Resources 10/04
This story appears in the October 2004 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
LoopNet.com
LoopNet.com is an online commercial real estate service that has more than 250,000 commercial lease and sales listings. It offers a free basic service that highlights properties, as well as a "Find a Broker" directory of real estate professionals nationwide who can assist you with your real estate challenges.
CyberSource
Don't be intimidated by the prospect of managing online payments-it can save you time and money. CyberSource has numerous free PDFs you can download that help promote online payments, including "New Payment Rules Change Online Retail 2003," "Managing Online Tax Calculation in 2004," and "Best Practices for Contact Centers."
American FactFinder
American FactFinder offers U.S. Census Bureau data sets in easy-to-understand formats. Create custom maps and tables by picking out only the information desired, such as industry, race, economic level, etc. The site also offers ready-to-go data sets, making your customer data search even easier.
ContentFinder.com
ContentFinder.com helps small businesses find syndicated content sources for Web sites, newsletters or even their intranets. The site organizes content by topic, demographic audience, content type, language and publisher. Search results contain provider briefs and are cross-referenced for convenience. The results offer a link to the content provider's Web site, resulting in free contact information.
Directory of Associations
A directory of information on professional, business and trade associations; 501c nonprofit organizations; chambers of commerce; and other charity and community organizations. The site boasts more than 35,000 organizations and is updated in real time. The list is available online for $49.95 per month plus a $99 setup fee, or $395 per year. A CD-ROM edition is available for $595 and includes free Web access for one year.
Experian BizInsight
Experian BizInsight is an online B2B prospecting tool for entrepreneurs. Small businesses can generate customized leads from more than 15 million U.S. businesses, as well as target demographics, credit and public record data. If timeliness is a concern, you can take advantage of pre-established lists that are ready for rent, such as the Cottage Industry File (homebased businesses) or the Hotline File (new businesses filed).
