AllBusiness - offers a number of short articles on all aspects of running a small business. You can find information on topics such as starting a business, incorporation, sales and marketing, accounting and finance, franchises, buying and selling a business, insurance, and Internet and technology. A variety of business forms and guides are available for purchase.
Business Plan How-Tos - Whether you're just starting out, need funding or want to monitor the health of your business, creating a business plan is your first step on the path to success. Read our extensive how-to to get started on your plan.
Business Plans - The following link will direct you to articles, tools, and resources that are designed to walk you through the process of writing a business plan as quickly and easily as possible.
Business Week Online – Small Business - Business Week Online – Small Business offers news and advice for entrepreneurs on topics such as marketing, sales, leadership, and technology. There are special “resource centers” on opening a franchise, comparing salaries, and purchasing health insurance and retirement plans.
Concho Valley Business Resources - The Concho Valley Business Resource site helps business owners find and access available resources, whether an existing, relocating or prospective business.
Count Me In - At Count Me In, we believe in YOU! Our mission is to promote economic independence and the growth of women owned businesses. Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence is the leading national not for profit provider of online business loans, resources and community for women entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneur.com - Entrepreneur.com has a vast array of resources on starting a business, buying a franchise, growing a home-based business, business opportunities, money and finance, sales and marketing, management, e-business, technology, and other topics.
EntrepreneurialConnection - EntrepreneurialConnection.com powered by the National Association of the Self-Employed, offers free learning modules on topics vital to the success of the self-employed and micro-entrepreneurs (with less than 10 employees). Some of the topics covered include creating a marketing plan, financing, outsourcing, and wireless networks. You can also subscribe to a free e-newsletter, Get Connected.
Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneurship is designed for entrepreneurial growth companies—those that innovate and create jobs and wealth. “The site provides original articles, written by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, and aggregates ‘the best of the best’ content on the Web related to starting and running high-impact companies.” Topics include finance and accounting, people, sales and marketing, products and services, operations, and the entrepreneur. The site hosts an “Entrepreneurs’ Viewpoint Blog.”
My Entre.Net - My Entre.Net provided by the University of Northern Iowa Regional Business Center, is designed for small business owners. It offers specialized resources tailored to the profile of the business (provided as part of the required site registration process). One useful resource is a selection of dozens of general business research documents on topics such as pricing your product, marketing your business, avoiding patent and trademark problems, and developing an online presence.
My Own Business - My Own Business is a free Internet course for anyone starting a business. It provides 12 lessons covering topics such as business communications, e-commerce and online marketing, and small business marketing. The course textbook may be purchased for a donation of $45.00.
PeerSpectives - PeerSpectives from the Edward Lowe Foundation, features articles on topics such as business planning, market definition, finances, legal issues, operations, human relations, and technology. Case studies are included.
SBDC On-line Courses - These educational classes are offered through ASU Small Business Development Center at little or no cost to the business owner. They are also conveniently available 24 hours a day.
SCORE - SCORE offers a host of resources for people starting, growing, financing or managing their business. One of the most valuable services offered is “Ask SCORE,” a database of retired business people who will provide free business advice. You can specify an area of expertise, for example, manufacturing, advanced technology, disaster recovery, or financial services, and also qualify your search by state.
SCORE for Business Advice - Get free, confidential business advice from a business expert via email, (how-tos, business tools, and monthly newsletters).
Small Business Advancement National Center (SBANC) - SBANC provides databases of local SBA offices, the Small Business Institute network, and a research archive of publications from 18 organizations such as the Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Marketing Management Association. The website also offers industry profiles, business plans, research articles, loan information, conference details, and international and domestic contact information.
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) National Information Center Clearinghouse - Small Business Development Center (SBDC) National Information Center Clearinghouse is a virtual library of resources for small businesses. It includes annotated links to websites containing forms and regulations for business start-ups, demographic information, company information, patent and trademark information, industry research, finance, small business trends, marketing, and many more topics. You can also access the SBDC Counselor Toolkit, which contains actual examples of business plans, marketing audits, finance matrices, and other resources. This site is a good place to start your search for information and resources.
The Hartford- Loss Control Tips for Small Businesses - Through there relationships with many small business owners, they have learned what it takes for you to run a successful business. The Hartford has developed insurance products and expertise to help make it BIG...in your small business.
USDA Rural Development - USDA Office of Rural Development (RD) is an agency with the United States Department of Agriculture which runs programs intended to improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.
West Texas Training Center - The West Texas Training Center (WTTC) is a facility that serves the workforce training needs of the Concho Valley and West Texas. The center and its consortium partners provide this training via high school courses, college credit courses and programs, continuing education units and professional development courses, customized training classes, distance education (online and interactive television), and by working with regional industry to provide facility space for company-specific training classes. Instruction is delivered via face-to-face and distance education, including online and interactive television.
WSJ Startup Journal - WSJ Startup Journal is part of the journal’s Center for Entrepreneurs. It includes how-to advice, news, and articles on topics such as marketing and sales, franchising, financing, running a business, and e-commerce. You’ll find a section of tools that walks you through creating a mini business plan on line and doing a trademark search.
Business Plans
BPlans.com – The Business Planning Expert - BPlans.com – The Business Planning Expert offers more than 60 free sample business plans that you can view online. It also features interactive calculators to determine cash flow, starting costs, conversion rate, and other figures to use in a business plan, and includes feature articles on topics such as starting a business, marketing and advertising, growing a business, and managing your e-business. The company’s Business Plan Pro 2005 business planning software is available for purchase through the website.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Business Plans and Profile Index - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Business Plans and Profile Index lists types of small businesses and a corresponding sample business plan, profile or book about each type with sources provided after each entry.
SBA Business Plan Basics - SBA Business Plan Basics offers help in writing a business plan, including an outline of what should be included in the plan, and links to sample business plans for dozens of different types of businesses.
Business, Demographic, and Economic Statistics
EconData.Net - “aims to be a convenient, comprehensive first stop for anyone searching among the vast, disparate array of public and private [socioeconomic] data sources on the Web.” The site offers links by subject (e.g., demographics, income, output and trade) and provider, and indicates which sites charge for their information.
Economic Indicators - is a monthly compilation of economic information on prices, wages, production, business activity, purchasing power, credit, money and Federal finance. Data is available from April 1995 forward.
Economic Statistics Briefing Room - provides links to economic information produced by a number of Federal agencies on employment, income, international trade, money, output, prices, production, transportation, and social statistics.
FAOSTAT - from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, provides access to over 3 million time-series and cross sectional data relating to food and agriculture. The integrated set of databases covers 200 countries and more than 200 primary products and inputs. Major data categories include agricultural production, consumption, trade, prices and resources. Limited access to FAOSTAT records (up to 4,000) is available for free. There are also subscription options for unlimited access.
Federal Communications Commission - has a vast array of data and statistics on wireless and wireline communication services. For example, the Industry Analysis and Technology Division, http://www.fcc.gov/wcb/iatd/, conducts economic, financial, and statistical analyses of the common carrier telecommunications industry. Among the reports and statistics available are statistical trends in telephony, subscribership to high-speed services, financial information on local operating companies and interexchange carriers, statistics of communications common carriers, and data on international telecommunications service between U.S. points and international points. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, http://wireless.fcc.gov/, provides a telecommunications glossary, federal regulations, a list of wireless licensees, and free GIS licensing data (click on Geographic Data Extracts link on left side of page).
Federal Reserve Board Economic Research and Data - includes a section on current interest rate statistics, some of which are released almost daily, others monthly or quarterly. They include bank prime rates, foreign exchange rates, U.S. government securities rates, conventional mortgage rates.
FedStats - is a “gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies.” Links to statistics are organized by topic, by geography, and through a general search. There are also links to published collections of statistics such as the Statistical Abstract of the United States and the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book. Other useful resources include a list of agencies that provide statistics and links to selected agency online databases.
FreeDemographics.com - offers a free subscription option to access U.S. Census data from 1980, 1990 and 2000. Users can create custom market analysis reports based on a number of selected demographic variables for any geography. The free service does not include projections beyond the 2000 census.
International Telecommunication Union, - offers free statistics such as telephone lines by country, broadband penetration by country, and telecommunications indicators. You can also download case studies by country and the executive summaries of some of ITU’s publications.
National Center for Health Statistics - is the Federal Government’s principal vital and health statistics agency. It includes healthcare industry trends as well as information about vital statistics and topics such as health insurance coverage.
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Foundation - is the research arm of the nonprofit small business advocacy organization with more than 600,000 members. NFIB produces the National Small Business Poll, a series of regularly published business survey reports based on data collected from national samples of small business employers. Eight business survey reports are produced annually. The website offers downloadable copies of recent survey reports, as well as the monthly Small Business Economic Trends and the Regulatory Impact Model Forecasts.
National Statistics - contains the latest comprehensive range of official U.K. statistics. The site is organized around 12 separate themes such as commerce, energy and industry; education and training; and social and welfare. Summaries and detailed data releases are published free of charge.
NationMaster.com - allows you to graphically compare economic and demographic statistics among nations. Data is compiled from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Resources Institute, UNESCO, UNICEF and OECD. The site features facts and figures on individual countries and regions as well as maps, flags of the world.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, - issues demographic and economic reports on an ongoing basis for their 30 OECD member countries, as well as occasional reports for an additional 70 non-member countries. These resources cover gross domestic product, international trade statistics, price statistics, economic projections, labor force statistics, and many more topics. The site also offers a free online version of the OECD Factbook: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics, as well as economic and statistical glossaries. You can browse the site by topic, country or OECD department.
Statistical Sites on the World Wide Web - provides links to government statistical agencies in the United States and in several dozen countries around the world.
The Gallup Poll - contains links to various polls, reports, trends and audits of public opinion conducted by The Gallup Organization. Users can search for poll analyses and questionnaires by keyword, for example, healthcare or global warming. Free information includes articles, graphs and charts, video clips, and specific questions on a variety of topics. You can subscribe to the full content of the site for $95 a year.
Created
U.S. Census Bureau Economic Programs - provides economic statistic by geography, sector (e.g., construction, retail trade, and transportation), and frequency. The site includes the Economic Census, which profiles American business every five years, from the national to the local level. You'll also find statistic on county business paterns, e-commerce, foreign trade, monthly wholesale and retail trade, and many other economic topics.
United Nations – Economic and Social Development, - publishes a Statistical Yearbook, World Economic Situation and Prospects, and numerous other studies on issues such as population, international trade, human rights, and sustainable development. Some reports are available as downloadable PDF files.
United Nations Cyberschoolbus - has statistics about member states of the United Nations. The site’s InfoNation section offers the ability to view and compare statistical data for the member states. Select up to seven countries for comparison, and then select statistics and other data fields to compare among the identified countries. Included are statistics on geography, economy, population, and social indicators.
USA Today Money - provides daily updates on domestic and world markets, treasury securities, commodities, currencies, key interest rates, and other economic indicators.
Export/Trade and International Business Information
Doing Business in... - is a set of around 60 booklets prepared by accounting giant HLB International for their staff and clients. Covering countries from Argentina to Vietnam, each booklet is designed to provide some general information to those contemplating doing business in that country. They are not intended to be comprehensive documents. Booklets include general information on the country and its population, investment factors, types of organizations, workforce regulations, and taxation regulations.
Export.gov - brings together resources from across the U.S. Government “to assist American businesses in planning their international sales strategies and succeeding in today’s global marketplace.” The site offers an Export Basics primer as well as international market research, trade leads from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service, export finance information from Export-Import Bank and the Small Business Administration, and agricultural export assistance from USDA.
globalEDGE - created by the Center for International Business Education and Research at Michigan State University, offers information on global business activities. A section of Country Insights provides current information on the business climate, news, history, political structure, economic landscape, and relevant statistical data for around 200 countries. The site offers Market Potential Indicators for Emerging Markets, which ranks the market potential of 27 countries identified as an “Emerging Market” by The Economist magazine. A useful feature of the site is an annotated and rated list of global, regional, and country specific statistical data sources.
StatUSA - is a low-cost subscription service ($200/year) offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The GLOBUS & NTDB section of the website provides international trade resources, including the NTDB Global Trade Directory, Country Commercial Guides, International Market Insight (IMI) reports, agricultural market research, and Industry Sector Analysis reports, all organized by country. There is much useful information here, but the search interface leaves something to be desired.
U.S. International Trade Statistics - provides a broad and comprehensive range of foreign trade statistics that are available on a monthly, annual, and historical basis. Statistics include quantities, values, shipping weights, methods of transportation (air or vessel), duties collected, unit prices, and market share.
Funding and Finance Resources
Business Finance.com - allows you to search the funding criteria of over 4,000 sources for business loans, venture capital, equipment leasing, and commercial real estate financing. You can search by type of funding (e.g., working capital or equipment finance), or you can limit your search to funding sources for businesses already in existence for four months, for businesses just starting up, or for purchase of a business or franchise.
Fintel Scorecard - is a free online tool that allows businesses to benchmark their financial performance against similar-sized firms in their industry. Businesses need only enter their SIC code, eight figures from financial statements, and the number of employees to see how their company ranks in its industry, based on nine core financial ratios. Click on an individual ratio name to read about ways to improve the firm’s performance on that ratio.
National Association of the Self-Employed - is a professional association for the self-employed and micro businesses (up to ten employees). The website offers a section on the ABCs of Finance that provides an overview of topics such as setting up a chart of accounts, inventory basics, financial ratios, and Small Business Administrations loans. You can also submit a finance question that will be answered by an “experienced consultant.”
SBA – Financing Your Business - provides information about raising capital for your business. It includes information about eligibility and preparation, SBA loans, contract surety bonds, equity capital, and special purpose loan programs.
Marketing Principles and Strategies
CCH Business Owner’s Toolkit: Marketing Your Product - is a free web-based resource designed to introduce the small business owner to some of the concepts and strategies that professional marketing experts in large companies use.
Duct Tape Marketing - offers a number of free small business marketing resources on topics such as developing a marketing plan, website marketing strategies, small business marketing blunders, and great referral strategies. The site hosts an award-winning blog that features posts from 22 small business experts.
Mplans.com - contains a collection of free sample marketing plans. It also offers articles and advice for managing a business. “Mplans.com includes practical advice on planning, interactive tools, and a panel of experts who have answered more than 1,400 questions from people like you.” The website is a free resource owned and operated by Palo Alto Software, Inc., which also sells its marketing software through the site.
SBA – Market and Price - has a helpful section on marketing basics that provides information about all aspects of marketing, including market research, marketing strategy, and targeted marketing. You’ll also find information about creating a marketing plan, a list of 100+ marketing ideas, a guide to email marketing, and a marketing FAQ.
Marketing Lists
AccuLeads - offers leads from more than 18 million businesses and 136 million households. The site also offers lists from real estate records, lists of new borrowers, and a list of affluent professionals. You can search the database for free and create customized lists based on a wide range of parameters. AccuLeads is often the least expensive alternative for generating lists, but they have a $50.00 minimum order.
InfoUSA - lists more than 14 million businesses and 200 million consumers (104 million households) in its database. You can create a customized list of businesses or residents based on dozens of categories such as geography, demographics, and sales figures. You can also purchase lists of new homeowners. Searching the database is free.
ListFinder - offers a searchable database of more than 50,000 direct mail lists. You can select the type of list you want (e.g., e-mail, postal mail, or telephone) and search by keyword. Summary information is provided for each list, with the option to pay for a subscription for more information or to contact a list broker. You can also send a message requesting information or a quote directly to the list manager. In addition, the site features articles about direct marketing, web marketing, direct mail legal and regulatory issues, and other topics.
SRDS.com - is the granddaddy of direct marketing lists. It requires an annual subscription fee (around $700) to search the database of around 55,000 domestic and international lists. The subscription includes the printed version of the list as well (which is cumbersome and difficult to use).
Zapdata.com - from Dun & Bradstreet, offers business-to-business marketing leads from their database of more than 14 million businesses. Selection criteria include location, number of employees, annual sales, SIC code, job function, and specialty data such as import/export flags or IT demand. Price is calculated based on the number of records in a list as well as individual parameters selected, and can range from $.14 to more than $2.00 per record.
Market Research - General Sources
Condensed Guide to Market Research - from Informa Research Services, provides an overview of market research, including data collection techniques, available research methodologies, and when to conduct research.
Inc.com – Market Research - has a collection of articles about market research, including low-budget suggestions for conducting your own market research.
Market Research – Secondary Research
MarketResearch.com - is a searchable database of market research reports covering all industry sectors, both domestic and international. The site offers free searching, abstracts, and tables of contents, but the actual reports are fee-based, often costing thousands of dollars. You can sometimes buy “by the slice” to get specific pieces of a report.
Mindbranch - is similar to MarketResearch.com in that it aggregates syndicated and custom industry research from 350 independent research firms through a searchable interface. Searching is free; the actual reports are fee-based. Description and table of contents are available for most reports, and purchased reports are downloadable in PDF format.
Market Research – Primary Research
Focus Group - offers a complete explanation of what focus groups are and when they are used. The article links to additional resources, including a handbook on focus group principles from the American Marketing Association.
SurveyMonkey.com - allows you to create professional online surveys, collect responses, and analyze results via the web. A basic subscription is free and includes all of the basic features of SurveyMonkey. Basic subscribers are limited to a total of 10 questions and 100 responses per survey. A professional subscription is $19.95/month (or only $200.00/year), and includes an unlimited number of surveys, and up to 1,000 responses per month. The service is straightforward and easy to use. There are numerous competitors for this service (e.g., Zoomerang, Active Web Survey, StatSurvey), and you can link to their websites through SurveyMonkey’s section on pricing.
Company Information
10KWizard - provides expanded coverage and advanced search capabilities of the SEC’s EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval) database. It allows you to perform keyword searches on up-to-the-minute SEC filings and set up alerts for companies you want to track. The database includes all 418 electronically filed forms, EDGAR Archives through 1994, pre-EDGAR Historical Index (listing) of all SEC filings to 1966, and foreign filers. Subscriptions start as low as $220/year.
AnnualReports.com - is a free directory of company annual reports. You can look for a company through five search criteria: alphabetically, by company name, by ticker symbol, by sector, or by industry. Once a company is found, the annual report can be viewed in either HTML or PDF format.
BizJournals.com - offers recent news from more than 40 local business journals. You can search and view articles by topic, industry, or market location. When researching a particular company, this is a good place to view recent news articles about them.
High Beam - is a low-cost search engine that allows you to search both its library of articles from leading business, industry, and general interest publications (more than 3,000 sources), or free sources on the Web, including search engines, news, discussion lists, business information and research Web sites. You can create a customized group of resources to search each time, or search by source type or topic. You can also create email alerts or RSS feeds for a particular search. High Beam offers both a free basic subscription and a $200 full subscription that provides access to the full text of the articles.
Hoovers.com - offers free brief information about companies, as well as news and industry information. For most companies, you can access a description of the company, sales revenues, and key personnel. To access the in-depth information (financials, executive profiles, competitors) you must purchase a subscription, which ranges in price depending on the type of organization and number of users.
LLRX.com – Business Filings Databases - is a helpful compendium of annotated links by state to corporate and business filings available online. “All 50 states make some level of corporate and business filings available online. In a few instances only limited information (such as name availability) is retrievable. The majority of the states, however, use their Web presence to disseminate a range of public business records -- and most of them offer access at no charge.”
SEC Filings and Forms (EDGAR) - provides free access to U.S. corporate filings. All companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. The website offers links to the complete list of filings available through EDGAR and provides instructions for searching the EDGAR database.
Thomas.net - is an industrial search engine that provides information on more than 650,000 manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers. You can search for product information by category or name; for example, glass bottles or fence posts. You can also search for company information by region or for the entire United States and Canada, and for information by brand name. Other options include millions of CAD drawings, a radius search from a specific location, and company certification information. The website is free.
Industry Information
Alacra Industry Spotlights - provides a good starting place to gather industry information for more than 70 industries. The entry for each industry lists trade and industry associations, government websites, and other major sources of information about that industry. The industry information is global in scope.
SpecialIssues.com - tracks “special issues” of trade and industry journals in dozens of industries. These publications include industry outlooks, overviews, or surveys; statistical issues; company ranking lists; buyers guides; salary surveys; product/industry focus issues; membership directories; who's who registers; tradeshow specials; etc. A link is included to the actual article or issue, when available on the web. Otherwise, you will need to obtain the issue through a library or obtain it for a fee from a document delivery service or the publisher. Annual subscription fees start at $300 and include a monthly newsletter and access to reference help from site founder Trip Wycoff.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis—Industry Economic Accounts - prepares and publishes a variety of economic statistics on industries. It offers gross domestic product by industry, input-output accounts, and three satellite accounts—research and development, transportation, and travel and tourism. The website offers a BEA Customer Guide that explains these statistics and how to use them. You can view the interactive tables online or download the Excel files.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics—Industry at a Glance - consists of profiles of 12 industry supersectors such as construction, education and health services, financial activities, and wholesale and retail trade. Each profile contains a variety of facts about the supersector and links to additional statistics.
U.S. Census Bureau—Current Industrial Reports - provide monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity. “The primary objective of the CIR program is to produce timely, accurate data on production and shipments of selected products. The data are used to satisfy economic policy needs and for market analysis, forecasting, and decision-making in the private sector. These surveys measure manufacturing activity in important commodity areas such as textiles and apparel, chemicals, primary metals, computer and electronic components, industrial equipment, aerospace equipment, and consumer goods.” You can browse the reports by subject title or NAICS subsector.
U.S. Census Bureau—Economic Census - profiles American business every 5 years, from the national to the local level. The 2002 Economic Census covers nearly all of the U.S. economy—services-producing industries as well as goods-producing industries—in its basic collection of establishment statistics. Reports are based on 2002 NAICS categories. Several key statistics are tabulated for all industries covered in the Economic Census, including number of establishments (or companies), number of employees, payroll, and measure of output (sales, receipts, revenue, value of shipments, or value of construction work done). Other items vary by sector.
Valuation Resources - has a section called Industry Information Resources. It provides links to industry resources for over 250 industries. “Individual pages for each industry list resources available from trade associations, publications, and research firms which address subjects such as industry overview, issues, trends, and outlook, financial ratios and benchmarking, compensation surveys, and valuation resources.”
Concho Valley Workforce Development Board - The Concho Valley Workforce Development Board (CVWDB) promotes the economic well-being of all residents through the delivery of employer-driven and customer-centered services.
COSADC - The COSADC is a non-profit economic development corporation formed under the Texas Development Corporation Act of 1979. As directed by this Act, the Corporation’s focuses its efforts on the promotion and development of business enterprises that create or retain primary jobs.
Goodfellow Air Force Base - The mission of the 17th Training Wing is to train the finest Joint Intelligence, Firefighter and SPINSTRA professionals. Develop, prepare and deploy warriors!
Historic Downtown San Angelo - Welcome to Downtown San Angelo where a mix of modern art and a Western heritage create a socially inclusive experience. The words used to describe downtown San Angelo are as numerous and diverse as the people who live and visit here.
West Texas Lighthouse for the Blind - The West Texas Lighthouse for the Blind is a manufacturing facility in San Angelo, Texas. The organization employs people who are blind or have severely impaired vision. The Lighthouse was established in 1963 and now has close to 50 team members. The organization is primarily engaged in the production of writing instruments and over the years have developed several unique pens for niche markets. The Lighthouse can also provide contract labor to local business owners for many specialized tasks.
Capital Access Program - Supports the availability of financing for businesses and nonprofit organizations that face barriers in accessing capital or fall outside the guidelines of conventional lending.
Concho Valley Angel Network - The Concho Valley Angel Network (CVAN) is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to bringing together accredited investors and entrepreneurs. CVAN provides a forum which gives investors the opportunity to review quality early-stage business proposals, and entrepreneurs the opportunity to submit and present their proposals to a panel of qualified investors who can provide assistance and mentorship during the development stage.
Patriot Express Pilot Loan Initiative - This is a program to assist veterans, active duty members of the military who are eligible for the Transition Assistance Program, reservist, National Guard members and their spouses who need financial help to start a small business.
SBA Rural Lending - SBA to foster small business growth in America's heartland with new loan service.
Texas USDA Rural Development - The Texas USDA Rural Development makes grants to nonprofits and public bodies to provide financing for small and emerging businesses in rural areas with populations of 50,000 or less through its Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program.
Other Small Business Resources
DBA Registration - DBA, or "doing business as," is a formal declaration that an individual, company, or organization is conducting business under a different name.
Entrepreneur.com - From FAQs to blogs and forums; go here for all your business questions.
Office of the Attorney General - Effective October 1, 1998, all Texas employers are required to report certain information on all newly hired and rehired employees to a state directory.
Patent FAQs: - Frequently Asked Questions about patents.
Patents - Description of a patent. Includes link to U.S. Patent Office.
Permits and Licenses - In Texas some businesses will need to obtain a city license or permit before commencing business in addition to state licenses or permits. It is advisable to check with the city if you are unsure if your particular business will need special licensing or permits.
Registering Your Business - If your business will be a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, or a limited liability partnership, the Secretary of State in Austin, Texas, must give you authority to do business in the state.
Sales Tax Permits - Any business in Texas which sells taxable items or provides taxable services in Texas or to customers in Texas must have a sales tax permit.
Social Security # Verification - Employee social security numbers should be verified with the Social Security Administration to ensure they are valid.
Texas Workforce Solutions - If your business has employees, you will be required to pay state unemployment taxes. Workforce Solutions can also help recruit qualified employees.
Tool Kit for Women - This tool kit focuses on women and minority owned businesses with guidance and tools in accounting and finance; business planning; human resources; international business; legal and insurance issues; marketing and sales; operations; and, technology.
Wired For Growth - These insurance products and resource tools are a great resource for Technology, Internet, and Life Sciences and their special business advisors.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Audit Technique Guides - The Audit Techniques Guides (ATG) focus on developing highly trained examiners for a particular market segment. These Guides contain examination techniques, common and unique industry issues, business practices, industry terminology and other information to assist examiners in performing examinations.
Avoiding Incorrect Self-Employed Retirement Deductions - Retirement plans are not just for big businesses. They are also available for sole proprietorships. If you are self-employed small business owner, you can set up a qualified retirement plan for yourself and your employees.
Employer Identification Number - If your business is a corporation, a partnership, or if you intend to have one or more employees, you must withhold income, social security, and Medicare taxes from each employee's paycheck, and submit them to the Internal Revenue Service.
Employment Taxes - Federal Employment Taxes: Everything you wanted to know but didn't know where to go.
Internal Revenue Service - Some of the following IRS publications may be of particular interest to the new business person: Starting a business and keeping records; Tax guide for small businesses; self-employment tax; circular E, and employer's tax guide.
Starting a Business and Keeping Records - Provides basic federal tax information for people who are starting a business. Also provides information on keeping records and illustrates a record keeping system.
Tax Tips - This covers topics such as "Avoiding Problems", "Tax Laws and Regulations" and "Related Links" for specific industries such as Automotive, Real Estate and Restaurants.
National Federation of Independent Business - The National Federation of Independent Business is the leading small business association representing small and independent businesses. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, NFIB represents the consensus views of its members in Washington and all 50 state capitals.
Rural Business Revolving Loan Fund - The Rural Business Revolving Loan Fund (Fund) is designed to improve the Concho Valley geographic area economy by providing gap financing for small, emerging private business enterprise that increases employment. The Rural Business Revolving Loan Fund (Fund) is self-perpetuating through loan repayments by borrowers where the revolving characteristic will allow it to serve as a long term loan source for start-up and expanding business in the future. This revolving loan is only available to businesses in the Concho Valley who are outside of Tom Green County.
SME Toolkit - The SME Toolkit offers software, business forms, training, and more to help small businesses in emerging markets grow and succeed.
Its free and easy to use. Just search or browse the categories for the information you need.
The Future is Bright for Women Entrepreneurs - The 10th annual Women's Roundtable Event, is designed exclusively for women to share ideas, network and discuss their successes. Visit online or call to register.
