Smallbusinesstown is a user-friendly small business resource site. What makes them worth a few minutes of your day is the diversity of their links. Whether your small business is still a dream, or a consuming, exhilarating reality, this site will enrich and enlighten.
In addition to 100 links, they offer 91 free online guide books, and the free software zone, where you can pick up the latest freeware download from the list of their top 20 picks, including this site that offers free accounting software:
They also offer a free classifieds system where you can buy or sell, among other things, a business.
smbtn.com/smallbizads
All Purpose Resources
MoreBusiness provides general resources for small business at all levels. Especially useful are their templates, which include press releases (always a good idea…) and business and marketing plans.
Their Tools section allows you to compare your financials to industry averages and get free product and service quotes.
Infoworth, a site that has won numerous awards, is built around their panel of experts. Their business disciplines are diverse, and they’re online to answer your questions.
They wouldn’t mind if you bought their books either, all of which are available at the infoworth library.
Their links are few, but seminal. If you’ve never been, check out the Small Business Administration site. The SBA has everything from starting up to financing to examples of signage.
www.sbaonline.sba.gov
www.infoworth.com
If you work at home, or if you’re considering it, Gohome is the place for you. Here reside the great voices of home-based entrepreneur literature. The site is primarily a source for articles about the work at home experience – news-to-use and how-tos, but its also valuable as a connection with a wider community of home-workers around the world.
Under their resource link, you’ll find a list, by country and, in the U.S., by state, of all the small business associations at your disposal.
http://gohome.com
Receivable and Payable
Financehub is a directory of your online financial options. They don’t screen out the scheisters – those pesky get rich quickies, but at least you know you’re exposed to all the web has to offer.
This site will take some time to pick through though. There are 30 venture capital links, with titles from “Venture Capital Gold,” to “Hot Stocks,” to “Auctions! Auctions! Auctions!” Be patient.
www.financehub.com
For tax information it’s a good idea to go to the source. The IRS has, if you don’t mind me saying so, a cool site. Get your forms and instructions – read the latest issue of the Digital Daily.
There’s been something you’ve been meaning to find out but putting off. The site’s friendly, easy to navigate, and they want to help. Go ahead, do it now.
www.irs.treas.gov
Where to go to buy or know
Somehow, in the midst of this vast information ocean, finding a part or a specific document, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the manufacturing or industrial sales end of things, can prove tedious and frustrating.
Techsavvy Helps you identify suppliers and locate hard-to-find technical, engineering, design, and maintenance information. They also enable you to order world wide standards, military specifications, millions of parts, and historical data.
You have to register, and for full benefit you must be cookie enabled, which will allow them to tailor their site to your specific needs.
www.techsavvy.com
For more general research, iTools is the place to go. On their research-it! channel you’ll find language tools (including a translator), maps, the CIA factbook, a currency converter, shipping and mailing information as well as a directory of list servs.
They also provide a round-up of search engines, newsgroups, the Yahoo people search, and a software finder.
http://www.itools.com
About the Author:
Garrett French is the founder of an emerging micro-enterprise – Funky Chicken Design – and recent editorial hire at Murdok. Visit funkychickendesign.com for a complete line of quirky, hip solutions for your casual fashion needs.
Garrett French is the editor of Murdok’s eBusiness channel. You can talk to him directly at WebProWorld, the eBusiness Community Forum.
