Useful Links

Tob 10 Small Business Web Sites from Crain's

The best — or at least most comprehensive — place to start is the U.S. Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov). And while this government agency site is huge (you can lose weeks trolling here), the navigation is fairly simple, organized by topics such as "business laws and regulations," "financial assistance" and "forms." It's not sexy. And, like most things emanating from Washington, D.C. you can almost feel the bureaucracy behind it. But get over that: the Web site is full of useful resources.

Another broad and helpful site is Startup Nation (www.startupnation.com). Here, you'll find a ton of "nuts and bolts" small business information (it even uses that phrase in its "about us" section). You'll also find podcasts, online seminars and a blog, full of entrepreneurs like you, who share their successes and horror stories.

Then there's Business Know-How (www.businessknowhow.com), another comprehensive site that, as the name implies, offers practical advice. This one is broken down into simple, easy-to-navigate "departments," such as "starting a business," "law," "marketing," and "tips and hints."

Looking for money? There's the Smart Startup (www.antiventurecapital.com), which uncovers the secrets of funding your new business. There's also plenty of nuts and bolts stuff here, like business modeling, business plans, legal documents, negotiation tactics and the like. One catch: while most of this material is free, the site does charge $34.95 for its "AVC Guide."

Another comprehensive resource is Entrepreneur.com (www.entrepreneur.com), a clearinghouse of small business articles, practical resources, and other ideas for startups like yours. The site includes lists of good banks for small businesses, financial calculators, franchising opportunities, and includes a nice section on e-commerce and small business technology.

Still another nuts and bolts site is the Business Owner's Toolkit (www.toolkit.cch.com), run by Riverwoods-based tax and accounting firm CCH. It includes a comprehensive "Small Business Guide," which lays out — in excruciating detail — the steps you need to take to start, plan, finance, manage, grow, market, protect, and even sell, your new business. There's also a nicely organized "Ask Alice" feature, where aspiring entrepreneurs write in with questions (hmm . . . sounds familiar).

If you're looking for something a little more structured, check out My Own Business (www.myownbusiness.org), an online course designed to teach aspiring entrepreneurs everything from deciding on a business, to location, business insurance, accounting and cash flow, growth strategies, and international markets. Some materials are free; others range from $45 to $85. The site was created by a Los Angeles entrepreneur (and founder of the Yum Yum Donut Shops, Inc.) Phil Holland, who was inspired by the 1992 LA riots. He began by teaching free entrepreneurship classes in Compton, Calif. A Spanish-language version soon followed, as did support from the U.S. Small Business Administration, as well as the World Bank, which in 2002 began distributing the course in Spanish, French, Mongolian, and other languages common in developing countries.

If you're looking for something starring small business owners, then head over to The Entrepreneur's Mind (benlore.com). There you'll find "real life stories and advice" from the founders of Pete's Wicked Ale, Nantucket Nectars, id Software and others. There's also an "experts corner" — articles on a variety of topics from VC, to intellectual property, to e-commerce.

Still need more? Try the Entrepreneur's Library (caycon.com/resources.php). Compiled by small business consultancy Cayenne Consulting, this page is a directory of "600-hand selected resources to help you build, grow and run your venture." The sprawling site covers topics from "getting started," to "legal," to "news and views," and a lot more.

Finally, this isn't the cleanest site on the Internet, but you can also try Biz Move (www.bizmove.com). OK, it's not even really a site for small business (it's really designed to get you to shell out $29.97 for the book "The Complete Guide to Government Grants"). But if you can ignore that you'll find a ton of useful resources — from form templates, to sample business plans (ranging from manufacturing, to services, retail, and home-based business), to marketing, management and more.


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