A-to-Z Index

Start Up Resources


Media Resources 


VC Funding 101

JMU graduate Paul Holland (class of '83), now a general partner in Foundation Capital, gives a quick review of what venture capitalists look for in a business.

Online Articles


American Express Small Business Services


http://www133.americanexpress.com/osbn/tool/biz_plan/index.asp
A general site for small business.

Business 2.0


http://www.business2.com

Business Plan Pro


http://www.bplan.com
Has samples of business plans and other resources for the entrepreneur starting out.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance


http://www.cfda.gov
A searchable database of both financial and non-financial assistance programs of Federal government. Includes grants, loans, insurance, mortgage assistance, scholarships, technical assistance, counseling, etc.

CEOExpress.com


http://www.ceoexpress.com
Lots of information for the busy business person.

Chambers of Commerce Directory


http://clickcity.com/index2.htm
This site is a compilation of national city chambers of commerce searchable by state, city name or keyword.

The Company Corporation

http://www.corporate.com
Helps small businesses with the incorporation process. Useful resources and other information about incorporating a business.

Ernst & Young

http://www.ey.com
E&Y does some good work with entrepreneurship. Check out publications on their web site related to entrepreneurship. See "Outline for a Business Plan: A Proven Approach for Entrepreneurs Only". The Business Plan framework was endorsed by the Wharton Business Plan Competition. (http://www.ey.com/publicate/entrepreneur/pdf/gg0165.pdf).

Fast Company Magazine

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine
Fast Company publishes articles on high-growth industries and future trends.

Garage.com


http://www.garage.com
"VC broker on the WEB" has information for entrepreneurs developing a plan.

Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce


http://www.hrchamber.org/

Hoovers Online


http://www.hoovers.com
Online source for all kinds of company information.

Idea Cafe - "The small business channel"


http://www.ideacafe.com
This provides lots of great links to other entrepreneurial sites - categories like Starting & Running a Business, Financing Your Business, Accounting Taxes & Business Law, Protecting Intellectual Property, Services & Supplies, Marketing Sales & Advertising, Public Relations, US Government, Worldwide Biz Info.

Inc. Magazine Online


http://www.inc.com
Lots of resources for the business owner: how to create a web site, articles, events, bulletin boards, etc.

Internal Revenue Service


http://www.irs.gov
Home page for the IRS. Has a selection specifically for small business.

Kauffman eVenturing


http://www.entreworld.org
This site provides information organized by stage of business development. The main feature of the site is its three channels: Starting Your Business, Growing Your Business and Supporting Entrepreneurship.

Looksmart.com


http://www.looksmart.com
General information on a variety of topics. Check out Business & Finance sections and specifically this list of resources.

The McKinsey Quarterly


http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com
A database of articles/publications on major industries & business areas.

Mid Atlantic Venture Funds


http://www.mavf.com
This site provides good articles and other related information to small business financing.

Morgan Stanley


http://www.morganstanley.com
Morgan Stanley's Internet Quarterly report. Useful info on the Internet.

Palo Alto Software


http://www.palo-alto.com
Offers software for ~ $125 to help an entrepreneur write their business plan. Not highly recommended as it has a tendency to put words in their mouths, but at least it gets them thinking about the important issues.

SBA Online


http://www.sba.gov
General information about the US Small Business Administration and SBA programs, including loan programs. Mostly background info. Includes info on Women's Business programs and loans. Includes list of links to other small business sites.

U.S. Business Advisor


http://www.business.gov
Designed to be the central business clearinghouse for US federal regulations, procurement, financial, trade, and labor. The regulations database is extensive including US Code, Congressionally-approved Public laws, Executive Orders, even Tribal Laws. Regulations are segmented into Labor, Environment, Safety, Communication, Immigration, Taxation, general and laws in development. Laws up for Public Comment are included.

U.S. Copyright Office


http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/
Basic information about copyrights, how to apply, how to search for copyrights. You can NOT search for copyright here.

Yahoo! Small Business


http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com
Yahoo's small business web site. Links to other resources and good selection of articles related to small business.