Small Business - Websites
Bplans.com
http://www.bplans.com/
A great site for learning all you need to know about developing a workable business plan. Includes many sample plans for a variety of small businesses.
Best Banks for Entrepreneurs
http://www.entrepreneur.com/bestbanks
Select a state to locate that state's top microbusiness-friendly banks. Microbusiness loans are defined as business loans of less than $100,000.
Bizstats.com
http://www.bizstats.com
One of the best free sites for benchmark industry ratios and income-expense statements. Also provides a tool to input sales figures, a business type, and an industry and then obtain a profit & loss statement showing industry average breakdowns and target dollar levels.
Business Plans and Profiles Index
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/business/bplansindex.html
Sample business plans and profiles compiled by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Business Week Online Small Business
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/index.html#information
Business Week's advice and information page for the entrepreneur or small business.
Entrepreneur's Mind
http://www.benlore.com/
Real life stories and advice from successful entrepreneurs.
Forms.gov
http://www.forms.gov/bgfPortal/main.do
A common access point to federal agency forms, including small business and tax forms.
The Idea Cafe
http://www.businessownersideacafe.com/
"A Fun Approach to Serious Business." This award-winning site provides information on financing your business, a forum where entrepreneurs and experts can network, a directory of the most helpful sites for small businesses on the web and several fun sections such as the "Biz Horoscope" and "Coffee Talk with Experts".
IRS Small Business & Self-Employed Tax Center
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html
Information from the Internal Revenue Service on employer ID numbers (EINs), filing requirements, business expenses and more.
The James J. Hill Reference Library
http://www.jjhill.org/about_us
A private non-profit business library that has many free practical business resources and is considered "one of the most comprehensive business libraries in the country.
MoreBusiness.com
http://www.morebusiness.com
Information on business planning (including sample business plans), marketing, management, and more.
The Plan: A Step-by-Step Business Plan Workbook by Mastercard
http://www.mastercard.com/us/business/en/pdf/plan.pdf
A workbook to help entrepreneurs and small business owners think deeply about each phase of their business planning and identify any hidden flaws that need to be adjusted.
SCORE Templates for Your Business
http://www.score.org/template_gallery.html
Essential forms for start-up and management of a small business. Forms include, but are not limited to, start-up expenses, cash flow statement (12 months and 4 years, a break-even calculation, personal financial statement and sales forecast.
SBA Online Women's Business Center
http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/onlinewbc/index.html
Advice to women business owners, including training, technical assistance, access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international trade opportunities. The site is maintained by the SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership.
The Small Business Economy: A Report to the President 2008
http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/sb_econ2008.pdf
A publication that documents the role of small business in the economy. Covers small business trends, financing, federal procurement, taxes and more for the year 2007. Contains statistics on small business startups and failures.
TurboTax Free Tax Calculators and Tax Tips
http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/index.jsp?source=ttcommain
Includes a link to small business which includes everything an entrepreneur or small business owner needs to know about tax deductions and payments, including an update on recent tax laws.
U.S. Small Business Administration
http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/
Provides online help for U.S. small businesses. Information available includes training aids, government contract information and explanation of loan programs.
vFinance.com
http://www.vfinance.com/
Free tools to help find venture capital firms and angel investors. Business plans can be posted for viewing by more than 100,000 potential investors.
