Cohenville

I read a post recently (I can’t remember where, but it might be from Lifehacker) about a new site that provides access to lots of legal forms, forums and related information.  They consolidated legal information from a bunch of different sites, including sites specific to states and niche areas.  Check out The Public Library of Law.

ReadWriteWeb had a post on 36 tips for startups.  Everything from software to finance to legal, focused on the early stages of a startup.  Note from ReadWriteWeb: These tips originally appeared as separate posts on the BlueBlog, the blog of AdaptiveBlue. [Ed: Alex Iskold is founder and CEO of AdaptiveBlue, as well as being a feature writer for RWW.] Since the posts were quite popular, we decided to share them with the ReadWriteWeb audience during the holiday season.

Source:  ReadWriteWeb

 Techcrunch had a post discussing a new site called RivalMap, which as they state “is web-based collaboration software that gives companies a central place to share and address information about competitors and their industry.”  The post also mentions prior reviews of similar tools, so it’s a good place to go for information and sites if you are in need of keep a close eye on your competitors.

Source: TechCrunch 

A friend sent me this link, an interesting essay by Paul Graham on the transformation of web startups.   These companies are following a very similar pattern as products - new ones can be produced quicker and cheaper, making competition greater.  Read through his analysis and thoughts on the future.
Source: Paul Graham

Mashable.com had a nice post listing over 230 tools for running an online business.  This includes online tools to support activities from accounting to scheduling to conferencing to payroll.  You may not need them now, but it’s a great reference list to have.

Source: Mashable

I recently came across a website called Work.com - a information site for running a small business. It has lots of very useful information running from accounting and finance to government contracting. Very useful for entrepreneurs.

Source: Work.com

CNNMoney.com had an article about Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) - places where entrepreneurs and small business owners can go for free advice. The SBDCs have 450,000 small business owners that provide advice and expertise to aspiring entrepreneurs.  To find the nearest one, check out the SBA’s locator.

Source: CNNMoney.com

Take a look at Kauffman eVenturing - the entrepreneur’s guide to high growth.  A lot of accounts from other start-ups with lessons learned and ideas, sample business plans, worksheets, and other helpful items. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation works with partners to encourage entrepreneurship across America and improve the education of children and youth. The Foundation focuses its operations and grantmaking on two areas: entrepreneurship and education.

I read a blog post recently on a website called Work.com. It’s basic function is that of a blog, but it has over one thousand how-to guides on many different topics for small businesses and entrepreneurs. This includes everything from government basics to advertising to employee management.

Thanks to Small Business Trends for the post!