Business Plan Resources:
SCORE's Business Template Gallery - Business plan templates, an explanation of the components of a business plan and the issues a business plan should address. Available in Word and PDF formats.
Entrepreneur.com - Various business planning resources.
About.com - A collection of business plans and other resources.
Bplans.com - Sample business plans by type.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Sample business plans by type.
Market Research Resources:
Zapdata.com - A great source for free industry data (registration required).
Ibis World - A great source for industry data and research (brief overview is free).
US Census Bureau's Economic Census - Detailed revenue, employment, number of businesses per industry and state, as well as a wealth of personal demographic information-including income, age, ethnicity, family size, home ownership, employment, and more.
ValuationResources.com - Great links to industry data (much of it is not free).
Butte County Association of Governments - Traffic counts and demographic data for Butte county cities including income, age, ethnicity, family size, home ownership, employment, and more.
California Finance Department, Demographic Research Unit - Various types of demographic information by county-
California Employment Development Department - Labor market information including number and types of employers by county and occupation.
Google.com - Industry associations often provide the best demographic, psychographic, and financial information for their industries. If you're willing to put in some time and wade through extraneous information, an advanced Google search can yield some valuable free information.
Local Resources:
Butte College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) - provides free counseling to existing small business owners and individuals interested in starting their own business in Butte, Glenn and Tehama Counties. The SBDC also offers variety of support services and workshops.
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) - provides free counseling and mentorship to individuals interested in starting their own business.
CSU Chico Center for Economic Development (CED) - provides market research assistance and small business consulting to businesses in the Northstate.
Tri-County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC) -provides funding to businesses that create or retain jobs and promote the economic development of Butte, Glenn, and Tehama counties.
Butte College Center For International Trade Development (CITD) - provides free counseling to businesses interested in exporting, importing, or international trade.
State and National Resources:
Small Business Administration (SBA) - Special page addressing the basics of starting a business.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - An abundance of tax information and downloadable forms.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Special page devoted to small businesses and self-employed. Includes an online classroom.
California Franchise Tax Board - Tax and legal information for businesses, individuals, and tax professionals.
California Franchise Tax Board - Special small business assistance center.
Wells Fargo Small Business Education Center - Various resources for small business owners.
Entrepreneur.com - Online magazine with wealth of information.
Inc. Magazine - Magazine for starting and growing your business. Good online how-to guides by topic.
My Own Business - Audio clips of real entrepreneurs discussing various small business issues. Available in Wave, Real Audio, and Mac formats.
