Small Business Working the ‘Net

There’s a song whose chorus begins, “These are the days, my friend,” and if you own a small business, this applies to you completely when it comes to online assistance. There has never been a better time than now to find what you need swiftly and inexpensively.

There is something in the neighborhood of about 15 million small businesses in the United States alone right now, and that number shows no sign of slowing. (Editor’s note: Hmm, I wonder why everyone wants a piece of that pie?)

Recently, there have been a whole slew of web sites cropping up catering to the small business market segment, and in order to attract and retain your business, they offer a multitude of free or low-cost products and services. Services can range from web design and hosting (even building free e-commerce stores! Big Step) to sales training and business workshops; products include downloadable forms to office supplies.

Even better yet, a majority of these “small business hubs” offer advice on or direct connection to marketing tools to help a small business grow, both online and off.

For example, heavily promoted web site Onvia.com offers such varied services as banner ad creation and placement, sign printing and developing prospect lists.

DigitalWork.com, another popular “all-inclusive” site, offers help with public relations, direct mailing, and search engine submittals.

Below, I’m going to provide you with a list of more sites like these, but be forewarned: not only is my list extensive, but wait until you get to the sites themselves! Some sites offer SO much, it can be overwhelming. My best suggestion is that you visit the sites, find which ones most appeal to you, and bookmark them in a separate folder for future reference.

Other Small Business Hubs/Service Providers:

bCentral

Ceridian

Comercis

Excite Works

Isquare

MoreBusiness.com

Office

Quicken

SmallBusinessResources

SmallOffice.com

Work.com

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