Favorite Site List
Energy Resources:
Edison
Electric Institute
Give you the lowdown on utilities, deregulation, the
environment, and many other topics.
The
Energy Information Administration
Brings you timely data on all fuel types, in addition to
reports and surveys regarding the future of the energy
world.
Energy
Online
A source of business and regulatory information on the
energy industry, with emphasis on electric industry
restructuring.
The
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Dedicated to promoting competitive market and protecting
consumers.
The
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The premier laboratory for renewable energy and energy
efficiency research, development, and deployment.
The
Power Marketing Association
Provides energy news, links to electricity and natural
gas futures prices, and much more.
The
Utility Connection
Provides links to almost 4,000 electric, gas, water, and
wastewater utilities, associations, news sources,
utility financial resources, and related state and
federal regulatory and information sites.
International
Import/Export Resources:
Tradenet's
Export Advisor
One-stop shopping site for exporters is a joining
effort of SBA, DOC, and other agencies. "No company
is too small to go global" credo is questionable,
but links and libraries are great.
U.S.
Commercial Service
With offices in 100 U.S. and 80 foreign cities, the
Doc unit offers an unmatched network for counseling,
market research, leads.
BuyUsa.com
A virtual trade show at which you can see what other
small business exporters are doing.
Export-Import
Bank
Main government source for loan guarantees and credit
insurance.
SBA
Office of International Trade
Good tutorials, plus a menu of financial assistance
options. State export promotion efforts typically
involve state commerce departments and small business
development centers, working in partnership with
universities and federal agencies.
World
Trade Magazine
Authoritative coverage of trade fundamentals, from
shipping to finance to customs.
Unz
& Co
The so-called compliance experts have branched out -
from supplying zillions of export forms to running
dozens of export seminars.
Federation
of International Trade Organizations
Site gives great overview of the global trade
ecosystem, and it links to many useful directories.
Ecountries
Go here to find professionals abroad who want to work
with international partners.
Alibaba.com
This site is where businesses can put their
merchandise up for sale and maybe find buyers anywhere.
You can also hunt for stuff to buy.
CountryWatch.com
Go to CountryWatch.com and you'll find information on
dozens of countries. A big plus: The site features a
search engine that ferrets out country-specific news
coverage so you can skim the headlines in the nations of
your choice.
Open
Harbor
The site automates cross-border trade by
automatically calculating shipping costs and checking
international law compliance (among other things) for a
fee - a teeny percentage of your products' revenue. Fill
out the identity form once and update only when you add
a new product
Import-Export
Marketing Magazine
This U.S. Department of Commerce Web site is designed
to assist importers around the world in their efforts to
find the American products or services they would like
to buy.
International
Public Relations Association (IPRA)
Association that aims at providing professional
development and networking opportunities for its
worldwide membership.
National
Association Of Trade Exchanges
The North American organization overseeing the
organization and business practices of barter companies.
NATE is the premier organization for trade exchange
owners from across the country and around the world.
U.S.
International Trade Administration
US Department of Commerce site provides access to
other international trade-related sites, including home
pages for specific regions around the world.
U.S.
Customs
Selected U.S. Customs information for business
importers to the U.S.
U.S.
SBA Office of International Trade
New SBA site with info on SBA export finance
programs, federal export programs, market-specific
publications and trade regulations.
World
Federation Of Trading House Associations
The WFTA was created to be the nodal agency for
promoting the interests of international trading houses.
U.S.
Chamber of Commerce
( www.uschamber.com
) Provides
directory of international chambers of commerce and
links to their Web pages.
U.S.
Trade & Development Agency
( www.tda.gov
) Provides
business leads in developing countries.
Offers training grants and workshops.
Export
Hotline
( www.exporthotline.com
) Provides
market research on 140 countries and several industries,
free of charge.
Internet
Sales and Marketing Resources:
Ad
Resource
Advertising and promotion services for the Web.
Cyber
Atlas
The Web marketer's guide to online facts.
All
Net Research
The one-stop shop for Internet market research reports
from the industry's leading publishers.
Channel
Seven
The information source for Internet marketing and
advertising decision makers.
Ecommerce-Guide
The source for E-Commerce news, reviews, tips and
trends.
Internet
Advertising Report
In-depth information and analysis of the Web advertising
and marketing industry.
ClickZ
Day
Web site and daily e-mail newsletter focusing on
Internet promotion and marketing.
Internet
PR Guide
Offers public relations tips and strategy for Internet
professionals on PR topics such as press release
writing, distribution and trade shows.
DomainNotes
The ultimate domain names resource, with domain news,
articles and discussions
DomainBook
The online exchange for Internet domain names.
Unclaimed
Domains
Get domain names as they expire from registration
services InterNIC and ICANN.
Refer-it
The complete directory of affiliate and referral
programs. Search over 2,000 programs.
Search
Engine Watch
The latest news, information, and data about the online
search industry from leading search engine expert Danny
Sullivan.
Turbo
Ads
The ultimate source for rich media advertising.
Internet
News Bureau
Offers high-level media coverage reaching thousands of
journalists from major Internet and computer magazines,
e-zines, e-mail newsletters, major daily newspapers,
television and radio. Features global coverage and
language translation services.
Internet
Stock Report
Internet Stock Report - "Where Wall Street Meets
the Web" - features strategic and financial
analysis of the industry, including stocks, venture
capital, mergers and acquisitions, forecasts, and
trends.
Webopedia
The premier Web site for finding up-to-date information
about computer products and services
Competitive
Tools:
Securities
and Exchange Commission EDGAR database
Get the goods on public companies with this free
government database.
U.S.
Party/Case Index
Find out whether your competitors or business partners
are in litigation. Register for free searches of federal
court databases, but you'll pay t cents per page to view
records.
KnowX
Find people and search public records, starting at $1.50
per search.
Society
of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
This is a good departure point for learning about
competitive intelligence. It provides a wide array of
basic CI information, including articles from the
organization's monthly magazine and quarterly journal.
Fuld
& Co.
Get straightforward facts about CI from the premier name
in the business. Don't miss its Internet Intelligence
Index, which is a guide to more than 600
intelligence-related Web sites, organized by topic.
Fuld
Competitive Intelligence Center
This is joint venture between Fuld and Dow Jones, with
an emphasis on using Dow Jones services for CI. Check
out its CI tutorial.
Competitive
Intelligence Resource Index
Another comprehensive CI starting point, with links to
hundreds of CI services, databases, publications, and
service providers.
Corporate
Information
A free resource for comprehensive company news, research
reports, and links to deeper data resources.
Lexis-Nexis
The most comprehensive information source available,
with databases from more than 30,000 news, legal,
business, and government sources. It's worth the
subscription price, which varies by search and database
options.
U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office
Free searchable database of U.S. patents granted since
1790.
Yahoo
Finance
Quick (and free) comprehensive resources on publicly
traded U.S. companies.
Government
Resources:
FirstGov
The U.S. government's own portal, this site is a great
starting point when hunting for any type of federal
information.
SBA
Log on here for details on the SBA's many programs of
assistance for entrepreneurs.
U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office
Find out whether you're the first with that better
mousetrap.
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
This site lets you search the database of filings
made by publicly held corporations, free of charge.
IRS
Get obscure tax forms, advice, information from the tax
collectors, and more at this site.
U.S.
Census Bureau
Consider this site a treasure chest of demographic and
statistical info on the nation.
Bureau
of Labor Statistics
Take a look at the labor market - or the economy as a
whole - at this government department's site.
DoD
SBIR/STTR
The US Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business
Inovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology
Transfer (STTR) programs fund over $1/2 billion each
year in early-stage R&D projects at small technology
companies -- projects that serve a DoD need and have
commercial applications.
Economics
and Statistics Administration
This office, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
carries out congressionally mandated studies to provide
economic data to government agencies, businesses,
households, and individuals.
Value: Two excellent reports illustrate the effects
of the Internet on society and the economy:
"Falling Through the Net: Toward Digital
Inclusion," and "Digital Economy 2000."
EDGAR
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission database of
filings by publicly traded companies. It provides
invaluable free information on large companies'
financial moves and is a great place to check out your
competition.
FedStats
This site is a gateway to any and all statistics
produced by federal agencies that report expenditures of
at least $500,000 per year.
Value: Statistics are searchable by both category and
state. Click on Demographics, for example, and up pop
links to the National Science Foundation, Office of
Population Affairs, and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, and other organizations.
FEDWORLD
Provides connections to many U.S. government bulletin
boards and on-line systems as well as full text for some
government publications.
National Small Business Dev. Center Research Network
http://www.smallbiz.suny.edu
Help for international trade, Internet marketing, and
resources available through SBDC field offices.
National
Trade Data Bank
US Department of Commerce site includes market research
reports, country specific commercial guides, and lists
of distributors and agents. $150 per quarter. Available
for free on computer at any depository library (most
universities and cities have one.)
Pro-Net
A procurement related Internet database created by the
Small Business Administration that small businesses can
use to get government contracts.
Q&A:
Small Business and the SEC
The SEC answers common questions on how to raise capital
by selling stock and still comply with SEC rules.
Rural
Business Cooperative Service
A US Dept. of Agriculture site with info on funding
programs for developing small businesses in rural areas.
SBDC
National Information Clearinghouse
The research arm of the SBDC program. Even though their
research services are for SBDC counselors, there are a
lot of valuable resources for the entrepreneur,
including a directory of all SBDCs nationwide.
SBA
Office of Veteran Affairs
Small Business Administration office to help veterans
start and run small businesses as well as to conduct
business with the US government.
Service
Corps of Retired Executives
SCORE offers free one-on-one business consulting all
over America. Read my feature article about SCORE for a
good overview of this excellent tool.
Travel
Tips
Provides information on Department of State travel
warnings, consular information, passports, visa
information, and foreign publications.
U.S.
Business Advisor
The gateway to all the government's resources for
businesses large and small. Information on how to expand
a business, find financing, or get a contract from the
U.S. Government Services Administration.
U.S.
Census Bureau
This division of the U.S. Department of Commerce
compiles general statistics on the number, geographic
distribution, and social and economic characteristics of
the U.S. population.
Value: There is enough demographic information on
this site to make your mouth water. Population counts
are segmented by race, ethnicity, household size,
location, income, and age, as well as population
projections. And if you are looking for regional body
counts, this is the source for you.
U.S.
Dept of Labor Office of Small Business Programs
Service designed to assist small businesses in complying
with rules, regulations and laws enforced by the U.S.
Department of Labor.
U.S.
Dept of Labor Small Business Handbook
Laws, regulations and technical services assistance for
statutes and regulations administered by the DoL.
U.S.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
EEOC now has info specifically addressed to small
businesses. The aim of the new Web page feature is to
provide small businesses with information about how to
avoid workplace discrimination disputes.
U.S.
House Small Business Committee
A great site with info on upcoming legislation and
hearings, press releases, a newsletter, special projects
and even online events. A good way to keep informed of
what is brewing in Washington for small business.
U.S.
IRS
This IRS site provides the best place to get federal tax
forms for downloading, tax laws and publications, a help
desk, tax information for businesses and much, much
more. If you need tax help, this is a place to go.
U.S.
Postal Service
Everything you want to know about the post office. You
can download business forms, find zip codes, and get
postage rates. Even learn about the post office's
history.
U.S.
Securities Exchange Commission
Small business information from the SEC.
U.S.
Small Business Administration
The prime source for accurate, timely information for
the entrepreneurial community. The place to start all
searches for information or help.
U.S.
Senate Committee on Small Business
The U.S. Senate Small Business Committee's Homepage lets
you keep track of pending legislation and provides a
medium to let them know what is on your mind. The site
includes publications, roster information, legislation,
and hearing schedules
Investor Guide: EDGAR.
This is an excellent starting site for those without any
experience with the SEC database Electronic Data
Gathering, Analysis & Retrieval (EDGAR). The site
simply features links to both fee-based and free online
EDGAR services, coupled with brief descriptions of each
service and recommendations regarding the usage of free
or fee-based services (fee-based may be easier to
utilize if the searcher is unfamiliar with EDGAR, but
the searcher should always start with the free
services). http://www.investorguide.com/EDGAR.htm
Search the EDGAR
Database.
Hosted by the SEC itself, this portion of the SEC's web
site allows users to retrieve publicly available
electronic filings submitted to the SEC since January of
1994. This site allows for complicated, special purpose
searches of EDGAR filings and is very useful for
advanced searchers familiar with company SEC filings. http://www.sec.gov/edaux/searches.htm
FreeEDGAR.
This site provides free and unlimited access to
real-time corporate data electronically filed with the
SEC. Data may be pulled directly onto financial models
using spreadsheets. Registration on a watch list enables
the user to be instantly notified when designated
companies submit new filings. Corporate information is
searchable by company and today's filings are provided
for review. http://www1.FreeEDGAR.com/home.htm
EDGAR Online.
For a monthly fee, registered users have access to the
same information found on other EDGAR database sites but
may utilize more advanced search methods and may find it
easier to download company information. Criteria for
searching include, in addition to the customary company
name and ticker symbol, form type, sector industries,
geographic location and date range. Other features
include toll-free customer support and watchlist
notification. http://www.edgar-online.com/regopt.htm
Internet Search Tools
ZDNet Reviews.
ZDNet, the publisher of many computer focused magazines,
offers in depth reviews of various search engines ranked
by task. http://www.zdnet.com/products/content/pcmg/1621/pcmg0091.html
Altavista.
Altavista is a good search engine to obtain detailed
results. Consequently, the user needs to master advanced
techniques to weed out extraneous returns before this
search engine can used most effectively. One highlight
of Altavista is the immediate access to business phone
books from many locations of the country. http://altavista.digital.com
Christian Shea from
Denver, Colorado, a fellow competitive analysis web
sleuther, sent me the following AltaVista cheat sheet
links. http://doc.altavista.com/adv_search/syntax.html
and a tutorial table of contents on the site http://doc.altavista.com/adv_search/ast_toc.html
Yahoo.
The directory table and searches on Yahoo are easy to
follow, offer pertinent information and are heavily
cross-linked to other topics associated with the primary
search topic. Although Altavista may be a better option
to search for a single page, Yahoo remains the best
general search engine for most purposes. http://www.yahoo.com/
Lycos.
Although a comprehensive database, Lycos' directory
structure does not lend itself to easy navigation.
Single key word searches can produce duplicate entries. http://www.lycos.com/
Excite.
Excite's search interface is easy to use and offers
general returns that attempt to focus the next step of a
search. For general queries, this interface can be quite
useful. It is a good choice for novice searchers due to
its ease of use. http://www.excite.com
Hotbot.
Hotbot's pull down menus and subject based searches, in
addition to the comprehensive and varied databases
available, make this search engine very powerful and
very easy to use. http://www.hotbot.com/
Infoseek.
Infoseek groups results as close as possible to search
criteria and usually presents sites close to the desired
result, making the search engine quite useful if
searching for a single known page. http://www.infoseek.com
Patents
IP Law Primer.
This document provides a brief yet thorough overview of
various issues surrounding the four main sections of
intellectual property law: copyright law, patent law,
trademark law and trade secrets law. Although the focus
of this site is on multimedia applications, the basic
information is applicable to many uses. http://www2.viaweb.com/lib/laderapress/primer.html
World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO).
Associated with the United Nations, WIPO creates and
maintains protective treaties concerning the use of
intellectual property and patents. The site contains
extensive information regarding the state of
international law in relation to corporate information
protection. http://www.wipo.org/
United States Patent and
Trademark Office.
The government agency responsible for the maintenance of
patents and trademarks maintains a web site that
provides searchable databases of existing patents,
downloadable forms and directions, links to other
offices of interest, statistics related to technology
growth and trademark maintenance and press announcements
of upcoming patent and trademark events. Also, full
copies of the rules and regulations applying to
trademarks and patents are available. http://www.uspto.gov/
IBM's Patent Search.
IBM maintains a database of U.S. patents reaching back
to 1971. The search engine allows key word, advanced
text, boolean and patent number searches of the entire
database. http://www.patents.ibm.com/
U.S. Patent Law.
Hosted by the Cornell University School of Law, this
informational resource provides full text copies of many
national and international documents, laws, regulations
and treaties relating to intellectual property law. In
addition, the site provides an excellent overview of the
process as well as links to a number of other resources.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/patent.html
Technology
Science, Technology and
Innovation Systems Policy Information Map (STIMAP).
For browsers desiring information on worldwide
technology policy issues, this site serves as a
directory to numerous links. Organized by subject area,
the site is easy to use and fairly comprehensive. The
links database is also searchable by keyword. http://stimap.matrixlinks.ca/
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
An independent government agency, the FCC prepares
policy concerning interstate and international
communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and
cable. The site provides links to related speeches,
telecommunications auctions, the FCC's agenda, the
Telecom Act, FCC forms, electronic filing information
and educational opportunities. If concerned about any
transmitting or receiving device, this site is a good
starting point. http://www.fcc.gov/
Internic.
Internic provides registration services for domain
names, general internet resources, an online newsletter,
a "white pages" directory, educational
opportunities, a research database to access owner
information of specific domain names and much more. This
site is a necessary visit for all individuals and
organizations seeking advanced web interaction. http://rs.internic.net/
National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST).
A federal agency, NIST's mission is "to promote
U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop
and apply technology, measurements and standards."
The organization's web site provides significant
information to assist in this mission, including federal
budget updates, newsletters, reference materials,
surveys and data, standards information and a listing of
programs benefiting technology development. One unique
feature of the site is the listing of testing processes
that can be used to ensure technological advance. This
site is excellent for a company desiring information on
how to improve its physical or chemical processes. http://www.nist.gov/
State Science and
Technology Institute (SSTI).
The SSTI concentrates on providing resources to help
states foster technological advance through economic
connections with businesses. The site maintains a
database of all state programs designed to foster
technological advance, a list of emerging events and
initiatives regarding technological advance and links to
other important technology cooperative program
resources. The SSTI site provides an important resource
for both small businesses in need of program assistance
and state administrators seeking to employ new
technology development initiatives. http://www.ssti.org/
Occupational Safety
National Safety Council (NSC).
The NSC, a non-profit organization, supports a web site
that provides information about free safety training
programs such as first aid, CPR and construction site
safety, research and statistics regarding job related
injuries and upcoming standards and laws relating to
occupational hazards. The site also provides e-mail
access to a safety library spanning more than 140,000
holdings, maintains data about recycling and sponsors a
safety award program. For general safety information and
free methods to improve safety in the workplace, this
site should be visited. http://www.nsc.org/
National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Concentrating on medical safety issues within
occupations, NIOSH is a division of the Center for
Disease Control. The NIOSH web site provides information
about services such as workplace health hazard
evaluations (HHEs) and upcoming events, allows access to
an extensive database of safety publications such as the
Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, relates data regarding
safety patents for license and provides research support
and results. This site is superb for educating employers
about chemical and medical safety hazards and their
potential liability. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html
Occupational Safety and
Health Net (Osh.Net).
This site provides comprehensive links organized by
subject to occupational safety resources available on
the Web. Osh.Net also maintains downloadable articles
regarding recent events in occupational safety and free
general purpose software. http://osh.net/
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA).
OSHA is the government agency with the mission of
maintaining workplace safety through the creation and
implementation of regulations and standards. The site
provides downloadable regulations, statistical data and
specialized sections highlighting specific workplace
problems such as repetitive stress injuries. Solutions
to common difficulties and updated news about safety and
health issues are also provided. http://www.osha.gov/
Federal Government
Interactive Citizens
Handbook.
Sponsored by the official White House web site, this
site features links to the White House offices and
agencies, the President's Cabinet, federal agencies and
commissions and the legislative and judicial branches of
government. Searches may be conducted utilizing a
database providing access to all government web sites. http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/html/handbook.html
Government Information
Locator Service, GILS.
A database currently being developed, GILS keeps a
record of all public government information, including
data still unavailable via the Internet. GILS has plans
for a global approach, linking information and public
records from around the world. http://info.er.usgs.gov/gils/index.html
FedLaw.
This site is an excellent starting point for federal
legal research. An alphabetical index of subjects allows
easy access to a specific subject or law, with 61
different subject categories under "Federal Laws
and Regulations" alone. Other subjects fall under
topics such as the federal judiciary, the legislative
branch, state and territorial laws, arbitration and
mediation, professional associations and organizations
and general research and reference. http://www.legal.gsa.gov/
Labor and Employment
U.S. Department of Labor.
The Department of Labor offers information on labor
regulations and laws, labor data, links to occupational
resources and data concerning grants and contracts. In
addition, descriptions and contacts for department
services are available and are searchable by both
department and key word. http://www.dol.gov/
Social Security
Administration (SSA).
The SSA web site offers basic primers on the history and
services of the administration, filing and other tips
for businesses and individuals, full text law and
regulation documents, various research and statistical
documents and location addresses to local offices. http://www.ssa.gov/
National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB).
This web site details the history and purpose of the
NLRB. It provides manuals, regulations, laws, notices
and helpful research oriented data. The site also
maintains valuable data on the process of resolving
claims and the resources available to claimants. http://www.nlrb.gov/
California State:
Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
This site provides listings of certified and licensed
garment manufacturers, farm labor contractors, talent
agencies, industrial homeworkers and other employers.
The site also lists federal and state requirements and
provides information concerning the rights of employees.
http://www.dir.ca.gov/dir/Labor_law/DLSE/dlse.html
Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides extensive
information on U.S. job productivity, wage standards,
industry growth rates and other labor related data. Some
information is free while other data requires purchase. http://stats.bls.gov/
Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
The EEOC's web site provides basic data regarding
employment discrimination, details the process of filing
a charge, provides resources to small businesses,
presents the complete text of laws related to the
Commission's work and details the Commission's options
upon receiving a charge. Every business, particularly
small business owners, should access this site. http://www.eeoc.gov/
Personal
Live Capital Web Site
Service This is an interesting service
that processes loan applications on the fly and puts you
directly in touch with banks or other institutions that
are likely to accept your application. It's a real
timesaver. http://www.livecapital.com
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