CommunityExpress is a pilot SBA loan program that was developed in collaboration with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and its member organizations. Under the pilot, which is available to selected lenders, an SBAExpress like program will be offered to pre-designated geographic areas serving mostly Low and Moderate Income areas and New Markets small businesses. The program will also include technical and management assistance, which is designed to help increase the loan applicant's chances of success.

Information from the Small Business Administration on loan programs, surety bonds, equity capital, and more.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program helps create jobs and stimulates rural economies by providing financial backing for rural businesses.

This report from the U.S. Department of Labor addresses questions that have been raised about Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and Federal and State regulation of Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements

This Web page is a guide to the wealth of information on health insurance issues from the U.S. Department of Labor.

This Web page is a guide to the wealth of information on employee benenfits issues from the U.S. Department of Labor.

When you have a problem with low employee motivation and/or productivity, it is important to search for the reason. For instance, one employee may feel underpaid for the work they are required to do. Another may want more recognition or interaction with other people. And what if you don't have the extra money to increase your employee's pay? What is the answer then? Do you try to ignore the problem until the employee quits? Or do you begin the termination process?

When you have a problem with low employee motivation and/or productivity, it is important to search for the reason. For instance, one employee may feel underpaid for the work they are required to do. Another may want more recognition or interaction with other people. Still another may be bored with their day-to-day tasks. Simply raising your employee's pay or giving them a promotion may not be the answer. And what if you don't have the extra money to increase your employee's pay? What is the answer then? Do you try to ignore the problem until the employee quits? Or do you begin the termination process?

Before you do either, you may want to get more information from the employee. Many company's, in an effort to retain good people, have adopted flexible benefits in the realization that people have many needs and desires beyond their job descriptions. "Quality of work life" programs take a holistic, or complete, look at the employee to determine what he/she really wants and needs to be productive and then tailor benefits packages to satisfy their workers needs. The result is increased morale and productivity along with decreased turnover...

Click the link below to read the rest of this article from the Small Business Administration!

The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of International Trade (OIT) developed this Trade Guide as an information tool to assist American business develop international markets. This Guide will help answer questions and take the mystery out of exporting. The United States government has committed enormous resources to help small businesses, like yours, reach overseas markets.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank has a Working Capital Guarantee program.

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers aid to current and potential small exporters through two major programs: business development assistance and financial assistance. These programs are provided through our network of field offices around the country.

A guide from the Small Business Adminstration. Exporting can mean big profits for a small business. If you are not exploring export markets, you may be missing out on a world of opportunity.

Export.gov provides online trade resources and one-on-one assistance for your international business – whether you’re just starting or expanding your global sales.

Tips for small business on importing and exporting from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Export counseling, trade leads, U.S. supplier & foreign buyer lists and trade shows from the U.S. Department of Agrigulture..

The Emerging Market Program and Agribusiness and Grant Opportunities from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Running a business today means dealing with insurance in some shape or form. Whether it's property insurance, liability coverage, or a health policy for your employees, the Insurance Toolkit can help you understand and manage your options.

Designed to help employers understand the requirements of Laws & Regulations enforced by the Department of Labor.

Describes the statutes and regulations administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) that affect businesses and workers. The Guide is designed mainly for those needing "hands-on" information to develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies for businesses in general industry.

Fact Sheet on Employment Laws

Every employer of employees subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage provisions must post, and keep posted, a notice explaining the Act. An approved copy of the minimum wage poster is made available for informational purposes or for employers to use as posters.

Information about employer coverage, employee eligibility , and leave entitlement.

U.S. Department of Agriculture's guide to employment on the farm.

Washington, DC -- A "best practices" guide was published this week, which gives a boost to the already strong state regulatory flexibility movement. The guide, published by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration, will help states that are implementing regulatory flexibility programs for small business. Regulatory flexibility addresses the disproportionate impact regulations have on small business by requiring agencies to analyze the impact of their proposed regulations and to evaluate less burdensome alternatives.

State Guide to Regulatory Flexibility for Small Businesses details the key elements of implementing a regulatory flexibility program. According to the guide, once a regulatory flexibility law is in place the focus should be on making sure that regulatory officials understand the law, that small business stakeholders become a resource for agencies' analysis efforts, and that there is strong executive leadership from the top ensuring compliance with the law or executive order.

Since the introduction of the Office of Advocacy's state model legislation in 2002, the movement for state regulatory flexibility has swept the country. Already this year Arkansas joined the growing list of states with active regulatory statues or executive orders. During the past five years, thirty-seven state legislatures have considered regulatory flexibility legislation and nineteen states have implemented legislation or an executive order.

Information on immigration law from the U.S. Department of Agrigulture.

The U.S. Depatment of Labor Employment standards Administration explains the Immigration and Nationality Act, which sets forth the conditions for the temporary employment of Aliens in the United States.

Laws on the use of polygraphs for pre-employment screening or during the course of employment.

Questions and answers about the federal minimum wage.

Click on any state or jurisdiction to find out about applicable minimum wage laws.

The Department of Labor administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws. These mandates and the regulations that implement them cover many workplace activities for about 10 million employers and 125 million workers. This site gives a brief description of the many principal statutes most commonly applicable to businesses.

Explains who is covered, employee rights and basic provisions and requirements.

Central registration site for small businesses interested in contracts with the agencies across the federal government.

Are you a small business? Thinking about starting your own company? You must visit this site. The Small Business Administration provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses.

As of December 2002, the CCR system has eliminated the requirement to register separately within the Small Business Administration's PRO-Net database. A vendor only needs to input business information in one database (CCR), which will then automatically populate the SBA database. Please note that if you are interested in receiving Small Disadvantaged Business, HUBZone, or 8(a) certifications, you will need to refer separately to SBA to complete that process.

Electronic Commerce Resource Centers (ECRCs) are a network of U.S. Government sponsored centers that provide EC/EDI training and support to the contractor community.

As part of EPA's outreach initiative to enhance our communication with the public and business communities, this page contains EPA policy information of interest, including the EPAAR: EPA's supplemental to the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

This Advisor helps federal contractors and subcontractors understand basic coverage and compliance information on equal employment opportunity laws and regulations enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). Employees, job applicants and others may also find this Advisor useful for learning about the basic obligations of federal contractors and subcontractors.

Most federal government agencies have small-business programs. This page from the U.S. Department of Commerce lists small business program contact information at the Commerce Department and throughout the federal government.

GSA's Schedules, also known as Multiple Award Schedules (MAS), are contracts that allow federal customers to acquire more than 4 million services and products directly from more than 8,600 commercial suppliers. This page explains how to become a GSA Schedule contrator.

The HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program provides federal contracting opportunities for qualified small businesses located in distressed areas. Fostering the growth of these federal contractors as viable businesses, for the long term, helps to empower communities, create jobs, and attract private investment.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides financial, technical, and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. Information on federal socioeconomic procurement programs, such as HUBZones and the Small Disadvantaged Business program, is also available at SBA's Web site.

SmartBiz -- Small businesses can certainly benefit from having a Web site, but they need to follow a few guidelines. Provide Web site readers with: abundant informational content; a simple, navigable layout; and just a few options so they know where to go for what they need.

SalesandMarketing.com-- Focus on customer service when striving to build a solid reputation for your business. Keep your customers' best interests in mind, get to know frequent patrons by name and go out of your way to be helpful and seek feedback, and you're on your way to creating lifelong clients.

Find out what the Women's Bureau is doing in your neighborhood to help women build and sustain successful businesses every day. For more information on the Women's Bureau in your state: Visit your local Women's Bureau office today.

Connecting employment, education, and training services into a coherent network of resources at the local, state, and national level. Connecting employment, education, and training services into a coherent network of resources at the local, state, and national level.

Regional MBE/WBE coordinators representing your home state.

IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers are your one-stop resource for face-to-face tax help and solutions to tax problems, every business day. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers are your one-stop resource for face-to-face tax help and solutions to tax problems, every business day.

Each women’s business center provides assistance and/or training in finance, management, marketing, procurement and the Internet, as well addressing specialized topics such as home-based businesses, corporate executive downsizing and welfare-to-work.

U.S. Export Assistance Centers located in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States, are one-stop shops ready to provide your small- or medium-sized business with local export assistance.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has extensive resources to help a woman entrepreneur begin her own business. From planning and start-up basics, to financing and legal considerations, this web site will give you all the tools you need to get started.

Meeting the payroll, week to week, is the best some businesses can hope for. This is especially true for startups. However, if you find your business in a more secure position, you may want to offer some benefits to your employees (and to yourself). In fact, one of the many reasons that small business ownership is so attractive is the opportunity to obtain tax-deductible benefits for the owner and his or her family.

Becoming a successful business takes time, energy, motivation, and a bit of luck. See the links on this site for valuable information to help you start, develop and/or sustain your business.

Information on how to start a business; handle finances; manage employees; do business; get out of business; and find legal help.

This publication provides a comprehensive approach to developing a business plan for a home-based business.

Business.gov guides you through the maze of government rules and regulations … and provides access to services and resources to help you start, grow, and succeed in business.

Over 40 different Federal agencies assist or regulate businesses. With so many sources of information, finding what you want can be complicated and time-consuming. Business.gov is one of the E-Government initiatives in the President's Management Agenda. It was developed to provide better customer service for small businesses interacting with the Federal Government.

Business.gov is a collaborative effort managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Partner executive departments include Department of Commerce (DOC), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of Transportation (DOT). We also partner with the following independent agencies and government corporations: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), General Services Administration (GSA), and Social Security Administration (SSA). Click here to see the list of agencies that are represented within the Forms Catalog.

The Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the primary vendor database for the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, Department of Transportation (DoT), and Department of Treasury. The CCR collects, validates, stores and disseminates data in support of agency missions. Access the CCR online registration through the CCR homepage.

Complete Listing of Government Wide OSDBU Officials

Using a free consultation service largely funded by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites, improve their occupational safety and health management systems, and even qualify for a one-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections.

How to Apply to the CDFI Fund

An electronic bid-matching system that notifies minority firms of procurement and teaming opportunities.

This site was created to address the needs of a special category of financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) referred to as Money Services Businesses or MSBs. Visit this site to obtain the necessary forms to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act and associated regulations

DisabilityInfo.gov (www.disabilityinfo.gov) is a one-stop federal Web site designed to offer people with disabilities and many others access to the information and resources they need to live full and independent lives in the workplace and in their communities. Managed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) (www.dol.gov/odep), DisabilityInfo.gov offers a broad range of valuable information, not only for people with disabilities, but also their family members, service providers, employers and many others.

Easy to navigate, DisabilityInfo.gov is organized by subject areas that include benefits, civil rights, community life, education, employment, health, housing, technology and transportation. In particular, the Employment sections of the Web site link to a wide range of resources designed to provide people with disabilities access to employment services at the national, state and local level.

With 21 federal agencies contributing content to this Web site, including the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of 21st Century Workforce, DisabilityInfo.gov contains extensive, frequently updated information on a host of cross-cutting topics. Subject areas of particular interest to people with disabilities include information on career advancement and entrepreneurship summits; links to education and training programs; and access to information, resources and technical assistance for self-employment and small business opportunities.

"An investment in planning today will not only help protect your business investment and your livelihood, but will also support your employees, customers and stakeholders, the community, the local economy and even the country.

This commonsense framework is designed to launch a process of learning about business preparedness."

Publications and resources that will be useful in financially shaping your small business.

Verify social security benefits.

An online booklet about what Social Security offers women employees and employers.

Register your trademark online with the Patent and Trademark Office

Access the employer's guide, "Wage Reporting for Employers" to assist with employee wage information, electronic filing, and tips on W-2's.

Defines language commonly used in retirement savings options.

A comparison chart of several retirement savings programs.

An online pamphlet on various retirement plans for small-business owners and their employee.

A fact sheet from the Internal Revenue Service on the many changes affecting retirement planning as a result of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and regulations issued during 2002.

When structured carefully, the right type of plan will offer the self-employed individual or the majority owner of a closely held corporation a substantial benefit. Some of the most common plans are Money Purchase, Profit Sharing, 401(k), Simple IRA and SEP plans.

Women business owners frequently put off planning for their retirement. If you have employees, you may want to offer retirement as a benefit, but feel you are unable because of its expense. However, there is one option you may want to consider that would ensure income for you and your employees in your later years: a Simplified Employee Pension Plan.

This fact sheet provides you with information on how we decide whether a person meets Social Security's definition of retirement and describes the types of evidence we need to make that decision.

This site contains information to help employers explain the value of Social Security. It also explains how to correctly prepare W-2 forms.

An online booklet about what Social Security offers women employees and employers.

This page from the U.S. Department of Labor outlines information about the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, the Federal tax rate, the state unemployment tax, and domestic employers.

View a streaming video of an IRS Small Business Workshop, take an IRS course or complete an online self-directed version of a workshop taught live around the country.

Publications from the Internal Revenue Service that guide small businesses through taxes, business expenses, retirement plans, record keeping, and employer identification numbers.

Software and other tools from the internal Revenue Service to help small-business owners meet their tax requirements.

This page from the Internal Revenue Service provides links to basic federal tax information for people who are starting a business. It also provides information to assist in making basic business decisions.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) maintains extensive resources for small business owners on taxes and retirement. Learn about various retirement plans, 401(k)s for the independent business owner, and allocations you should make as a small business owner.

This article from the Small Business Administration's Women's Business Center explains what employers can do if they receive a letter from the IRS

As sole proprietors across the nation complete their income tax returns, they are reminded once again of the tax inequities that they face, particularly when it comes to calculating deductions from the self-employment tax.

Visit the National Association for the Self-Employed's web site to learn more about navigating the tax code!

Assessing the Need for Personal Protective Equipment: A Guide for Small Business Employers from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Workplace injury,iIllness and fatality statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What do you need to comply with the new record keeping requirements? If you have questions, look into this Web site for important information that will help you stay compliant with OSHA standards.

From the U.S. Department of Labor's Mining Safety and Health Administration, this Accident Prevention web site includes safety tips, programs, and material that can be used to prevent accidents in the mining industry. The safety tips, programs and material were donated by miners, mine operators, MSHA employees, and other interested parties.

Working Partners offers several resources from the U.S. Department of Labor to help employers make their workplaces alcohol and drug free.

The U.S. Department of Labor is dedicated to keeping America's 21st Century Workforce safe. Use the resources on this page to find answers to your questions related to workplace safety issues.

All you need to assess your need for an emergency evacuation plan, as well as tools to implement such a procedure from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Learn about OSHA's guidelines to recognizing and dealing with ergonomics issues.

This is a query tool which allows the user to determine the most frequently cited federal and state OSHA standards for a given SIC (Standard Industry Code). The SIC code may be determined by accessing the online SIC Manual.

Safety Information from the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration

Extensive electronic resources for small businesses on topics like anthrax, safety and health management, fire safety and hazard awareness. Includes some resources in Spanish.

Starting a new business can be challenging. OSHA can help by explaining the federal regulatory requirements concerning safety and health and help you create a safe workplace for your employees that conform to federal law.

An exhaustive list of OSHA publications.

Read some of the latest publications from OSHA relevant to small businesses, including "Employee Workplace Rights", "OSHA Handbook for Small Businesses", and "Job Safety and Health Quarterly".

A searchable database of all OSHA safety and health standards and regulations.

OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) are designed to recognize and promote effective safety and health management.

Using a free consultation service largely funded by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites, improve their occupational safety and health management systems, and even qualify for a one-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections.

This document contains basic information about selected topics in occupational safety and health. The guide is designed to provide ideas and organizational assistance to an instructor who wishes to present these topics, which specifically focus on the needs of small business.

The Small Business Tools Homepage from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Tools include record keeping resources, industry profiles for OSHA standards, inspection information, and workplace illness and injury statistics.

Find topic links on this list ranging from accident information to wood dust and youth workers from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.