Specialized Online Business Resources: A Better Alternative to Search Engines

(ARA) – If you run a small business today, you know the critical need for information. Like no other time in history, accurate, timely and credible information is the key to making sound business decisions and ultimately achieving business success.

Most small businesses rely on Web sites like Yahoo! and Google to locate business information. These popular search engines have opened up a world of information to anyone with a computer and Internet access. Unfortunately, that benefit is also the most frustrating aspect of using popular search engines: a world of information also means thousands or even millions of results.

Who has the time to sort through so many results? Even if you find something that seems useful, how do you know it’s credible? Smart business people are turning to specialized online resources to solve this critical issue.

Look to independent resources with proven credibility, like the non-profit James J. Hill Reference Library, a trusted source of practical business information. The organization recently premiered BizToolkit (www.biztoolkit.org) and the Biz Info Library (www.bizinfolibrary.org). Both programs organize the business Internet and provide access to information, some of which is not available via search engines. Best of all, both programs are free.

BizToolkit provides instant access to tools and resources for planning, marketing, managing, and growing a business. Need a business plan? Download one from the Planning Your Business section. Looking for forms and templates? You’ll find them in the Managing Your Business section.

BizToolkit has thousands of great resources, all neatly organized and easy to find. And the Hill Library continually adds new resources, such as the Virtual Advisory Board where participants can ask business questions of and receive answers from business owners and experts from across the nation and around the world.

“The BizToolkit has saved me hundreds of hours and probably thousands of dollars,” says Cathy Paper, founder of LiveDynamite, a business consulting firm. “For example, I needed to find some employee engagement information and literally within a few mouse clicks, I had the exact data I needed to help my client with a critical decision.”

Those wanting an even higher level of business information service can become a BizToolkit Pro member at www.biztoolkit.org/pro. For less than $8 per month, BizToolkit Pro members have access to premium information resources, including additional downloadable plans, educational Podcasts, and more.

When a Pro member needs help locating information, they just click the “Live Help” button and enter into an instant message chat session with a Hill information specialist. The specialist “takes hold” of the member’s browser and shows how to search and navigate the wealth of resources available in BizToolkit. An email transcript of the interaction, with links to sites visited, is then sent to the member.

Also included in BizToolkit Pro is BizRewards, which allows members to receive discounts on popular small business products and services. BizToolkit Pro members even receive free one-year complimentary subscriptions to both “Inc.” and “Fast Company” magazines.

The second new business information program is the Biz Info Library. Integrated into BizToolkit and also accessible to anyone online at www.bizinfolibrary.org, Biz Info Library is a powerful online resource of practical business articles and content. It provides immediate access to reliable expert information, ideas and insights on owning, operating, and growing a company. Along with some of the top publishers on small business and entrepreneurial success, content providers include world-renowned authors and leading business experts.

A collaborative effort of the Hill Library, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the Edward Lowe Foundation, — three of the nation’s top organizations devoted to small business success — the Biz Info Library eliminates frustrating online searches that produce thousands and sometimes millions of results. Users can quickly find relevant information by using a keyword search, an advanced search, or by browsing all articles in a particular category and subcategory.

“As a small business owner, you’re expected to be an expert on everything from your product or service to human resources, marketing and finance,” says Harvey Mackay, a New York Times No. 1 best selling business author, world-famous speaker and Biz Info Library content contributor. “The Biz Info Library and BizToolkit are the go-to resources for practical solutions and applicable strategies for individuals and organizations seeking to be winners in an ever-changing, always competitive marketplace.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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