6 RESOURCES THAT CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE

(AND THEY’RE ALL FREE!)

Excerpted from the 2004 edition of The 100 Best Resources for Small Business

By Daniel Kehrer, Founder of BizBest

 

#1: SCORE

 

            SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is one of the best small biz resources in America — yet one of the most under appreciated.  SCORE can provide you with your very own business consultant (usually a retired business exec) who will help you solve problems or answer questions on starting and growing a business. There are nearly 12,000 SCORE counselors nationwide, and the service is free and confidential. Business counseling and workshops are offered at 389 SCORE chapter offices coast to coast. But SCORE also offers free e-mail counseling, which has been a huge hit with existing business owners. About 800

counselors — with hundreds of specialties — are available online. Click on ASK SCORE at the Web site to search specialties and read bios of potential counselors. You can also find valuable advice in the Learning Center and Business Toolbox sections of the SCORE site.  BizBest ActionGuide: To find an office near you call SCORE in Washington, DC at (800) 634-0245. Or visit www.score.org and click on FIND SCORE to get the address, phone number and a map to your nearest office. Most chapters also have their own Web sites. See the list of links under FIND SCORE.

 

 

#2: FastTrac

 

            FastTrac operates nationwide, offering biz owners and entrepreneurs locally based training programs and networking connections for a new or expanding enterprise. FastTrac is a creation of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (www.kauffman.org), a Kansas City-based non-profit that spends millions to promote entrepreneurship in America. FastTrac offers

hands-on training that helps entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage and grow a successful business. Here you don‘t just learn about business, you work on your own

venture throughout the course. FastTrac is offered in about 150 cities in 38 states through Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, Minority Business Centers, universities, colleges, community colleges and individual consultants. Go to “Where are FastTrac Programs Offered?” at the Web site. FastTrac has become one of America’s top entrepreneurial training programs because it is written and taught by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs.  BizBest ActionGuide: See www.fasttrac.org for details and locations. Call (800) 689-1740 or e-mail info@fasttrac.org

 

 

#3: SmallBusinessComputing.com

 

            SmallBusinessComputing.com is a perfect place to keep up on the latest technology tools for small business, including hardware, software and applications. Material is timely, insightful, super abundant and not overly technical for the non geek  business owner. You’ll find daily news, along with reviews, a buyers guide and extensive archives. This is good stuff for becoming — or staying — tech savvy, and best of all, it is all specifically geared to you as a small business owner, and free! BizBest ActionGuide: Check out the Web site and sign up for

the e-mail newsletter.

 

 

#4: MarketingPower.com

 

            MarketingPower.com is a super-useful marketing Web site created by the Chicago-based American Marketing Association.  Although dues-paying AMA members get access to more content and discounts, there is a remarkable amount of helpful info available free. You’ll find hundreds of articles on advertising, market research, consumer marketing, business-to-business marketing, Internet marketing and more. Sign up for free guides and Web casts by marketing experts. AMA’s free demographics service (registration required) provides unlimited access to U.S. Census data on such things as home values and populationtrends. Get info right down to your local Zip Code. There is a helpful directory of marketing suppliers and excellent marketing tools and templates you can also access for free.  BizBest • Special Report Need more resources? Visit www.BizBest100.com BizBest ActionGuide: Explore this powerful site to see all it offers. Call AMA at (800) 262-1150; e-mail info@ama.org.

 

 

#5: Small Business Development Centers

 

            Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are another excellent and free, counseling and informational resource for small biz owners and startups. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers this program, which offers a wide variety of info and guidance. There are small business development centers in every state, with a network of nearly 1,000 service locations at colleges, universities, vocational schools, chambers of commerce and economic development corporations nationwide. The SBDC network delivers counseling, training and tech help in all aspects of small biz management, including financial, marketing, production, engineering and feasibility studies. Special programs include international trade, procurement assistance, finding venture capital and rural development. BizBest ActionGuide: For locations, click on Your Nearest SBDC at www.sba.gov/sbdc. You can also visit the Association of Small Business Development Centers Web site (www.asbdc-us.org) to find locations (click on Local Services). Call ASBDC at: (703) 764-9850; e-mail:  nfo@asbdc-us.org.

 

 

#6: International Trade/Import-Export Portal

 

The International Trade/Import-Export Portal (www.fita.org), a Web site run by the Reston, VA-based Federation of International Trade Associations, is an information-rich service with much to offer small business owners looking to buy or sell outside the U.S. If you could use only one Web site to establish and grow international sales, this would be it. Among other things, it offers a global trade shop with goods and services you’ll need. Departments include: Trade Leads, Market Research, Buy/Sell Exchange and Global Payment Services. Helpful directories listing Export Management Companies and country- or industry-specific resources are some of the best available. Most info is free. There’s an amazing database of international trade resources and a huge Calendar of Trade Shows. BizBest ActionGuide: Call (800) 969-3482 or (703) 620-1588; e-mail: info@fita.org. Armed with details provided by BizBest (www.bizbest.com) of who the best solution providers are, what they offer, their key strengths and weaknesses and how to find them, business owners and entrepreneurs can find the support they need to grow and prosper. The 100 Best Resources for Small Business is available at BizBest100.com, Amazon.com and other places books are sold.

 

 

BizBest • Special Report Need more resources? Visit www.BizBest100.com

BizBest Media Corp. (www.bizbest.com) publishes commercial-free business resource information. Its flagship publication, BizBest: Connections for Success, profiles 2,000 top resources in hundreds of categories. Daniel Kehrer, Founder and CEO, is a leading expert on entrepreneurship. He writes a nationally syndicated small business column, is a frequent  radio/TV guest and has been honored by the SBA as a Small Business Advocate of the Year.