Business Resources Tips

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What are the best business resources for conducting business research?

Best Business Research Resources are Online

The best business resources for conducting business research today are Internet-based. Google "business research" and you'll find hundreds, even thousands, of web sites that offer business research. Which business research site is right for you? It depends on what you're looking for. If you're researching a public company, you can often find lots of information through the SEC's EDGAR online database, which is open to the public. You can also look for business blogs and archives of newspaper stories to help with your business research. Private companies, which are not required to give up nearly as much information, can be harder to research. You will likely have to pay a commercial provider, like Dun & Bradstreet, for specific business research about a private company.

   
Where do I find good small business resources?

Start with the SBA

If you're starting a small business, you're likely going to want to spend a lot of time educating yourself doing business research. And since money is likely an issue, you need a small business information resource that is also a free business information resource. You can't go wrong with the federal Small Business Administration web site as a one-stop free business information resource. Offering everything from tax advice, to federal loan programs, to disaster planning and recovery, the SBA site is a solid business resource you'll find yourself using again and again.
Whether it's tax advice or sales charts, all small business owners should have access to the best business research tools with information on everything from SBA loans to competitive business analysis. Business research tools from Manta allow business owners to search company information, track their progressions, and obtain business background checks.

   
Can RSS feeds be used as a business resource?

Really Simple Business Information Resource

One way to get a free business information resource is to take advantage of business resource web sites and blogs that offer RSS feeds. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) are XML-based news feeds that can be read with an RSS reader, which can be downloaded or web-based. When you subscribe to an RSS feed, you can be automatically notified anytime the site is updated with new content. Every time you open your RSS reader, you will see links to new content from any sites you subscribe to. Build RSS feeds to enough sites and you can build your own, automatically updated free business information resource library.

   
Can I get help writing a business plan?

Business Plan Help

If you're starting a business or if you're looking for money to start a business or take your business to the next level, you're going to need a solid business plan. But what if you've never written a business plan before? How do you sit down and write one, especially with your business's future on the line? Find yourself a business plan resource. There are plenty of web sites that are great free business information resources, with example business plans to download. You can also purchase business plan software, which will allow you to write your own business plan from a template. You still have to come up with a workable idea yourself, but having this kind of business plan resource available will go a long way.
Need help getting your business up and running, or taking your business the next level? Take advantage of Manta's free business information resources that will help you devise a business plan and track industry information for your business growth.

   
What different types of free business resources are available?

Find Free Business Information Resources Online

There are many types of free business information resources available online, including the following general types:
Federal, state and municipal business resources: Check out your state or local government web site for business resource information centers. On the federal level, there's the SBA for small businesses, the IRS site for business tax information and business.gov, a federal business-to-government portal.
Trade organizations: Your local chamber of commerce web site is a good starting point, as well as the sites of any local, regional or national trade or business organizations you belong to.
Magazines and publications: Business magazines like Inc. and Fast Company have very active and helpful web sites. You should also check the sites of any trade magazines you subscribe to.
Businesses: Software giants Microsoft, Google and Oracle all have active sites with good business resources, often with many free components. Services like Bloomberg, Reuters and Dow Jones present business news updated 24x7 (and expect you to pay for it). Think tanks like Forrester Research and Jupiter Research offer analyst summaries for free, but want you to pay for the whole thing.
Business blogs: Don't underrate blogs as solid, free business resources. Blogs are especially good at covering smaller business communities in depth that otherwise wouldn't be possible from mainstream media.

   
What are the best business resources for conducting business research?

Best Business Research Resources are Online

The best business resources for conducting business research today are Internet-based. Google "business research" and you'll find hundreds, even thousands, of web sites that offer business research. Which business research site is right for you? It depends on what you're looking for. If you're researching a public company, you can often find lots of information through the SEC's EDGAR online database, which is open to the public. You can also look for business blogs and archives of newspaper stories to help with your business research. Private companies, which are not required to give up nearly as much information, can be harder to research. You will likely have to pay a commercial provider, like Dun & Bradstreet, for specific business research about a private company.

   
Are there legitimate work-at-home business resources?

Work Home Business Resources: Be Careful

There is one important piece of advice for anyone looking for a work-home business resource to help them start or manage a home-based business: Be careful, especially with Internet-based work home business resources. There seem to be thousands of Internet scams for supposed home business resources. If you see the words "work at home" while Googling "work home business resource," take caution and read carefully before signing up for anything. Of course, there are solid home business resources on the Internet. You just have to make sure you stick with trusted names or check carefully any site that wants money from you in exchange for business research and information.
To protect yourself and your business from unethical or misleading business claims, have a business resource plan in place. If you're setting up a home office, a trusted company like Manta can help with your business resource needs - including research, surveys, and work-from-home business solutions.

   
What is a business resource?

Need Business Help? Find a Business Resource

Nothing like starting your own business for a sense of freedom, unlimited possibilities -- and a lot of confusion. You may be familiar with a business plan, but how well do you understand federal, state and local taxes, accounting, marketing, product chain, affiliate programs and HR issues? Unless you can give an unqualified yes to all of the above, you're going to need the services of a solid business resource to get through the difficult parts of making your business a success. There are all types of general business resources on the Internet, from giant umbrella sites like Microsoft's BCentral and Yahoo Small Business, to specific business blogs that cover even the tiniest vertical markets with a surprising depth of knowledge. It's up to you to figure out which business resource is best for your business and how to take advantage of it.

   
What are some good business blogs?

How to Find a Good Business Blog

Where are the good business blogs? The best business blogs are so specific that it's tough to recommend any good business blogs for general reading. The best way to find a business blog that will become a solid free business information resource for you is to go to a blog search engine like Technorati or Bloglines, and type in search terms specific to your business needs. If you're in the restaurant business, type "restaurant" or "hospitality," for example. There are hundreds of new blogs being created every day, so it's worth searching until you find something that works as a business resource.
Blogs are great resources for information and news on a particular business or industry. Find a business blog through Manta that incorporates links to business research and corporate information resources so you can stay up to date on industry-relevant news and your competitors.

   
Do I need business resource software?

You Just Need a Web Connection

Do you need special software to perform business research and build your own business resource library? No, but you do need access to the Internet. There is so much available business resource information on the Internet that all you need to access it is a working Internet connection, a web browser and perhaps a credit card. If you want to convert, sort or analyze the information you compile, you'll need to run it through business analysis software, which you'll have to buy if you do not use a web-based system. But access to solid business resource information can be done through the web.

   
What's it going to cost me to get access to a business resource?

Low-Cost Access

How much does it cost to get access to a solid business information resource? It depends on what you want. Most of the time, it's not very expensive. Besides all the free business information you can find through this site and on the Internet, there are many business information sites that can be available for a relatively small subscription cost. Sites like Hoovers.com, Manta.com and DNB.com can give anyone access to the same detailed business information available to the largest corporations.

   
What makes a good business blog?

Good Blogs Create Communities

If you haven't spent much time reading business blogs before, it's worth spending a few hours poking around to find one that has enough solid information to become one of your trusted business resources. And remember that a good blog is more than the writer. Bloggers often allow user comments to be posted below the entries, which can lead to lively and useful exchanges of information. So when you find a blog that looks like it might be helpful, make sure to bookmark it or sign up for an RSS feed to give it a regular read for a few days. If you see that a virtual community has developed around the blog, it's almost definitely going to be a worthwhile business resource.

   
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