In terms of connecting with people who share your business interests and finding ways of promoting ideas or products, the internet has become as real a place as our physical world. Online, you can find tools to communicate with clients, potential partners, contractors and many other parties that are involved in the creation of a new business.

Along with online networking groups such as Resource Nation’s Vantage Network, there is an abundant amount of resources for those looking to start up a new venture. The following is a sampling of some the best business and finance resources that you can find on the net.

Getting Funding

One of the first challenges for any emerging entrepreneur is acquiring some type of funding for their new enterprise. Looking around for potential investors can be a stressful task, but the following online resources may help you locate and communicate with possible sources of financing.

1. Biz2Credit
   This site connects small business owners with service providers and lenders, empowering them to effectively compete with big business, innovate their services and products.  
2. Find That Money
   Find that Money is social network especially for funding-seekers, investors and lenders to get together and do business. You can set up a profile of your proposed business and contact investors and lenders directly via their profile.
3. Venture Deal
   Venture Deal is a venture capital database that provides businessmen with the latest info on venture capital firms and venture-backed technology companies.
4. American Capital Advance
   This is a lending service that is catered especially for entrepreneurs seeking funding for their new business enterprises. American Capital Advance offers fast loans, so you can get started on building your business right away.
5. Financing: Where to Find It
   A financing guide from Inc.com that will let you know where to go for quick business financing.

Time Management

Any successful business is characterized by tight and efficient time management. Keeping your start up’s business goals on schedule as well as handling day-to-day commitments and deadlines is one of most important parts of an entrepreneur’s job. The following links will take you to sites that offer tools for task and time management.

1. Google Calendar
   Google calendar, as with most Google software products, is steadily growing in popularity. It is simply a free online calendar service that lets you to share your calendar dates with others, which can make coordinating meetings and events easier.
2. Vitalist
   This is a web-based task manager that was created to work in conjunction with “Getting Things Done”, or GTD, the popular iPhone application.
3. Backpack
   Backpack is a personal and small business organizer that can help you manage your business information, intranets and to-do lists.
4. Basecamp
   This is a web based tool used by small businesses as well as large corporate brand names to coordinate and run individual business projects. It lets business owners connect with contractors and other business owners in order to manage a project. Fee required.
5. Side Job Track
   Provides online invoicing, reporting and management software. Good for tracking jobs to make sure projects stay on schedule.

Communication

More than any other form of communication, the Internet has managed to bring people from all over the world together with little or no cost whether it is by email or other sources. Here are a few more online resources that will help you connect and stay connected with people as you grow your business.

1. Skype
   Unlimited free calls over the internet. Talk to other Skype users whenever you like and for as long as you like.
2. Vonage
   Vonage is a major provider of voice over internet protocol broadband telephone services.
3. Gizmo
   Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and Windows Live users can use Gizmo international calling services for free, and non-users have access to low cost calls.
4. VoipBuster
   A free program that provides you with high-quality voice communications. PC-to-PC calls are free and you can regular phones as well, often free depending on the service provider.

Data Storage

Having a system in place for storing sensitive information can prevent a potentially disastrous data loss. The following resources offer some good data storage options.

1. Mozy
   Mozy is an online storage service that offers unlimited storage space for $4.95 a month. If your laptop gets stolen Mozy will help you find it by tracking all the new information that the thieves put in it. And if all your hard drives get destroyed, Mozy will still have all of your files intact and available.
2. Intronis
   Same as Mozy, with remote computer data backup software.
3. Carbonite
   Same as above. The price is a flat $54.95 a year.
4. Data Deposit Box
   Affordable data backup service that lets you run a system recovery wherever you are.
5. Athena Backup
   Athena Backup automatically stores all your computer files, so you never have to worry about losing anything.

Invoicing

Programs specifically designed for sending and tracking invoices can save you time by streamlining the process and making it much more efficient. The following resources will help you keep your invoices organizes and let you focus on more important aspects of your business.

1. Bamboo Invoice
   A simple, online invoicing program that lets your organize and keep track of all your invoices. It is an Open Source program, which means you won’t have to pay for upgrades ever, and you can modify it to fit your needs.
2. FreshBooks
   A professional looking online invoicing and tracking program. It also lets you manage expenses.
3. Transcepta
   Transcepta is an electronic invoicing service that requires no software or hardware.
4. InterlinQ Solutions
   This site provides not only online invoicing services, but daily job reports, time sheets, job tracking, and mobile billing.
5. 2nd Site
   2nd Site is an invoicing site with online payment and online employee timesheets.

Any other resources I’m missing? Let us know.

Here’s some encouraging news for anyone trying to launch or grow a business - you don’t necessarily need a business plan, a blueprint, or even a business loan to build a successful company.  What you do need, according to one successful business founder, is a love for what you do, the ability to embrace change as your business grows, and a strong desire to give your clients the best value possible.

Judi Sheppard Missett, founder and CEO of Jazzercise, an international company with over 7,500 franchises, will be leading a program this week (April 23-25) at the Annual Conference of the  Women Presidents’ Organization in San Diego.  Missett’s story is an inspirational one for both new and seasoned entrepreneurs- how did she build such a thriving business from the ground up? (more…)

In a recent speech that addressed national concerns with the recent AIG bonuses scandal, President Obama urged Americans not to blame people’s fundamental desire for profits for the collapse of the U.S. economy, as it is this entrepreneurial (and oftentimes essentially opportunistic) drive that will motivate people to create new industries and business models that will lift the nation out of its current recession.

Contrary to many people’s belief, a recession is just as good a time as any to launch a successful new business. All that is required is that businesses find a way to cater to the needs of consumers. Recent history is filled with examples of companies that were founded during economic recessions and have gone on to become some of the biggest brand names today. Here are a few examples of companies that got their start during some of the harshest economic climates.

Hyatt Corp.

One of the largest international hotel chains in the world today, Hyatt opened its first hotel right next to the Los Angeles International Airport during the Eisenhower recession, which lasted from 1957 to 1958. There are now more than 365 Hyatt hotels in 25 different countries, offering top quality services.

General Electric

One of the oldest and most established corporate giants in America, GE was founded during the financial panic of 1873, which went on to become a full-on recession lasting six years. GE began with the invention of the first incandescent light bulb by American inventor Thomas Edison. GE ranks as the worlds tenth largest company today.

IHOP Corp.

The famous IHOP national restaurant chain first opened its doors to the public in Toluca Lake, California in July of 1958, during the Eisenhower recession. The company began franchising three years later, and today it boasts over 1,300 locations nationwide.

Hewlett-Packard

HP is one the biggest computer software and hardware manufacturers in the world. In 2007 it became the first tech company to exceed $100 billion in revenue, earning $104 billion. But HP, founded by William Hewlett and David Packard, started off as an electronics company run from a garage in Palo Alto, California at the end of the Great Depression. Its two founders formalized their partnership in 1939. Their original investment: $538.

Fortune Magazine

Fortune Magazine was founded by Time-cofounder Henry Booth Luce in February of 1930, only four months after Wall Street crashed and marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

Burger King

The famous fast food chain first opened in Miami, Florida in 1954. During the Eisenhower recession of 1957, its founders, James McLamore and David Edgerton, introduced Burger King’s signature Whopper burger. Today, the company has 11,000 locations in 65 countries.

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft began in 1975. Its founder, Bill Gates, was a Harvard University dropout. His little company was located in Albuquerque, N.M. and it worked with rudimentary computing languages. Microsoft began its climb during the recessions of the early 80s with the introduction of its MS-DOS. Today, Microsoft is an international company that offers a huge range of computer products and services and boasts an estimated $60 billion in annual revenue.

Revlon Cosmetics

Started in 1932, with the Great Depression in full swing, Revlon went on to become one of the most recognized names in cosmetics today. Its founders, Charles and Joseph Revson and chemist Charles Lachman, pooled their resources to develop a new kind of opaque nail enamel. In the course of the next six years, Revlon became a multimillion dollar company.

Trader Joe’s

Another Eisenhower recession era company, Trader Joe’s began in 1958 as a chain of local convenience stores called Pronto Markets. In 1967, the company changed its name to Trader Joe’s. Today, it operates over 280 stores nationwide, and offers exclusive products under its own name brand.

Cable News Network (CNN)

Ted Turner founded CNN during the 1980s recession. It offered the first 24-hour news channel. Today, around 1.5 million people around the world tune in to watch CNN.

Sports Illustrated

The famous sports magazine was founded in 1954, at the tail end of the economic recession. It turned out to be an ideal time for Sports Illustrated’s launching, as it preceded a sudden boom in professional sports. The company now sells about 3 million copies of its magazine each week.

Calif Bar

The Calif Bar, a famous energy bar in the U.S., was created in the middle of the early 90s recession. Its founder, Gary Erickson got the idea for the product when he decided, during a 175 mile bike ride, that he could no longer stand the poor-tasting energy bar he was carrying with him. The Calif Bar is a tasty and environmentally friendly energy bar.

The Jim Henson Company

Famous for its puppet characters, the Jim Henson Company was founded by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1958. Today, the company is managed by Henson’s children and it continues to create popular kid-friendly television shows and films.

MTV Networks

MTV first aired during the economic recession in 1981. It showed only music videos that were hosted by various “video jockeys”. MTV went on to become one of the biggest pop culture influences throughout the world.

FedEx Corporation

FedEx was founded by Frederick W. Smith in April 1973 as Federal Express. Today, FedEx manages over 7.5 million shipments a day from all over the world.

LexisNexis

A computerized legal research service, LexisNexis lunched during the 1973 oil crisis, which led the U.S. into a severe recession. Since then LexisNexis has grown to be used in 100 countries by members of law, government, business and educational institutions.

A common question I get is: What’s a good business to start?

Of course, this is one that involves saying “depends.”

But on Tax Day, I think there is something to consider; that is, a tax prep business.

In fact, according to a BizEquity research report, there’s been continued strength in the industry. For the past year, the valuations of tax prep firms has increased 9% (based on a sample of 35,000 companies).

Let’s face it, taxes are complicated – and things will likely not get any better. Besides, with the recent raft of new tax regulations, it’s even more important to have sage advice.

And, the good news is that with operators like H&R Block, it’s fairly straightforward to setup a franchise.

So, if you want to see the full report, you can check it out here.

Online social networking is a great way for entrepreneurs to gain exposure, promote their ideas and meet other creative and business-minded people who can help them achieve their goals. In today’s information era, a good knowledge of online social networks is almost mandatory for anyone who wishes to successfully launch their own business.

Networking sites are a good online marketing tool to help you find other entrepreneurs to partner-up with. They also allow you keep track of growing trends and business news. Here is a top 10 list of the best social networking sites geared towards business owners and entrepreneurs.

1. Entrepreneur Connect

Entrepreneur Connect is a networking site created over a year ago by Entrepreneur Media (publishers of Entrepreneur Magazine). You can create your own profile and explore an online community specifically geared towards small business owners and entrepreneurs. The site discourages self-promotion and encourages the open sharing of ideas and resources. Thus, it is a great place to find suppliers, partners and service providers. You can also create your own online business group and start your own blog.

2. Killer Startups

Killer Startups is a site that allows you to look at and review new startup companies as they emerge. Each day has a new list, so that you can see what other entrepreneurs are doing, and maybe get some ideas of your own.

3. Konnects

Konnects is a good site for those looking to advertise themselves. It helps you stay connected with business partners and friends, and gives your profile exposure to potential partners or investors. Self-promotion is definitely encouraged.

4. Young Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs today are getting younger and younger, in large part as a result of our increasingly technology-based economy. Young Entrepreneur caters to young and aspiring business people. The site is essentially a forum for community discussions, the topics of which range from search engine optimization to internet and IT technology. This is also a good place to blog and find business-related videos.

5. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is probably the most well known networking site for professionals. It is useful for anyone who is looking for a job or trying to connect with possible business partners. You can put up a profile and join a variety of online business groups. The LinkedIn “On Startups” group is by far the most popular on the site, boasting over 54,000 members. Participate actively in the LinkedIn Answers section and get your profile noticed by becoming a key member of your online community.

6. Ziggs

Ziggs can be likened to an online white pages service. You can search for service providers, suppliers and other members of the business community, depending on your needs. It is a great way to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and get help with that brilliant new startup you’ve been planning for months now. Set up a detailed profile as well, so that other professionals who are searching for your services can find you.

7. StartUpNation

What makes StartupNation useful is its unique content. It has articles, forums, podcasts, blogs, on-demand seminars and various other tools to help entrepreneurs learn about their business and be better prepared to make informed decisions. The topics discussed at StartupNation include marketing and business planning as well as online businesses. There are also site sponsored competitions like the dorm-based 20 contest and the elevator pitch competition. If you’re looking to become a successful business owner, StartupNation, with its comprehensive and dynamic approach to business networking, is a must see.

8. Cofoundr

Cofoundr caters to people with new ideas for online ventures. This site brings together programmers, entrepreneurs, web designers, freelancers and investors. The goal is to enable all of these various groups to join resources to create new, online businesses. Cofoundr is a private network, and so you must register before you are able to view people’s profiles. The requirements for membership into the Cofoundr social network include having a valid work or college email. This prevents younger persons from entering. The way you get started is that you create a profile and then post your business idea up on a bulletin board for discussion. You can also browse through other people’s ideas to see if you might be interested in joining someone else’s project.

9. Biznik

Biznik is similar to LinkedIn in function, to the point where some might be tempted to call it a clone. But Biznik brands itself as a business network that “doesn’t suck”. It is composed of freelancers and business owners. Biznik editors review all profiles to make sure that you are providing your real name and real background information. Basic membership is free. Membership fees start at $10 per month for an enhanced, active profile and go up to $24 per month for increased visibility.

10. Perfect Business

This is one of the best networking sites for serious entrepreneurs looking to find industry experts and investors to partner with. Perfect Business is very good place to find partners and advisers. The site itself is partnered up with the likes of Virgin Money and Entrepreneur Media. It provides members with an extensive video center where you can learn about various tricks of the trade from successful entrepreneurs. Basic membership is free. “Gold Membership” goes for $29.99 per month.