February 15, 1997

Web-rating sites offer easy routes to the top small-business information on the Internet

As more and more Americans make the transition from corporate to small-business environments, millions of self-employed people are beginning to rely on the World Wide Web as a valuable tool for accessing resources geared especially to them. However, while the vast amount of information on the Internet can be an amazing resource, many self-employed Americans are finding too much information can cause the Internet to become frustrating and hard to use.

But it doesn't have to be. Knowing just a few key small business sites can save Internet users hours of sifting with search engines. One of the most convenient sources of reliable sites is the web-rating site -- sites that establish rating systems for outstanding small business sites. Through such rating systems, small businesses can quickly find out the best sources of small business information and links to even more information.

One of the largest collection of site ratings is available through Luckman Interactive, Inc., which regularly awards a Five-Star Award, based on content, design, organization and speed, to small business sites. A few recent Five-Star winners include:

• [http://www.nase.org] -- Luckman cited the National Association for the Self-Employed Web site for its detailed section coverage of legislation affecting the small-business community, a section offering free advice from a small-business consultant, a list of discounted benefits available to small businesses, as well as NASE membership information. NASE's site was also recently selected Microsoft Network's Pick of the Week and was recently cited by The New York Times.

  According to Luckman's review, NASE's Web site is a large, attractive site presenting a comprehensive look at the group's mission and its activities on behalf of entrepreneurs. "The site is intelligent, exhaustive and well worth a visit," says Greg Heilmann, content development, Luckman Interactive, Inc.

• [http://www.entrepreneurmag.com] -- Entrepreneur Magazine's "Business Resource Center" contains a comprehensive database of franchises, a database of thousands of businesses, FormNET, which allows you to download useful forms, and the Small Business Library which contains over 2,500 business-related articles.
• [http://www.fed.org] -- The Foundation for Enterprise Development (FED) has established their Web resource of over 250 documents to help entrepreneurs and executives explore equity compensation, employee involvement and other leading business strategies.
• [http://www.inc.com] -- Inc. Magazine's site provides a "virtual consultant" to help you locate databases and create your own Web page, subscription information and back issues of the magazine, an online newsletter and Inc. business resources.

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