Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Resources in this category:

The Business Start Page
http://www.bspage.com/

The Business Start Page is suggested by its author as a page from which the business owner can launch his work on the internet, rather than "surfing" around trying to find useful business information. The page has little original content but is regularly updated and contains links useful to business people. A section called The Virtual Desk links to phone and business directories and general reference tools. The Reference Library has links to business reference sources and other sections are featured with subjects deemed by the author to be of interest to small business owners.

CCH Business Owner's Toolkit
http://www.toolkit.com/

A resource for small business owners that covers topics like starting your business and managing finances. Provides access to a wide variety of business tools, including forms and model business plans. The section of the site that offers business reports and trademark/patent searches requires registration and fees.

Center for Business Planning
http://www.businessplans.org/

"The Center for Business Planning provides any business manager or entrepreneur with a set of resources to help in creating a business or managing a business. Information is provided on every area of planning a business including: acquire venture capital, define new products, market analysis, competitive analysis, production management, tax problems, legal issues, prepare financial statements, write a business plan and much more."

The Edward Lowe Foundation
http://edwardlowe.org/

Provides a wide-range of information for entrepreneurs, especially second-stage entrepreneurs, including forums on finance, human resources, legal issues, technology and marketing.

Edward Lowe Peerspectives : Information, Insight, and Inspiration for Second Stage Business Owners
http://peerspectives.org/

This site combines the former Edward Lowe Digital Library with a Peer Networking information site. The information section contains hundreds of articles and briefs covering aspects of starting, managing and growing a small business. Documents are organized by topic and subtopic and can be retrieved using the site's "smart search".

ENTERWeb: The Enterprise Development Website
http://www.enterweb.org/

Check out this information portal (a door to other sources) about enterprise development, international trade, finance, and economics on a global scale. ENTERWeb lists and rates resources on all these subjects, covering both developed and developing countries In addition, ENTERWeb aims to provide business related information and links on a country by country basis, mostly for developing countries and emerging markets. In both English and French.

Entrepreneurs' Help Page
http://www.tannedfeet.com/

"This site is designed, created, and published by a group of young professionals. We put together our skills and knowledge to publish this site to help out other young people or inexperienced business people with good ideas and the desire to start their own business. This web site distributes basic information on legal, financial, and management issues that commonly affect (or afflict!) people who are just starting up their businesses." Extensive articles on opening and financing a business. Legal resources on incorporation, intellectual property, taxation, contracts, and links to legal forms. New content added often.

FindLaw for Small Business
http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/

General and legal information relevant to small businesses. Its "Self Help Legal Guides" on topics such as "Business Formation", "Business Planning", "Finance", and "Human Resources" include articles, web links, FAQs and forms.

Free Management Library
http://www.managementhelp.org/

The Free Management Library provides extensive how-to management information to managers -- particularly those with very limited resources. Items in the library are relevant to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations unless otherwise marked at the top of the page containing the item. Organized into 675 different management related categories, the library provides resources from topics ranging from organizational communitation to e-commerce to risk management.

House Committee on Small Business
http://wwwc.house.gov/smbiz/

"The House Permament Select Committee on Small Business was created just days before war broke out in 1941 to help small businesses participate in the federal defense production program. Since then, the House Committee on Small Business has engaged in expanding the participation of the entrepreneur and small business owner in the great American marketplace." Areas of the Committee's jurisdiction include assistance to and protection of small business, including financial aid, regulatory flexibility, and paperwork reduction and the participation of small-business enterprises in Federal procurement and Government contracts.

How to Open a Bed and Breakfast
http://members.fortunecity.com/dotel/plan.htm

Information for those interested in starting a bed and breakfast business, including a complete sample business plan, links to related Web sites and trade shows, and references to print materials.

IRS.gov Home
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/

The main site for U.S. Internal Revenue Service on the Web. This site contains a great deal of information for both individual and business taxpayers, as well a downloadable tax forms, instructions and IRS publications. Individuals can use an interactive tool Tax Trails to find out the answers to frequently asked questions about exemptions, deductions and credits. A text-only version is also available.

Kauffman eVenturing: The Entrepreneur's Trusted Guide to High Growth
http://eventuring.kauffman.org/eShip/appmanager/eVenturing/e...

"Provides original articles, written by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, and aggregates "the best of the best" content on the Web related to starting and running high-impact companies."

Managing a Small Business
http://www.liraz.com/

This site, from a commercial publisher of business books and CD-ROMs, has useful articles and tips for small business owners, many of which are excerpts from the company's products, but are meaty enough to be useful online. Tips on goal setting, managing people, managing yourself, being an entrepreneur, planning, marketing, cutting expenses, and more.

Online Women's Business Center
http://www.onlinewbc.gov/

"This interactive business skills training web site is dedicated to helping entrepreneurial women to realize their goals and aspirations for their personal and professional development. Our goal is to provide them with the information and expertise necessary for planning their economic independence through owning their own business." The information includes online forums, message boards, as well as resource databases and informative articles. The site is searchable and is available in English, Spanish, and Russian.

Senate Committee on Small Business
http://sbc.senate.gov/

The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship reports on matters related to the Small Business Administration (SBA), and problems of American small business enterprises.

Small Business - U.S. Government Consumer Information Center
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/results.tpl?id1=21&startat=1&--woS...

The Small Business section of the U.S. Government Consumer Information Center has online pamphlets covering starting, running and selling a small business, business credit and resources for small businesses.

Strategis
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/engdoc/main.html

A website about Canadian business put out by the Minister of Industry. The site has sections on company information, international business, consumer information, technology, business support, human resources, small businesses, and more. Versions of the site are available in English or French.

U. S. Small Business Administration
http://www.sba.gov/

Get information here on the U.S. Small Business Administration programs and publications about starting, financing, and expanding a small business.The SBA, established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, in addition to a venture capital portfolio of $13 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses. Last year, the SBA offered management and technical assistance to more than one million small business owners. The SBA also plays a major role in the government's disaster relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses.

Yahoo Small Business
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/

Use this site to help answer your small business questions. Study sample marketing plans, read related articles, search the Thomas Register for companies, and follow other business links.