Business owners need vital information to start their business and plan a better action. Many believe that those who have enough budget or capital for the business remains in the industry longer than those who have less. Small businesses are struggling to stay in the industry and make it bigger as possible. Businessmen of these small businesses must not be terrified for they are not alone. There are a lot of resources available online, free, from federal agencies and other businesses, especially designed for small businesses to aid them stay buoyant in a tough industry.
Here are few of the government and non-government owned websites that can give you advice to start-up company.
· http://www.business.gov/ - This is the US government official website for business industry. This is a one stop platform to make it easier for business oriented individuals seeking for help and to grow. The site also aims to challenge the community to think beyond their boundaries to serve the business community.
· http://www.entrepreneur.com/ - Entrepreneur is a monthly magazine and went online to provide business ideas and trends from successful entrepreneurs. Also, they feature expert advice and growth strategies for owners of small businesses.
· http://www.sba.gov – Another official website of the US government is this. This is especially created for the US Small Business Administration in order to strengthen and support small businesses nationwide.
· http://ftc.gov/ - A government owned website with a lot of tools to offer like online tutorials, videos, and publications. The commission aims to enhance consumer rights and choice without illegitimate business activities.
· http://www.score.org/ - This site is one of the nonprofit associations aiming to help small businesses to grow and achieve their goals. The website has a lot of free business tools and tips, free counseling and less expensive or free workshops.
The following are the top pick tools for small businesses. These are also the tools and strategies that you look up to in the Internet.
· General Office Must Haves – Email, Office Software
Today, an office is not called ‘office’ without a personal computer or any devices that will help you connect to the Internet. One of the must have resources online is the applications or email. This is a free service from Google where you can also make use of the Google calendar, Google Docs, and more. Additionally, you can integrate it to your domain if you have a website.
An office software is also a must have like Microsoft Office or Open Office. This is a collection of productivity programs to be used for typing documents, presentation programs and computing sales.
· Advertising your Business – Social Media, Directory, Local/Post Listings
There are a lot of marketing ideas that you can plan either online or offline. A website can be costly but it enhances your visibility in the marketplace. You can drive more traffic or audience with article marketing. You can also join in forums related to your business; it is one of the best and free marketing ideas for small businesses.
Include your business or website in free directory or local listings. This will lead your business to be featured and attract new customers. You can also get connected with more individuals through social media marketing. It has been proven to be effective as long as used properly.
It is indeed not easy to start a business and make it big in just a short period of time. Nevertheless, you just need to continuously educate yourself with the important principles and keep your mind sharp. You can always ask for help from other businessmen and web entrepreneurs. Just start by finding the right resources that best fit your needs.