Hello, I'm Portia Bingham and I'm talking with Stephanie Harrison-Colbert about the Business.gov Web site.
Stephanie, what is Business.gov?
The Business.gov Web site is the official business link to the U.S. government.
Of course, the IRS and other agencies have individual Web sites, but Business.gov is unique.
It provides a single access point for the nation's businesses to government services and information.
Who manages this gateway?
It's managed by the Small Business Administration, in partnership with 21 other federal agencies.
In addition to federal information, the site features a wide variety of state and local resources.
Information is also available in Spanish.
It recently won an Excellence.Gov Award.
That's great! Give us an example of what's on Business.gov.
It has several online guides --- covering topics from advertising to taxes --- that can help you manage your business.
These small business guides show which government regulations --- federal, state and local --- apply to your business and explain how to comply with them.
Some non-regulatory information is there too, such as how to get a grant or loan, or find market research data.
What's really special and unique about Business.gov is that it's not organized around government.
It's organized around businesses, and is shaped according to their needs.
That makes it very intuitive to use.
For instance...?
There are sections that lead you through starting and managing a business, advertising and marketing, licenses and permits, taxes, and other important activities.
There are resources devoted to home-based businesses, self-employed or disabled people, non-profit organizations, and businesses owned by minorities, veterans and women.
There are guides to laws and regulations for industries that are more highly regulated than others, such as food and beverage, or health care.
It's comprehensive information from your government, customized for your business, and organized in a way that makes it easy to find what you need.
Remind us once again --- what's the Web address?
Point your Web browser to www.Business.gov
And be sure to also visit the IRS Web site for small businesses --- IRS.gov/smallbiz --- with a "z."
Thank you, Stephanie.
I've been talking with Stephanie Harrison-Colbert of the IRS.
This is Portia Bingham.
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