Entrepreneurship and Small Business: Websites

The official website of the SBA, with links to resources pertaining to starting, financing, or expanding a small business. Specific information such as the 2010 Small Business Profile for Massachusetts and archived profiles for each of the 50 states for the years 2005-2009 are also available.

The Small Business Administration Boston District Office webpage.

A partnership of the Small Business Administration, the MA Department of Economic Development, and a consortium of higher educational institutions led by the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Their mission is to provide counseling, training, and capital access, to contribute to the growth of small businesses in Massachusetts.

"Small Business Guides provide clear and concise information that helps you manage your business while complying with government regulations. Covering topics from advertising to taxes, each guide provides a collection of resources from across federal, state and local governments."

This website comes from the Wall Street Journal Center for Entrepreneurs. It includes feature articles, special reports, toolkits (for things like creating a business plan and searching for trademarks), ideas, franchising, financing, and other information on running a business.

"The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the largest advocacy organization representing small and independent businesses." The group states that its aim "is to influence public policy at the state and federal level ..."

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has posted this website within the Starting & Registering a Business
section of the DOR.

The federal agency that collects and produces all kinds of population and economic census data and reports, the Census Bureau also produces a good deal of business data. Take a look at the page Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) to get some basic information of small (and other) business statistics, and links to associated pages from the Census Bureau.

The U.S. Department of Labor can also provide useful statistics related to business operations. This page, specific to the Massachusetts economy, provides local labor force, wages, and layoffs data. There is a link to view "Other Available At a Glance Tables," and in the upper right area of the page there are "Search" and an "A-Z Index" links that allow you to delve more into BLS information.

Entrepreneurship.org is the result of a public-private partnership between the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the U.S. commerce Department's International Trade Administration. The partnership gathers relevant web content geared towards organizing and operating a business venture, creating wealth, and employing people.

Provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration and several corporate sponsors, this is a "one-stop shopping" site for information related to women and entrepreneurship, from starting a business to operating in global markets. Multilingual web access.

A useful gateway to environmental information and small business contacts, provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

People starting a business often wish to start networking with other local business people early on. This webpage allows you to search for local Chambers of Commerce, organized by state.

A web version of the Thomas Register of American Manufactures, which provides information on 156,914 American and Canadian companies, 135,415 brand names, and 7,782 online supplier catalogs and web links. Can be useful in identifying suppliers of goods. Or you may identify your competition here, as well. The information is free, but registration is required.

This site, presenting "useful business statistics online," allows you to either "benchmark" your business by comparing your total revenues to the industry at large, or, in a lower section, provides pages with specific statistical measures, by industry. Statistics include anything from "inventory turnover ratios by industry" or "most popular small businesses."

Inc. is an entrepreneurial magazine founded right here in Boston. At their website you can find articles from the current issue, as well as archives. Here, also, is the "Inc 500" list of "America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies."