LibGuides: Small Business Resources: Starting a Business

The Basics

The Starting a Business channel from HowStuffWorks can help you navigate how to start a business.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) maintains a guide that covers planning (like how to write your business plan), launching, managing, and growing a small business. The SBA also maintains the Learning Center, a selection of brief video courses on a variety of topics.

Business Ideas
Want to start a business but can't decide what you should do? These articles from Entrepreneur Magazine showcase innovative, successful business ideas.
Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition
"The Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition allows small business owners a way to easily navigate to and use key demographic and economic data to help guide their research into opening a new or expanding their existing business. These key data includes the most recent and/or relevant data that Census provides that are useful to small business owners."
Sample Forms
In order to make sure you're on the path to success you need to have all of your business forms and documents in order. Check out our collection of business forms you can use to help get your business in order.
The SBA Is Stepping Up Its Efforts to Help Women Entrepreneurs
Women entrepreneurs have a brand-new resource for information on starting a company, courtesy of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
SCORE
A national organization whose mission is to provide mentoring and education to entrepreneurs.

How Does It Work?

How Business Ideas Work
Business ideas require a great deal of planning in order to bring them to life. Do you know what it takes to start a successful business? Learn about business ideas and how to turn a business idea into a working business.
How Business Legal Structures Work
C-corporations, S-corporations, limited liability companies, sole proprietorships, partnerships... These are just a few of the legal structures utilized in the business world, and each one has different legal and financial ramifications.
How Business Plans Work
Now that you've decided you want to start your own business, you need to figure out a play of how to cover all of your bases before you take the plunge. A good business plan can help you organize your new business. Find out how to create a business plan.
How Creating an Online Business Works
What does it take to put together a nice and effective e-commerce Web site? Is it a lot of money? Sometimes. Is it a lot of skill? Many times. Is it a lot common sense and lot of patience? Always!
How does venture capital work?
Venture capital is the first step to setting up a new business. Learn about venture capital and how to acquire it.
How Franchising Works
Want to be your own boss? Franchising gives you the opportunity to own your own business while skipping some of the more detailed steps. Learn all about franchising and how you can become an owner.
How Marketing Plans Work
Marketing plans are a must if you want your product or service to reach a broad audience. Learn about positioning, placement, and everything else that goes into a professional marketing plan.
How Start-Up Capital Works
When you're starting a business, capital is the long and short of it. You've got to spend money to make money, but before you can spend it you have to acquire it.