ECONOMICS AND TRADE | Achieving growth through open markets
12 May 2008
Resources for Aspiring and Existing Entrepreneurs
List of online resources
(The following list of resources is taken from the U.S. Department of State publication, Principles of Entrepreneurship.)
U.S. Government
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the federal government that aids, counsels, assists, and protects the interests of small business. SBA delivers its services through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. Its Web site provides wide-ranging information on starting and running a small business. http://www.sba.gov/
International Agencies
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, and Local Development "is in charge of disseminating best practices on the design, implementation, and evaluation of initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, SME growth, and local economic and employment development." The Web site includes links to publications and programs. http://www.oecd.org/department/0,2688,en_2649_33956792_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
The United Nations Development Program, Commission on the Private Sector and Development was created to address the obstacles blocking the expansion of the indigenous private sector in developing nations. The Web site includes the Commission's 2004 Report, "Unleashing Entrepreneurship: Making Business Work for the Poor." http://www.undp.org/cpsd/indexF.html
The World Bank's The Doing Business Project provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 178 countries and selected cities at the subnational and regional level. http://www.doingbusiness.org/Downloads/
Academic, Research, and Private Resources
The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College ( Massachusetts, USA) describes its mission as leading the global advancement of entrepreneurship education and practice through teaching, research, and outreach initiatives. In partnership with the London School of Business, it carries out globally focused entrepreneurship research. It holds an annual entrepreneurship research conference and publishes Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research. http://www3.babson.edu/eship/research-publications/
The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship supports efforts to stimulate entrepreneurship in communities throughout rural America, and publishes a newsletter. Its site shares information on tools, success stories, and research. http://www.energizingentrepreneurs.org/
Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization is a global entrepreneurship network serving approximately 30,000 students, through 400 chapters and affiliated student organizations at colleges and universities. http://www.c-e-o.org/page.php?mode=privateview&pageID=124&navID=24
Entrepreneur.com is an online and print small business publication that provides information to help start, grow, or manage a small business. http://www.entrepreneur.com/
The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) is a global membership organization of more than 6,000 business owners who share a common desire to grow their businesses, learn from others, and share their experiences. http://www.eonetwork.org/abouteo/Pages/AboutEO.aspx
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a major supporter of research and grants to promote entrepreneurship, develop educational programs, train educators, and to facilitate the commercialization of new technologies. One of the largest foundations in the United States, the Kauffman Foundation Web site includes links to research, publications, and reports. http://www.kauffman.org/
FastTrac is a comprehensive entrepreneurship education program that includes practical, hands-on business development courses and workshops for entrepreneurs as well as entrepreneurship curriculum for college students. FastTrac programs are currently provided in 50 U.S. states and in Australia and Russia. http://www.fasttrac.org/
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) is a not-for-profit academic research consortium that aims to make international research data on entrepreneurial activity readily available. A partnership of Babson College and the London School of Economics, the research program is based on an assessment of the level of national entrepreneurial activity in participating countries and an exploration of the role of entrepreneurship in national economic growth. Started in 1999 with 10 countries, GEM 2007 conducted research in 42 countries. The Web site features global reports and national summaries. http://www.gemconsortium.org
International Council for Small Business was the first international membership organization to promote the growth and development of small businesses worldwide. It hosts an annual conference aimed at advancing small business and entrepreneurship. http://www.icsb.org/
My Own Business, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free training and resources to aspiring entrepreneurs. The Web site includes a free, complete and in-depth online course on how to start a business. http://www.myownbusiness.org/
The Public Forum Institute, National Dialog on Entrepreneurship provides a wide range of information on entrepreneurship, including news and research. It includes reports about steps being taken around the world to encourage innovation and new enterprise growth. It also includes links to entrepreneurship success stories. http://www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde/global/index.htm
Students in Free Enterprise is a global non-profit organization active in 47 countries that works in partnership with business. SIFE challenges teams of college students to develop community outreach projects that include entrepreneurship. http://www.sife.org/
