Starting a New Business? Expanding a Current Business? Click on any of the topics below to view the available internet resources to help guide you in the right direction for all your business needs.
PROPERTY
LISTINGS |
KEY RESOURCES FOR
SMALL BUSINESSES
WISCONSIN REGIONAL
RESOURCES |
GENERAL BUSINESS
RESOURCES
BUSINESS PLANNING
RESOURCES |
TRAINING
OPPORTUNITIES
MARKETING RESOURCES
|
FINANCIAL TOPICS
|
LEGAL TOPICS
Thank you to Ronald “Bud” Gayhart, Director, Center for Innovation and Business Development for providing these resources.
KEY RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Recommended Resources
Association of Small
Business Development
Centers (ASBDC)
Represents America’s
Small Business
Development Center
network–the most
comprehensive small
business assistance
network in the
United States and
its territories.
Business.Gov
Wisconsin Small
Business Guide
Answers to common
questions about
doing business in
Wisconsin are
provided through
links.
SBA Guide to
Wisconsin Resources
A PDF document
covering “Getting
Started in
Wisconsin,”
“Financing Your
Business,” and
“Ideas for Growing
Businesses.”
SBA Local Resources
Links to resources
for small business
owners in Wisconsin
on the U.S. Small
Business
Administration
website.
State of Wisconsin
Business Services
Links to state
agencies, resources,
programs and
information helpful
to people interested
in doing business in
Wisconsin.
U.S. Small Business
Administration, Your
Small Business
Resource
Programs and
services to help you
start, grow and
succeed.
WCTC Small Business
Center
Free and low-cost
consulting, training
and connections to
resources for small
business owners in
Waukesha County.
Wisconsin Business
AnswerLine
A free service of
the Wisconsin Small
Business Development
Center. AnswerLine
counselors have
real-world business
management
experience. They’re
available to give
free answers to your
business start-up or
management
questions.
Wisconsin Business
Wizard
Determine licensing,
permitting and
regulatory
requirements, obtain
necessary
application forms,
identify available
state resources, and
access other
valuable
business-related
information.
Wisconsin Innovation
Service Center
Helping existing and
aspiring
entrepreneurs to
make profitable new
product and market
development
decisions.
Wisconsin Small
Business Development
Center
Free and low-cost
advice and training
for small business
owners and
entrepreneurs in
Wisconsin.
WISCONSIN REGIONAL RESOURCES
Business.Gov
Wisconsin Small
Business Guide
Recommended Resource
Answers to common
questions about
doing business in
Wisconsin.
Buzgate.org Global
Resource Network for
Small Business
Free Small Business
Help in Wisconsin
Capital Region
Business Journal
A publication of the
Wisconsin State
Journal.
Corporate Report
Wisconsin
“Our mission is to
provide insight on
business statewide
so that Wisconsin
business executives
have the
information, advice
and inspiration they
need to run
successful
businesses.”
Includes free
regional reports and
e-newsletters in
addition to the
subscription based
journal.
Family Business
Center at the
University of
Wisconsin Madison
School of Business
The University of
Wisconsin Madison
Family Business
Center (FBC) exists
solely to help its
membership of
business-owning
families address
their unique needs.
Forward Wisconsin
Business Toolkit
Recommended Resource
Access tools and
business services to
start or grow a
Wisconsin business.
Governor’s Business
Plan Contest
Recommended Resource
The mission of the
Governor’s Business
Plan Contest is to
encourage
entrepreneurs in the
creation, start-up
and early-growth
stages of high-tech
businesses in
Wisconsin.
Participants have
the chance to win
seed capital,
valuable services
that will help them
launch their
businesses and a
Grand Prize worth
$50,000. Since its
inception in 2004,
more than 1,300
entries have been
received and nearly
$850,000 in cash and
in-kind prizes has
been awarded. In
2008, 17 finalists
won cash prizes.
JSOnline: Milwaukee
Wisconsin Journal
Sentinel Business
News
Online source of
articles on
Wisconsin business.
National Federation of Independent Business—WisconsinNFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of their members to own, operate and grow their businesses. This site includes information on legislation that may affect small businesses.
Pitch then Plan
Buisness plan
development web
site. Free resource
to develop a Power
Point pitch,
business plan
narrative and 20+
pages of financial
documents to support
the plan.
SBA Guide to
Wisconsin Resources
Recommended Resource
A PDF document
covering “Getting
Started in
Wisconsin,”
“Financing Your
Business,” and
“Ideas for Growing
Businesses.”
SBA Local Resources
Recommended Resource
Links to resources
for small business
owners in Wisconsin
on the U.S. Small
Business
Administration
website.
Small Business
Assistance-Permit
Primer from the
Department of
Natural Resources
Recommended Resource
“As a Wisconsin
business owner, you
may be feeling
overwhelmed by the
number and
complexity of rules
and regulations in
today’s society. And
you may be wearing
many hats
(accountant,
environmental
manager, CEO, etc.).
The DNR hopes this
interactive site
simplifies and
clarifies your
environmental
responsibilities.”
State of Wisconsin
Business Services
Recommended Resource
Links to state
agencies, resources,
programs and
information helpful
to people interested
in doing business in
Wisconsin.
WCTC Small Business
Center
Free and low-cost
consulting, training
and connections to
resources for small
business owners in
Waukesha County.
WisBusiness:
Wisconsin’s Business
News Source
Business related
news in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Better
Business Bureau
Register your
company, apply for
BBB Accreditation or
search for
competition and
useful networking
contacts.
Wisconsin Business
AnswerLine
Recommended Resource
A free service of
the Wisconsin Small
Business Development
Center. AnswerLine
counselors have
real-world business
management
experience. They’re
available to give
free answers to your
business start-up or
management
questions.
Wisconsin Business
Development Finance
Corporation (WBD
Finance)
WBD Finance has
developed an
expertise in finding
solutions and
strategies for small
businesses looking
to grow.
Wisconsin Business
Incentives
Information on a
wide variety of
business incentive
programs available
through the
Department of
Commerce, other
state agencies,
local economic
development
officials,
utilities, the
state’s technical
college and
university systems
and other groups.
Through these
partners, a wide
variety of business
incentive programs
are available.
Wisconsin Business
Wizard
Recommended Resource
Determine licensing,
permitting and
regulatory
requirements, Obtain
necessary
application forms,
identify available
state resources,
access other
valuable
business-related
information.
Wisconsin Department
of Commerce:
Business Development
in Wisconsin
Recommended Resource
The Division of
Business Development
works to help
Wisconsin businesses
prosper in a
marketplace that is
subject to constant
change.
Wisconsin Department
of Revenue:
Businesses
Recommended Resource
Information intended
to help your
business comply with
state tax laws.
Wisconsin
Independent
Businesses
A member
organization,
Wisconsin
Independent
Businesses (WIB)
provides small
businesses and farms
with professional
state government
representation to
insure that they are
treated fairly in
the development and
enactment of state
tax and regulatory
policies. WIB
protects small
businesses and farms
with expert advice
and information on
legal, accounting
and business
management policies.
Wisconsin
Manufacturers and
Commerce
A member
organization that
lobbies for lower
taxes and fewer
government mandates
on businesses and
offers members
access to a wide
variety of
cost-cutting and
profit-improving
programs and
services.
Wisconsin
Manufacturing
Extension
Partnership
A list of links to
business resources
in Wisconsin as well
as information about
WMEP.
Wisconsin Minority
Business Opportunity
Center
A federally funded
program of the
Minority Business
Development Agency.
Wisconsin
Procurement
Assistance Center
Recommended Resource
The Business
Procurement
Assistance Center (BPAC)
provides technical
and marketing
assistance to
Wisconsin businesses
interested in
selling their
products and
services to the
government. Our
mission is to
provide Wisconsin
businesses the
necessary tools to
be competitive in
the contracting
arena.
Wisconsin Small
Business Development
Center
Recommended Resource
Free and low-cost
advice and training
for small business
owners and
entrepreneurs in
Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Women’s
Business Initiative
Corporation
Recommended Resource
WWBIC is a statewide
economic development
corporation that
provides quality
business education
and financing to
Wisconsin’s
entrepreneurs and
small business
owners helping both
women and men launch
and expand small
businesses.
GENERAL BUSINESS RESOURCES
Association of Small
Business Development
Centers (ASBDC)
Recommended Resource
Represents America’s
Small Business
Development Center
network–the most
comprehensive small
business assistance
network in the
United States and
its territories.
SBDCNet National
Information
Clearinghouse
Recommended Resource
This site provides
links to valuable
research through the
Small Business
Information Center.
SBDCNet National
Information
Clearinghouse:
Starting a Business
Recommended Resource
Information on
entrepreneur
readiness, online
training and legal
structures for
forming a business.
U.S. Small Business
Administration, Your
Small Business
Resource
Recommended Resource
Programs and
services to help you
start, grow and
succeed.
Small Business
Digest
Recommended Resource
Online articles
published by the
Association of Small
Business Development
Centers on various
aspects of running a
small business.
About.com: Small
Business Information
main page
Includes links to
articles on starting
a business, business
opportunities,
business planning,
surviving hard
times, managing and
growing a business
and “money matters.”
AllBusiness a D&B
Company
AllBusiness.com is
an online media and
e-commerce company
that operates one of
the premier business
sites on the Web.
The site has
received critical
acclaim and
notoriety from The
Wall Street Journal,
Forbes, Business
2.0, Fortune, The
New York Times, US
News & World Report,
USA Today, and other
publications.
AllBusiness.com
helps business
professionals save
time and money by
addressing
real-world business
questions and
presenting practical
solutions. The site
offers resources
including how-to
articles, business
forms, contracts and
agreements, expert
advice, blogs,
business news,
business directory
listings, product
comparisons,
business guides, a
business association
and more.
AskJim.biz: Small
Business
Answers–now!
Archives of
questions submitted
by users and
answered by experts.
bizjournals:
National Business
News
Bizjournals is the
new media division
of American City
Business Journals,
the nation’s largest
publisher of
metropolitan
business newspapers.
Free Management
Library
The Library provides
easy-to-access,
clutter-free,
comprehensive
resources regarding
the leadership and
management of
yourself, other
individuals, groups
and organizations.
Content is relevant
to the vast majority
of people, whether
they are in large or
small for-profit or
nonprofit
organizations. There
are approximately
650 topics in the
Library, spanning
5,000 links. Topics
include the most
important practices
to start, develop,
operate, evaluate
and resolve problems
in for-profit and
nonprofit
organizations. Each
topic has
additionally
recommended books
and related Library
topics.
GoSmallBiz
GoSmallBiz states
that it is here to
help entrepreneurs
run and grow their
businesses, by
providing access to
a comprehensive body
of knowledge and
tools targeted
specifically at you.
GoSmallBiz.com
continues to build
its resource library
and makes that
library available to
any entrepreneur
through this web
site. The library is
organized according
to subject matter
category, and within
the category by type
of data being
delivered. In
addition to
articles, FAQ’s and
other written
materials,
GoSmallBiz provides
access to a broad
array of tools. Many
of the tools are
available at no cost
online and others
have been screened
and approved for
offer in our
BizWarehouse.
IBISWorld: Where
Knowledge is Power
IBISWorld states
that it provides
independent,
accurate,
comprehensive, and
up to date research
on over 700
industries,
including
statistics, analysis
and forecasts. They
also have Risk
Rating Reports on
every industry.
Partial reports are
free. Full length
reports available
for purchase.
IdeaCafe for
business owners
Opportunities for
networking and
information on
starting a business,
business financing,
marketing and more.
Intuit Community
Start & Grow Your
Business
A website that helps
small business
owners successfully
start and run a
business by
connecting them to
one another.
Links for Small
Business
Recommended Resource
A list of resources
gathered by the
Association of Small
Business Development
Centers to assist
small business
owners.
Microsoft Small
Business Center
In addition to
information about
Microsoft products
and demos, this site
includes articles
that are of interest
to small business
owners.
MoreBusiness.com
MoreBusiness.com
(also known as the
Business Resource
Center), developed
by Entrepreneurs for
Entrepreneurs,
provides a wealth of
useful articles,
business tips,
insight, a free
Intranet and other
material to help
small businesses
grow - all for FREE
on the World Wide
Web.
Small Business
Ratios
Full of lengthy
resources on topics
including business
planning,
accounting,
marketing, startup
and tax tips.
BUSINESS PLANNING RESOURCES
Pitch then Plan
Recommended Resource
Buisness plan
development web
site. Free resource
to develop a Power
Point pitch,
business plan
narrative and 20+
pages of financial
documents to support
the plan.
500+ Sample Business
Plans created with
Business Plan Pro
Features articles
about business
planning. Designed
to sell their
software product,
but contains useful
free information.
About.com Small
Business
Information;
Business Plan FAQ
Common
business-related
questions with brief
answers.
About.com: Business
Plans
Information on
creating business
plans, including
what they contain,
how they’re used,
how often to update,
and why your
business needs one.
About.com: Small
Business
Information: common
business planning
mistakes
Explains the most
common mistakes made
when writing a
business plan and
how to avoid them.
About.com: Small
Business
Information; main
business plan page
Overview of sections
of a business plan
(Executive Summary,
Industry, Market
Analysis,
Competitive
Analysis, Marketing
Plan, Operating
Plan, Financial
Plan).
BizPlanit: Your
Roadmap to the
Capital Markets
BizPlanIt is a
professional
business plan
consulting firm that
helps companies
develop
investor-grade
business plans to
move down the road
towards a successful
capital or strategic
transaction. In
addition to their
fee-based services,
they have a page of
free business
planning resources
including a Virtual
Business Plan, Free
Business Plan
Newsletter,
recommendations of
the best business
plan books and
software as well as
useful business plan
links.
BulletProof Business
Plans Free Smaple
Business Plan
“A Public Service
From BulletProof
Business Plans
providing a series
of Web pages to
assist visitors in
furthering their
entrepreneurial
pursuits.
Free Management
Library: Preparation
for Planning a
Business Venture
An article about
things to consider
before starting your
business.
How to Write a
Business Plan and
Keep it Updated
A closer look at
what is in business
plans.
Management Help.org
Business Planning
(for nonprofits or
for-profits)
Covers reasons for
business planning,
typical contents on
a business plan,
basic introduction,
preparation for
planning a business
venture and general
resources.
PaloAltoSoftware
Sample Business
Plans
60 sample business
plans edited using
Business Plan Pro
software.
The Entrepreneurs’
Help Page
Contains many
articles on general
business, business
strategy, legal
issues, marketing,
PR, and building
your office.
U.S. Small Business
Administration Small
Business Planner
Recommended Resource
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.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
WCTC Small Business
Center
Free and low-cost
consulting, training
and connections to
resources for small
business owners in
Waukesha County.
Ideas to Profits
conference
Recommended Resource
Information about
the annual
conference run by
the Wisconsin
Innovation Service
Center.
NXLevel: helping
entrepreneurs reach
the next level of
success
NxLeveL® Education’s
mission is to serve
as an entrepreneur
training network to
support and
strengthen small
businesses and
promote economic
development.
Small Business
Administration
Online Courses
Recommended Resource
Free online courses
offered by the U.S.
Small Business
Administration.
Public Entity Risk
Management (PERI)
Education and
Training
PERI maintains this
training site as a
service to its
constituents to
disseminate a broad
range of useful,
practical risk
management
information.
Includes free and
affordable online
training.
MARKETING RESOURCES
Basic Business
Research Methods
Helps the
entrepreneur select
and use various
methods of
researching.
SBDCNet National
Information
Clearinghouse:
Demographics
Recommended Resource
Guide to finding
general statistics,
demographics by
eography, Ring
studies and
demographics by
subject.
SBDCNet National
Information
Clearinghouse:
Marketing
Recommended Resource
Information on
creating marketing
plans, product
management and
branding, marketing
tips and statistics.
Wisconsin Innovation
Service Center
Recommended Resource
Helping existing and
aspiring
entrepreneurs make
profitable new
product and market
development
decisions.
FINANCIAL TOPICS
Basic Guide to
Financial Management
in For-Profits
Encourages business
leaders and managers
to develop basic
financial management
skills including
cash management and
bookkeeping,
generating financial
statements and
analyzing those
statements.
BizStats
Free industry
statistics and
financial ratios.
Corporate Turnaround
Corporate Turnaround
[CT] is an
alternative to
bankruptcy for
smaller businesses.
CT offers a
comprehensive
program to pay your
creditors with a
budget you can
afford. CT, in
cooperation with the
ASBDC, has written a
free guide on
managing business
debt.
D&B Small Business
Credit Solutions
Leading and trusted
source of
information on
business
credit–fee/subscription
based.
Public Entity Risk
Institute (PERI)
Serving the risk
management needs of
local governments,
small business, and
small nonprofit
entities. They offer
education and
training and a
resource library.
SBDCNet National
Information
Clearinghouse:
Finance
Recommended Resource
Online training
regarding the SBA’s
Loan Guaranty
Programs, preparing
a loan package and
assessing financial
needs. Also includes
checklists, articles
and buides about
buying or selling a
small business, and
financing a
business.
SBDCNet National
Information
Clearinghouse: Taxes
and Accounting
Recommended Resource
Information on taxes
including W-2
filing, and
accounting including
software and
web-based accounting
services.
U.S. Small Business
Administration
Financial Assistance
information
Recommended Resource
This site reviews
eligibility
requirements, SBA’s
loan programs,
surety bonds and the
role of SBA, equity
capital topics,
special purpose
loans, SBA partner
topics and 7(a)
lender programs.
Though the SBA does
not provide grants
to help you start a
business, included
is information on
organizations and
sites that can
assist you in
locating special
purpose grants.
LEGAL TOPICS
askthelawyers.com:
Your online source
for local legal help
AskTheLawyers.com
provides access to
attorneys in your
area who are
available for an
initial online or
telephone
consultation for no
charge. Also
features online
articles on many
relevant topics.
BitLaw: Contracts
and forms index
The Forms &
Agreements portion
of BitLaw provides
access to forms and
example contracts
relating to
intellectual
property and the
Internet.
Nolo: Law Books,
Legal Forms and
Legal Software
Includes a section
called Nolopedia
that features free
legal information
for businesses.
Wisconsin State Law
Library Business Law
Recommended Resource
A searchable index
of business law
topics.
