Are you thinking about creating a home based business, working from home, 
or looking for a  2nd part-time job to supplement your current income?
This page lists some resources and suggestions for reaching your goals.
You may want to develop an "internet based business" or service, 
or a home based service - perhaps "secretarial" or "consultant" based. 
You may also want to start your own Information business,
or become a Seller of Items or Books via eBay or other Online Auctions.
For those who dream of being their own boss,  and who think they have an idea for aproduct or service that would be good for a home based business - 
I have listed some links for resources that you may find useful.*
*Please note this page & my website has NOT been updated in the past few years 2005-2008 - so some links may no longer be available and/or information may NOT be Current.

• Resource Links & Articles 
• Create a Business Plan 
• Ideas to use your skills 
• Selling via Online Auctions 
• Create Your Online Business Site - Resource links/tips 
• For Women Only sites 
• "Craft" Your Own Business 
• Free Business Forms 
• Books to consider 
• Online  Classes 
• Buying a Franchise

YOU are responsible for doing your homework and research on any business opportunity!
and for knowing what talents, experience, and finances you have in place "before" considering opening any type business. Do NOT risk money you can't afford to lose, or pay back even if the business fails.

And Remember - when visiting or reading online resources:
If It Sounds too Good to Be True...

Home Business Start-Up Center
http://www.at-homeworks.com/home_business_center.htm

Excerpt quoted from website:
 Home Business Readiness Checklist : 
Stop! Before you start your home based business, there are a few questions
you should ask yourself in order to determine how prepared you are, 
or what areas you may need to work on.
http://www.at-homeworks.com/checklist.htm

Read from IVillage.com
Excerpt quoted from website
Find the Hot Home Business for You
"I want to work from home, but I don't know where to start!"
Sound familiar? Creating a plan for working from home is easier than you think. Here, you'll find work-from-home ideas for all types of skills. 
read complete information
www.ivillage.com/work/wfh/features/articles/0,,187811_258692,00.html
**Note**: for some of the home business ideas mentioned, I also have links listed on this page to some of the same or additional resource links.

Articles of interest: *excerpts quoted directly from websites
In-House 
By Sara Wilson   |   November 14, 2007
Thinking of starting your own homebased business? Take a peek behind the shutters and
find out what it's like to make the dough right at home. 
http://www.entrepreneur.com/homebasedbiz/homebasedbasics/article186854.html

40 Best Business Tips for the Home-Based Entrepreneurs 
By Compiled by PowerHomeBiz.com
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/
Work at Home index:
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/Index/workathome.htm

Home Based Business Directory
http://www.bizymoms.com/hbmd.html

DON'T WORK AT SOMETHING YOU DON'T ENJOY OR ARE ATTEMPTING WITH NO  EXPERIENCE DOING THE JOB OR THAT YOU ARE DOING FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME - UNLESS YOU CAN LEARN QUICKLY AND BE ABLE TO ADJUST AND WEATHER THE  UPS AND DOWNS OF  A BEGINNER IN THE HOME BASED BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

UNDERSTAND YOUR LOCAL MARKET - IS THERE A REAL MARKET FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICES. IS YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY ABLE TO SUPPORT YOUR PRICES AND SERVICES.
Ask questions of others who own their own home based business, subscribe to magazines, or trade publications related to your own business. Stay educated in the latest trends in your particular business. Take classes online or at local schools or outlets to  update your skills if needed. 

IF YOUR BUSINESS WILL BE  INTERNET BASED, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BACKUPS OF ALL MATERIAL/DOCUMENTS/SOFTWARE/PRODUCT SHOTS ETC. NEEDED, AND PROPER SECURITY SOFTWARE ETC. INSTALLED. YOUR COMPUTER SHOULD BE UP TO DATE, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE A BROADBAND, CABLE OR HIGHSPEED INTERNET CONNECTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN WEBSITE, KEEP IT CURRENT AND MAKE SURE IT IS VIEWED AND WORKS CORRECTLY ON ALL WEB BROWSERS AND BE MINDFUL OF VISITORS WHO MAY BE ON DIAL-UP CONNECTIONS. EVEN IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DESIGN OR MANAGE A WEBSITE, YOU SHOULD EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE BASICS OF HTML, WEBPAGE BASICS, ETC. SO THAT YOU CAN BE PREPARED  IN THE EVENT YOU NEED TO ADD/OR/EDIT THE SITE YOURSELF.

TRY TO HAVE ONE COMPUTER DESIGNATED JUST FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES, AND KEEP A EXTERNAL DRIVE FOR BACKUPS ETC. AND/OR HAVE AN ONLINE SERVICE BACKUP YOUR MATERIAL NEEDED FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

Keep accurate & organized records/copies of business related Expenses and Transactions,Contracts, Invoices, Letters, Emails and Business related material. Keep Printed copies organized and filed in a place of their own.
Do NOT Keep sensitive or private information on the computer, make sure you have printed or backups of everything important or needed for proper business operation off the computer.

Remember HOPE for the Best but PLAN for the Worst!

HOME BASED BUSINESSES REQUIRE PROFESSIONALISM, HONESTY, DEDICATION. ORGANIZATION AND EXCELLENT WORK ETHICS AS MUCH OR MORE THAN TRADITIONAL JOBS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND SKILLED TRADES.

US Small Business Administration has most of the resources 
you'll need to get started (for United States based businesses)
http://www.sba.gov/

Visit also: The SBA's Online Women's Business Center
http://www.onlinewbc.gov

Related US Government sites ~ see:
Federal Consumer Information Center
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/

Life Advice about Starting a Small Business
 This Life Advice pamphlet about Starting A Business was produced by
the MetLife Consumer Education Center and co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/smbuss/start-business/strtbiz.htm

Publication of the week (June 17, 2002)
The Facts About Starting a Small Business
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/smbuss/start-smbusiness/smbus.html

Small Business Links - Starting and Managing a Business
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/links/sm69links.htm

A Guide to Business Credit for Women, Minorities, & Small Businesses
http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/buscredit/default3.htm

Small Business - Publications or CDs availalbe free or for small fees at FCIC
(Federal Citizen Information Center)

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
http://www.cfda.gov/

Consumer.gov
http://www.consumer.gov/

Related:
Starting a Food Business? - see the Food  biz links below

More - Small Business Resources Links
www.abusinessresource.com/Business_Resources/Additional_Resources/

From Entreprenuer.com
Home Based Business
http://www.entrepreneur.com/homebasedbiz/index.html

Excerpt Quoted from website
How to Start Your Own Business
The number of tasks you need to complete and the information you need to track down before you begin a business can feel beyond overwhelming. To help you cross this hurdle, we've compiled the basic information you need to begin your own business. From marketing and hiring employees to legal concerns and financing, you've got access to the best that we have. You'll be on your way to business ownership in no time!
http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/howtoguides/index115868.html

See more  How-to guides from http://www.entrepreneur.com/
excerpt quoted
Whether you need help writing a business plan or marketing plan, finding a franchise or business opportunity, starting a homebased business or building a better business, our extensive how-tos will lead you through the process. Free, thorough, and easy to use, these learning tools are essential to starting and growing your business.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/howtoguides/index115868.html

Business Owners Toolkit 
http://www.toolkit.cch.com/

Learn that:
Creating a Business Plan - How to Prepare a Proper Business Plan
http://www.learnthat.com/courses/business/businessplan/index.shtml

Business town
Creating a Business Plan
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating-plan.asp

Business Plan Archive
Excerpt quoted from website:
To help us learn from history, we are creating the Business Plan Archive (BPA) to collect business plans and related documents from the dot com era. These plans – the “blueprints” that lay out the assumptions and strategies of Internet entrepreneurs – will enable entrepreneurs and researchers to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research.
http://www.businessplanarchive.org/

Read this article (**it is a PDF file - you'll need Adobe acrobat reader to open)
Home Based Business: the Hidden Economy
http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs194.pdf

HOW TO START A HOME-BASED BUSINESS
Judy Vorfeld [http://www.ossweb.com] wrote this series of articles to help business support services owners, but many of the principles apply to other small and home-based businesses.
How to Start a Home Based - Office Support Business

HOW TO START A HOME BASED BUSINESS
http://www.empowermentzone.com/home_biz.txt

Home Based Business Guides & tips
http://www.bizmove.com/home_based_business/HomeBasedBusiness.htm

PowerHomeBiz.com Articles:
Working at Home: What Should I Do? 
For many of us, deciding to start a home business raises a lot of questions, foremost of which is: what should I do? Know how a work-at-home mom was able to decide what she really wants in order to push through with her goal of running a business from her home.
by Tammy Harrison
Contributing Author
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol46/what.htm

Are You Geared for a Home-Based Business? 
Millions around the world are beginning to see the benefits of working at home. More and more people are working their way back home by putting their talents to work. Here are 10 questions to help you evaluate whether you are suited for a home business.
by Steve Ma. Reyna
PowerHomeBiz Staff Writer 
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol15/candidate.htm

Be Ready to Pay the Price for Working at Home 
The home-based entrepreneur is rapidly becoming the boom industry of this new millennium. More and more people are changing their lifestyles and shattering the long-held dictum of corporate employment. However, working from home has its price.
by Lyve Alexis Pleshette
PowerHomeBiz Staff Writer 
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol19/price.htm

Work-at-Home Scams 
How various scams operate. 
Beware of companies promising you big money to compile names. 
by Isabel M. Isidro
Managing Editor
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/Index/scams.htm

Find more articles and resources on:
http://www.powerhomebiz.com

Home Based Business Opportunities
http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/
Home Based Business Opportunities (HBBO) Library
This library has over 300 pages of valuable information to help you 
make money from home.
http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/library/index.shtml

Why I Started My Home Business
by LaDonna Vick
http://momslife.com/zine/home_business.shtml

How to start a Home Based Office Support Business / by Judy Vorfeld
http://www.ossweb.com/start-business.html

Related:
Work At Home Ideas
http://www.work-at-home-ideas.com/

From Entreprenuer.com
Excerpt Quoted from website
How to Start Your Own Business
The number of tasks you need to complete and the information you need to track down before you begin a business can feel beyond overwhelming. To help you cross this hurdle, we've compiled the basic information you need to begin your own business. From marketing and hiring employees to legal concerns and financing, you've got access to the best that we have. You'll be on your way to business ownership in no time!
http://www.entrepreneur.com/howto/startyourbiz/0,5969,,00.html

Homebased Startup Checklist 
 Excerpt quoted from website article
The devil is in the details--we've created this checklist so you don't forget anything crucial when starting your new business.
HomeOfficeMag.com - November 2002
By Laura Tiffany
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,304303,00.html
**PDF** Checklist to print
http://www.entrepreneur.com/misc/checklist.pdf

Home Office - helpful resources & articles
http://www.entrepreneur.com/homeoffice/0,6289,,00.html
Home Based Business - helpful resources/articles
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_Node/0,4507,129,00.html
Sales & Marketing for Your Homebased Business
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_Node/0,4507,343,00.html

BIZ 101
All Biz 101 Articles

Business Owners Toolkit (not just for *home* business owners)
http://www.toolkit.cch.com/

Barbara Brabek
 for home business owners who are striving for financial success and happiness in both their professional and personal lives.
http://www.barbarabrabec.com/
Related see some of the Books that Barbara Brabec has written

Light Keeper.com
Excerpt quoted from website:
This site is dedicated to all those who keep the light in their homes - stay-at-home moms and dads, work at home moms and dads, and parents who want to stay at home and are looking for resources, support and ideas.
http://www.thelightkeeper.com/
Articles for Work at Home Parents
http://www.thelightkeeper.com/wah/articles.htm

Register at Careers from Home.com
and find jobs that are already out there, needing to utilize your "skills"!
www.careersfromhome.com
Excerpt quoted from website:
CareersFromHome.com Members receive:
The ability to POST YOUR RESUME to be viewed by Fortune 1000 companies seeking telecommuters.
Access to HUNDREDS of TELECOMMUTING OPPORTUNITIES.
CAREER SUPPORT to help make you more attractive to employers.
A monthly E-NEWSLETTER to inform you of the latest telecommuting trends.

July 2004 upcoming publication
Ultimate Homebased Business Handbook: How to Start,Run and Grow Your Own Profitable Business
Entrepreneur Press | ISBN: 1932531025
From the Publisher
  Here's the proven road map to move from start-up to profitability fast, regardless of prior business experience or education. Comprehensive, detailed information for every stage, combined with step-by-step how to, plus tips, ideas, tools, and resources make this the required one-stop guide. 

Find other suggested  titles with the keywords home based business
 Related Books to consider for purchase: 
See 20 titles from Home-Based Business Series

Read from these online resources
Business Ideas for Your Small & Home Business 
Have you ever dreamed of starting your own small or home business? Read some advice on choosing a business, and ideas of businesses you can start and grow.
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/BizIdeas/bizideas.htm

25 Part-Time Businesses to Start Today! 
Looking to earn some extra cash in your spare time? We've got 25 great ways to get started!
September 30, 2003 |  Carla Goodman
http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/article64720.html

Online Support & Articles, Resources
http://www.homeworkers.org/sitemap.shtml

4hb.com - Home Office Articles
http://www.4hb.com/06index.html
Be Organized - Articles
http://www.4hb.com/03index.html

Home & Home Office tools, products and articles from Hewlett Packard
http://www.hp.com/country/us/eng/solutions/home_homeoffice.html
work at home : getting down to business
http://www.homeandoffice.hp.com/hho/us/eng/work_at_home.html

Small Business Startup Information & Resources
http://www.businessnation.com/library/bizstartup.html

Hidden Costs for New Business Owners

Check out all the wonderful resources at:

Victoria's Entrepreneur's Business Resources
magazines.ivillage.com/victoria/workshop/resources/articles/0,13011,284725_367629,00.html
**Note these links may contain duplicative info already linked on this page**

About.com's
Small Business Information Sites & Resources

Small Business / Self Employed - U.S. Tax Information
Related visit this page on the IRS site:
Excerpt quoted from site~
Online Classroom
The Small Business/Self-Employed online classroom has a series of self-directed workshops on a variety of topics for small business owners.
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=97726,00.html

Example: Lesson One **PDF document***
Excerpt quoted from site:
Lesson 1, Introduction
This presentation covers the following topics: Employer Identification Number, Recordkeeping, Income Statement and Balance Sheet - Accounting Methods, Types of Business Organizations, Business Returns, Net Profit or Loss, and Business Deductions and Credits.
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/2003_pub_1066_module1.pdf

Also of interest - excerpt quoted from website:
The 2004 Tax Calendar for Small Businesses and Self-Employed (Publication 1518) is now available to view online.
This online version of the tax calendar is filled with useful information on general business taxes, IRS and SSA customer assistance, electronic filing and paying options, business publications and forms, common tax filing dates, and Federal legal holidays.
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=104682,00.html

Records to Keep 

Small Business - Records - What to Keep and for How Long. 
See more related information on paper & document management
on this page : papermngt.html

See the Free resources library & business information links
for Small Business owners and Home Entrepreneurs
http://novaplaza.com/library.shtml

Tips & Advice 

eBay Basics of Selling
http://pages.ebay.com/education/howtosell/index.html

eBay 101 - Beginner's Guide to eBay selling and buying
http://netforbeginners.about.com/cs/buyingselling/a/eBay101.htm

Auction Insights
Sane Advice & Unique Tools for eBay Auction Users! 
http://auctioninsights.com

eBay Tools
http://auctioninsights.com/ebay-tools.html

Auction Sellers links:<
http://auctioninsights.com/auction-sellers.html

Tutorials
http://auctioninsights.com/tutorials.html

Auction Insights - FREE Website
Excerpt quoted from website:
Free Web Sites from Auction Insights. You get Free: 
12 MB of Web space 
Online Web page building tools (no HTML experience needed!) 
Subdomain name (http://username.auctioninsights.com) 
Web-based e-mail 
A "My Member Area" to manage your Web pages 
Technical support from our friendly technical support team 
http://auctioninsights.com/hosting/index.html

Auction Artist.com
Auction editing & formatting Tool  - $10
http://www.jswe.com/AuctionArtist/Index.htm
Excerpt quoted from website:
Formatting your auctions is a proven way to build trust and attract bids.
You can avoid monthly fees and prepare your auctions professionally with an editor
The Utility Every Auctioneer Should Have
Auction Artist is a stand-alone editor that combines word processing and
HTML formatting in one easy-to-use program so you can prepare
and preview your auctions offline, before posting.
http://www.jswe.com/AuctionArtist/Index.htm

Other articles are listed to the left of each of the following:

How To Maximize Your Profits And Sell More With Online Auctions!
http://jswe.com/AuctionArtist/howtosell.htm

Following The eBay Rules
http://jswe.com/AuctionArtist/howtosell15.htm

Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Words - Or At Least Higher Bids
http://jswe.com/AuctionArtist/howtosell12.htm

Credit Cards Mean Higher Bids 
http://jswe.com/AuctionArtist/howtosell7.htm

Online auctions -- information for sellers
Articles by Richard Seltzer, http://www.samizdat.com
http://www.samizdat.com/auc.html

AuctionEssentials4U
http://www.auctionessentials4u.com

SoYouWanna Use eBay
http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/ebay/ebay2.html

Auction Guide.com
The Internets Guide to Auctions and Auctioneers WorldWide.
http://www.auctionguide.com/index.htm

More links from Google Directory listing
Auctions
  Home > Consumer Information > Auctions 

If you don't have a website or place to store your images of items to sell
consider using sites such as:
Image Hosting.com - 25cents per image to host your photo for 30 days
http://www.imagehosting.com/
also: *excerpt quoted from website~
Auction Image Hosting:
Do you wish you had an easy way to upload pictures to the
Internet so you could increase the selling price of your items?
If so, then you've come to the right place!
http://myphotodrive.com

Have Books? - Sell Books
Sell Books at half.com
http://half.ebay.com/
Excerpt quoted from website:
Selling - How does it work? 
Half.com is the place for you to turn your unwanted stuff into cash. 
Here, you can sell all sorts of stuff, like books, CDs, movies, video games, home electronics, computer equipment, trading cards, sporting goods, etc. Listing your stuff for sale is easy on Half.com. In many cases, Half.com's catalog already contains all the information that buyers are looking for on the product you're listing for sale. 
However, if you are listing an item that is not a book, CD, movie or video game and the item is not in our catalog we'll provide you with the tools needed to get it listed.
Read more:
http://half.ebay.com/help/tour/how-sell.cfm

Ebook Compilers - be sure to check out their listing of 
"Free Software downloads"
http://www.ebookcompilers.com/

eLECTRONIC Book Shell 1.0
Quoted from site:
http://www.primasoft.com/iebook/freebook2.htm
Do you want free advertising for your service?
Do you want to send organized information to your customers? 
Do you want to create electronic books? 
Do you want to send news letters in a notebook format?
eLECTRONIC Book Shell features: 
100% Free. 
Notebook-like interface. 
Easy-to-use.
Very fast and small. 
Fast search. 
Flexible filters. 
Print reports. 
Unlimited number of entries and ebooks. 
http://www.primasoft.com/iebook/freebook2.htm

Remember if you are building a Business website, or planning to sell items from a website:

• You must plan for "bandwidth" loads - make sure your site can handle the visitor traffic that you hope to build. 
• Make Sure you are able to process payments from credit cards or via a system such as paypal. 
• If Have your site "created" by a business professional, Learn how to maintain and update it yourself! *Never depend on someone else to know what goes into or onto your very own "business" website. You should learn all you can about website design and management. If you "employ" someone else to maintain, design or manage your website - remember they are your employee - treat them with respect and professionalism, but understand what they do(don't sign contracts or service agreements without knowing all that is involved with their services), and be prepared to interview, hire, and/or fire them as you would any employee who works for you.
• If you design your own site - Keep It Simple. "Less" is Better! 
• Make sure you understand all about Copyright and the Web. 
• Be Sure to have your site "backed up" - ALL images, text, web pages, etc. on a CD, External Drive disk or on your harddrive. Keep Printed Copies of Important and/or Irreplaceable information or documents in a safe secure place.
• Be prepared for Computer glitches, outages, etc. - when orders don't come through. 
• State clearly on your site - your Contact information, and  Response times to customer inquiries the customer can expect, etc.
• Use Internet Hosting Services that provide good Customer Service & Support for your Business Website.

Setting Up Shop in Cyberspace 
http://www.inc.com/resources/ecommerce/

http://www.inc.com/guides/ecom/index.html

and also see
E-Commerce Starter Kit
http://www.inc.com/guides/ecom/20696.html
and
http://www.inc.com/resources/startup/

Pointers on how to create business websites that work
http://www.viacorp.com/pointers.html

Building Your Business Web Site
http://www.at-homeworks.com/your_business_web_site.htmE-Business Building

Planning the Design of Your Web Site
Erum Zehra | Biz Talk 4U
You are all set to give your business global exposure through the internet.
http://www.smallbizcommunity.com/articles/index.htm?article=22

How to go about building websites for the average small business http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum10/1066.htm

Do's and Don'ts of Web Design
Small Biz Community, LLC
http://www.smallbizcommunity.com/articles/index.htm?article=24

Site Design
http://www.wilsonweb.com/art/design/index.htm

Promote YOUR Site Every Day!
Irena Whitfield | The Cassiopeia
http://www.smallbizcommunity.com/articles/index.htm?article=21

Free Hosting Sites for Business's - Remember you get what you "pay" for.
And - Read ALL the Details. 
Related: Read this article
Are Free Sites Worth the Cost? | Small Biz Community, LLC
http://www.smallbizcommunity.com/articles/index.htm?article=29

Online Website Builder Software
http://www.ebizwebpages.com/main/home

Site Build It!
http://buildit.sitesell.com/main/home.html

Free Site Stuff
http://www.smallbizcommunity.com/resources/index.htm?resource=4

Sign up for:
Published since November 1995, Web Marketing Today is the largest circulation Internet marketing e-mail newsletter in continuous publication.

Learn how to create Online/EZines / Mailing Lists or Print NewsLetters
http://librarysupportstaff.com/4createnewsletr.html

Learn how to create your own Online Discussion Group / Bulletin Board
http://librarysupportstaff.com/4creategroup.html

Please NOTE: I am not affiliated nor can I vouch for services provided by the above links. They are provided as informational only. Please be sure to do your own research and learn as much as you can, before proceeding to invest time and money in creating an online business site.

Can You Afford To Stay At Home?
By Sharon Davis
http://www.momslife.com/zine/afford_stayathome.shtml

How To Articles for Business Women 
Everything from how to write a mission statement to how to design a business card, to how to sponsor an online contest, how to get a grant for women and even more how to's. 
How to Start A Home Based Business
http://www.digital-women.com/howto04f.htm

Where can I find funding to start a business?
http://fdncenter.org/onlib/faqs/faq18.html

Bizy Moms.com
http://www.bizymoms.com/startup.html
Articles
http://www.bizymoms.com/artstart.html
Making Money From Home - FAQs
http://www.bizymoms.com/faq.html
Avoid The Scams!
http://www.bizymoms.com/scams.html
EBooks available *PDF*
http://www.bizymoms.com/main/?10000!header

Center for Women’s Business Research, founded as the
National Foundation for Women Business Owners, 
is the premier source of knowledge about 
women business owners and their enterprises worldwide.
http://www.nfwbo.org/

National Association of Women Business Owners
http://www.nawbo.org

National Women's Business Council
http://www.nwbc.gov/

Online Women's Business Center
http://www.onlinewbc.gov/

Resources and Financial Tools for Women in Business
www.digital-women.com/resources/
Free Daily Planners to print out
www.digital-women.com/daily-planner/

Sipping Tea & Business
Excerpt quoted from website:
Sipping Tea & Doing Business is designed for You -- The Woman in Business.
We know that women are multi-faceted, therefore we address the physical,
emotional, and spiritual needs of being a woman entrepreneur.
We hope that you will find the things you need most -- 
information, support and business development assistance,
right here in one place. 
Sheronde Glover
http://www.sippingteaonline.com/

Women's Work
http://www.wwork.com/

Women Entrepreneur Resources
http://www.businessjeeves.com/MoneyWomen.html

Working Solo
http://www.workingsolo.com/

How to start a Home Based Office Support Business / by Judy Vorfeld
http://www.ossweb.com/start-business.html

Related Books to consider for purchase: 
See 20 titles from Home-Based Business Series

• Professional Organizer 
• Virtual Assistant 
• Independant Information Professional 
• Indexer 
• Food Based / Catering  Services 
• Use your Computer Skills 
• Crafting a Business with your Craft Skills with a Computer or by Hand

Also factor in  the costs of a DSL or Cable line, 
Access to Databases, Faxing, and Scanning
Services into your pricing for your Services.

And make sure that you are trying to do something that you "enjoy".
It is important that if you are going into a business of "your own",
that it be doing something that you can put your heart into, and
something that you are willing to work very hard at to make it successful.

• http://becomeaprofessionalorganizer.com/ 
• http://www.onlineorganizing.com/Organizer_Training_Program.htm 
• http://www.miracleorganizing.com/organizing_opportunities.htm

Related - Organize a Small Library or Collections
using some of the inexpensive software  available
http://librarysupportstaff.com/4automate.html

Also related - if you are good at organizing - consider the career of "Event Planner and/or Organizer"
Find out about the career at : www.ivillage.com/work/wfh/features/articles/0,,187811_232937,00.html

Read this online information article
Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner | by Ellen Parlapiano and Pat Cobe
www.ivillage.com/work/print/0,,224135,00.html

• International Virtual Assistants Association 
• International Association of Virtual Office Assistants  
• Specialist Virtual Assistants Club  
• VirtualAssistant Certification.com 
• Virtual Assistant Resource Center 
• AssistU 
• Article 
  How do I become a Virtual Assistant? 
• Article: 
  Being a Virtual Assistant 
• Article: 
  Virtual Assistant Provides Business Assistance On Demand!
• Article: 
  Hiring a virtual assistant can help you grow your biz and get your life back
  By Alexandria Brown

University of Kansas
Virtual Communication Assistants Site.
This site links a series of tutorials designed to assist individuals in various interpersonal tasks.
www.ku.edu/cwis/units/coms2/virtualassistants.html

Wordprocessing & Bookeeping services are always needed by individuals
and small businesses. 
Become a Virtual Assistant
http://www.virtualassistants.com/
For book keeping:
Find jobs or advertise your business at:
http://www.allbookkeepingresource.com/

Remember if you need to learn new skills, or brush up on Office applications, software programs, etc.
See the many Free or Inexpensive Learning Opportunities available online.

Start your own Information Business | Information Brokering

Note: Not all Information Professionals have MLS degrees, 
find out more about the career
at:
The Association Independent Informaton Professionals
The Independent Information Professional
Excerpt quoted from website:
Information Brokering as a profession probably has its roots in the 1960's, when a few individuals and library organizations realized that the computer and the photocopier, harbingers of the significant role to be played by technology in the information revolution, would have a major impact on the organization and retrieval of information. The ability to deliver documents, copies of published articles, and similar material to the academic, business and professional communities, on-demand, presented an opportunity to those with enough foresight and entrepreneurial spirit to turn the need into a service business. 
Read remainder of article at:
http://www.aiip.org/Resources/IIPWhitePaper.html

Getting Started as an Independent Information Professional
http://www.aiip.org/Resources/getstarted.html

What is an Information Broker? | What do You Want to Know Today?
By Keith Londrie
http://www.4hb.com/marketing/0111infobroker.html

Burwell Inc.
http://www.burwellinc.com
Information for Information Brokers
Find out about a Career as a  Information Broker
read Hot Bytes
http://www.burwellinc.com/hotbytes.html

Visit:  Mary Ellen Bates  Information Services website - 
http://www.batesinfo.com
Excerpts quoted from website
The Independent Info Pro Business (a.k.a "Information Brokering")
http://www.batesinfo.com/info-brokering.html
FAQs About the Independent Info Pro Business 
http://www.batesinfo.com/faq.html
For a description of a fairly typical day in my business, see my  Day In The Life article
**PDF document
http://www.batesinfo.com/day-in-the-life.pdf
Tip of the Month
http://www.batesinfo.com/tip.html

Marketing Base.com  |  Amelia Kassel
Excerpt quoted from website
Amelia Kassel is President and owner of MarketingBase, a firm specializing in industry, company and competitive and market intelligence research since 1984.

...Her successful email-based training program for independent information professionals and business researchers, The Mentor Program began in 1994 and is tailored to each student. Other training venues include telephone training and personalized retreats.

Information Broker Mentor Program
http://www.marketingbase.com/mentor.html

Frequently Asked Questions about Information Brokering
http://www.marketingbase.com/faqs.html

Related Links for "Informational folks":

2004 GUIDE TO EMPLOYMENT SOURCES
in the LIBRARY AND INFORMATION PROFESSIONS
http://www.ala.org/ala/hrdr/libraryempresources/2004employmentguide.htm

The Information Professional's Career Page
http://www.brint.com/jobs.htm

Information Resources for Information Professionals
http://web.syr.edu/~jryan/infopro/

CILIP is the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals,
a new professional body formed following the unification of the
Institute of Information Scientists (IIS)
and the Library Association (LA). (**A United Kingdom organization**)
http://www.cilip.org.uk/

Books to read - find at your local Library or purchase online
Building and Running a Successful Research Business
By Mary Ellen Bates; Edited by Reva Basch
CyberAge Books • 2003
Excerpt quoted from website:
This is the handbook every aspiring independent information 
professional needs to launch, manage, and build a research business. 
Organized into four sections, “Getting Started,”“Running the Business,”
“Marketing,” and “Researching,” the book walks you through every step of the process.
http://store.yahoo.com/infotoday//builandrunsu.html

Information Broker's Handbook by Sue Rugge, Alfred Glossbrenner
ISBN: 0070578702 | Pub. Date: January 1997
Publisher: McGraw-Hill 

Think about working for Conference and/or Event planners in your city or town,
doing research and creating information packets customized about your city or town
for event attendees, or geared with topical (conference or event topic)information geared for attendees, etc.

You might also be a trip planner, obtaining maps, ideas for things to do
on the trip, find the best deals, etc.

Do research for people who are moving to a new town, or who have 
just relocated to your town. For instance you could be a "virtual"
welcome wagon. Produce packets of information all about the community,
the neighborhood, where things are, (many online mapping places,
will show how far from a certain address -things like bakeries, florists,
the movie theater is.) You could create individualized reference 
packets, baskets with coupons, books on the area..etc and partner with
a local real estate agent, who would buy the baskets from you for 
presenting to new home owners, etc.
You could also present informational packets & basket combos,
for people to buy for putting in guest rooms, summer cottages,
or for visiting friends or relatives coming, from out of town for family celebrations,
such as weddings - they could be placed in hotel guest rooms.

PLEASE NOTE** if you'll need to subscribe to databases,
or obtain articles online that charge a fee,  or if you'll need 
a highspeed access line, all of those expenses each month will have to be 
taken into consideration when you are deciding on fees to charge clients.

Records & Paper Management - how long to keep documents,
how to organize, and how to preserve
papermngt.html

Excerpt Quoted from website:
Career Profile:  Indexer 
Interview by Janet Scarborough with Carolyn G. Weaver, M.A., M.P.A., Indexer,
Weaver Indexing Service 

What is indexing?
Indexing is the process of providing organized access to information in any form -- books, journals, technical documentation, or Web sites.  An indexer assigns subject headings or coding that will allow information to be retrieved in a systematic fashion.
Read remainder of interview:
http://www.bridgewaycareer.com/profile-indexer.htm

Preparing for an Indexing Career--Part 1
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/1019/49938

The American Society of Indexers
Publications
Includes:
Starting an Indexing Business, Third Edition, edited by Enid L. Zafran, 1998. 
Topics covered include an overview of what indexers do, setting up a business, finding clients and setting fees, indexing while holding a full-time job, the ASI Recommended Indexing Agreement, the 1997 salary survey and much more. 
http://www.asindexing.org/site/asipub.shtml

Society of Indexers
Indexing as a career
http://www.socind.demon.co.uk/indexing/career.htm

Books for Reference:

Indexing from A to Z
Hans H. Wellisch
 ISBN: 082420882X
Format: Hardcover, 569pp
Pub. Date: April 1996

Introduction to Indexing and Abstracting
Donald B. Cleveland, Ana D. Cleveland
ISBN: 1563086417
Format: Hardcover, 283pp
Pub. Date: November 2000

Create Tutorials, Presentations, Photo Albums, etc.:
If you are going to be using your computer in any home business,
it should have a cd rewriteable drive.
Learn how to create presentations or tutorials for using online,
for local businesses and schools. 
Put completed presentations on cd roms.
Find further  info on the presentations.html page
and onlineteach.html page.

If you feel you are ready to provide services,  sign up as a 
service provider at Elance, and start finding projects 
that need being done today.
http://www.elance.com/c/cats/main/sellers.pl?
Other sites to consider:
http://www.allfreelancework.com/

If you have a digital camera, you could offer services of
taking pictures of home interiors, and organizing on cds for
insurance purposes. 
You can also use a scanner to offer services of scanning
family photos and making digital scrapbooks.
There are inexpensive software programs like Microsoft Picture It
that allow you to create albums and put them up the internet
You could offer services along those lines.
Put together albums on CDs or make websites for new parents, etc.
If you need to know or learn about digital cameras etc.
Learn from Ulead.com tutorials
Digital Photography tips
http://www.ulead.com/learning/photography.htm
and also from Internet Brother
Photo tips using your digital camera
http://internetbrothers.com/phototips.htm
 I also have links for learning about photography on
the ed4you4.html page
and the photopg.html

Learn how to design website sets.
In addition to the many "website design, learning html tutorials, etc."
links that I offer on the webpubhelp.html page
Visit also:
Website Tips.com
Quoted from the site:
WebsiteTips.com provides over 2 dozen articles, tutorials, 
and tips, color charts, HTML charts and over 2,400 categorized, 
annotated links to resources to help with your 
Web site presence, whether educator, site owner, designer, or developer.

*Libraries may be looking for custom designed,
logos and complete webpage sets.
Many current  website designers use Paint Shop Pro.
Here are a few  sites with Free tutorials:
Paint Shop Pro  tutorials

• PSPTips.com 
  Creating Web Graphics with Paint Shop Pro 
• Lori's Web Graphics: How-To 
• Web Graphics on a Budget 
• Robin's Paint Shop Pro resources 

Starting a Food Business? - 
Excerpt quoted from website
FDA Industry Assistance: 301-436-2600
FDA's primary focus as a regulatory agency is food safety. FDA does not offer financing or business tips for starting up and maintaining a business. FDA offers information on food safety guidelines and regulations it has established that are required for informative labeling and the safe preparation, manufacture, and distribution of food products.
Visit:  http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/foodbiz.html

See more  Food Entrepreneur resources from this Penn State University website
http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/processor/resources.htm

Starting a Homebased Food Business on a Sweet Note 
Make sure to follow state regulations when selling
Entrepreneur magazine - May 2004
By Paul and Sarah Edwards
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,315230,00.html

Example of publication available online - check your own states resources to see if there is something similar from your Cooperative Extension offices,  in your own state:
Starting a Food Processing Business in Virginia
Publication Number 348-963, Posted June 2001 
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/foods/348-963/348-963.html

And here is a PDF document avalable to open and read:
Starting a Food  Business in Minnesota
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/dairyfood/startingfoodbiz.pdf

Here is a resource page for those in New England area
http://www.umass.edu/nefe/starting_a_food_business/

See this page with some links to US States resources:
in this article:
Resources for Starting Your Own Preserved Foods Business:
Can I sell my home preserved food?
National Center for Home Food Preservation | March 2005
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/business/starting_business.html

Canadian - About.com Small business guide
Excerpt quoted from website
Starting A Food Business
Have you ever thought of starting a business producing a food product? Then you won't want to miss this discussion, which includes links to food processing manuals in various provinces and insights into the problem of needing a commercial kitchen. 
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/b/a/2004_01_14.htm

If you're a good baker - consider making items to sell to libraries for celebrations, or events,  or conferences - you might offer catering services.
Remember Kate & Allie....:- )
If you're good at cookies, offer cookie trays, design  "book shaped" cakes and or cookies. Use your skills and imagination to come up with unique services and items that may not 
have been  sold or offered in your area before.

Article:
Starting a Catering Business
http://www.4www.us/catering/catering-business.htm

Books to consider for purchase: