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It is summer and most youngsters are taking a break from school. But a growing number of adults are returning to studies to help them compete in a tough economy. Entrepreneurs are among the students looking to learn about new tools for success. Many of these ideas and techniques are not found in books, but from leading experts on SBTV.com. Hundreds of streaming videos with thousands of success tips can be found on SBTV. In addition to my favorite website, www.sbtv.com, I’ve selected a few others that offer time-tested tips and guidelines for anyone interested in launching a small business or working to grow an established enterprise. Please send me your suggestions for on-going entrepreneurial education.
SCORE—Counselors to America’s Small Business - www.score.org
America’s premier source of free and confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs. Volun¬teers are working or retired business owners, executives, and corporate leaders who share their wis¬dom and lessons learned in business.
National Association for the Self-Employed - www.nase.org
The nation’s leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses providing a broad range of benefits and support to help the smallest businesses succeed.
Count Me In - www.countmein.org
Champions the cause for women’s economic independence by providing access to business loans, consultation, and education. The first online microlender, Count Me In uses a unique, women-friendly credit scoring system to make loans of $500 to $10,000 available to women across the United States who have nowhere to turn for that all-important first business loan. Provides access to networks that expand contacts, markets, skills, and confidence.
Golden Seeds - www.goldenseeds.com
Identifies and invests in women-led ventures with the potential to grow into multimillion-dollar businesses while enabling accredited investors to invest alongside Golden Seeds. Provides entrepre¬neurs with strategic business advice as well as access to funding and the tools to enable them to grow into multimillion-dollar businesses.
Ladies Who Launch - www.ladieswholaunch.com
Provides content and community to help women start and expand their businesses and creative ventures. Connects thousands of women to each other by giving them multiple forums in which to connect and ultimately propel their entrepreneurial visions forward in ways they may never have dreamed possible.
Make Mine a $Million Business - www.makemineamillion.org
A program of Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, and of founding partner, OPEN, from American Express. Provides a combination of money, mentoring, marketing, and technology tools that women entrepreneurs need to help grow their businesses from micro to millions.
Mom Inventors - www.mominventors.com
Develops, manufactures, and sells quality Mom Invented™ branded products throughout the United States and Europe; helps inventors take their products from concept to market by providing a highly informative, interactive community-based website and offering the best inventor-education services in the field; and highlights and publicizes the historical and present-day inventive contribu¬tions of moms by both licensing products invented by moms and publicly crediting them for their inventions.
National Association of Women Business Owners - www.nawbo.org
The voice of America’s 10.6 million women-owned businesses. Helps women evolve their busi¬nesses by sharing resources and providing a single voice to shape economic and public policy. The only dues-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries.
National Federation of Independent Businesses - www.nfib.org
The leading advocacy organization representing small and independent businesses. Represents the consensus views of its members in Washington and all 50 state capitals. Promotes and protects the right of its members to own, operate, and grow their businesses.
National Minority Supplier Development Council - www.nmsdc.org
Provides a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned businesses. 3,500 corporate members throughout the network (including most of America’s largest publicly-owned, privately-owned, and foreign-owned companies, as well as universities, hospitals, and other buying institu¬tions). Regional councils certify and match more than 15,000 minority-owned businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American) with member corporations that want to purchase goods and services.
National Women’s Business Council - www.nwbc.gov
A bipartisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the president, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on eco¬nomic issues of importance to women business owners. Promotes bold initiatives, policies, and pro¬grams designed to support women’s business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces.
Small Business Development Centers - www.sba.gov/sbdc
Provides management assistance to current and prospective small-business owners. Offers one-stop assistance to individuals and small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guid¬ance in central and easily accessible branch locations.
Springboard Enterprises - www.springboardenterprises.com
A national nonprofit organization accelerating women’s access to the equity markets. Offers pro¬grams that educate, showcase, and support women entrepreneurs as they seek equity capital and to grow their companies.
U.S. Small Business Administration - www.sba.gov
An independent agency of the federal government created to 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. Helps Americans start, build, and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organiza¬tions, delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
Women Impacting Public Policy - www.wipp.org
A national bipartisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women and mi¬norities in business, strengthening their sphere of influence in the legislative process of our na¬tion, creating economic opportunities, and building bridges and alliances to other small business or¬gani¬zations.
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council - www.wbenc.org
The nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America’s corporations. The largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. Works to foster diversity in the world of commerce with programs and policies designed to expand opportunities and eliminate barriers in the marketplace for women business owners. Works with representatives of corporations to encourage the utilization and expansion of supplier/vendor diver¬sity programs.
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