Whether currently at a startup or simply getting your entrepreneurial juices flowing, the following list of resources is helpful for providing you some of the resources you need for a successful business.
Ciocca Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
Lucas Hall
1-408-554-5753
There are various local and national networks to join as a small business, which may may help you with a variety of valuable resources, a strong support group, and much more. Take a look below for networks that may interest you.
- U.S. Small Business Administration
www.sba.gov - SCORE - Counselors to America's Small Business
www.score.org/ - Silicon Valley SCORE
http://www.svscore.org/ - U.S. Chamber of Commerce
ChamberofCommerce.org - National Federation of Independent Businesses
www.nfib.com - National Association for the Self-Employed
nase.org - United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
usasbe.org - Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
www.entrepreneurship.org
It is vital for all startups to begin planning with a clear business model and purposeful strategy. Check out the following links for additional help with business planning:
- Sample 1 Page Executive Summary-A concise, easy to read format
- Bplans.com - Your business starts here.
www.bplans.com - Deming Center for Entrepreneurship - Writing a Successful Business Plan
- Free Legal Documents Courtesy of UpCounsel
- Free Legal Guides Courtesy of UpCounsel
- Guy Kawasaki's The Only 10 Slides You Need in a Pitch
- Business Ethics-The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University
- CalChamber
www.calchamber.com/Pages/Default.aspx - San Jose Chamber of Commerce
www.sjchamber.com - San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
www.sfchamber.com - IRS - California Workshops
https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/california-tax-workshops-meetings-and-seminars - California Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development
http://www.business.ca.gov/
Following is a sampling of just a few area banks that make SBA-backed loans, including contact information (the links below are links to the SBA loan area of each institution):
- Superior Financial Group in Walnut Creek
(925) 296-0500 - Pinnacle Bank in Morgan Hill
(408) 762-7163, Barbara Holland or Mark Ruiz - Wells Fargo (while larger, it does do smaller SBA guaranteed loans)
(408) 995-3660, Greg Mitchell - U.S. Bank NA
(800) 303-4722
In addition, many credit unions offer SBA-backed loans, such as Tech CU in the Silicon Valley area. Gaebler.com has a list of links by city for banks with business loans, most of which offer SBA loans.
- USA.gov for Nonprofits
https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services/non-profits - Society for Non-Profits
http://www.snpo.org/resources/startup.php - National Council of NonProfits - Including "How to Start a Nonprofit"
http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/howtostartanonprofit - Start a Nonprofit Corporation-CA Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development
https://calosba.ca.gov/
When marketing your new company, be sure to stay updated on the best ways you can market to your customers!
- Charlie Cook's Marketing for Success - Sell More. Profit More. Live More.
www.marketingforsuccess.com - Colloquy - The art and science of building customer value.
www.colloquy.com/# - JustSell - It's all about sales
www.justsell.com/
- The Unavoidable Ethical Dilemmas That Entrepreneurs Face-The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University
- Microsoft Office - Business Plan Templates
office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010253062.aspx - Social Entrepreneurship Open-Content Site
www.setoolbelt.org - Easy online scheduling tool (free of charge and without registration)
www.doodle.com - United States Patent & Trademark Office Fee Schedule
http://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/fees-and-payment/uspto-fee-schedule
- The Ethical Startup LinkedIn Group-The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University
- Jim Blasingame - The Small Business Advocate
www.smallbusinessadvocate.com - Fast Company
www.fastcompany.com/ - Silicon Valley-SF Bay Area Startup Digest (newsletter/calendar of events and activities)
www.startupdigest.com/digests/silicon-valley