A Wealth of Web Sites for Entrepreneurs

Question: I'm kind of an Internet junkie, so when I need something I usually turn to the Web. Now I'm gearing up to start my own business and would like to know about the best sites for entrepreneurs. I tried a Google search, but there are so many useless sites on this topic it's hard to find the good stuff. Can you help?

Answer: The volume of products, services, information and advice targeting small business on the Web is indeed staggering. The Internet is choked with Web sites catering to the millions of existing business owners and entrepreneurs, as well as millions more who are thinking about starting a business.

Many sites have come and gone over the past several years. And among the survivors, most are basically just fronts to sell you products and services of one kind or another.

But there are some great sites geared to startups as well as growing and established businesses that can be tremendously helpful to any business owner, anywhere in America. Here are some of the best:

eVenturing (www.eVenturing.org) is brand new and packs a lot of promise for aspiring entrepreneurs. This site is the latest creation of the Kansas City-based Kauffman Foundation, a private, non-partisan group whose mission is to advance entrepreneurship in America. The great part about eVenturing is that it's non-profit, so the site is free of ads and hype. And Kauffman is already an old hand at this. Its Entreworld portal did many of the same things for years, and has now been replaced by the new site.

eVenturing aims at entrepreneurs seeking to build innovative, high-growth companies. The site delivers original articles, many written by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, and also collections of content from elsewhere related to starting and running high-impact companies.

The Kauffman site also dives headlong into the latest interactive devices, offering RSS (really simple syndication) feeds and blogs. You'll find it a vibrant place to make connections, tap helpful information and find practical tools for starting your business. The site is organized around six main subjects: finance, human resources, sales/marketing, products/services, operations and "the entrepreneur" (which includes strategy, culture, leadership, etc.)

eVenturing draws fresh material daily through a "link blog" that tracks down the latest ideas on entrepreneurship from various sources. The site has its own search feature so you can quickly locate items of interest.

StartupNation (www.startupnation.com), a relative newcomer as well, offers a wealth of information not only about starting a new business, but also growing a successful one. This is the brainchild of entrepreneurial brothers Rich and Jeff Sloan who also do a syndicated radio show, Web based seminars and speaking engagements across the country. Check out the site's "10 Steps to Open for Business" which offers a step-by-step process with templates, tools and audio highlights.

StartupJournal (www.startupjournal.com), from The Wall Street Journal, is a first-rate site that targets entrepreneurs seeking to start or buy a business or franchise. With the resources of WSJ publisher Dow Jones & Co. behind this site, you can count on information being thoroughly research and well written. The site is always rich in real life case studies and examples. You'll find a long list of regular columnists, how-to articles on just about every topic and a strong section on e-commerce. A proliferation of ads and pop-ups for other Dow Jones publications is a bit annoying, however, and the site does not do a very good job of archiving articles by specific topics, so you might have to wade through a long list of headlines to find what you want.

Small Business Computing (www.smallbusinesscomputing.com) and Small Biz Technology (www.smallbiztechnology.com) are two excellent specialized sites for staying abreast of the latest in computers, software, Web applications and other technology for small business. Both sites offer in-depth analysis and reviews that are essential reading before you spend your money on technology. And while both are commercial sites with advertising, the information tends to be objective and well targeted to the needs of the entrepreneur and business owner.

SCORE (www.score.org) is another essential site for startups. Here you can submit specific questions to SCORE counselors via e-mail and receive individualized advice at no charge.