them and their demographics. We also included practical tactics and ideas for how businesses can make use of this information to engage their audiences, boost their brand visibility, and yes, even increase leads and sales.

Since March 22, when the report launched, its findings have been featured on the front page of the Union Leader’s Business section, in New Hampshire Business Review’s News Browser and on itswebsite and on many Patch.com outlets catering to hyperlocal audiences. The report has also been shared dozens of times from our own company’s Facebook Page, and virally to thousands of others on Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and other people’s social channels.

The upshot?

There is an undeniable recognition by media and professionals alike of Facebook’s role in the now and future success of any business of any size.  The challenge is, most people and companies still haven’t really tapped into the power and possibility of this behemoth social platform.

And there’s a bigger picture, too. Businesses in the Granite State don’t just promote their products and services for New Hampshire customers and clients. They’re marketing to regional, national and international audiences and Facebook is a crucial piece of the marketing matrix.

Here are three other pieces of that matrix, and how Facebook plays a role in each of them:

1.     International focus. This applies to exporters in any industry, businesses with offices abroad, and for travel and tourism businesses here in New Hampshire, to give just three examples. Of Facebook’s 1 billion-plus users, about 85 percent of them are outside the United States. A December 2012 survey of world social networks shows that Facebook is the dominant network in 127 out of 137 countries surveyed!

Whether you’re promoting a product, a service or an experience, you can reach your audience in more cost-effective ways than you ever could before, wherever they are in the world, thanks to Facebook. And international users are also heavy mobile users, which leads neatly into the next point.

2.     Mobile users. More than half of its users access Facebook from a mobile device, and 15 percent of its users access Facebook ONLY from a mobile device. This has huge implications for every business, in New Hampshire and beyond – it’s time to get serious about a mobile strategy, including how your website and email newsletters appear on mobile devices.

Here’s one more remarkable statistic to consider for brick and mortar businesses. The majority of searches made on mobile devices for local products and services are acted upon within one hour of the search. That means mobile users are looking to spend money right now. Are you ready to be found by them on mobile devices?

3.     Integration strategy. There’s so much talk about social media marketing, sometimes it’s easy to forget that Facebook is not the be-all, end-all. It’s impressive, yes, for its reach and influence, as well as for being the world’s largest marketing database. But in Marketing 101 terms, it’s just a channel.

Don’t lose sight of the many channels you manage (i.e., email, PR, website, etc.), by treating Facebook as an island unto itself. Your best bet is to make sure your promotional campaigns actively involve multiple marketing channels, and maintain brand and messaging consistency across them.

There is a world of value to be had by creating a powerful, engaging Facebook presence. There’s also a world of value outside Facebook’s borders. It’s never been more important for you to take the reigns, broaden your horizons, and find the right fit for Facebook in your overall business success strategy.

It’s our passion and purpose to help forward-thinking professionals take advantage of the opportunities presented by Facebook, to connect more meaningfully, effectively, and efficiently with the people who matter. Don’t let fear or overwhelm get in your way. Facebook represents a bigger shift in the business landscape that may ultimately determine if you’re in business five years from now or not.

Whether you use the information in The State of NH on Facebook report; register for our upcoming Facebook Business Accelerator training program; or find your own ways to harness the power of the world’s biggest social network, now is the time to take action.

The future of your own ventures, and New Hampshire’s overall economy, depends on you!

About Epiphanies, Inc.

Hailed as ”visionary” and “two of the most creative thinkers in the industry” by the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, and the Division’s social media consulting agency since 2009, Lani and Allen Voivod share powerful social marketing strategies through speaking, events, workshops and their online channels. Their company, Epiphanies, Inc., engages leaders, inspires entrepreneurs and helps redefine what’s possible for bold brands, innovative businesses and mission-driven organizations. Join their Facebook community at http://facebook.com/AhaYourself, and learn more about their Facebook Business Accelerator at http://AhaFB.com.

A year ago, our friends down the hall at the Division of Travel and Tourism Development unveiled the Live Free and … brand. A piece of our state motto and a fill-in-the-blank with a favorite activity, it has been enthusiastically embraced by the tourism industry, which gathered today for the 37th annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

The tourism industry is the second largest here in the Granite State, employing about 60,000 people who tend to the needs of nearly 35 million visitors who come here each year and spend $4 billion.

“As our second largest industry, our travel and tourism industry is integral to the New Hampshire economy and will continue to play an important role as we work to build a more innovative economic future,” said Gov. Maggie Hassan.

Lori Harnois, director of the NH Division of Travel and Tourism Development, left, and Gov. Maggie Hassan

In this day and age of instant communication and everyone being on-the-go, it’s a challenge to reach them, but our tourism folks continue to find ways to do just that. In the past year, they introduced a fall foliage app for mobile phones, taken a bigger aim at the group tour market and are tapping into new market – Japan.

And tying it all together is that evocative Live Free and … that invitation to pause and make a wish or dream about possibilities that can happen here in New Hampshire – hiking, skiing, relaxing, fishing, zip-lining and even starting a business.

The travel and tourism division will launch its summer marketing campaign on May 8, with print, online and television advertising in Boston and New York.

It’s a sunny Monday afternoon … a good time to Live Free and … (fill in the blank).

Lorna Colquhoun

Communications Director

NH Division of Economic Development

What country has a hot aerospace sector and is eager to do business with America?

That would be Singapore and earlier this week, representatives of nine New Hampshire companies lined up to talk with Haw Cheng Ng, a trade specialist with the US Department of Commerce, about the opportunities available in that country halfway around the world.

“The Singapore aerospace industry is project to grow by 10 percent per year,” he said.

Many of his appointments, which were one-on-one in meetings in Portsmouth and Concord, were with companies that have joined the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium.

The good news?

“The companies I have met with have been good ones and I believe there are great opportunities for them to supply the Singapore aerospace and defense market,” he said.

The New Hampshire Office of International Trade Resource Center offers a number of programs to help Granite State companies, no matter what their business is, to explore and expand into international markets.

Clearly, there is a world of opportunity out there.

Lorna Colquhoun

Communications Director

NH Division of Economic Development

The Thumbtack.com Small Business Survey is out for 2013 and who is at the top of the class for its business friendliness?

That’s right.

New Hampshire.

The state scored an A+ and ranked third for its overall friendliness for small businesses. We are one of just four states in the entire country that earned the top rating and we had the highest grade in New England.

Last year, we came in with an ‘A.’

“This is a very respectable report card for New Hampshire,” said Jeffrey Rose, commissioner of the Department of Resources and Economic Development. “The high marks reflect the state’s commitment to maintaining an environment that encourages businesses and their employees to succeed.”

The 2013 study, the second annual one conducted by the company, draws upon data from over 7,000 small business owners nationwide. Thumbtack.com is an internet marketplace for services.

Last year, New Hampshire ranked 5th in the nation for ease in starting a business; this year, it rose to second place, behind Idaho.

The survey, conducted by the Kauffman Foundation, takes into account things like ease of starting a business (A+); ease of hiring (A+); zoning (A). The lowest score we received was a B for training and networking programs.

New Hampshire members of Thumbtack.com posted notes on doing business in New Hampshire.

“It has been very easy doing business in New Hampshire. I feel like it’s up to me whether I succeed.”  Consultant, Sandown

“New Hampshire has fewer regulations than Massachusetts, and that makes a big difference for us.”  Builder, Exeter

Got an idea for starting a business here in the Granite State? Start right here.

Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
Division of Economic Development

Commissioner Rose speaks after he is sworn in by Gov. Maggie Hassan.

Moments after Jeffrey Rose was sworn in as commissioner of the Department of Resources and Economic Development, he said this is a fitting day for a new beginning.

 Not only is it his first day on the job, but it’s opening day for the Boston Red Sox.

“For those who know me well, they know I am a huge fan of baseball,” Commissioner Rose said following his swearing-in ceremony. “The optimism, the hope, the renewal and all that lies before you is what opening day is all about and it is with that enthusiasm that I approach today, with this new job and new role.”

 As commissioner of DRED, Rose will oversee four divisions – Economic Development, Travel and Tourism Development, Forest and Lands and Parks and Recreation.

 “There’s a lot of work to do,” said Gov. Maggie Hassan. “I think Jeff already knows, but he will discover, that the people of New Hampshire are the best resources we have.”

 Rose comes to DRED from BAE Systems in Nashua. He grew up in Merrimack, spends time at the family’s getaway in Campton and brings to his new job a passion for New Hampshire and all the things that make it a wonderful place.

 “I’m truly excited about this opportunity and all that is ahead,” he said. “As someone who has grown up and spent virtually his entire life here, I can’t think of more exciting opportunity and I look forward to doing wonderful things on behalf of the state of New Hampshire.”

Welcome, Commissioner Rose.

Go Sox!

Lorna Colquhoun

Communications Director

NH Division of Economic Development

The Radio-Canada film crew at the Le Rendevous Bakery in Colebrook.

A film crew from Canada’s largest network is back at its studio in Montreal this week, after spending two intensive days last week delving into New Hampshire’s tax structure.

Beginning in Concord last Monday, the Radio-Canada team talked with Gov. Hassan and our Beno Lamontagne, business resource specialist for northern New Hampshire. No sales tax? No income tax? How does the state operate?

Then it was back on the road, north to Colebrook, where the group spent the day talking with two businesses with roots in France and Quebec, about doing business here. National reporter Maxime Bertrand conducted the interviews in French and the questions were not softball.

Marie-Josee Vaillant, president of Kheops International, speaks with Radio-Canada reporter Maxime Bertrand, center, and producer Francine Doyon.

The morning was spent filming at Kheops International, a wholesaler of New Age items from the 15,000 square-foot building it opened in 2004. Marie-Josee Vaillant, the company president, spoke at length about the reasons why she, her mother and sister located in Colebrook.

In the afternoon, the crew went downtown to the Le Rendevous Bakery and spoke with owner Verlaine Daeron and her partner, Marc Ounis. On a search through northern New England some years ago, the couple from Paris found their way to Colebrook and never left, setting up their bakery in the old First Colebrook Bank.

In addition to the business questions, there were exchanges about the many things in common New Hampshire has with Canada, especially Quebec, which shares our northern border at Pittsburg. The first immigrants to the Granite State, who came down to work the textile mills in Manchester and in the woods north of Berlin and the mills there that made paper for well over a century left a lasting legacy across the state.

“Between our geography and our culture, there is a real connection,” said Lamontagne.

The exact date when the segment on the Late News isn’t set, but the producer said it will be in late April, coinciding with Quebec’s tax day.

Interest in the New Hampshire tax story began last September, when a delegation from the Division of Economic Development went north to the Aero-Montreal Global Supply Chain Summit.

“This interest is a direct result of the Aero-Montreal summit,” said Lamontagne, who was part of the New Hampshire delegation, led by then-Gov. John Lynch, the only governor who attended the event.

Lamontagne and business recruiter Michael Bergeron have made about half a dozen trips to Canada over the past year, which included a dinner for 80 people in Sherbrooke last June to tell them about the benefits of expanding their business to New Hampshire, especially the North Country. In a province that is highly taxed, once business owners get over being incredulous, they are very interested in talking further about opportunities here.

Getting the word out about the business climate here isn’t easy, largely because unlike New York, Vermont and Maine, New Hampshire doesn’t have a television signal that goes over the border, so residents don’t hear a lot about the things that make us unique, very business friendly and eager to welcome our neighbors to north who want to get established in the US markets.

Lorna Colquhoun

Communications Director

Division of Economic Development

Gov. Hassan signs SB 1, increasing and making permanent the research and development tax credit.

In the economic turmoil of a few years ago, it was research and development that helped a Jaffrey company specializing in graphite mold casting technology to produce precision metal parts for a variety of industries.

Val Zanchuck, president of Graphicast, said that R&D conducted right on the shop floor helped his team continue to be innovative, to offer customers cutting edge products, to be competitive and to get through tough times.

Val Zanchuck watches as Gov. Hassan signs SB1.

“Even in the depths of (the recession), we added a new product every two weeks,” Zanchuck said, adding that in one year, his company was able to produce 69 new products. He credits the research and development tax credit, enacted a few years ago for a defined amount of time, as helping Graphicast continue its work.

Today, he was among dozens of people celebrating as Gov. Maggie Hassan signed SB 1 into law. The bill, which quickly passed through the legislature, not only doubles the research and development tax credit from $1 million to $2 million, it makes it permanent.

“Increasing funding for the research-and-development tax credit also sends a message to entrepreneurs and businesses considering where to locate that the state of New Hampshire will continue to work with them to encourage innovation and invest in our economic future,” Hassan said. “By doubling funding for the R&D tax credit, we can help more businesses develop in New Hampshire the new products that can lead to growth and job creation. Making the credit permanent will also help businesses who might need the credit down the road to plan ahead.”

In remarks during the signing ceremony, Zanchuck called the R&D tax credit a “powerful tool” for manufacturers in the state.

“As a manufacturer, we have to constantly upgrade our manufacturing methods and processes to maintain a competitive business,” he said. “New product development and process improvements are our R&D. For us, this R&D does not take place in a laboratory, it takes place on the shop floor. The R&D tax credit helps provide resources that we reinvest to improve and accelerate these activities.”

With the governor’s signature this afternoon, SB 1 sends a message to our many businesses and companies that their hard work in creating the best product they can has value. Beyond New Hampshire, it is a welcome mat of sorts to companies that the Granite State appreciates the fresh ideas that create new products and, most importantly, the jobs that will follow.

Count today as a great day for the New Hampshire economy.

Lorna Colquhoun

Communications Director

NH Division of Economic Development