Marketing and other Resources For Small Businesses
An entrepreneur is someone who starts his or her own business, typically investing a great deal of his or her own time and money in the process. The economist Richard Cantillon coined the term in the 1700s, describing the individual who assumed responsibility for beginning a business. Social sciences have described the character and personality of typical entrepreneurs differently, but these descriptions often include confidence, a drive to achieve and difficulty submitting to authority. In some cases, entrepreneurs can operate even within established businesses, driving the company to take on new challenges and expand in different directions. There are now numerous online resources for entrepreneurs, allowing these independent workers access to collected wisdom and hard data that they can use when making business decisions.
General Small Business Assistance
- AllBusiness.com - Website dedicated to providing news and information for small business owners. Includes articles and advice for all aspects of running a business.
- Bloomberg Businessweek: Small Business - Part of a larger business news site, the Small Business section of Bloomberg contains information targeted to entrepreneurs.
- Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education - An organization that promotes entrepreneurship education.
- Entrepreneur - Huge portal of resources for entrepreneurs, includes articles, news, video and how-to guides.
- Entrepreneurship - A website full of resources for entrepreneurs, including legal information, videos and forums.
- Mind Your Own Business - A joint venture between Junior Achievement and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Mind Your Own Business encourages entrepreneurship in teenagers.
- My Own Business - An organization that provides courses and other educational tools for those who wish to start a business.
- National Association for the Self-Employed - Provides support and training to entrepreneurs, its website includes a wealth of articles and tools for business owners.
- SBA National Information Clearinghouse - Huge information portal from the U.S. Small Business Association. Information on private and public resources for business owners.
- South-West Texas Border SBDC Network Training Portal - Free online courses for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- START-UP USA - Information resources promoting entrepreneurship for individuals with disabilities.
- The Abilities Fund - A program for assisting people with disabilities in establishing their own businesses. Resources for both entrepreneurs and vocational rehabilitation workers.
- The Hartford: Loss Control - Information on protecting a business against various types of loss such as theft, natural disasters and injuries.
- Wall Street Journal Small Business - News and articles pertinent to small business owners.
Business Plans
- BPlains: Free Sample Business Plans - A website full of free business plans.
- Carnagie Library of Pittsburgh: Business Plans and Profiles Index - A list of links to business plans as well as information about books and other resources that profile specific types of businesses.
- Score: Business Plans & Financial Statements Template Gallery - Free business and finance templates.
Business, Demographic, & Economic Statistics
- Business Data and Statistics - List of links to many different types of business and economic statistics.
- Centers for Disease Control:National Center for Health Statistics - National health statistics. Useful for those starting healthcare-related businesses.
- EconData.Net - Tools and resources for completing economic research.
- Economic Indicators - Monthly reports on the state of the U.S. economy.
- FAOSTAT - Economic data resource for those researching food production.
- Federal Reserve System: Economic Research & Data - Site contains up-to-date research by economists.
- National Federation of Independent Businesses - Organization that promotes the concerns of small business owners. Site includes educational resources as well as legislative updates.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information on various trades and professions, along with salary statistics and job prospects.
- USA Today Money - Articles on financial and business issues.
- U.S. Census Bureau Business & Industry - Economic and business research from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Funding & Finance Resources
- BRS Assists: Venture Capital - A list of online and print resources on raising money to start a business. Website is sponsored by the Library of Congress.
- Business.com: Small Business Loans - Research tools and white papers on finding sources of business financing.
- Fintel - Tools for completing research on business finance.
- SBA Loans and Grants Search Tool - Online assistance with finding small business loans and grants.
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): Grants and Loans - Details on USDA grants and loans for those who wish to build or do business in rural areas.
Marketing Principles & Strategies
- B2BOnline - Marketing resources for businesses that sell to other businesses.
- Business Owner's Toolkit: Marketing Your Product - A guide to product marketing, including tips about resources that may be helpful to entrepreneurs.
- Duct Tape Marketing - Specific resources and specialized information for small business marketing.
- Internet Marketing Strategy for Small Business - A video presentation for a local Chamber of Commerce on small business Internet marketing.
- MPlans.com - Marketing plan resources. Site includes free sample plans.
Market Research
- FAMEE: Small Business Marketing Tools for Entrepreneurs - Free marketing courses for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- MarketResearch.com - Online portal of market research information, including event notices and an online discussion forum.
- Market Research for Small Business on a Shoestring: Surveys and Focus Groups: Article on using focus groups and surveys in making marketing decisions.
- Marketing Sherpa: Consumer Marketing - Links to various studies and resources on consumer marketing strategies.
Company Information
- AnnualReports.com - A source of annual reports from different businesses.
- Creighton University: Company Research Sites - List of links to several sites that allow users to complete company research.
- EDGAR: SEC Filings and Forms - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission site that allows users to search company filings.
- Hoovers - Online subscription database that allows users to look up company data, including contact information, names of company executives and financial information.
- ThomasNet - Online directory of products and the companies that make or wholesale them.
- The Business Journals - News portal with articles from many different business journals, allowing users to look up articles and news on specific businesses.
- Vault - Information about various companies contributed by employees.