Official Site of The State of New Jersey

New To You

USDA Announces Enrollment Period and Payment Rates for Specialty Crop Farmers

Pre-filled Applications Available Online to Producers with a Login.gov Account
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will issue $1.625 billion in payments to eligible specialty crop producers in response to elevated input costs and market disruptions resulting from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impeded specialty crop exports. Producers who have a Login.gov account can access and submit their pre-filled application starting June 1, 2026. Producers who do not have a Login.gov account or prefer to enroll in person at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office can request their prefilled application beginning June 8, 2026. The ASCF enrollment period closes on Aug. 7, 2026.

Good To Know

7 Psychology Trends of Consumers to Help Grow Your Business

According to McKinsey, 47% of consumers say locally owned companies are important to their purchasing decisions, mostly because they want to support local and domestic businesses. Read the full article here.

How to Build your E-Commerce Site from Scratch!

Your e-commerce business can build a strong national or even global customer base with the right marketing, fulfillment, and customer service strategies.  Read the full article here.

Size Up the Competition

Have you ever wondered what the latest trends are in your marketplace? Or needed to figure out where the gaps are in your business plan? Here is a great resource for figuring out how to do competitive research.

The majority of companies report positive marketing results from QR codes, using them to boost engagement, capture data, and drive sales. Learn how to use QR codes to connect with customers and create interactive brand experiences. (co-midnight oil - uschamber.com edition 347)

Upcoming Events

June 4 – AI for Small Businesses – Streamlining Operations and Boosting Revenue

Virtual Event (Free to register)

9-10 a.m.

Hosted by the NJ Chamber of Commerce

Research for Patents and Trademarks - Simplified
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will require registration for access to the Open Data Portal (ODP) starting on June 18, 2026. The registration requirement is part of the Office’s agencywide initiative to further enhance protections of publicly available federal data.   

Available to the public since February 2025, ODP is USPTO’s unified data platform, home to a wide range of products including publicly accessible patent and trademark datasets. Starting on June 18, 2026, users will need to have a USPTO.gov account to register and access the ODP site.   

For more on registration, navigate to the Register for ODP Access page and complete the steps to register or learn more from our FAQs | Open Data Portal

Checklist 101:
When you start a business, do you know everything you need to do? Not many companies get it right the first time, so here is a Startup Checklist to help you cover all your bases from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The NJ Business Action Center also has a Small Business Manual that can help you locate everything you need to set up in New Jersey. You can find the Manual here.

Leads, leads, and leads!! Oh My!

Excerpt from CO-Midnight Oil Newsletter

With trade shows taking place everywhere in the upcoming months, do you know how to convert a lead into an actual sale? Here are some tips from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:

Generate qualified leads

Once you’ve defined what a qualified sales lead looks like, grow your list by exploring channels that align with your audience and offer clear value. In addition to the sales channels above, qualified leads may come from:

• Advertising. A strong advertising campaign can help your business gain traction with the right audience by promoting offers, resources, or landing pages designed to capture interest and drive sign-ups.
• In-person events. Whether you’re hosting your own event or attending an industry gathering, meeting face-to-face lets you bypass online screening and network more naturally, leading to stronger connections.
• Partnerships. Partnering with like-minded organizations or community initiatives can introduce your business to new audiences who are more likely to be interested in your offerings. These partnerships help reinforce your values, build consumer trust, and expand your reach.
• Referrals. Encouraging referrals from satisfied customers helps your business grow organically and generate more qualified sales leads. By rewarding customers who promote your business, whether through a review or word-of-mouth recommendation, you can encourage repeat business, gain new customers, and build loyalty.
• Nurture and convert existing leads
  Nurturing relationships is about delivering the right message at the right time to the right audience — and continuing the conversation after the sale. To effectively move consumers toward conversion, focus efforts on these areas.
• Strengthen relationships
  Offer consistent support by answering questions or providing guidance as needed. Becoming a trusted resource and building rapport with consumers helps them feel more connected to and comfortable with your brand, increasing brand loyalty and driving sales.
• Optimize your website
  Ensure your website is easy to use, professional, and, most importantly, reflective of your brand. Employ tools to simplify the customer experience, such as integrated scheduling software or chatbot features for always-available support, and ensure your site is optimized for different screen sizes to accommodate all devices and reduce friction.

Marketing vs. Advertising? Is there really a difference?
Large companies often have separate marketing and advertising departments, but small business owners often manage both functions single-handedly. Understanding how marketing and advertising differ from one another and when to prioritize each one will make it easier for you to manage your time and money.

Marketing and advertising focus on promoting products and services, but they do it in different ways. Read more about their differences here.

What is "Success" to You?
Is it seeing your firm's consumer packaged goods on the shelves of a British store? Perhaps, it is entering the United Arab Emirates with a breakthrough cosmetic? Or it might be selling your firm's AI-powered consulting services in Japan.

Whichever country, or language, spells "Success" to you, the Office of Export Promotion is your go-to resource. Send an email to Marielle Wolf at marielle.wolf@sos.nj.gov.

Let’s talk about what your “Success” will be!

Have an Export-Related Need? NJ BAC Office of Export Promotion Can Help.
The Office of Export Promotion works with New Jersey’s small and mid-sized companies interested in expanding sales and their customer base for their products and services through export. Companies interested in global business activity can tap into a number of resources on business export planning available through the NJBAC Export Promotion unit.

Have a Business Need? NJ BAC Can Help.
The NJBAC offers no-cost technical assistance, training, and problem-solving. From site selection and incentive identification to one-off questions, the NJBAC is here to support all NJ businesses. In addition to the Office of Export Promotion, NJBAC is home to the Office of Small Business Advocacy, Office of Business Advocacy, and the Office of Planning Advocacy. The NJBAC offers free online chat and telephone (800-537-7397) assistance in English and Spanish to any New Jersey business. The NJBAC Small Business Manual, a one-stop tool for many business concerns, is available online. A Spanish version of the manual is also available for download. A print copy in both versions is available on request.

Please feel free to share the information in this email with other NJ companies interested in exporting.

Please note we will be sending out these OEP Updates emails typically once a month. If there is a topic you would like us to address, please tell us. If you would rather not receive these emails, let us know and we will remove you from our list.

Best Regards,

The Office of Export Promotion Team
Penni Wild, Deputy Executive Director
Jean Chang, International Business Advocate
Marielle Wolf, NJSTEP Project Director
Sophie Werner, International Business Advocate