Entrepreneurs

Compiled by Joanna Parfitt and Michelle Reese - September 2000

The international community is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs. It is only by running your own, completely portable, business that you can hope to create a career that moves when you do. Expatriates become excellent communicators. Their children, born abroad, become the negotiators of the future. Entrepreneurs are on the increase. Whether you run a business from home or an office, the chances are that you will offer more than one service and will have developed a portfolio of complementary careers. Many entrepreneurs work alone and have difficulty finding others with whom they may brainstorm and gather ideas. The sites given below should help you with the elements you need for a successful professional life, business, ideas, networks, associates, clients and information.

Aleta Pippin's Authentic Entrepreneur
http://www.aentrepreneur.com/

For the 'up-and-coming entrepreneur'. Offers a free e-zine, various products to guide you along the track to becoming successful, and a weekly focus topic. Also provides information on programme offerings and a section to find out if you are indeed an authentic entrepreneur.

All-Biz Network
http://www.all-biz.com/newroot/index.asp

Membership network with wide-ranging list of 'business zones'. Everything you can think of for your business from accounting to taxation to health care to mergers and acquisitions. Offers free access to business resources and newsgroups and newsletters.

Busygirl
http://www.busygirl.co.uk

Try this women's business technology portal for women Internet entrepreneurs and sponsored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Brainchild of Australian Glenda Stone, who lives in London, Busygirl offers free Internet training for busy girls and boys and has a superb monthly networking forum in London.

Bizz Advice
http://www.bizzadvice.com

'Online marketplace for small business advice in the UK and Europe' Forums, news and start-up information alongside advice for entrepreneurs.

BrizWomen
http://womensown.bizland.com

For the career women from Brisbane, Australia, this site can be of interest to every working woman with sections addressing networking, advice, shopping, news, celebrities, sex, and health. Articles and resources help you with business issues especially.

Enterprise Development Website
http://www.enterweb.org

A vast list of quality resources on small business, finance, international trade, entrepreneurship, enterprise development and economy. Rating from one to five stars and descriptions of sites helps you navigate where you want to go, but all sites listed here are well-developed. Extensive sections include those on cyber-business, networking, micro-finance, cooperatives, management, among many more. Special section on entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrepreneurmag.com

Website for Entrepreneur Magazine offers 'information, services and advice for small business owners and entrepreneur' featuring business channels on getting a business started, home-based business, money & finance, sales & marketing, management, technology, e-commerce, opportunities, inventions, and lifestyle. Also includes a free newsletter and the opportunity to 'ask an expert' A great site for everything you need for starting a business.

The Entrepreneurial Parent
http://www.en-parent.com/

'Helping EPs make a living and a life: A community and career resource for parents balancing work and family on their own terms.' Includes articles offering 'quick-tips' and profiles and a networking community. Also offers a free membership to National Association of Entrepreneurial Parents.

The Entrepreneurship Centre
http://www.entrepreneurship.com

Aids those self-employed in the Ottawa region of Canada in both French and English. Offers business start-up training programmes, special seminars, web based training programmes as well as a Free Resources.

Ewomensweb.com
http://www.ewomensweb.com

New website to help women climb the ladder and get 'all you want all the time'. Run by website design and PR company Gratton Associates, the site is a site for sore eyes and offers to write your site for you for just £299.

Independent Means
http://www.anincomeofherown.com

A wonderful website helping under-twenty women find 'an income of their own.' Provides services and products to help get young women on the track to entrepreneurial success with an events calendar, advice, web links, Club Inve$t, Camp $tart-Up, and even a Business Plan Competition. Links these aspiring career women to mentors and starts them off with networking and information for starting a business.

Make Money Now http://www.makemoneynow.com/books/entrepreneurship.html

In association with amazon.com, this site specialises in books for entrepreneurs, from starting up to expanding on your success. Also provides recommendations on franchise, general business, new enterprise, home-based workers, and mail-order. Includes sections focusing on business services, dealers and distribution, Internet, marketing, telecom and more.

Market-Smarter.com
http://www.market-smarter.com

This Internet Free Resources is designed to help you develop your own online business. Sections focus on business plans, marketing, trademarks, graphic design, web design, domains, web hosting, merchant accounts, search engines, software, finances, and services.

Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine
http://www.mbemag.com

MBE Magazine is providing for minority and women business owners and this website offers sections addressing current issues in news, calendars of events, and information on how to subscribe.

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

Financed by the SBA for women entrepreneurs, the centre is provided in English, Russian and Spanish and offers sections dealing with youth entrepreneurship, business counselling, loans and focus groups. Also offers a resource database, information exchange, and focus group. Channels deal with marketing, finance, management, technology, and procurement.

SBA: Women's Business Ownership http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/womeninbusiness

The US government's Small Business Administration has this special section for women in business. Offers sections on lending programmes and venture capital as well as success stories, lists of women's centres, women's ownership representatives and roundtable listings.

Small and Home Based Business Links
http://www.bizoffice.com/

Sections on reference, financing, services, news, opportunities, marketing, and franchising. This site also provides an 'ask the expert' section as well as Small Business Extras including a search engine on 'small business information only', a BizOffice Library, and a marketplace among other things.

Smarter Work
http://www.smarterwork.com

The Global Marketplace for Business Services™
Claims to be the most convenient and safe way for you to get services from experts all around the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the assurance of their 3-Step Total Quality Guarantee™. A great place for entrepreneurs to register their services.

Voices of Women
http://www.voiceofwomen.com

Information exchange for business women worldwide through articles, events calendar, links to other women, directory of goods and services, and a special marketplace of 'woman-owned, woman-operated, and woman-friendly businesses'.

Webgrrls
http://www.webgrrls.com

The women's technical knowledge connection. Offering inspiration, wisdom, mission, influence, spotlight and networking worldwide with many chapters in place. London chapter is 90% expatriate.

Young Entrepreneurs‚ Organization
http://www.yeo.org/

A great organisation to get new entrepreneurs on their feet. Offers international support to entrepreneurs and their companies as well as providing networking opportunities among them.

Your Home Biz
http://www.yourhomebiz.com

Helping to pinpoint and start your own home business, Your Home Biz offers advice and help through its business opportunities, archives, and classifieds. Also has a 'Work-at-Home Mom' expert and money-making ideas.