Small Business Resources

Disclaimer:  The research listed here does not represent the opinions or views of OC Public Libraries.  In addition to the services of government agencies, articles have been posted for informational purposes to help the reader get started.

BUILDING A WEBSITE

• Building a Business Website: A Small Business Guide (BusinessNewsDaily)
• 10 Key Steps To Building A Great Small Business Website (AllBusiness)
• Best Free Website Builder for Small Business (Business.org)

BUSINESS PLANS

• Business Plans and Finance Templates (SCORE)
• Business Plan from SBDCNET
• Write a Business Plan (SBA)

DEMOGRAPHICS/MARKET RESOURCES

• Small Business Administration State Profiles (SBA)
• QuickFacts (Census.gov)
• Data Axle (access with library card)

EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES

• EEOC – U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• Labor Laws for California
• Employment Law Guide (US Department of Labor)
• Labor Commissioner’s Office (State of CA Dept. Of Industrial Relations)
• California Labor Law (CalChamber)
• Labor Laws (Labor & Workforce Development Agency, CA.gov)
• Orange County Public Law Library databases

FINANCING/GRANTS

• California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank
• California Capital Access Program
• First Step Business Loan Review
• Fund your Business (SBA)
• Grants from the Federal Government (SBA)
• Finding grants (SBA)
• Incentives, Grants & Financing (CA.gov)
• Federal Grant Resources (CA.gov)
• Federal Grants (grants.gov)
• Minority Business Development Agency Grants (US Dept. Of Commerce)

GENERATING REVENUE

• 5 Ways to Increase Your Revenue (Chamber of Commerce)
• Determine the Best Location for Your Business (US Census Bureau)
• 17 Tools & Resources for Conducting Market Research (Hubspot)

GRANT WRITING

• Universal Class: Grant proposal (access with library card)
• Introduction to Grant Writing (Purdue Online Writing Lab)

HR TOPICS

• 9 HR Basics for Any Small Business (Business.com)
• HR for Small Business: The Ultimate Guide (fundera.com)
• Basics of Human Resources You Should Know (SCORE)

LICENSES AND PERMITS

• Applying for federal/state licenses and permits (SBA)
• Permits & Licenses (CA.gov)
• California State Board of Equalization (CA.gov)
• Register your business (SBA)
• Finding appropriate permit information for your business (CalGold, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development CA.gov)

MARKETING

• Marketing Your Small Business For Dummies Cheat Sheet (Dummies)
• Marketing and sales (SBA)
• Humphry Slocombe: Promote using Free Online Marketing (youtube)
• Universal Class: Advertising and Marketing (access with library card)

PROJECT & STRATEGIC PLANNING

• Successful Project Management (SCORE)
• How to Craft a Strategic Plan for Your Small Business (SCORE)
• MOBI Business Plan Template

SOFTWARE, SKILLS, & MORE

• Mango Languages - business/legal vocabulary (access with library card)
• Nolo’s Business, LLCs & Corporations
• Universal Class (access with library card)

TAX INFORMATION

• Employer’s Tax Guide (IRS)
• Tax Guide for Small Businesses (IRS)
• Self-Employment Tax Center (IRS)

USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR BUSINESS

• Universal Class: Social Media (access with library card)
• Social Media for Business: A Marketer’s Guide (Business News Daily)
• Social Media (All Business)