ChApter 12 | GOOD RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES | 203
Pamphlets............................................................................................................................................
Well-written pamphlets may give you the
information or background you need on a
specific topic:
• Small Business Administration
pamphlets. The SBA publishes a good
many useful books and pamphlets
covering everything from finance to
insurance to exporting and franchising.
One of the best is “Starting and
Managing a Small Business of Your
Own.” Most pamphlets are available in
the reference section of your library.
Or you can get a list at http://www.gpo.gov
or from Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 2040 2.
• IRS publications. Especially helpful
publications include Tax Guide for
Small Business and Employer’s Tax
Guide. People planning partnerships
will also want to read an IRS pamphlet
Tax Information on Partnerships,
IRS Publication 541. Call a local IRS
number or 800 -829-1040, or check
their website at http://www.irs.gov.Magazines—Continuing Small Business Help
Most big business publications, such as
The Wall Street Journal, Business Week,
and Forbes, are not directly helpful to the
little guy. In addition, every industry has a
trade magazine that offers practical advicespecific to that industry (and you can find
these magazines using any Internet search
engine). For general business questions,
here are several publications I find of more
value to start-ups:
• Inc. (www.inc.com). This is primarily
oriented toward big small businesses
(or small big ones), but nevertheless is
well put together and helpful.
• Home Business (www.homebusiness
mag.com). Each issue is packed with
how-to tips.
• Entrepreneur (www.entrepreneur.com).
This magazine is normally available
from your local newsstand. It covers
a great many business opportunities
in depth and purports to give all the
secrets needed to be successful in the
hottest new fields.Computers and Business
A computer can be a wonderful time-saver
that enables you to accomplish more than
you could imagine. Or a computer can be
a frustrating time-sink that interferes with
your ability to make your business work. It
takes time to learn how to use a computer
and to correct the inevitable mistakes you’ll
make along the way. This section should
help you assess your particular situation
and figure out what kind of computer
system best fits the needs of your business.