Money Business
A look at the top business resource sites and what you’ll find when you get there
by Kent Lewis

How many businesses have thrived on greed? Of those, how many didn’t end up losing it all, or giving it away? The recent "downturn" is nothing more than a "correction" that too many Griswalds banked their new swimming pool on.

What can we do to ensure this type of roller coaster doesn’t happen again? Two things: use common sense and conduct research. I can’t help you with common sense, but there are a few excellent online resources you should memorize before delving into your next business venture.

Of the business resource sites outlined below, all have common elements in the form of content, tools and services. A few of the most prevalent include:

• business planning and financing
• tax and financial planning
• HR, healthcare, travel and insurance services
• information technology tools and services
• site development and promotion
• e-commerce and e-business planning, implementation and support
• basic business tips and advice
• community marketplace
• office supplies and services
• informative articles and research papers
• all-importand exit strategies

Of the above capabilities, the following small business sites offer the best overall depth and breadth:

• bCentral — Microsoft’s small business resource site
• CCH Business Owner’s Toolkit — the monster of all small business resource sites
• Entrepreneur — a reliable publication for the self-starter
• Guru — an ideal resource for freelancers, independent contractors and consultants
• Hoover’s Online — news and information for public companies
• KnowX — low cost access to public records
• Quicken.com — small business financial resource site
• Refdesk.com — leading online reference library
• Small Business Administration — government resource with documents and links
• SmallOffice.com — small business portal
• Yahoo! Small Business — another small business resource from the portal experts

Seasoned veterans may write me complaining about the absence of a mission-critical business site. To them I can only say: fuckedcompany.com doesn’t help you start or grow a business, it helps you end it.