Where's the best place to get free help starting your own home business? Would you believe it's the United States Government? The Small Business Administration is one of the best resources available to a new home business owner. A visit to their web site will turn up easy to understand articles about startup costs, calculators that help you figure out your tax responsibility and access to support groups, forums and information that's invaluable to anyone starting up or running a home business. Here are some of the services that you'll find from the SBA.
Free Consultation On Business Plans For New Business Startups
The business plan is one of the most important tools you have. It can help you land loans, attract the attention of investors and leverage existing funds. Your local Small Business Administration office has experienced businessmen who will help you prepare a business plan and offer you other startup advice for your home business - for free.
Free Pre-Certification For Home Business Loans
The Small Business Administration 'guarantees' loans to certain small businesses, including home business ventures. They don't lend you money themselves. Instead, they make a guarantee to the loan company or bank that they'll be repaid if you default on the loan. An SBA businessman will go over your business plan and credit history to help decide if you're a good credit risk. If he thinks your business has a good chance of taking off, the SBA will pre-certify your business for a loan. It's not a guarantee to you that you'll GET a loan, but it's unusual for a business that's been pre-certified by the SBA to have trouble finding funding.
Free Mentoring - Especially For Women
The SBA offers several programs that are meant to help women overcome the unique problems that face a new business startup owned by a woman. Everyone's heard about the old boy's network. Women don't have that option, but they do have roundtable support groups and a matchmaking service offered by the Small Business Association to help them find a mentor already working in their field. The SBA's web site should be one of your first stops if you're a woman looking to start or expand a home business.
Other Free Resources For Home Business Startups
Also on the SBA web site, you'll find the government gateway to bidding on contracts offered by the U.S. government, and the newest postings of contracts, grants and other money that's available to home and other small businesses. You'll also find a wealth of other information, including step-by-step instructions on how to incorporate your business, what your health insurance options are as a self-employed business owner and much, much more.
When you're starting a new home business or looking for a loan to expand one, you need to make use of every possible resource available. The Small Business Administration is one of the most valuable resources that you'll find. For more information on business plans, mentoring, contracts and more, visit the Small Business Administration web site at www.sba.gov. It's all free - the best price for your home business.
About the Author
Michael Law is editor at 1steliteworkfromhome.com ( http://1steliteworkfromhome.com ), a Work From Home Directory Resource.
1steliteworkfromhome.com is a resource for anyone looking to find work from home job information and discover ways to work at home.
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