At last count there were approximately 10 gazillion websites out there. Where's a business owner to start when looking for valuable information? If you're reading this, it means you're on Entrepreneur.com, which is a good start. Read on for 64 more vital online spots you should know about.
Accounting
Terminology Guide
http://nysscpa.org/prof_library/guide.htm
If you need to know what a specific accounting term means,
no matter how obscure, this is the site for you. Hosted
and maintained by the New York State Society of CPAs,
nearly 500 accounting terms are defined on this site,
all sorted in an easy-to-use alphabetical list.
AccountingWEB
www.accountingweb.com
Updated daily, this site offers accounting industry news,
information, tips, tools, resources and insight--everything
you need to prosper and interact with other accounting
professionals.
www.adweek.com
This is the online edition of Adweek, a popular print magazine focusing on all things advertising and marketing. This site features the inside scoop on what's going on in the marketing departments of high-profile companies and corporations. web directory
American
Association of Franchisees and Dealers
www.aafd.org
This organization represents the rights of both franchisees
and dealers. Here you can learn about upcoming events,
read some free publications online, order other publications
from the bookstore, and become a member.
Backpack
www.backpackit.com
Backpack is a web-based service that makes organizing
your company's information easy. Backpack lets you make
pages that can contain any combination of notes, to-dos,
images, files and so on.
Better
Business Bureau
http://us.bbb.org
Browse or search for a business or charity's reputation.
Included are instructions for how to file a consumer
or B2B complaint.
BizBuySell
www.bizbuysell.com
Looking to buy a franchise? There's a good chance you'll
find one here. From restaurants in California to auto
shops in Florida, you can search more than 25,000 businesses
currently for sale, many of which are franchised.
Bizwomen
www.bizwomen.com
Bizwomen is an online community for women business executives
and entrepreneurs to connect, support one another, learn
and grow. You can share and explore ideas with women
across the United States or in your neighborhood to help
grow your business.
Business
Owner's Tool Kit
www.toolkit.com
With an emphasis on problem solving, this site features
more than 5,000 pages of free cost-cutting tips, step-by-step
checklists, real-life case studies, startup advice, and
business templates to small-business owners and entrepreneurs.
Business
Owners Idea Cafe
www.businessownersideacafe.com
Managed by successful entrepreneurs and the authors of
several guides on forming and running a business, this
site includes numerous award-winning resources, along
with practical advice, business news and humor.
BrandChannel.com
www.brandchannel.com
Run by internationally acclaimed brand consultancy Interbrand,
BrandChannel.com provides a global perspective on brands
and the art of branding. Site features include in-depth
feature articles, conference announcements, career resources
and access to white papers.
Brandweek
www.brandweek.com
A leading source of news and information for the branding
industry, it's also the only online
trade magazine to offer saturation coverage at all
levels of the brand-activation process.
Catalyst
www.catalystwomen.org
Catalyst is a leading corporate research and advisory
organization that works with businesses to build inclusive
environments and expand professional opportunities for
women.
Chief
Marketer
www.chiefmarketer.com
A content-rich website, Chief Marketer provides marketing
executives with insights into key marketing issues, innovations
and practical solutions.
CPAdirectory
www.cpadirectory.com
When April rolls around and you find yourself scrambling
to find a CPA, this site will help. Billed as “the
largest online database of Certified Public Accountants,” here
you can search for CPAs by ZIP code, name, industry or
area of specialty.
Customer
Service Group
www.customerservicegroup.com
New Jersey-based Alexander Communications Group (ACG)
uses this site to provide practical information free
of charge to customer service professionals. If you work
in the customer service industry, be sure to sign up
for Service Starters, ACG's free customer service industry
eNewsletter.
Customer
Service Manager
www.customerservicemanager.com
If you work in customer service, this website is for
you. Here you will find an active community of customer
service professionals, along with daily news, reviews,
articles and resources aimed at improving customer service.
Customer
Service Zone
www.customerservicezone.com
Customer service expert Robert Bacal's website for customer
service professionals, The Zone offers information to
help businesses of all sizes and their employees provide
efficient and effective customer service.
Direct
Marketing Association
www.the-dma.org
The Direct Marketing Association is the largest trade
association for businesses that are interested and involved
in direct, database and interactive global marketing.
Here you can learn more about the DMA, become a member
and access its services.
Electronic
Frontier Foundation: Intellectual Property
www.eff.org/issues/intellectual-property
EFF works to preserve balance and ensure that the internet
and digital technologies empower consumers, creators,
innovators, scholars, and average citizens. This section
of the EFF website spotlights current challenges and
solutions facing the intellectual property rights of
everyone.
Entrepreneur.com
/ WomenEntrepreneur.com
www.entrepreneur.com/ womenentrepreneur.com
Published by the same people who bring you Entrepreneur magazine,
this is an excellent site for entrepreneurs, featuring
a solid collection of articles and tips from experts,
plus hundreds of links to other entrepreneurial resources
on the web. WomenEntrepreneur.com offers additional articles,
blogs and resources specific to women for starting and
growing their businesses.
Entrepreneur
Connect
econnect.entrepreneur.com
Entrepreneur's social networking site is a gathering
place for thousands of business owners. Take part in
discussions, join like-minded business owners in groups,
and give and receive valuable advice from the trenches.
Entrepreneur.com's
Trade Publication Directory
www.entrepreneur.com/tradepublication/category/index.html
Don't miss one of the internet's largest searchable databases
of trade publications. From agriculture and biotech to
purchasing and procurement, Entrepreneur.com has your
industry's trade publication listed here.
Fambiz.com
www.fambiz.com
Fambiz.com is the internet's leading website for owners
and employees of family controlled companies. Managed
by Northeastern University's Center for Family Business,
here you will find insight on every family run business
topic imaginable.
Federal
Trade Commission: Franchise and Business Opportunities
www.ftc.gov/bcp/franchise/netfran.htm
This site has lots of information, including an FAQ section,
Guide to the FTC Franchise Rule, consumer alerts, Before
You Buy pamphlets, and state disclosure requirements.
Franchise.com
www.franchise.com
Learn more about available franchise opportunities or
advertise your franchise to potential buyers at this
site, which aims to connect franchise buyers and sellers,
as well as anyone thinking of starting one.
Franchise
Expo
www.franchiseexpo.com
If you're thinking about buying a
franchise, do your research here; you'll find detailed
information on nearly every franchising opportunity known
to man.
Franchise
Zone by Entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises
Dedicated to linking enthusiastic entrepreneurs with
the top franchises, this site provides all the information
you need to find the best franchises and become a successful
franchisee. How-to articles, advice from experts and
lists of the top franchises in various categories make
this the first site to turn to for those considering
the purchase of
a franchise.
FreshBooks
www.freshbooks.com
FreshBooks is an online invoicing and time-tracking service
that helps businesses of all sizes save time, get paid
faster and look professional.
Fundability
www.fundability.com
Fundability is a marketplace where entrepreneurs and
investors can find funding success. Founded by entrepreneurs
and investors, Fundability's Company SnapShot, Deal Search
Engine, and DiligenceRoom provide intelligent online
tools for the savvy entrepreneur.
Glide
www.glidedigital.com
Glide is a complete mobile desktop providing a secure
and scalable platform for personal and collaborative
computing.
Google
Checkout
www.googlecheckout.com
This online payment system works alone or as an alternative
to systems already in place. Customers don't have to
share credit card
information with merchants that use the system, and identity
protection is increased.
Google
Docs
www.google.com/docs
The folks at Google deliver a free web-based word processor
and spreadsheet, which allow you to share and collaborate
online. Google Docs accepts most popular file formats,
including DOC, XLS, ODT, ODS, RTF, CSV, PPT, and more.
Hoover's
www.hoovers.com
Hoover's gives you access to up-to-date information about
industries, companies and key decision makers. Great
for professionals working in sales, marketing, business
development, and others who need intelligence on U.S.
and global companies, industries, and the people who
lead them.
Idea
Locker
www.bkfk.com
One of the best invention/patent sites on the Web for
novice innovators of all ages, this site is specifically
designed for kids. It provides information on how to
invent, famous inventors and discoveries.
Internal
Revenue Service
www.irs.gov
Business owners can get all of their federal and business
tax information--not to mention forms--directly from
the source. It's also a good place to stay current on
tax laws that affect business owners.
Jobfox
www.jobfox.com
Started by the former CEO of CareerBuilder.com, Jobfox
walks you through creating a skills inventory and then
tells you which employers are looking for people with
those exact skills. The Jobfox site also provides a free
trackable resume and career web page to showcase your
skills, experience and work samples.
Kauffman
Foundation
www.kauffman.org
The Kauffman Foundation delivers an up-to-date and relevant
website dedicated to furthering our understanding of
the phenomenon of entrepreneurship and to advancing entrepreneurship
education and training. Check out the Resource Center
for getting started information on business operations,
sales and marketing, human resources, finance and
accounting, and the like.
LinkedIn
Jobs
www.linkedin.com/jobs
Whether you're looking for a new job or trying to help
someone else find the perfect job, LinkedIn can help
you find and get in touch with the people you need to
contact. Create a profile and click the Jobs tab to get
started.
Microsoft
Small Business Center
www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness
A vehicle for selling various Microsoft small-business
products, this site also provides plenty of excellent
information and advice entirely for free. If you're starting
or running your own small business, Microsoft's Small
Business Center is an excellent place to learn from the
experts.
Mint
www.mint.com
Entrepreneurs can get help with the personal finances,
money management and budget planning. In addition, Mint
offers free financial planning software.
National
Association for the Self-Employed
www.nase.org
The NASE provides its self-employed members with support,
education and training. The organization conducts surveys
relevant to the needs of the self-employed and posts
articles business owners can use.
National
Association of Women Business Owners
www.nawbo.org
NAWBO is a fierce advocate for women business owners,
providing resources and support. It can help women get
access to government contracts that most business owners
don't know about.
PayPal
www.paypal.com
Perhaps the best-known payment system, PayPal allows
web sites to receive and send money electronically. Business
owners and customers find PayPal easy to use--and secure.
Salesforce.com
www.salesforce.com
Easy-to-use web-based customer relation management tools
for your entire company, including online solutions for
sales, service, marketing, and call center operations.
Small
Business Administration
www.sba.gov
Here you can learn how to start your own business and
finance it. The site also provides information on business
opportunities, local SBA offices, laws and regulations,
and much more.
Survey
of Current Business
www.bea.gov/scb
The monthly Survey of Current Business is the definitive
source of information by the U.S. Bureau of Economic
Analysis about its economic accounts. Monthly updates
present the latest national, international, regional,
and industry estimates, and keep business leaders up
to date on relevant BEA issues and initiatives.
Survey
Monkey
www.surveymonkey.com
Put your finger on the pulse of your customers with this
free basic service. Create and publish custom online
surveys to gather data you can use.
TradePub.com
www.tradepub.com
If you're looking for a trade publication, you're likely
to find it here. This site features an extensive list
of free business, computer, and engineering trade newsletters
and magazines, all of which you can subscribe to for
free.
U.S.
Chamber of Commerce
www.uschamber.com
Find your local branch, figure out how to start, learn
about new taxes and much more at the national Chamber
of Commerce site.
U.S.
Copyright Office
www.copyright.gov
Find all of the forms, publications and information you
need to copyright your original work.
U.S.
Department of Labor: Office of Small Business Programs
www.dol.gov/osbp
The OSBP promotes opportunities for small businesses,
especially disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses,
HUBZone businesses and businesses owned by disabled veterans.
U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office
www.uspto.gov
Official site for searching the U.S. patent database.
Includes international treaties, statutes and patent
news.
VentureDeal
www.venturedeal.com
Easy-to-use database with the latest information on U.S.-based
venture-backed technology companies, senior management,
company financings, and M&A transactions. Updated
daily, this site offers a convenient way of accessing
critical information related to business development,
funding searches and venture capital investment goals.
VisualCV
www.visualcv.com
VisualCV reinvents your resume using technologies that
transform the way in which resume data is presented,
accessed and shared. VisualCV allows you to easily build
and manage online career portfolios that come alive with
informational keyword pop-ups, video, pictures and professional
networking.
Wesabe
www.wesabe.com
The site offers financial advice, analysis and planning
for business owners.
Word
of Mouth Marketing Association
www.womma.org
Official website of WOMMA, where you can find the latest
thinking on a variety of Web 2.0 marketing strategies,
including word of mouth marketing.
Work.com
www.work.com
The small-business owner's manual on where to go, what
to know, and how to get the most value from the ever-growing
array of web resources for business. The site features
more than 2,000 how-to guides written by business experts
and organized by common business tasks and challenges.
Women's
Work
www.wwork.com
Women's Work is dedicated to helping women move from
standard 9-to-5 jobs to flex careers--telecommuting,
small business and other options. This site is packed
with articles, advice, how-to guides, flexible career
choices, and success stories to inspire and motivate.
Wufoo
www.wufoo.com
Wufoo is a web-based application that removes inefficiency
and tediousness from the form-building process. Wufoo
reduces what used to take trained professionals days
(if not weeks) into something that can be done by anyone
in minutes.
Yelp
www.yelp.com
Yelp provides a fun and engaging website for “passionate
and opinionated influencers to share the experiences
they've had with local businesses and services.” Watch
out because “yelping” can be quite addictive.
Zimdesk
www.zimdesk.com
Zimdesk provides all the features and functionality you
would expect from a standard desktop PC. The difference
is that Zimdesk runs from an internet browser, allowing
you to access all your applications, files, games and
accessories from any computer.
Zoho
www.zoho.com
Zoho offers a suite of office productivity tools online,
including a word processor, spreadsheet program, invoicing
tool, presentation creator, web-conferencing functions
and calendar organizers.