Small Business Development Links and Resources
General
Business and Associations:
Association
Central.com
A wealth of information on associations. There is a news section,
a searchable directory and an education section with information
on online courses.
Business Plan Pro
Although this site is for promotion of a software product, there
are free, sample business plans for all types of businesses, too.
Council for Entrepreneurial
Development
Homepage of the North Carolina CED - offers a calendar of events
for the organization, a section on education and publications offered
by CED and links to other helpful sites. There is a local chapter
in Wilmington.
Edge On-line
A service of the Edward Lowe Foundation - includes articles relevant
to small business. Especially useful is the "Business Toolbox"
with interactive modules to help with business activities such as
marketing planning, financial management and personnel development.
Franklin
Pierce Law Center
An internationally acclaimed Intellectual Property (IP) Website
with information and links to a unique collection of IP resources
compiled by the Franklin Pierce Law Center (ranked by U.S. News
& World Report as one of the top five IP law schools in the
country ).
National Business
Incubation Association
Homepage of a leading organization advancing business incubation
and entrepreneurship.
National Federation
of Independent Business
Information about current events affecting small business
- includes a section entitled, "How to Start a Business".
Online Women's
Business Center
Information from the SBA specifically for women about starting,
growing and expanding your business and more.
OSHA
Standard Industrial Classification Search
A quick way to look up SIC codes by either number or category.
SBDC Research
Network (REQUIRES FLASH)
Includes links to sources of interest for small businesses: associations,
demographics, industry specific information, and tax information.
The Standard
Great resource for current news on Internet business.
Thomas Register
Allows users to search the full Thomas Register database by product/service
or company name and provides the option of narrowing the search
to a specific state or location. Registration is required, but it
is free.
WomensNet.Net
An ISP and Portal dedicated to the interests of Today's Woman, including
information about women-owned businesses.
Financial
and Company Info
Angel
Capital Electronic Network (ACE-Net)
The mission of ACE-Net is to allow individual accredited investors,
SBICs and institutional venture capitalists to find small, growing
companies through a secure Internet database, and to provide ongoing
training and research to enhance the business skills of entrepreneurs
and small investors.
Eno River
Capital
Specializes in positioning new technology companies to obtain investment
capital. They manage the North Carolina Bioscience Investment Fund
(NCBIF), a $26 million seed-stage venture capital fund focusing
on life sciences. Principals also invest directly in information
technology and other sectors outside the scope of the NCBIF.
North
Carolina Technological Development Authority, Inc.
The NCTDA is a public benefit corporation. Mission -
to create jobs and wealth throughout NC using business incubation,
venture capital, technology transfer and rural initiatives to commercialize
promising business opportunities. Focus on life science and IT companies.
Sustainable
Jobs Fund
A community development venture capital fund located in Durham,
NC. Invests in growing sustainable businesses in the eastern United
States that provide good jobs for low income citizens. Host vcaonline.com
is a B2B Internet-based marketplace for the venture capital and
private equity industry.
Vfinance Venture
Capital Directory
Help for entrepreneurs: sources of capital and loans, evaluation
of your business plan, assistance finding financial advisors and
access to the research, news and know-how needed to approach major
venture capital and investment banking firms.
Barron's
Annual Reports
Annual reports for hundreds of companies can be ordered here for
free.
Dun
& Bradstreet Internet Access
Access to information on millions of companies. Fee.
Global Financial
Data
A collection of historical financial research dating back to the
year 1264!
Most of their services are fee-based, but a good deal of data is
free.
Hoover's Online
Online version of a print media often used to analyze companies.
Some services are available only by subscription, but access to
basic financial data, company summary and news about a company is
free.
Securities
Exchange Commission
The SEC maintains a database of filings on a system called "Edgar".
Searching is allowed by categories including: company name, address,
SIC codes, central index key, filing date, IRS number, former company
name, and state of incorporation.
Marketing
American
Demographics
Allows for full text searches of American Demographics articles,
a searchable directory of marketing services and access to a catalog
of data sources, marketing books and research materials.
Business
Owner's Toolkit: Marketing Your Product
A complete guide for the small business owner on successfully marketing
your goods and services.
Market
Research on the Web
A large collection of articles and resources on conducting market
research online.
Marketing
Resource Center
Resource and reference center designed to assist businesses with
their traditional and Internet marketing efforts. A keyword-searchable
listing of associations is available.
Employment
and Benefits
American Compensation
Association
News & information about compensation and benefits. Also includes
seminars, events, publications and research and a searchable membership
database.
Employee Benefits
Research Institute
Information about employee benefits. Especially useful "Fact
Sheets."
Equal Employment
Opportunity, Office of
Part of the General Administrative Services site and has information
about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
NC
Resources - Local
Brunswick
County Government
Columbus
County Government
New
Hanover County Government
State
and Local Government on the Net
Links for every state to county, city, town and statewide offices
with websites.
Brunswick Electric
Membership Corporation
Website for RCSC's affiliate
in developing the Business Development Centers. A Touchstone
Energy® electric cooperative, serving over 50,000 members in Brunswick,
Columbus, Bladen and Robeson counties.
Brunswick Community College
The BCC Continuing Education Program's Small Business Center provides
support and educational programs for entrepreneurs.
Southeastern
Community College - Small Business Center (SBC)
The mission of the SBC is to help owners and their employees or
would-be owners of small businesses through training and educational
programs, professional counseling and referral services, and information
dissemination. Operates a Microenterprise Loan Program and offers
entrepreneurship training for adult students.
Small Business
& Technology Development Center (UNCW)
Operated in conjunction with the US Small Business Administration.
See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for info about availability
of grants and other basic business information. Services of the
SBTDC are available to Brunswick and Columbus County businesses
Columbus County EDC (Economic Development Commission)
The Columbus County Committee of 100 is a county wide, non-profit
development corporation devoted to the economic and community growth
of Columbus County.
North Carolina Southeast Economic Development
A public-private partnership offering a single point of contact
for businesses looking to expand, or relocate into any of the 11-counties
that make up southeastern North Carolina. Regional data, statistics,
tax and infrastructure information, links and more.
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE:
Fair Bluff
Greater
Whiteville
Brunswick County/South
Brunswick Islands - Shallotte
Southport-Oak
Island
Tabor
City
NC
Resources - Statewide
e-NC.org
RIAA (Rural Internet Access Authority) and e-NC website - provides
the latest news, events, publications and Internet resources for
the state of NC. e-NC is a statewide grassroots initiative to connect
all North Carolinians to the Internet.
North Carolina @ your service
A portal for citizens, businesses and employees. Citizens can register
cars and purchase State Fair tickets online (among other things).
NC Community
Resource Information System
Information about state government technical and financial assistance
programs & services.
North
Carolina Department of Commerce
Extensive business section on this site including information on
tax credits for qualifying businesses.
NC Employment
Security Commission
General information about the ESC, news releases, employment service
listings, and labor market information.
North Carolina
General Assembly
Search bills by number, key word or sponsor. There are also calendars
and geography and representation information.
North
Carolina Industrial Commission
Explains Workers Compensation laws in North Carolina.
North
Carolina Secretary of State
Online corporate name database, business license information, corporations
division (the user can download corporate forms from here) and information
on the qualified business tax credit program.
North
Carolina Technological Development Authority, Inc.
The NCTDA is a public benefit corporation. Mission -
to create jobs and wealth throughout NC using business incubation,
venture capital, technology transfer and rural initiatives to commercialize
promising business opportunities. Focus on life science and IT companies.
North Carolina
State Telephone Directory
Online version of the state telephone directory; includes state
employee listings and e-mail addresses.
National
and Federal Government Resources
State
and Local Government on the Net
Links for every state to county, city, town and statewide offices
with websites.
Bureau
of Labor Statistics
This site has the "economy at a glance", data about labor,
and regional information.
Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
A government-wide compendium of Federal programs, projects, services,
and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American
public.
National Transportation
Library
Part of the Bureau of Transportation site - has numerous reports
on transportation from bicycles to aviation.
Online Women's
Business Center
Information from the SBA specifically for women about starting,
growing and expanding your business and more.
OSHA
This is the US Dept. of Labor's site for Occupational Safety and
Health Administration. It has a "frequently asked question"
section and a link to a list of standards and publications by OSHA.
Small Business Administration
This gives users information on the SBA including: SBA program offices
and resource partners; starting, financing and expanding your business;
and information on disaster assistance. "Great Business Hotlinks"
allows users to link to the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security
Administration, etc.
Small
Business Innovation Research
This site explains SBIR and STTR programs from the Dept of Defense
(DoD) as well as "Fast Track". It also has a "commonly
asked question" section.
Thomas, Legislative
information on the Internet
Allows searching of US bills by keyword, bill number or title. Bill
text is available or the user can download the bills in a PDF format.
US Business Advisor
Provides business users one-stop access to federal government information,
services and transactions.
US Census Bureau
Charts and statistics from the Census Bureau. Of particular
interest is the State & County QuickFacts section.
US Dept. of Commerce
A wealth of information and links about all aspects of doing business
in the US and internationally.
US Dept. of Labor
Information on DOL activities, news and a clearinghouse for all
regulatory compliance assistance documents, publications, and printed
information published by DOL agencies.
Patent
and Trademark Sources:
Delphion (patent
searching)
This replaces IBM's Patent Server where the user can access over
26 years of U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) patent descriptions
as well as the last 23 years of images. Search, retrieve and study
over two million patents. Basic service is free, subscription packages
available for in-depth data and searching,
Patents.com
- General Information about Patents
Site of Oppedahl & Larson LLP, a law firm offering patent, copyright,
trademark, trade secret, and other intellectual property services.
Good general information.
US Patent and Trademark
Office http://www.uspto.gov/
All about patents and trademarks.
Extensive searching options.
International
Resources
CIA
World Factbook
Information on countries including: geography, people, government,
economy, transportation, communications, and defense.
Export-Import
Bank of the US
Web site of the official export credit agency of the US government.
Their mission is to help the private sector create and maintain
American jobs by financing exports. Loans, credit guarantees, credit
insurance and more.
Europages
Allows searching by product or service for company contact information
in 37 European countries. Economic information about the European
market.
International
Business Resources on the WWW
Links to helpful international sites maintained by Michigan State
University.
International
Trade Administration (Department of Commerce)
Country-specific information under "Regions & Countries";
information about available assistance programs and useful links.
Stat-usa
Access to the National Trade Data Bank with information on US and
international business statistics and research. Subscription required
for full access, but there is a sample of information for free.
The World Bank
Country and project information, publications, research studies,
and press releases on-line.
US
International Trade Commission Trade Database
Access import/export statistics on individual products. Log-in required
- free.
US
State Department
Access all services and information of the State Department, including
Country Commercial Guides.
World
Trading Information Center
Trade leads for individuals or companies desiring to do international
business.
World Trade
Online
Publication that contains articles on world trading.
World Trade Markets
Daily update of Electronic Trade Opportunities throughout the world.
Libraries
and General Reference Resources
Libdex
A worldwide directory of library homepages and other links. A quick
link to most of the university libraries in the state.
Industry
Research Desk
Provides information on how to research an industry and gives numerous
links to a wide range of resources.
John
McDonnell's Researcher's Toolkit
Newsletter about doing research on the Internet; here are some of
his recommended links.
Gary
Price's Direct Search
Mr. Price is the Business librarian for Georgetown University, and
has compiled this amazing resource. Has many "Top 10/50/100",
lists, mostly in the business field, including international statistics.
Newspapers
and Magazines
Ecola Online Newsstand
A well-organized listing of links to hundreds of online newspapers
and magazines; some are fully accessible, although others require
subscription.
Search by region, by topic, etc.
Newspapers
This site provides links to newspapers all over the country.
Individual newspaper links
Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, NC)
News and
Observer (Raleigh, NC)
The News-Reporter
(Whiteville, NC)
The State Port
Pilot (Southport, NC)
Wilmington Star-News
Investors
Business Daily
USA Today
Wall Street
Journal
Individual magazine links
Advertising Age
On-line version of the 71-year
old weekly journal of the advertising business.
American Business
Journals
A fully searchable site of the local market publications and 46
industries, including three publications for North Carolina (Triangle,
Triad, and Charlotte). Sales leads, lists, news and more.
American
Demographics
Monthly magazine for marketing and media executives and business
strategists; information on emerging consumer trends.
Entrepreneur
Monthly magazine full of useful articles, franchise information,
links and more.
Financial
Times
Editorial analysis of financial markets, industries, and companies,
plus a full range of business topics.
Inc Magazine
Monthly magazine geared to starting and growing a business.
The Small Business Journal
Devoted to small business issues: management, sales/marketing,
financial, tax and legal matters, HR, customer service and more.
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