Small business community resources

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

Starting your own business is both exciting and challenging. It's great to be in charge of the entire operation, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start in terms of finding and utilizing local support.

As you begin searching out helpful resources, don't overlook your immediate community. There are plenty of offices and services that can provide useful information or assistance when needed. Even if you don't utilize it now, you may in the future:

1. Start with the post office. If your business is not for profit, you may be eligible for certain types of postal services. You can also pick up large mail sacks for transporting mass mailings. Often, you can buy supplies like stationery, envelopes, or packaging. The post office will provide information about costs for shipping locally or globally using an array of distinctive services, from registered to certified and overnight or priority. You may want to rent a post office box for your business, even if it will be used only for receiving invoices or checks. Form a partnership with the folks at the post office so that you can work productively together to ensure timely delivery of your messages or products.

2. Check out public relations media. As your business grows, you may at some point want to retain the services of a good publicist. This can be done on an hourly rate or on a project scale, so find out in advance what services will cost. You can always start out small by having a simple brochure printed. Then you may wish to put up a Website to promote your company. The next step could be a quarterly newsletter for customers. With a healthy partnership in place, your publicist will soon come to understand your company's niche in the business and share your vision for marketing strategies.

3. Find a reliable printer. Even if you are doing most of the letter and report typing yourself, and have farmed out brochures and other print materials, the time may come when you want to upgrade print resources to a more professional level. Or there may even be small jobs you can hire out now, such as a company history, a marketing survey, or something along those lines. Perhaps you could trade services to get a discount in printing costs when you decide to go for an upgrade.

4. Visit the library. Free online, print, government, and business listings are available or can be ordered through interlibrary loan. You can check out the Dun and Bradstreet's index, along with other economic and business indexes and government reports, statistics, and pamphlets. If you travel, there are free books to take along or language audiotapes to listen to when planning a trip abroad. The library offers free computer use for those who do not have a computer yet, though of course you will want to get one as soon as possible.

5. Get a writer, editor, or proofreader. Even if you are a star reporter, it helps to have a second pair of eyes review your materials. If you don't have time to write a report or design a brochure, a freelance writer can do the job for you, or she can look over your draft and catch errors or make suggestions. You may decide to farm out part of your writing while you handle the rest. Any way you look at it, a qualified writer, someone with a college degree in English, journalism, or communications, can help to polish and strengthen your written communications.

So now that you know where to start, get going! Make friends in your neighborhood so that you can network to promote your business and perhaps trade services or even get discounts.