|
| |
THE TOP 40 INTERNET SITES
FOR SMALLBIZ ASSISTANCE
Many businesses, government and nonprofit
organizations have set up home pages on the World Wide Web of
the Internet where you can browse through or download helpful
business information, view videos and catalogues, and place
orders for merchandise, in some cases. Some of the more useful
sites for small businesses include the ones listed below.
- JEEVES and GOOGLE -- But first, if you can't find
what you need at any of the sites listed below, you may want to try
Jeeves,
a remarkably slick, intelligent new type of search engine (more
like a genie, actually) that seems to understand most questions
you may ask it in English, and does an amazing job of finding
answers for you, using the resources of all of the major Web search
engines. While not specifically business oriented, using Jeeves
is free, and it may at times make you feel like you're living in
a Star Trek episode, asking "Computer" to answer your
questions about almost anything in the galaxy. And, of course,
you can find answers to almost anything on (nearly) everyone's
favorite search engine:
Google
- ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS. -- Become an expert
or ask an advisor about anything from financial advice to technical
support at this question-and-answer community.
AskMeHelpDesk.com
- LANGUAGE TRANSLATION ON THE WEB -- If you need to
read web pages that are in a foreign language, and can't afford to
hire an interpreter, the Alta Vista
search engine can translate the web pages from any of 5 languages (Spanish,
French, Italian, Portuguese, or German) into English, or vice versa.
While the translations are not perfect, they are pretty good, and are
free. You can even type in text on-screen and see it instantly translated
between English and any of the other 5 languages. Check it out next time
you are trying to read a foreign web page, and are straining your memory
banks, struggling to remember your high school French or Spanish....
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS INFORMATION:
- FED WORLD -- This is the central clearing site for
Internet sites that are related to the U.S. federal government. It's
a good place to start to locate and review available information for
a wide array of federal agencies and departments. Its Web address is:
http://www.fedworld.gov
- SBA ONLINE -- The Small Business Administration has a Web
site that provides tips for starting, financing, and expanding a small
business. This is also a useful site for locating the Web address
(and real address) of the Small Business Development Center or
S.C.O.R.E. chapter nearest you, where you can obtain counseling
assistance for your small business. The SBA site is at the following
Web address:
http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov
- SBAOnline.gov includes many links to other Web sites, including
a nifty "U.S. Business Advisor" site that
includes information on almost every subject for anyone who has dealings
with the U.S. federal government. The Web address of the U.S. Business
Advisor site is:
http://www.business.gov
- IRS -- The Internal Revenue Service has a Web site from
which you can download tax forms and instructions and obtain
other tax information, including downloads of free tax publications.
You can download the forms and other items to your computer
and print them out later, if needed. You'll need Adobe Acrobat
(free) or another such "reader" program to view and/or print
out the files you download. The IRS Web address is:
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/
- EDGAR -- The SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission) Web site contains corporate filings that have
been submitted to the SEC under the securities laws,
including 10K's, 10Q's and other forms. You can access
the EDGAR database to search for information about any
public company, at this Web address:
http://www.edgar-online.com
- SEC HOME PAGE -- The SEC LAW home page provides
updated information on SEC actions, including a section on
small business matters, proposed regulations, and SEC news
tidbits. Its Web address:
http://www.seclaw.com
- THE WHITE HOUSE -- The White House has
set up this popular Internet site, which offers information on
many areas of the executive branch of the federal government,
among other things. The address on the Web is:
http://www.whitehouse.gov
- THOMAS -- Not to be outdone by the executive
branch, the U.S. Congress has set up THOMAS, a huge collection
of accessible information about the workings of the Congress,
including the full text of House and Senate legislation. You can
now read the full text of pending bills for yourself, without
need to hire an expensive and Gucci-shod Washington lobbyist
to tell you what is in a proposed new bill. THOMAS can be
accessed at:
http://thomas.loc.gov
STATE GOVERNMENTS BUSINESS INFORMATION:
- YAHOO STATE INFORMATION -- You can now access
a wide range of business and tax information for any of the states
via the Internet. In most states, you can now directly access the
state's laws, download tax forms, and access on-screen information
on a wide range of business, tax and regulatory subjects. A good
starting point for a search of state Web sites is the following "Yahoo"
Web page, which lists all of the states -- simply click on the state
whose governmental information you wish to peruse:
YAHOO
- CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT AGENCIES -- California
is almost like another, slightly smaller, version of the federal
government, with more state bureaucracies than you can count
(including 3 different state tax collection agencies you must deal
with). An excellent starting point on the Web for finding your
way through the maze of California government agencies is the
following web page, which links to all major California state
agencies that are on the Web:
California state agencies
- WASHINGTON, D.C. HOME PAGE -- For information on
doing business in the District of Columbia, a good starting point
is the Washington, D.C. home page:
D.C. HOME PAGE
PRIVATE SITES OFFERING BUSINESS
INFORMATION AND SERVICES:
- MERCHANT EQUIPMENT STORE -- This firm provides credit card
processing and merchant accounts to small business of all types including retail,
restaurant, service and ecommerce. Gift card programs are available.
http://www.merchantequip.com/merchant-accounts/credit-card-processing/
- VIRTUAL ASSISTANT -- Davinci Virtual is the leading provider of professional
live receptionist and virtual assistant services.
http://www.davincivirtual.com/"
- SMALL BUSINESS LOGOS -- Small Business Logoworks helps you to create
a logo for your business with the aid of expert designers, while allowing you to
keep control of the process. The site also contains numerous useful articles on
various small business topics.
http://smallbusiness.logoworks.com
- DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING -- Mothers of Invention is a Boston based direct
marketing agency offering award winning direct mail advertising services.
http://www.themothersofinvention.com/
- TRADE FAIRS AND EVENTS - ZNET LIVE -- This useful site provides the Internet's
largest directory of trade fairs and business events. It brings you an exhaustive
coverage of exhibitions, trade shows & expositions, conferences and seminars
for various industries worldwide, including a month-by-month schedule of
such fairs and events.
http://www.znetlive.com/directory/Business-Directory.htm
- FREE BUSINESS GREETING E-CARDS -- A helping hand, a warm gesture, a little fun
and laughter can go a long way to liven up your office space, and help spruce up your
work relationships. So whether you want to congratulate a colleague, or thank a client/ co-worker/ boss
or joke around with an office pal, jus' pick from 123greetings.com's wide array of delightful, free 'n' animated
business greeting cards and make work fun.
http://www.123greetings.com/business/
- STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING -- Learn the disciplines of business design, business planning and business model
optimization to ensure both the short and long term success of your startup.
http://www.startupplanet.com/
- BOOK OF LISTS -- The Streetwise Small Business Book Of Lists
(Adams Media; 2006) is a collection of over 500 critical lists of information every business owner or manager
needs to know to make decisions quickly and manage more effectively. Painstakingly compiled from hundreds
of business experts, publications, government resources and websites, the Streetwise Small Business Book of Lists
is a one stop answer book for every business owner's questions. Learn what are the lowest-cost franchises to
start up, the ten things to consider before buying a new phone system, the most popular ways to decrease
your company's health insurance costs, the top methods for speeding up your cash flow, the most effective
steps for reducing travel expenses and much more! For more information and more lists, see:
http://www.smallbizlists.net
- PLUG IN PROFIT SITE -- A useful site, filled with
legitimate home-based businesses for Internet marketers to explore.
http://www.happyandrich.biz
- INTERNET HOME BASED BUSINESS GUIDE. -- One of the very best online opportunities available
for student and home moms to start business from home. The best way to earn money from your home
in your spare time. For more information, see:
http://www.work-at-home-guide.com
- VATAMERICA.COM (RECOVERY OF EUROPEAN VALUE-ADDED TAXES) -- For U.S.
companies that incur European value added-taxes (VAT taxes) in European countries,
from activities as wide-ranging as imports/exports, trade shows, or employees' expenses
of traveling on business in Europe, VATAmerica offers help in the often complex task
of obtaining full or partial refunds of such VAT taxes, and does so at interbank
currency exchange rates, which can save you a bundle when you do receive a VAT refund.
http://www.VATAmerica.com
- YOUR FRANCHISE HOME.COM -- A top site for information on franchised
businesses, including information on a wide range of franchising categories, links to other
helpful franchise sites and franchise ratings.
http://www.yourfranchisehome.com
- PEERSPECTIVES -- Formerly the "Entrepreneurial
Edge," this is probably the best site for general business
information on the Internet, created by the Edward Lowe Foundation,
a private philanthropic organization. It contains a vast number
of business resources, and you can order whole books or for a modest
fee, pick a subject and use their "fax-on-demand" service
to fax specific information back to you on the subjects you select,
for a nominal charge. Visit Peerspectives Edge at the following Web address:
http://peerspectives.org
- MARKET RESEARCH -- Two key sites for locating
companies that are on the Net are BizWeb and the Commercial
Sites Index. BizWeb is sort of a "yellow pages" listing of
companies, arranged by category, but also includes a handy
search engine. The Commercial Sites Index lists thousands
of companies that have set up a home page on the Net.
Access BizWeb at:
http://www.bizweb.com
- NATIONAL SBDC RESEARCH NETWORK -- In 1992,
the New York State Small Business Development Center began
operating the National SBDC Research Network. This Research
Network provides research support to over 900 Small Business
Development Centers throughout the United States, Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Islands. The Research Network is funded
by the US Small Business Administration and administered by
the University of Texas-San Antonio. This site provides a great
deal of information that can be useful to the potential or
ongoing entrepreneur. Web address is:
http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu/
- ISO ONLINE -- The International Standards
Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, operates this highly useful
informational site on ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards, which are
becoming increasingly important quality assurance standards for
companies operating in international markets. Its web address
is:
http://www.iso.ch
- TECHNOLOGY EXPORT MANAGEMENT -- This private
web site offers a wealth of free information on exporting goods and
services to all parts of the world, provided by an export management
consulting firm. The Web address is:
http://www.techxport.com
- THE COPYRIGHT WEBSITE -- Contains helpful
information and advice on how to copyright your writing or
other creative works, including a special emphasis on copyright
laws as they apply to Web publishing. The Web address for
this site is:
http://www.benedict.com
- AMERICAN CITY BUSINESS JOURNALS -- This site,
maintained by the publisher of business journals in more than
two dozen major U.S. cities, contains links to each of those
local business journals, including sample articles you may
view on-line, and the ability to sign up for a subscription to
the journal (if any) in your city. The Web address is:
http://www.bizjournals.com
- THE STOCK MARKET DIRECTORY -- This is a
one-stop resource for all your stock market needs. The Web address is:
http://www.stockmarketsite.info
- CORPORATIONS USA. -- A very useful service
for anyone who wants to set up a Delaware corporation, LLC or
limited partnership. This firm will then serve, without charge,
as your registered agent in Delaware. The Web address is:
http://www.corporationsusa.com
- INCORPORATE IN DELAWARE -- INCORPORATION DELAWARE AS AN OUT OF
STATE CORPORATION. -- Incorporation Delaware is the best way to
take advantage of Delaware's business friendly environment. Incorporate
in Delaware with Bizorigin.com from your state and work as an out of
state corporation:
http://www.bizorigin.com/delaware_corproration_registered_in_your_state_as_an_out_of_state_corporation.php
- THE COMPANY CORPORATION. -- This private service
will, for a small fee, incorporate your business in any state,
generally within 24-48 hours. You can initiate the process
of incorporation on-line, if you wish, at their Web site:
http://www.corporate.com
- LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY FORMATION. -- StartBizHere.com
offers business incorporation and limited liability company formation services for all 50 states.
Call them at 1-877-789-4373:
http://www.startbizhere.com/
- COMPANY FORMATION AGENT (IRELAND). -- OmniPro SME Consultancy provides
company formation agent, business training, and secretarial specialists services in Ireland:
http://www.omnipro.ie
- LAWINFO.COM LEGAL INFORMATION SITE. -- A very
comprehensive site, offering legal information and online legal forms
to consumers, small business, and attorneys. One of the most
complete sites on the Internet for U.S. legal information, much
of it free:
http://www.lawinfo.com
- SMALL BUSINESS WEBSITES THAT WORK. -- Companion
site to the book of the same name, including excerpts and extensive
resources for profitable online business. Published in the U.K.,
the information on how to run a profitable small business website
is invaluable in any country:
http://www.sean.co.uk.books/sbwtw/index.shtm
- 2007 CALIFORNIA REQUIRED NOTICES KIT. -- The CalBizCentral 2007 California Required Notices
Kit here! This labor law poster, featured through the California Chamber of Commerce, features all 16
required state and federal notices all California businesses must display in the workplace:
http://www.calchamber.com/gate/cbc/labor-law-poster
- SOUTHERN UTAH REAL ESTATE. -- If you are looking to buy or sell real estate in
Southern Utah, contact the Bontadelli Team at ERA Real Estate in Cedar City. For
information on available properties in the area and contact information, see:
http://www.cedarcity-realestate.com/
- SAN DIEGO WEB DESIGN. -- Webene.com is a professional website design company, providing
website design services as well as e-commerce solutions, online marketing, and web consulting
services. For details or to request a free quote, see:
http://www.webene.com
FINANCING SOURCES:
The following are some of the best web sites for locating financing
for your business, including loans, venture capital, and information
on self-financing through an IPO (initial public offering) over
the Internet:
- UNSECURED CASH ADVANCES, SMALL BUSINESS LOANS, BUSINESS
EXPANSION HELP BY FIRST FUNDS. -- Unsecured cash advances and small
business loans provided as business expansion help by First Funds. First Funds Small Business loans
are provided fast -- easy and hassle-free approval process for fast business growth.: Go to:
http://1rstfunds.com/index.php
- MY.CAPITAL.COM. -- This site provides a
searchable database of more than 4,000 venture capital firms and startups
looking for business capital. In addition, investors and entrepreneurs looking
for capital can post their profiles in our real-time database for interested parties
to find them. This service is also free. Go to:
http://www.mycapital.com/
- LENDERS' INTERACTIVE SERVICES. -- This is an excellent
starting point for your search for financing. This interactive site asks
you for information about your business, then recommends lenders
that may match with your needs, and you can even request that
those lenders contact you. Go to:
http://www.lendersinteractive.com
- SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. -- Of course, one
of the best places to find out about the many available SBA loan
programs is at the SBA's home page, which contains a wealth of
small business loan information, and lists of Certified Development
Companies in each state, at:
http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov
- LOAN PROCESS. -- For information on how to go about
obtaining SBA-guaranteed loans or other sources of startup capital,
visit the MoreBusiness.com web site and see their helpful guides to
startups, financing, or download free business shareware programs, at:
http://www.morebusiness.com
- FINANCE HUB. -- Approach any or all of long list of bankers
for financing at once through this site, which provides links to
nearly 100 banks in the U.S. and Canada, at:
http://www.financehub.com
- SHARPENING YOUR VENTURE CAPITAL PRESENTATION. -- This
site will help you to sharpen your presentation to venture capitalists.
Check it out at:
http://www.vfinance.com/
- VISTAWEB -- GOING PUBLIC ON THE NET. Visit this
site to get information and advice you can use, to help you decide if
your company is one that could or should consider an initial public
offering (IPO) of stock over the Internet, which an increasing number
of small firms are now doing:
http://www.vistaweb.com
BUSINESS HOW-TO BOOKS (SPECIFICALLY FOR
YOUR STATE):
The STARTING AND OPERATING A BUSINESS IN THE U.S. series
of small business tax, legal, and practical guides for each of the
50 states and D.C., are authored by Michael D. Jenkins, J.D., CPA.
("Starting and Operating a Business in California," New York, etc.)
The print versions of this series sold well over a million copies over
two decades, but the final (2000) print version is now several years out of
date, and is no longer in print, (although used copies are
available through Amazon.com).
The new (2007 and 2008) software/electronic book versions, have replaced
the 51 print editions formerly published by Oasis Press and the single all-states
U.S. Version (published by Running 'R' Media -- cover pictured above).
Each of these electronic books will guide you through the business startup
process, including plain-English explanations of complex legal and tax
requirements, detailed checklists, and fill-in copies of required federal
tax and regulatory forms for your business. Existing businesses will benefit
from the broad, up-to-date coverage of federal and state tax and business
laws that apply to your business, and income tax and estate planning
strategies to help your business keep more of what it earns.
The author, MICHAEL D. JENKINS, a Harvard lawyer
and former Big 4 CPA, previously wrote or coauthored all 51 state
books in the Starting and Operating a Business series, most
of which were co-authored by Ernst & Young or other business experts
in the various states.
The new version includes a software front-end program
("The Small Business
Advisor") which:
- "Interviews" you about your existing or planned business,
asking you a series of simple questions (such as which state
you will do business in, how many employees you have, what
type of legal entity you will adopt, how many owners, whether
you have pension plans, your average gross sales, foreign
ownership, if any, type of employee benefit plans you have,
etc.);
- Uses the interview information you provide about your business
to create a customized version of the entire "Starting and Operating
a Business in ...(your state)" book, and saves the files on your
computer as HTML files, readable by your web browser. Throughout
this entire book the content is based on YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR
FACTS, and YOUR STATE LAWS AND TAXES, as though an attorney
and CPA wrote the entire book specifically for you. At any time,
you can change some of the information about your business that
you entered in the "interview" (such as number of employees, legal
entity type, etc.), and the software will instantly re-create a
new book, based on the new facts, in about 1 or 2 seconds -- so
you can do "what-if" simulations to see how, for example, hiring
another employee or two or increasing your annual gross sales to
a higher level may affect your tax burdens or your regulatory
obligations as an employer;
- Uses the interview information you provide about your business
to create a detailed business startup checklist, based
upon your specific fact situation, in YOUR state. The checklist
can run from 3 to as many as 6 or more pages, depending on the
complexity of your situation and the size of your business,
number of employees, etc.;
- Offers "one-click" easy printing of the entire book, if you
wish to print out any state edition, as you have customized it.
(Each edition is about 450 to 550 pages in length; the books in
this Starting and Operating a Business in the U.S. series are
the most comprehensive and up-to-date small business tax and
legal guides available at any price.);
- Includes, in fill-in .PDF file format, linked to from
the book pages, various critically important federal tax
and regulatory forms you may need, such as the IRS application
for taxpayer I.D. number (Form SS-4), S corporation election
(Form 2553), entity tax classification election form (Form 8832),
immigration Form I-9 you must complete when hiring each employee,
and a state sales tax resale exemption certificate that can be
used in all but a few states;
- Includes an entrepreneurial "self-test" to help you decide
if you have what it takes to become a successful business owner;
and
- Provides an extensive, very detailed outline of
a business plan, with instructions, advice, and helpful
explanations for every part of the business plan, to help
you write a business plan that make a good impression on
prospective lenders or investors.
There's nothing else available ... ANYWHERE ... like these
CUSTOMIZED small business guidebooks, downloadable or on CD-ROM,
covering a full range of the major state and federal taxes, laws,
and business regulations that apply to most small businesses --
plus practical advice on many small business topics, ranging from
site selection to accounting. All information in each edition
updated in the last 1 to 12 months. (We fully revise and update
one of the 51 state editions per week -- for every week of the
year but Christmas. The "national" portions of the books have
all been updated in the last 12 months, with one or two of the
17 "national" chapters updated each month throughout each year,
to keep the information throughout the series extremely fresh.)
Editions for all 50 states and a D.C. edition are now fully
updated and available for sale, $29.95 for a single-state edition.
A $99 Professional Version is also available, which includes the state
information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and is
an ideal resource for law and accounting firms or other business
advisors. All editions are thoroughly footnoted throughout.
See our Product Information web page
for more details about this software/electronic book package or
CLICK HERE TO ORDER
through one of the secure ordering links to online vendor, the oldest
software vendor on the Net, SWREG.ORG.
For more information on any state edition of the "Starting and Operating a
Business" electronic book series, click on the state name in the table below.
|