Resources for Entrepreneurs

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

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business owners to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.

Special section on home-based businesses: http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs235tot.pdf

Free online self-paced courses

SBDC: Small Business Development Centers located throughout the U.S. offering free counseling and seminars: http://www.sba.gov/sbdc/

Other Resources:

Count-Me-In: www.count-me-in.org

Count Me In champions the cause for women's economic independence by providing access to business loans, consultation and education. The first online micro lender, Count Me In uses a unique women-friendly credit scoring system to make loans of $500 to $10,000 available to women across the United States who have nowhere else to turn for that all-important first business loan. The organization provides access to networks that expand contacts, markets, skills, and confidence.

Entrepreneur: www.entrepreneur.com

Entrepreneur.com offers more than 200,000 pages of how-to content. From aspiring business owners all the way to high-profile decision-makers, Entrepreneur.com delves beyond the magazine with expert columnists, listings, tools and services exclusively designed to deliver the catalysts to start, run, or grow a business.

Inc.com: www.inc.com/resources/startup

Inc.com, the Website for Inc. magazine, delivers advice, tools, and services, to help business owners start, run, and grow their businesses more successfully. You'll find information and advice covering virtually every business and management task, including marketing, sales, finding capital, managing people, and much, much more.

My Own Business: www.myownbusiness.com

The My Own Business coursework was designed to help owners of small and medium sized businesses identify, understand, and overcome the challenges they will face on a daily basis. Individual topics cover everything from business plans to marketing plans, licensing to financing, e-commerce to franchise opportunities.

National Consortium of Entrepreneurs: www.nationalconsortium.org

Under the sponsorship of the Kauffman Foundation, the NASDAQ stock market, and Beacon Venture Capital, the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers has been established for the purpose of continued collaboration among the centers. It is the vehicle by which the top established entrepreneurship centers, as well as the new emerging centers, can work together to share information, develop special projects, and assist each other in advancing and improving their centers' impact.

Small Business Television: SBTV.com

The home of small business solutions on the Web, SBTV.com is the first television network on the Web devoted exclusively to providing engaging streaming video content to the 25 million small businesses in the US. SBTV is committed to helping small business owners manage, grow and protect their ventures.

Startup Nation: www.startupnation.com

StartupNation is the destination where you can learn the important nuts and bolts of business, such as how to patent your idea, build a business plan, or increase sales. While you're seeking that helpful information to build your business, StartupNation is also a resource for you to learn from peers. StartupNation includes resources such as its “10 Steps to Open for Business” online tutorial, as well as via the weekly StartupNation e-newsletter and online seminars.

Wall Street Journal-Start Up Journal: www.startupjournal.com

Starting your own business or buying a franchise is tough, even in a strong economy. You'll have to research the market, secure financing, open a shop, hire employees, and run the enterprise. StartupJournal can help. Content comes from The Wall Street Journal, as well as WSJ.com, industry experts and StartupJournal's editorial team.