General Recommendations


Articles       Magazines

Books          Organizations

Directories    Software

Internet       Videos

Articles
Hispanic-Owned Firms Set the Pace
for Growth by Sharon Nelton. Nation’s Business, October 1996, p. 8. http://www.census.gov.
—According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic-owned businesses grew faster than all other categories from 1987 to 1992.

"New Rules for the New Economy" by Kevin Kelly. Wired, September 1997, p. 130.
—Lists 12 principles for negotiating within the new network economy and an increasingly turbulent world.

Books
Burnes, Kent J., Secrets to Small Business Success. SMART Resource Center®, 1996. (800) 848-8000
—Designed to enhance competitiveness in today’s marketplace, this useful tool (complete with checklists and worksheets) covers key topics ranging from visual merchandising to advertising, customer service, price and profit, and technology.

Handbook for Small Businesses. SBA Publications. P.O. Box 46521, Denver, CO 80201-46521. (800) 827-5722.
—Provides tips on starting a small business from the SBA’s Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE).

Luckman’s World Wide Web Yellow Pages 1998 edition. Barnes & Noble Books, Inc., 1997.
—Each listing contains a synopsis of the individual sites and rates them according to content, design and organization. Also includes components of sites such as chat rooms, audio, video and animation. Includes a CD-ROM.

Minority Advancement Profile (MAP). (626) 577-1984. http://www.mapnews.com.
—This bi-monthly business newsletter provides how-to information, management advice and profiles of successful entrepreneurs for new and growing small businesses.

Organized to Be the Best. Adams-Hall Publishing. (800) 888-4452.
—With more than 300,000 copies in print, this "bible of organization" presents both computer and non-computer solutions for getting and staying organized. Features more than 150 illustrations and charts.

Peal, David, et. al., Small Business Resource Guide to the Web. Lycos Press, 1997.
—Contains tips on being an effective Internet researcher, developing marketing strategies, and using free government sites to your advantage. Includes a CD-ROM.

SMART Steps to Small Business Success. SMART Resource Center. (800) 848-8000.
—A complete step-by-step guide to starting, operating and succeeding in small business.

Directories
AT&T Toll-Free 800 Numbers, Consumer and Business Telephone Directories. SMART Resource Center. (800) 848-8000.
—Contains alphabetical listings of businesses, government agencies and organizations throughout the U.S. with 800 numbers.

Fax USA. SMART Resource Center. (800) 848-8000.
—Contains fax numbers for the largest businesses and organizations in the U.S. Indexed alphabetically and geographically.

Government Directory of Telephone Numbers. SMART Resource Center. (800) 848-8000.
—Provides names of departments, elected officials, offices and titles, legislatures and courts. Includes quick-reference and organizational listings, as well as a key word index.

The National Directory of Address and Telephone Numbers. SMART Resource Center. (800) 848-8000.
—Lists leading corporations, government agencies, accounting and law firms, restaurants and hotels in an easy-to-use format.

Internet
Business Week Online. http://www.business week.com.
—Contains articles and commentaries from the current newsstand edition of Business Week magazine. "Daily Briefing" section includes news flashes and links to recent events.

Inc. Online. http://www.inc.com.
—Offers quick access to mini-sites, news of the day and other topics from Inc. magazine.

SBA Online. U.S. Small Business Administration. http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov.
—This electronic bulletin board provides needed resources to start and expand a business. Includes easy-to-use menus that help in accessing training, shareware applications to download, federal agencies and special interest groups.

Smart Business Supersite. http://www.smartbiz.com.
—Provides an easy-to-use information springboard for the small business owner: 60 categories to search from job information and online store to daily events and a people finder.

The Trip. http://www.thetrip.com.
—Provides "everything for the business traveler except the stress." Complete with travel tips, accommodations and restaurant reviews, airport strategies and flight reservation information.

U.S. Commerce Department. http://www.doc.gov/.
—This thorough and easy-to-navigate Web site provides current Department of Commerce information and links to several business-related government agency Web pages.

Magazines
Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Special. November 1997.
—Contains special reports on the state of Black entrepreneurship, preparing for the 21^st century and profiles of BE’s most successful small businesses.

Organizations
National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE). (800) 232-NASE.
—Composed of 320,000 self-employed and small business people, this lobbying organization offers a wide variety of resource materials including its publication Self-Employed America, and provides a toll-free line called ShopTalk staffed by consultants who are available to address business-related concerns.

National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). (301) 608-2590.
—Helps to broaden opportunities for female entrepreneurs by offering workshops and seminars, providing information and referral services to its 6,000 members, and maintaining a databank of women-owned businesses.

National Business Association (NBA). (800) 465-0430.
—This nonprofit organization is designed to assist entrepreneurs attain professional and personal goals. It offers an array of benefits, services and other resources in the areas of business, lifestyle, health and education.

National Business League (NBL). (202) 737-4430.
—With 127 chapters nationwide, this federation has been working for nearly 113 years to promote minority business ownership.

National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). (615) 872-5800.
—This is the nation’s largest small business lobbying organization, offering more than 600,000 members the chance to have their voices heard at all levels of government. Members also have access to a number of publications covering all aspects of entrepreneurship, including Independent Business magazine.

National Technology Transfer Center. (800) 678-6882. http://www.nttc.edu.
—Provides seminars and training that focus on helping businesses and organizations adjust to the growing number of new technologies, while evaluating how to best use these technologies.

Small Business Advancement National Center. University of Central Arkansas, Box 5018, Conway, Arkansas 72035. (501) 450-5300, Fax: (501) 450-5360. http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/.
—Puts several resources at the disposal of entrepreneurs and provides information on local and national training seminars. Contains hundreds of links to publications as well as software directly related to small business concerns.

Small Business Council of America. (301) 656-7603.
—Seeking to prevent federal tax laws from overburdening small business owners, this organization’s members work together to support legislation that creates important economic incentives.

Software
Proven Edge, Inc. (888) 8-PROVEN. http://www.provenedge.com.
—Proven Edge, Inc. is a software designer and manufacturer that specifically serves the needs of small businesses. Proven Edge’s applications address all aspects of running a small business by providing owners with a single program to manage finances, customers, vendors, employees and schedules.

Videos
The Business Plan: Your Road Map to Success. SBA Publications. P.O. Box 46521, Denver, CO 80201-46521. (800) 827-5722.
—Teaches the essentials of developing a business plan such as what to include, omit and how to get free help.

Women In Business. American Institute of Small Business. (800) 328-2906.
—Contains profiles of female small business owners whose experiences demonstrate how to be successful, overcome stereotypes, be taken seriously, obtain financing, and project the right image.