General Business Related Assistance

This listing contains websites and contact information for organizations that can provide grants, loans, information, and other resources for small businesses.

Small Business Administration
http://www.sba.gov/
One of the best places to begin your search for grants and resources, the SBA offers a wealth of information through it's own departments, and will also direct you to numerous other resources.

SBA Office of Technology
The following departments of the SBA offer grants to small businesses.
* Small Business Innovation Research Program (for a subsidy to develop a promising idea)
* Small Business Technology Transfer Program (to commercialize new ideas).

Association of Small Business Development Centers- Learning Center
http://www.asbdc-us.org/education.html

About.com's
"Money for a Small Business" Resource
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/blsba.htm

The U.S. Small Business Administration's Small Business Startup Kit
http://www.sba.gov/starting/indexstartup.html

M.I.T. Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
http://www.mitforumcambridge.org/

Free Sample Business Plans at Bplans.com
http://www.bplans.com/sp/

The I.R.S. Small Business Corner
http://www.irs.treas.gov/bus_info/sm_bus/index.html

The Copyright Website
http://www.benedict.com/
This site endeavors to provide Web copyright information to encourage discourse and invite solutions to the myriad of copyright tangles that occur on the Internet.

National Federation of Independent Businesses
http://www.nfibonline.com/
The NFIB strongly advocates protect small businesses from federal and state governments. They often provide worker's compensation insurance at a lower cost than most insurance carriers.

National Association of the Self Employed
http://www.nase.org/
A major advocate with government agencies to preserve the interests and rights of small business owners. This organization also has affordable health care coverage in many parts of the country.

Fellowship of Companies for Christ International
http://www.fcci.org/
For those who are concerned about following Biblical principles of management: offers local support groups, regional conferences, resource people, and other fellowship opportunities. You can also find leadership materials and ethics and morality guidelines and studies for Christians and non-Christians, as well as self-study courses and company management/vision evaluations.

World Trade Associations
http://www.wtca.org/
The association of world trade organizations can help small businesses break into the import or export business. There are local WTA libraries and networking events and courses. Their introductions to government agencies are helpful in managing the red tape of international commerce.

Online Women's Business Center
http://www.onlinewbc.gov/
One of the most popular resources for women in business, this organization has lots of great information.

Chambers of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is making efforts to provide more resources for smaller businesses. Check out local networking events, annual small business expos, and see if there is a small business resource person in your local office. It is always a good idea to investigate group health care plans offered through your Chamber of Commerce. Grants are offered through the National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Technology Program, administered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

U.S. EPA Small Business Gateway
http://www.epa.gov/smallbusiness/money.htm

U.S.D.A Small Business Innovation Research program
http://www.reeusda.gov/sbir/

Merchants Associations
Local merchants associations often have lots of educational material on a wide variety of small business concerns. Find out about local networking opportunities between small businesses.