ChApter 12 | GOOD RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES | 207
modems (regular phone lines) or over
high-speed broadband systems, such as
DSL phone lines or coaxial cable (the
same system that carries cable TV signals).
Broadband costs twice as much as dial-
up service and the rates are on the way
up (the average monthly broadband bill
is approximately $25–$30). Broadband
is especially recommended if you plan
on developing and regularly maintaining
a website or if you will be relying on
Internet downloads (or uploads) to transact
business or manage sales.Using Search Engines
Much of the navigating process online
consists of searching the Web for certain
words or phrases related to business issues.
Search engines (websites that look for
information) come and go, but as of the
date this book went to press (November
2010), none performs as consistently and
efficiently as Google.com. In addition
to providing links to relevant websites,
Google provides thumbnail illustrations
culled from the search terms as well as
newsgroup commentary on the search
terms. For more advanced searches using
multiple fields and connectors, try Google’s
Advanced Search Features. If you are a
heavy Google user, you can download the
Google Toolbar (found at Google.com) and
you won’t have to keep returning to the
Google home page to perform each search.In addition to Google, there are
master search engines like Copernic
(www.copernic.com) or Dogpile
(www.dogpile.com) that search using
several individual search engines
simultaneously.Business-Oriented Websites
There are many websites providing infor-
mation about business management and
business plans. Particularly with the
explosion of e-commerce, business has
become one of the most popular online
subjects. To find these sites, a good bet is to
use a search engine. When you enter the
terms you’re interested in, such as “business
plan,” “contracts,” or “incorporating,” the
search engine will retrieve the websites that
contain those keywords, and hopefully the
information you want.
Once you’ve found a site, be sure to
check whether it has a collection of helpful
links. Websites often provide a list of links
to sites that they assume readers may want
to visit. In effect, your homework has
already been done for you—the creators of
the site have found other worthwhile sites
and are sharing their knowledge with you.
This is one of the best ways to find other
related sites.
Although you’ll want to do your own
searching for the most up-to-date and
interesting sites, below are two good
sites that will help in the preparation of a
business plan:
• U.S. Small Business Administration
(www.sba.gov). There’s lots and lots