If you need accurate, timely and instant information about small businesses the best way to do it is to use online resources. One of the best resources is offered by the University of Central Arkansas Small Business Advancement National Center (SBANC.)
The best of this small business association’s information includes profiles on various industries of interest to small business, sample business plans and guidance on creation of business plans, articles on a variety of small business topics by experts, experienced entrepreneurs and executives at various other small business associations. This site also offers information on business loans as well as upcoming events and conferences of small business associations and consultant groups.
From this small business association's site you can also download software to produce financial documents such as profit and loss statements and reports of cash flow. You can download business plan templates and fill out a questionnaire that will give you some idea of your small business' likelihood of qualifying for a business loan.
This small business association offers training and consulting services as well, which can be scheduled from the site.
You will find links to other small business associations from the SBANC site. These small business associations include the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offering one on one counseling in person or online, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its Small Business Development Centers which provide a ton of small business assistance including mentoring, training, publications, tapes, workshops and financing, Allied Academies - a worldwide research and training group, the Small Business Institute which provides entrepreneurial teaching and training, and the Federation of Business Disciplines, a group of educators devoted to small business teaching conferences.
Other small business associations you can access from the SBANC Web site are the Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship which focuses on raising the standards of small business management education, the Society of Marketing Advances which teaches marketing techniques, the Decision Sciences Institute whose business training focus is international, the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators working to improve marketing education and practices, and the federal Department of Veterans Affairs mandated to provide entrepreneurial help to military veterans, survivors and dependents. The Western Decision Sciences Institute and International Council for Small Business is also linked to the SBANC site as well as those in congress or outside the United States that have contacts and affiliations with U.S. small business interests.
From the SBANC site you can read the weekly newsletter of this small business association, including the archived issues, where you'll find a myriad number of small business and entrepreneurial tips and guidance.
If other small business associations and agencies offer small business programs, host small business conferences, or announce a call for an academic paper, the SBANC will generally publish the details.
The SBANC also acts as a small business advocate clearinghouse.
Small business associations and other affiliates provide information to the SBANC and this information is updated to the site on a daily basis. The next article will provide useful information on consultations available to small businesses.