Small Business Resource Websites
The
United States Small Business
Administration website has a treasure trove of resources including
guidelines for writing a formal business plan and for seeking financing.
The US SBA also provides support for women-owned businesses through
the Online Women's
Business Center.
SCORE is a resource partner with the Small Business Administration. Their site is full of how-to articles, mentoring opportunities, a newsletter, and more.
About.com's Business Section is comprehensive, with articles written by people who are experts in their field. You'll find information about business practices, small business, industry specific information, and business in general.
Inc.com, "The Daily Resource for Enterepreneurs", is Inc. magazine's website with a tremendous collection of high-value resources, including a guide to finding angel investors and tips on evaluating franchise opportunities. There also is an extensive list of free start-up guides.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is the location to not only file trademarks and patents, but also to search trademarked names when choosing your business name.
For those in California, the California
Secretary of State Business Portal offers detailed information
and forms for filing all types of business entities including a sole
proprietorship, LLC, partnership, and corporation.
Work.com is a one-stop
source of how-to guides for the small business owner. It's designed
to address the needs of small businesses seeking concise, actionable
answers to key business questions.
Insure
U For Small Business is a valuable resource provided
by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners with practical
information about insurance for small businesses, including home-based
ones.
