Choosing the best small business resources

Starting a business is an exciting time. Because there are so many things to know and take into consideration when it comes to starting a business, many small business owners turn to a variety of resources for small business start-up advice.

The good news for small business owners is that there are thousands of resources you have for starting and operating a business, from websites to magazines to resource centers. The hard part is finding the best one for your needs.

The following are some tips for choosing the best small business resources:

• Take advantage of free resource. You'll find many resources that require subscriptions or other fees for their services. While many of these are legitimate and even worth it, there are plenty of free resources that are just as helpful. (More on these below.)
• Be careful of scams. At the same time, be careful of scams. These include exorbitant prices for booklets, subscriptions, or services to help you start or run your business. With so many free, low-cost resources, there is no need to pay.
• Use resources specific to your industry. If you have a personal training business, look up resources that specifically pertain to personal training or health-related businesses. Accessing resources that tailor to your unique business idea will help you to develop plans that will help you make the most of your small business.
• Look into all aspects of small business start up. There are a lot of resources for generally operating a small business, but look into all facets of starting and running a business. There are organizations and websites specific to essential business aspects such as marketing, licensing, payroll, and so forth that go in-depth into the requirements.

The best small business resources
The following are some of the best small business resources available.

• The Small Business Administration. The United States Small Business Administration has an office in every state and was created as an independent agency of the federal government. They work to help entrepreneurs (free of charge) start up their businesses by assisting with all aspects of the start-up, including funding options (although they do not provide funding), laws and regulations in the state, tax requirements, and other necessary information.
• SCORE. SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. It is primarily run by volunteers, which consist of working and retired business executives and small business owners. They provide free of charge 24/7 online chat mentoring, counseling and mentoring in 389 offices throughout the USA, workshops, a large library of online articles, and special resources for women starting a business.
• Online. It is wise to take advantage of the many resources online for starting a small business. Entreprenuer.com, the website of the popular magazine, is an excellent resource with free access to articles that cover virtually every aspect of operating a small business. Other helpful websites include your state's government websites, which will help you know what types of licensing and requirements you need in your state, and mynewcompany.com, a site with excellent information for starting a new company.

With so many resources available to those starting a small business, it can be difficult to find the best ones. The above tips will help you to choose the best small business resources.

More Small Business Info Articles:

• What you need to know about starting a small business
• Using your competition to your advantage
• Using the past to help the future
• Using social media to your advantage
• Understanding best practice
• Tips for small business owners
• The basics of writing a great business plan
• The basic requirements of running your own business
• Surviving in difficult times
• Staying in business for another year