Business Plan/Startup

Note: Many of the links provided in other sections of this page have excellent resources for start-ups.

• BPlans.com - Business plans covering various industries that can be downloaded and viewed
• Business Utility Zone Gateway - Resources to help individuals start, grow and succeed in business
• Center for Business Planning - Software, samples, resources
• Kauffman Foundation's EntreWorld - Information on starting and running your own business with search and glossary functions to speed up research
• More Business - Startup, running a business, templates
• Wall Street Journal Startup - Center for Entrepreneurs, Franchising
• QuickBooks
• SBDC Sales Genie
• Web Page Builder

Chamber of Commerce

• South Carolina Chamber of Commerce - Information and contact with various individual chamber offices within the state
• Aiken Chamber of Commerce
• North Augusta Chamber of Commerce

Communications

• Business Communications Review - Magazine provides in depth analysis of networking, technical trends, management issues, pricing and regulation relating to affects of communication within a business enterprise

Central Savannah Regional Area

·          Aiken County

·          Aiken SCIway

·          Aiken City

·          Aiken City Downtown

·          Aiken Explorer

·          Aiken Profile

·          Aiken Downtown Development Association

·          North Augusta

·          Aiken Regional Medical Center

·          Aiken County Public Schools

·          Aiken Weather

·          Aiken Census Information

·          Economic Development Partnership  Aiken and Edgefield Counties

·          South Carolina Cities Description of cities with populations over 6,000 people

Export

• Guide for Breaking into Trade Game - Information for small business contemplating entering international trade sector
• Small Business Exporters Association - Trade association for small to medium international exporters
• South Carolina Export Consortium - Helping small to medium size South Carolina companies increase their competitiveness within the international trade sector
• South Carolina International Trade Contacts
• South Carolina World Trade Center
• U.S. Government Export Portal - Export portal providing insight into the export sector
• World Bid - Commercial portal for trade leads and catalog posting

Finance

• Free Excel Spreadsheets
• Breakeven Analysis Applet 
• Grants.gov
• Idea Cafe
• JaxWorks Small Business Spreadsheets (downloadable financial spreadsheets)
• Oanda Currency Exchange

Government

• Small Business Administration
• IRS Business Information
• MySCGOV.com - Portal to many government agencies
• South Carolina Department of Revenue - Taxes and registration
• South Carolina Department of Commerce
• South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs
• South Carolina Secretary of State -Incorporation documents
• State of South Carolina
• SC Business Directory
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Free Government Grants

Home-based Business

• American Home Business Association  - Dedicated to the promotion of home based businesses

Insurance

• California Department of Insurance - Overview of insurance issues facing the small business
• Insurance News Network - Advice related to insurance coverage
• Institute for Health Policy Solutions - Health plan coverage for the employees of small businesses. Technical assistance is also provided to employers seeking cost-effective health coverage 
• NCQA - Measuring the Quality of America's Health Care - Employee analysis of plans, employer tips for choosing
• South Carolina Department of Insurance
• The Small Business Insurance Center - Insurance brokers providing services over the internet

Internet Marketing

• E-Commerce Times - Small Business - Free online publication providing daily news and feature articles for entrepreneurs and companies utilizing the internet
• International Small Business Consortium - How to utilize the internet for business opportunities
• Marketing Best Practices -  Creating an effective marketing plan
• Small Business E-Commerce - Information, software, and books to assist small business in establishing an internet presence
• Web Marketing Today
• Tech Web - The Emerging Enterprise

Lease

• Lease Smart - Tips and trends on how to save money and reduce risk when leasing or purchasing property

Law

• Legal and Regulatory Information for America's Small Business  
• Nolo Law for All
• South Carolina Bar
• South Carolina Legal Research Resources

Magazines

• Business Week 
• Entrepreneur Magazine
• Inc. Magazine   
• Wall Street Journal

Manufacturing

• Best Manufacturing Practices
• Industry Week - Magazine about manufacturing
• National Institute of Standards and Technology - Measurement standards and technology to enhance productivity
• South Carolina Manufacturing and Extension Partnership - Assistance and support for manufacturing enterprises within the state of South Carolina
• Thomas Regional - Locate industrial suppliers

Market Research

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Census
• ChildStats
• Community Profiles (SC Dept. of Commerce)
• FedStats
• South Carolina Community Profiles
• Lifestyle Market Analyst
• Market Research Info
• MelissaData 
• Market Research.com
• South Carolina Socio Economic Data
• South Carolina Statistical Abstract

Newspapers

·          Aiken Standard 

·          Augusta Chronicle

Portals

• About Small Business - Great starting point 
• Business Owner's Toolkit - Tools 
• CEO Express - Daily news
• Office.com - Short articles & tips
• Small Business Manager - Internet, technology 
• South Carolina Information Highway (SCIway) - South Carolina maps, business directory, etc. 

Procurement

• Beginner's Guide to Government Contracting - Sponsored by Association of Government Marketing Assistance Specialist
• Central Contractor Registration
• Federal Business Opportunities - Government point-of-entry (GPE) for Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000.
• Small Business Innovation Research Gateway
• Small Business Innovation Research (Dept of Defense)

Software and Computing

• Charge.Com - Provider of credit card merchant accounts
• Microsoft Corporation - Software, technology, security, growth
• Small Business Computing
• Smart Computing - Search for "Small Business" articles

Tax

• Internal Revenue Service - Small Business/Self-employed
• Nolo Small Business Tax Information
• Small Business Taxes and Management
• Tax Resources on the Web - Public service portal providing easy access to tax assistance and resources; provided by Alan G. Kalman