ONLINE SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES

Florida Sites

Florida State Government
http://www.myflorida.com

This site is the gateway into the Florida state government. You can access all branches of government through this sight.  

Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations
http://www.sunbiz.org  

This site is the Florida Division of Corporations' online information, research, and electronic processing service center. Here you can directly access the Division's business entity, lien information, and image databases. You can also download and print copies of filed documents and forms to use when filing. Certificates of Status may also be requested online.  

Federal Sites

Internal Revenue Service
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/
This site has comprehensive information on the steps you should take to be tax compliant in all areas of your business (even the seemingly obscure), and provides the different tax forms that you will need. It also provides a variety of other tools, from fact sheets to assess the type of corporation that would be best for your business's needs, to information on retirement plans. It also has industry specific information on tax tips, trends, statistics, and regulations. Much information on tax compliance can be viewed in video clips on the site. There are also many links to other useful websites and resources.

United States Small Business Administration
http://www.sba.gov/
The SBA has information on starting a business (such as developing a business plan and identifying a target market), managing your business, marketing the business, and financing the startup. This site has many free online courses that you can take on these various topics. There is also a library of online resources, which includes SBA publications, links to other websites, and financial and technical assistance forms.

Business.gov
http://business.gov/
Business.gov (a government sponsored site) has information how to launch a business, manage it, grow it, and even the many options for how to exit it (for whatever reason you may choose to end your business). This site is very comprehensive, and has a broad spectrum of information, such as naming your business, protecting your ideas, forecasting your growth, and choosing a mentor that can stand along side you and provide experienced advice.

United States Department of Labor
http://www.dol.gov/
The Department of Labor website has information on the government regulations you as an employer need to be aware of in managing your employees.

United States Patent and Trademark Office
http://www.uspto.gov/
This site can provide you with information on the patent and trademark process, and start you on your way, if you choose to go that route.

U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/
The Census Bureau has information available on the residents of your target market population area, and the economic and business climate of the market.

U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/
You can find statistics on consumer spending, business costs, industries, employment, unemployment, and wages.

Women-21.gov
http://women-21.gov/
This site is the result of a partnership between the Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration, and is designed to help women trying to navigate the small business world. It covers issues such as access to capital, affordable healthcare, international business, labor laws, and other government resources.

Minority Business Development Agency
www.mbda.gov
The MBDA site covers a wide range of topics, such as networking, establishing the brand identity of the product(s) your business offers, assessing whether or not small business ownership is right for you, planning how to implement the business idea you have, financing the startup, marketing your business, dealing with employees, strategic planning, risk management, and selling on the internet. The section on financing, or finding capital for your business, is extensive. This site also has an online community forum where you can connect with other minority small business owners.

United States Department of Agriculture Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization
http://www.usda.gov/osdbu/
This agency works with small agriculture businesses to make them viable contractors of the USDA.

FirstGov and FirstGovenEspañol
http://firstgov.gov/

http://www.firstgov.gov/Espanol/index.shtml
This is a central portal that provides links to various local, state and federal agencies.

U.S. Department of Labor Office of Small Business Programs
http://www.dol.gov/osbp/welcome.htm
The OSBP is designed to work with small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, HUBZone businesses, and businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.

Export.gov  

http://www.export.gov/  

At this site, you can learn about the issues involved in exporting goods and services, and what you need to do to make your business export ready.

Organizations

U.S. Chamber of Commerce
http://www.uschamber.com/
This site offers small businesses information on startup, employee screening, business financing, insurance, management, marketing, and tax issues. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also provides a variety of documents, such as checklists, government forms, and templates for financial recordkeeping, contracts, business letters, and policies, which can be personalized to your business.

SCORE
http://www.score.org/
SCORE has different tools and templates for entrepreneurs, along with reading materials that can help in planning and operating your business. This site also has resource sections devoted to minority, woman, and Hispanic entrepreneurs.  

Magazines
Startup Journal
http://www.startupjournal.com/
This site is the Wall Street Journal's guide for entrepreneurs. It allows you to create a mini business plan for free online. You can read success stories from other businesses, and read about financing options. There is also a section that specifically addresses minority owned businesses.

Entrepreneur.com  

http://entrepreneur.com/
Entrepreneur.com has a How-to-Guide for business startups that covers the different components of business ownership that you will need to address, such as goals, legal structure, financing, location, managing, and marketing.

Black Enterprise.com
http://www.blackenterprise.com/
This site has different articles that discuss topics that are relevant to small business owners, and it highlights resources available to entrepreneurs in general, and minority business owners in particular. There are also many success stories about minority small business owners.

Business Sites
Intel  

http://www.intel.com/business/smallbusiness/
At Intel.com, you can read about different areas ways that technology can help your business operations run smoothly and securely. The “Five Strategies for Technology Success” has checklists that can help you to think through the things you can do to achieve those goals in different components of your business. This site's ROI Tool can help you evaluate what exactly your business's technology needs are.

Microsoft  

http://www. microsoft .com/ smallbusiness /
Microsoft.com has an assortment of information on technologies that small business owners can leverage to their advantage. The site's Learning Center has articles on topics such as finance, management, marketing, technology, and business startups.