Entrepreneurship Resources

Whether you're actually thinking of starting your own business, or you're looking to inject some entrepreneurial spirit into your job search and corporate career, you'll find the resources on this page helpful. Because it all starts with a plan, this page includes links to web sites that can help you come up with business ideas as well as an entrepreneurial mindset in general. For those of you who are looking for the nuts and bolts resources to start a business, we have included some of those too.

Start a Franchise-based Business

Franchise Directory - Search our directory of franchise opportunities. If you're tired of working for other folks and ready to be the boss!

Business Thought and Ideas

How Jack Welch Ran GE - An inspiring look at how Jack Welch ran America's largest corporation. Welch is an example of an "intrapreneur" - someone using entrepreneurship principles within a large corporation.

Draper Fisher Jurvetson's Viral Marketing Whitepaper - DFJ is the venture capital firm that launched the Hotmail email service. Hotmail is one of the best examples of "viral marketing". Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson's white paper is both an inspiring and at the same time technical look at this important business principle.

Books

	StrikingItRich.com is a short and to the point book, written in early 1997, that profiles 23 web-based businesses. These are businesses that at the time the book was written, had gained success but had not raised much (if any) venture capital. What is even more amazing is that seven years later, none of these businesses has failed. Additionally, this is the only book Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has ever endorsed by writing a foreward.
	Sun Tzu and the Art of Business takes the principles developed more than 2000 years ago by Chinese war strategist Sun Tzu and applies them to the business world. Sun Tzu's principles are so timeless that they are still taught in military academies today. Author Mark McNeilly, a business strategist for IBM, includes Sun Tzu's original text and for each principle, explains a parallel in the business world.

	Business Plan Pro is the most popular software available today for writing a business plan. If you're considering starting a business, planning it out ahead of time is essential. Writing a business plan gives you an opportunity to think through the big things that will be important in the success of your venture.
	From the publisher of Business Plan Pro, Marketing Plan Pro is designed to take you through the steps of writing a marketing plan.

Selling

The easiest prospects to sell to are people you already know. Think about it: no cold calling.

Free Full-Color Business Cards - They say you only get one chance to make a first impression. Make great first impressions with these free full-color business cards. You enter your information online and the printed cards are shipped to you.

Lead Generation for Businesses

Elance - Elance.com is a service similar to ProSavvy. Originally they focused on freelancers but they are now marketing themselves as a higher-end service like ProSavvy.

BuyerZone.com - If you have a product or service to offer to businesses, BuyerZone.com is a site worth checking out. They offer a lead generation service.

Netfirms Web Hosting - Having a web site is an essential element of being in business these days. With Netfirms, you can get your web site hosted for as little as $4.95/mo. They offer 24/7 LIVE customer service and fast, dependable servers.

Building your Skill Set

JobSearchInfo Education and Skills Resource Center - We have searched the web for the most helpful skill building and education tools. These include programs to help you earn degrees and certificates from home, sites to help you prepare for graduate school, or just to brush up on your computer skills. Whether you're starting your own business or looking to advance in your corporate career, enhancing your skill set is a sure-fire way to become more valuable.

Nuts and Bolts Resources for Starting a Business

LegalMatch - This site lets you search their database of pre-screened lawyers for free. A lawyer can incorporate your business and make sure you are protected from liabilities.