Starting your Business

Business Owner’s Toolkit offers more than 5,000 pages of free cost-cutting tips, step-by-step checklists, real-life case studies, startup advice, and business templates to small business owners and entrepreneurs. The site also offers a monthly newsletter, up-to-date news topics, and Ask Alice!, a column that closely follows industry trends and provides trusted advice to inquiring site visitors. Free and paid memberships options are available.

Sponsered by the IRS, this page provides links to basic federal tax information for people who are starting a business. It also provides information to assist in making basic business decisions. The list should not be construed as all-inclusive. Other steps may be appropriate for your specific type of business.

Provides a series of checklists to aid in the development of business ideas.

A list of questions to ask before starting your own business.

A Web book developed to help prospective small business owners with the often overwhelming process of starting a business - everything from writing a business plan to finding government contracts.

Careful planning is fundamental to success. The Small Business Planner includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of the business lifecycle.

Starting a Business: How-To Guides; Business Ideas; Startup Basics; Business Plans; Getting Financing; Finding Customers; Inventing; Success Stories; and Going Green.

Starting a new business is one of life's important steps, whether you are starting your first business, or moving into a new business after years of experience. Provides checklists for starting a new business.

Each small business is as unique as the entrepreneur running the business, and there is no one standard formulae for starting your own business. This article describes key success factors to help guide your business and ensure you are on a solid foundation before you open the doors.

Entrepreneur magazine's Startup Guides give you all the information you need to start your dream business.

List of things Startups shouldn't do - essentially, not making something somethings users want. Paul Graham provides a list of 18 things that cause startups not to make something users want. Nearly all failure funnels through that. Paul Graham is an essayist, programmer, language designer, and investor. He co-founded Viaweb (which eventually became Yahoo! Store).

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. It's programs include: Technical Assistance (Training & Counseling); Financial Assistance; Contracting Assistance; Disaster Assistance Recovery; programs for Special Interests Groups; Advocacy, Laws & Regulations; and Civil Rights Compliance (CRC).

About.com how-to article on creating a memorable, effective business name.

Information to help you determine if your desired business name is free for you to use from nolo.com.

Nolo.com article on choosing a winning business name that will identify your company's products and services.

Intellectual Property Article from Fairfield and Woods, pc about protecting your business name.

Nolo.com article about registering your business name with the local, state, or federal government - especially if it's considered fictitious.

This is a summary article that covers many topics related to business plans - their content, how they are used, legal issues, and spoofs of business plans, among others. Please see individual sections for links to detailed discussions of various topics relating to business plans.

Business Plan Software, Samples and Strategy.

Nolo.com Article: Learn why writing a business plan is important - even if you're not trying to raise money.

U.S. Small Business Administration guides and links to information for writing a business plan.

Learn the what, when, why, and how of business plans from findlaw.com.

About.com overview about buying an existing business that's already demonstrated an ability to successfully operate, rather than starting your own. Provides links to other articles that address the various aspects of buying a business.

Nolo.com article about the research you should do and the information you should have before purchasing a business.

List of common mistakes to avoid when buying a business.

Starting a home-based business has many rewards and challenges. This guide provides resources that will help you learn more about working out of your house, starting a home-based business, and managing your business within the law.

Information you need to know about the home office deduction, from IRS.gov.

Online community and professional association for moms working at home since 1995. Offers free memberships.

How to research, comply with and change local zoning laws in your homebased business's favor.

Nolo.com article about qualifications for home office deductions.

List of steps to help you evaluate any franchise opportunity you are considering to choose the one that suits you, and to reduce risk and raise the levels of success.

A booklet prepared by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to explain how to shop for a franchise opportunity, the obligations of a franchise owner, and questions to ask before investing.

Guide from the 'Lectric Law Library" about the benefits and responsibilities of owning a franchise, and what buying a franchise entails.

11 Top Tips to Help Select the Perfect Business Franchise.

Franchising.com provides a directory of hundreds of franchise opportunities; thousands of articles; news stories; how-to guies; and informational profiles to assist you in finding the right franchise opportunity.