INTERNET RESOURCES
www.bizmove.com
The Internet's largest source of information for small business.
Includes:
- Starting a Business
- Financial Management
- Sales & Marketing
- Personnel Management
- Internet Business
- General Management
- International Business
- Buying a Business
- Business Plans
www.nfibonline.com
Many small business tools including:
- how to start a business
- writing a business plan
- marketing
- accounting, tax, and law
- employee benefits
- loan payment calculator
U.S. Census Bureau website where you can search any zip code, city, county, metro area or state for demographic data. Very helpful in defining the size of your potential customer base.
Small Business Administration website containing information on starting & financing a small business, SBA resources, and a classroom where you can learn how to prepare a business plan.
Online Women's Business Center, directed at the special needs of women owned businesses. Information available on a variety of topics including marketing, management, technology, and doing business with the government
Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, the state agency responsible for assisting small businesses. Contains information, guides, loan program information, and referrals to other resources.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website, where you can obtain information and guides on preparing patent applications and trademarks. You can also search for existing patents and download forms.
IRS website where you can download and print every tax form and publication or ask questions.
Illinois Secretary of State website where you can search for corporate name availability and access incorporation forms.
freeadvice.com has plain English explanation of legal concepts for business owners.
Palo Alto Software has a very large number of sample business plans.
Business Owner's Toolkit from CCH, Inc. has many sample forms and guides for almost any business topic.
Insure.com's small business section has a plain English explanation of insurance for small businesses.
The Company Corporation does incorporation for you.
Illinois Department of Revenue site where you can obtain information and forms on sales tax, income tax and more.
Missouri Small Business Development Centers Library is an excellent site containing links to TONS of resources on business plans, including sample plans.
The Small Business Development Centers National Information Clearinghouse has a huge amount of statistics for various industries, trends, and customer data.