Missouri Business Resource Library:
Marketing and sales

Advertising

• Advertising Media Planner Primer - Article on advertising media.
• Dealing With a Graphic Designer - Smart tips to get the most for your money when working with a design firm for logos, letterhead, direct mail and other marketing pieces.
• Frequently Asked Advertising Questions: A Guide for Small Business - The FTC's facts for business regarding a wide variety of advertising policies.
• Hometown Business: Put Your Best Foot Forward With - Dynamic Displays - Things to consider when creating effective retail displays for merchandise (University of Missouri Extension Guidesheet)
• Hometown Business: Increase Your Sales - Invest in Advertising - Steps to follow in planning and executing an effective advertising program (University of Missouri Extension Guidesheet)
• Hook, Line and Advertising - Criteria for effective ads. Podcast from the Georgia SBDC.
• Small Business Marketing: Planning a Retail Advertising Program - Guidelines to help plan an advertising budget, select media, use cooperative advertising and prepare the ad itself.
• Small Business Press Release Writing Tips - Effective press release writing is one of the most affordable forms of B2B marketing. It can bring you valuable publicity and tell your story to new audiences, giving you a competitive advantage.
• What Not to Do When Designing Marketing Pieces Yourself - Avoid these 10 design disasters when you're creating your own materials. From Entrepreneur.com

Branding and image

• 5 Ways To Create Big Buzz For Your Business - Creating buzz for your business may take creativity, willingness to fail and look foolish, and some strategic planning.
• Build It and They Will Come ... Or Will They? - Your business is launched. How do you get the word out?
• Building Your Brand - This publication examines what branding is, why it is important, and the necessary steps to brand your product. (University of Missouri Extension guidesheet)
• Building Your Brand During a Downturn - Savvy marketers will use an economic downturn as a means of improving client relationships
• Branding is the Key to Differentiation - Tips for setting your business apart from your competitors including finding a niche, business name, color, logo, slogan, customer experience and promotion (from America's Best Business Practices blog).
• Changing a Business Name - Business.gov's discussion on legal and other ramifications of changing your business name.
• Green Marketing - Section of SBA with information from certifying your products, to advertising and eco-labeling and market research.
• How to Create a Memorable Small Business Logo and Tagline - From "Six Weeks to Start Your Small Business" by Rhonda Abrams.
• Predictable Patterns Produce Memorable Marketing Mantras - A review of the book, Powerlines: Words that Sell Brands, Grip Fans and Sometimes Change History, by Steve Cone.
• Small Business Branding - Web site provided for small business owners and managers interested in marketing and building small businesses.

International marketing and trade

• Export Administration Regulations - Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce web site. Export control and licensing regulations.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Traveler's health information - for travels outside the U.S.
• China Today - Comprehensive information base on today's China.
• Chinapages - Lists trade categories to help find companies or products of interest which are labeled "MADE IN CHINA."
• Center for International Business Education and Research - Part of the University of Kansas web site. The CIBER assists small- and medium-sized companies with exploration of trade opportunities and developing international business skills. Particular emphasis is placed on the emerging role of electronic communication resources (the Internet) in developing international business opportunities for firms located in the heartland of the United States.
• Commercial News USA - United States Department of Commerce showcase for American-made products and services. Designed to help American companies promote products and services to buyers in other 145 countries.
• Embassy.org - Foreign Embassies & Consulates located in Washington, D.C. and throughout the U.S.
• Export.gov - U.S. Government export portal providing access to a global listing of trade events, international market research and practical tools to help with every step of the export process.
• Export-Import Bank of the U.S. - Official export credit agency of the U.S. Government.
• Foreign Agriculture Service - U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agriculture export assistance, programs and services.
• GlobalEdge - Part of the Michigan State University - Center for International Business Education and Research (MSU-CIBER) web site. Index of international business resources on the Internet.
• Globalspeak.com - Video webcasts on export topics, including "How-to-do-Business."
• International Monetary Fund - IMF lends money to member countries in economic crisis.
• International Relations Council - Programs and events on economic and trade policy worldwide.
• International Trade Administration - U.S. Department of Commerce - Get online international trade assistance with tariffs, taxes, documentation, research, rules and trade events.
• Links to United States Embassies and Consulates Worldwide - Information and services.
• Market Access and Compliance-U.S. Department of Commerce - Helps American exporters facing foreign trade barriers and assures that foreign countries comply with their trade commitments.
• Missouri Department of Agriculture - Provides market development information and export assistance for Missouri agricultural products.
• Missouri Department of Agriculture International Offices
• Office of Foreign Assets Control - Part of the U.S. Department of Treasury web site. Information on trade sanctions and embargoed foreign countries.
• Office of the U.S. Trade Representative - Information on trade agreements and policies.
• Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance - Global religious holidays and cultural considerations.
• Overseas Private Investment Corporation - OPIC supports, insures and finances foreign investment projects.
• Passport Service and Information - Part of the U.S. Department of State web site. Passport services and information on how to apply for a passport.
• SBA: Office of International Trade - Part of the U.S. Small Business Administration's web site. Offers export finance and other loan and lenders programs.
• Stat-USA Internet - Business, trade and economic information. National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) Subscription Required.
• St. Louis Center for International Relations - The primary office for international relations and protocols, providing international resources in St. Louis.
• RCGA - St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association - Chamber of Commerce and economic development organization for the Greater St. Louis region.
• The Virtual International Trade Center - Part of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce World Trade Center web site. Provides resources needed to grow a business in the global marketplace.
• The White House - Homepage. Information from the President and Congress.
• The World Factbook - Part of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) web site. Guide to country profiles.
• Trade Information Center - Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration web site. International trade information from 40+ government agencies.
• Travel.State.GovBureau of Consular Affairs - Part of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State website. Foreign travel warnings, Consular sheets and passport information.
• U.S. Agency for International Development - Information on projects and procurement funded USAID.
• U.S. Census Bureau - Foreign trade statistics and Schedule B Codes.
• U.S. Council for International Business - ATA Carnets-merchandise passports that simplify customs procedures for the temporary importation of commercial samples (CS), professional equipment (PE) and goods for exhibitions and fairs (EF).
• U.S. Customs Service - Home page. Top news and press releases. Information on duty rates, harmonized tariff schedule (HTS), rulings and regulations, small importer, publications and forms.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture - Main page for Dept of Agriculture including top news and press releases.
• U.S. Department of Commerce - Main page for Dept of Commerce.
• U.S. Department of State - Main page for Dept of State.
• U.S. Government Printing Office - Access to government information and publications.
• U.S. Small Business Administration - SBA's main page includes top news and press releases. Click on "Search All SBA" to find SBA's "Breaking Into The Trade Game: A Small Business Guide."
• U.S. Trade and Development Agency - Information on feasibility studies, infrastructure and industrial projects overseas.
• U.S. Treasury - Homepage. Top news and press releases.
• USA Trade Online - U.S. export and import information on more than 18,000 commodities. Subscription Required.
• World Bank Group - Multilateral lending agency. Reduces poverty and promotes economic growth in developing countries.
• World Trade Center Associations - Post and review trade opportunities, access valuable international trade databases and communicate with newly-found business prospects through a worldwide network of locations.

Market plans and strategy

• Foundations of Marketing - Five steps to help businesses get their hands around various aspects of marketing.
• Marketing - A guide explaining the purpose of a marketing plan and goes through the process of developing a marketing plan by breaking it down into components such as research, pricing, advertising and others. Includes sample marketing plan outline.
• Marketing for Small Business: An Overview - Part of SBA's Marketing Series providing an overview and explanations of marketing concepts; contains an extensive bibliography of sources covering the subject of marketing.
• 20 Marketing Tips...Every Entrepreneur Should Know - 20 tips to get your business pointed toward finding customers or expanding your existing customber base.

Public relations

• Advertising and PR - Explores the separate characteristics of advertising and public relations. From SBA's "Market and Price" section.
• Marketing/Public Relations Service Industry Focus - An overview of the business of marketing and public relations.
• Public Relations - Section of Entrepreneur.com's Web site with a robust collection of articles on small business public relations ideas and approaches (from Entrepreneur).

Research

• A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Market Research - Doing market research can be a daunting endeavor if you think you have to answer all the questions and get all the information you want. If you tackle it one small piece at a time and devote some resources to increasing your knowledge, you be pleasantly surprised at home much you learn about your product, customer and industry.
• Business Research & Information Development Group (BRIDG) - The programmatic research arm of University of Missouri Extension, providing both applied and secondary research on Missouri's small business and entrepreneurial community.
• Claritas - Business providing products to help with marketing research data, demographics and segmentation.
• Finding the Right Answers in a World of Possibilities - Industry, demographic, financial and general market research resources available (focus on home-based businesses).
• Industry Information Resources - free guide to industry-specific resources and data for more than 400 industries. Individual pages for each industry list info available from trade associations, industry publications, and research firms which address subjects such as industry overview, issues, trends, and outlook, industry financial information and financial ratios, compensation and salary surveys, and business valuation resources.
• Market Research Workbook - Guide to finding the information/data a firm needs in developing a marketing plan or program.
• Researching Your Market - A successful business knows its market. Marketing research is simply learning about people.
• Yes, You Too Can Conduct Market Research - Answers to basic questions about your product or service can provide a solid foundation for the future of your business. You can find the answers you need by doing your own research.
  
  

  Demographics

• AdAge.com: Demographics - Focuses on consumer trends and behavior - and how to locate prime prospects in terms of demographics, lifestyles, media preferences and purchasing behavior.
• BizStats.com - Effective and understandable online analysis of industry and small business statistics.
• Business Analyst Online (ESRI) - On demand reports and maps. Subscription Required.
• Business Indicators Analysis Tools - Business Indicators was developed by BRIDG and the University of Missouri's Office of Social and Economic Analysis (OSEDA) in response to requests for "easy to find and use data for marketing and business plans." We have pulled together various data sources to meet this demand by entrepreneurs and individuals helping entrepreneurs. Data will be updated as it is made available to us.
• Cedar National Address Server - Given a valid U.S. postal address, this web site rewrites the address in the proper Post Office format along with the ZIP+4 code. It will also print the address and barcode on an envelope and provide a street map of the address.
• Center for Economic Information (University of Missouri-Kansas City) - Provides social and economic information, gathered from a variety of sources, at several different levels of geography for the Kansas City metropolitan statistical area (MSA).
• Chasing Cheetahs - Lessons from Missouri's fastest growing businesses. Collected data on the needs of fast-growth firms and what it takes to achieve an envioronmnet where more Missouri Cheetahs can rome.
• Circular Area Profiles - Missouri Census Data Center tool that provides demographic information in any given radius area around a specified point.
• Easy Analytic Software, Inc. (EASI) - Obtain free population ring studies and demographic analysis based on the actual address of your site. Includes "The Right Site" service.
• Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council - FFIEC Geocoding System - Enter a street address and find the census tract information for that location on income, population and housing. Also find MSA Code, State Code and Tract/BNA Code for a particular street address.
• Geospatial and Statistical Data Center - County Business Patterns - Provides county, state and national level business data from 1977 to the most recent year available. Statistics include number of establishments, payroll (annual and 1st quarter), number of employees and number of establishments by size class for 2 digit SIC industry groupings.
• Melissa Data - Products and services to put together mailing lists and other data. Site includes several free lookups (addresses, ZIP codes in a radius, labor statistics, demographics, etc.)
• Missouri Census Data Center (MCDC) - Part of the Missouri Secretary of State's web site. Missouri population estimates and projections, Internet applications to design customized census reports, geographic correspondence engine (to find out what zip codes fall within a county, what census tracts fall within a town, etc.). Explore the MCDC Data Archive with UEXPLORE
• Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) - Part of Missouri's Department of Economic Development web site. Facts and figures to help understand Missouri's regional economies.
• Missouri State Archives - Part of the Missouri Secretary of State's web site. Official repository for all state records of permanent value.
• Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis (OSEDA) - Part of the University of Missouri System. Provides Missourians with up-to-date social, economic and demographic information about their localities.
• OSEDA - Missouri County Fact Sheets - Census data specific to each Missouri county prepared by the University of Missouri Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis (OSEDA).
• Population Estimates - The Missouri Census Data Center's official page for the latest population estimates. Includes population estimates for Missouri towns and counties (race, age, gender, and Hispanic detail is sometimes available at the county level), a link to the U.S. Census Bureau's population page (which includes estimates for all 50 states and a schedule of when upcoming estimates are scheduled for release), and maps, press releases, and contact information for Missouri's state demographer.
• Radio Advertising Bureau - Describes radio audiences, listener profiles, media comparisons and radio facts.
• Regional Economic Accounts - Part of the Bureau of Economic Analysis' site. Database provides local area economic data for states, counties and metropolitan areas (REIS).
• U.S. Census Bureau - Provides information about the people and economy of the United States.

Industry/company information

• 10K Wizard: SEC Edgar Filings - Provides access to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings by company, ticker, form-type, word and date.
• 2002 Economic Census: Summary Statistics for United States 2002 NAICS Basis - Table uses NAICS Codes to determine how many and what kinds of establishments are found in a given state, metropolitan area or county.
• AllBusiness - Provides small businesses with a single point of access for resources ranging from start-up kits and HR advice to financing services and free business directory listings.
• BizWeb Business Guide - A business guide to more than 45,000 companies listed in 208 categories.
• CEO Express - Links to resources on the web for daily news and information from leading publications, business research, office tools and travel services.
• Corporate Information - Includes items such as publicly-traded company research reports, business sector profiles and SEC filings.
• Dun and Bradstreet - Provides business information for credit, marketing, purchasing and receivables management decisions.
• Global Reports - More than a half-million annual reports containing information stretching more than 30 years into financial history for companies from every major index constituency from throughout the world. (Registration and fee required)
• Hoover's Online - Provides information on companies and industries, money management, career development, business news and business travel.
• Inc.com Marketing Resource Center - Articles and tools on many facets of marketing including methods, research and advertising.
• Industry Profile Links - Profiles 28 small business entities and provides Web links to associations, industry data and other realted information.
• Industry Research Desk - Provides tools for researching specific companies, industries and manufacturing processes.
• Industry Specific Business Guides - Industry specific business profiles where small businesses account for much of the activity. These profiles provide information on legal structure, taxes, hiring employees and resources.
• IndustryLink - Directory of links to industry web sites. Focuses on industry-to-industry marketing where companies sell their products and services to other companies.
• InfoUSA - Resources for sales leads, mailing lists and directory assistance service to find people/businesses.
• LogisticsWorld - Provides a list of websites related to the logistic and transportation industries.
• Manta - Offers company profiles, industry reports, business intelligence, global market research reports, and statistical market research overviews. (Registration and fee required)
• Martindale's: The Reference Desk - Contains an extensive index to on-line references, including links to on-line calculators and thousands of teaching files, multimedia tutorials and data bases.
• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Association - Find NAICS Codes, SIC Codes and detailed industry definitions. Codes identify potential customers by business activities and help define target markets. Site also offers for sale a number of commercial products to identify target markets.
• Radio Advertising Bureau - Describes radio audiences, listener profiles, media comparisons and radio facts.
• Sales and Marketing Executives International - Marketing association of professional sales and marketing managers. Contains library with over 200,000 searchable articles on sales and marketing.
• SEC Filings & Forms (EDGAR) - Part of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission web site. Provides access to registration statements, periodic reports and other forms filed by public companies through the Electronic Data Gathering, Anaylsis and Retrieval system (EDGAR).
• YellowPages.com - Online yellow pages directory for finding businesses and products quickly.

Sales

• 2010 Missouri Retail Promotion Calendar
  
• Agricultural Marketing Service - Part of the USDA site with market news area including price reports, such as daily commodity reports and report summaries
• Appeal to Baby Boomers' Active Lives to Grab a Piece of Their Buying Power - This largest population cohort in the history of our nation has money and time to spend. Use these tips to attract them to your business!
• Built It and They Will Come...Or Will They? - Your business is launched. How do you get the word out? How to establish a circle of referrals.
• Closing the Sale - Watch your sales grow by using these tips for getting clients to say "yes."
• Competing with Mass Merchandisers - With the recent expansion of mass merchandisers into almost every locale, how can the small business survive? This study's results can help you understand how to compete - from merchandise and marketing to service and customer relations.
• Connecting With Customers - Factors that tend to influence customer behavior and relationships; tips for how to adopt customer-focused practices.
• Gear Up Early for Holiday Sales - Seventeen helpful tips for retail and service businesses for success with the busy holiday season.
• Hometown Business: Keep Them Coming Back for More - Customer Loyalty - Things to consider when addressing your customers' needs and wants (University of Missouri Extension guidesheet)
• How Can I Compete with the Big Discount Stores? - Nine successful survival strategies for small business retailers that want to stay competitive in today's market
• Your Store is Judged by its Cover - The storefront is your largest sign. Podcast from the Georgia SBDC.
• Increase Retail Revenues: Ten low cost ideas for window displays
• Is It Email or Spam? - Effective email marketing. Podcast from the Georgia SBDC.
• Low Cost Marketing - Tips on business name, business cards, networking, communications. Podcast from the Georgia SBDC.
• Making the Calendar Work for Your Business - Tips for creative ways to use the retail promotion calendar for unique business marketing.
• Marketing - This will guide you through the process of developing a marketing plan by breaking it down into its many components such as research, pricing, advertising and others.
• Measuring customer satisfaction can help any business beat competitors during any economic climate - Understanding customer preferences, and pursuing a customer focus may increase retention and increase profits, even during the economic downturn.
• Media Relations 101 - Getting your business into the local media can be an effective way to increase awareness of you and your products or services. This primer will help show you ways to get to know the media in your area and to build positive relationships.
• Pricing (see Analysis in Finance section)
• Sales & Marketing Management - Contains information for executives involved in the management of a company's sales and marketing efforts. Annual features include "Best Sales Forces" and "The Survey of Buying Power," a reference guide to consumer purchasing trends.
• Selling by Mail Order - Part of SBA's Marketing Series providing basic information on running a mail order business. Includes information on selecting, pricing, testing and writing effective advertisements for your products.
• Selling Strategies for Local Food Producers - For many farmers, marketing and selling their products are the most challenging parts of the farm enterprise, especially when selling directly to consumers. This University of Missouri Extension publication is a comprehensive guide to the marketing aspects of selling food products including a selling checklist, building customer relationships, nonverbal communications, meeting needs, creating printed or online materials and being a good salesperson.
• Small Business Marketing: How to Expand Your Market - Common growth strategies for expanding your business.
• The Small Business Owner's Guide to Living in Harmony with the Big Retailers - Learn how to compete with the big box retailers by differentiation, enhanced value proposition, unique products and a friendly atmosphere.
• Stanislaus La Trattoria Idea Exchange - Library of successful marketing contributions from independent restaurateurs including image building, operations, boosting sales, customer loyalty and sales and working with employees.
  
  

  Electronic commerce (see also Web marketing)

• CommerceNet - Provides research on emerging e-commerce business and technology trends and developments.
• Managing the Digital Enterprise - Part of the North Carolina State University E-Commerce Learning Center web site. Free online course to understanding e-commerce. You will use the power of the Internet to learn about the subject firsthand.
• Put Your Company on the Web - Initial questions that businesses should ask when considering a Web site. Basic guidelines for setting up a company Web site plus a review of domain names, hiring a web developer, customer service, promotion, legal issues and a glossary of terms are included.
• Web Marketing Today - Main page of Wilson Internet Services. List of links to online articles about effective web marketing and to various web resources for doing business on the Internet.
• Writing for the Web - Writing for the web requires timely information in a lively style.

Trade shows

• Tips for Trade Shows - Tips on how to maximize your businesses tradeshow experience, reach potential customers and secure a return on your investment.
• Trade-Show-Advisor - Educational resource with articles to help exhibitors maximize visibility, sales leads and revenue at trade shows. Topics include successful tradeshow planning, marketing, exhibit booth displays, giveaways, banners, trade show staffing, promotions, graphics, media packaging etc.
• Trade Show News Network - Search for trade show events by industry. Offers trade show information, resources, solutions and a forum for exhibitors, producers, designers, marketers and attendees.
• Trade Shows Work ... They Mean Business - A discussion of trade shows, how they contribute to a business marketing strategy and tips for success.

Selling to the government (procurement)

• Certifications required for businesses to sell to the federal government - Any business seeking to do business with the federal government must represent and certify that it complies with various laws and regulations that apply to government contractors and to their subcontractors. This is called rep's and cert's.
• Doing Business with the Navy: 10 Steps to Success - Guide for getting started with selling your product or service to the Dept. of the Navy.
• FedBizOpps.gov - Federal Business Opportunities web site. Useful resources for conducting E-Business (EB) and E-Commerce (EC) within the Federal contracting community.
• Green Government Opportunities for Small Business - The federal government supports small businesses that are looking to develop and sell green technologies. Government agencies offer resources for small businesses at every stage. This search engine (a section of SBA's website) pulls data from across the government into one easy-to-search portal.
• GovCon - Information resource for the government contracting industry. Features government bid opportunities, teaming partners, products, services, educational resources, career services, industry news and more.
• GSA's How to Sell to the Government - Part of the U.S. General Services Administration web site. Provides assistance for placing businesses on GSA's bidders mailing list, obtaining information on contracting opportunities and for receiving helpful information if you are new to federal procurement.
• Guiding Your Business Toward Selling to the Government - Article explains government contracting and the types of help PTACs provide to small businesses interested in selling to the government.
• How to Register as a Federal Contractor - Business.gov's steps to take before bidding on federal procurements.
• How to Sell to Uncle Sam - BNET "crash course" on selling to the federal government.
• Marketing Resources: Here's Help! - Learn how MO PTAC is a resource available to Missouri firms wanting to win federal, state or local government contracts.
• Minority-owned businesses should explore government contracting opportunities - Article explains the unique opportunities selling to government entities offers minority-owned businesses.
• Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers - Assistance for competing on government contracts.
• MO PTAC counselors offer guidance to businesses seeking contracts with government agencies - When considering target markets for their products and services, many business owners often overlook one with nearly limitless potential — local, state and federal government.
• (Most) Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Doing Business with the Government and Were Afraid to Ask ... the PTAC FAQ - Helping demystify the government contracting process, the PTAC FAQ helps explain the process, language and how to obtain assistance.
• Opening Doors: Small business opportunities in federal government contracting - An SBA's publication about getting started in government contracting.
• Proposal Writing - Government Contracting - Provides assistance with proposal and grant writing and finding goverment bid opportunities
• Recovery Act Opportunities: How to Win Federal Contracts - SBA's free online training course offering steps to engage businesses in the federal contracting arena including how to sell to the government and where to find contract and Recovery Act opportunities.
• SBA HUBZone Program - Explains information on the SBA HUB Zone Program
• SBA: Government Contracting - Advocates on behalf of small business in the federal procurement world.
• SBIR/STTR Gateway - Zyn Systems' SBIR gateway provides news and information to help find SBIR and STTR opportunities from the federal and state agencies, universities and other businesses. Includes the ability to search all federal agency SBIR solicitations.
• Steel Fabrication Firm Wins Navy Contract - A MO PTAC success story
• What's Really Involved in Selling to the Government? - Various ideas on selling to federal, state and local governments.

Web marketing

• 5 Mistakes Brick and Mortar SMBs Shouldn't Make Online - Mistakes that small and medium sized businesses make on the web; from Small Business Trends.
• 10 Ways to Design a Good Web Site - Tips from the New York Times Gadgetwise blog.
• 11 Steps to a Successful Website - From startupnation, easy to follow roadmap to use to build a successful site.
• About.com - Small Business Information - Find e-commerce tools and information about merchant accounts, online payments, communities and web marketing.
• AdMedia.org: Internet Advertising Resource Guide - List of web sites for planning, designing, managing, research and teaching Internet advertising.
• Advertising and Marketing on the Internet: Rules of the Road - Many of the same rules that apply to other forms of advertising apply to electronic marketing. The FTC offers this guide to provide an overview of some of the rules and guidelines in place to protect businesses and consumers.
• Building a Better Web Site - Inc's "how-to guide" on improving your Web site.
• Business.Com - Industry-specific information, news and resources.
• CommerceNet - Provides research on emerging e-commerce business and technology trends and developments.
• E-Commerce: Small Businesses Venture Online - SBA Report - 1999 report examines the available data on small businesses' use of electronic commerce. E-commerce applications include e-tailing in virtual store fronts and electronic data interchange.
• The Industry Standard - Provides hard research numbers on the Internet economy, information about people and businesses driving the Internet and the latest industry updates.
• InfoAdvantage BusinessCity.com - Focuses on helping businesses create and sustain a competitive advantage through the use of Internet technologies.
• Is Your Web Site Producting Results? - Effective email marketing. Podcast from the Georgia SBDC.
• Managing the Digital Enterprise - Part of the North Carolina State University E-Commerce Learning Center web site. Free online course to understanding e-commerce. You will use the power of the Internet to learn about the subject firsthand.
• Put Your Company on the Web - Initial questions that businesses should ask when considering a Web site. Basic guidelines for setting up a company Web site plus a review of domain names, hiring a web developer, customer service, promotion, legal issues and a glossary of terms are included.
• Web Marketing Today - Guide to Internet marketing, including building a site, search engine optimization, promotion, advertising, usability, e-mail marketing, etc.
• see also Electronic Commerce

Social networking/media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

• Activating a Brand on Twitter - You've decided to use Twitter to communicate about your business. Here are tips for what may provide the best results.
• The Best Way to Build a Twitter Account, Step by Step - From HubSpot's internet marketing blog.
• Build a Social Media Hiring Strategy - Use your online network to lure quality talent (from Entrepreneur).
• Does Your Business Need a Facebook Presence? - Things to consider before setting up a Facebook page for your small business.
• Facebook for Small Business and Entrepreneurs - Steps to set up a Facebook profile, company page and join/create groups; from Flyte.
• Facebook Pages Get More Business Friendly - Overhaul of the Facebook interface extends functionality of Facebook as a marketing tool for business. From the Duct Tape Marketing blog.
• HOW TO: Use Social Media for Enterprise Business - Four of the best ways to use social media if you're a business that sells products to other businesses (from Mashable).
• How to Use Twitter for Marketing and PR- Webinar from HubSpot
• How to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business - Copyblogger's article on how bestselling authors and business professionals use Twitter to grow their businesses with ideas to achieve Twitter for business success.
• 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources for Twitter Research - List of 100 guides, search tools and trackers for Twitter research that will help you keep it all together.
• 16 Examples of Huge Brands Using Twitter for Business - Examples from Dell, Starbucks, Home Depot and others from Search Engine Journal.
• 62 Ways to Use Twitter for Business - How to use Twitter to market your business, grow your network and gain free publicity — all in 140 characters or less
  
• Social media glossary - Top 100 words and phrases in the social media dictionary with definitions (from Socialbrite.org)
• Social Media Marketing, News & Tools for Business - Entrepreneur.com's resource guide to social media.
• Tips for entrepreneurs: Social media - Using social media effectively to market your business.
• There’s Content in Your B2B Social Media Data - How to use social media data to make better business decisions and to generate great content for social media channels (from Social Media B2B blog).
• 30+ Apps for Doing Business on Facebook - Mashable's links to applications to help with promotion, communication, networking, collaboration and running your business online using Facebook.
• Top 10 Social Networks for Entrepreneurs - Links to social resources to help you connect with other entrepreneurs and get your business ideas off the ground by providing guidance, tools and resources they needed to setup a business and gain exposure.
• 25 Things That Make You Look Dumb on Twitter - Constant Contact blog post explaining easy to fix errors/practices to avoid when tweeting.