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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is creating an unprecedented number of new jobs and contracting opportunities for Maryland businesses. To help Baltimore County companies get quick access to state and federal opportunities when they become available, a County site provides helpful resources.A link for small business is also provided. |
Worried about your financial situation? Want tips on investing wisely? BCPL can help
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Bank Finance
Bankrate.com
Free rate information on more than 300 financial products including mortgages, home equity loans, money market accounts, new and used auto loans, money market accounts, CDs, credit cards, checking accounts, ATM fees and online banking fees. Based on weekly surveys of 4800 banks in 173 markets in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Bank Ratings
Star ratings of banks and credit unions, provided by BauerFinancial. Also includes CD rates and bank reports. Some items within the web site are fee-based. A Failed Bank List gives customers information on how accounts and loans are affected.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Home page for the government agency responsible for insuring deposits in banks and thrifts. Also contains banking tips, real estate sales information, consumer financial rights information, industry and regulation information.
TreasuryDirect.gov
The direct connection to the United States Treasury. Check bond values and T-bill auction results. Open a secure account to manage purchases, redemptions, and savings portfolios on-line. Use the Savings Bond Calculator to find the worth of a bond today.
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Baltimore County Business and Professional Resources
Arbutus Business and Professional Association
Baltimore County Conference and Visitors Bureau
Put a listing in this directory which is distributed to trade/travel shows and to meeting planners.
Greater Baltimore Technology Council
Organization devoted to growing the region's technology community through programs and forums.
Hereford Zone Business Association
Hunt Valley Business Forum
Infobank
Baltimore County economic, demographic, and business information.
Overlea Fullerton Business and Professional Association
Parkville-Carney Business and Professional Association
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BRAC
http://www.fedbizopps.gov/
Through one portal - FedBizOpps (FBO) - commercial vendors seeking Federal markets for their products and services can search, monitor and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting. To do business with the government, contractors must be registered and have established a legitimate bank account that can accept federal funds. Learn more, go to www.sellingtoarmy.info
http://www.brac.maryland.gov
A powerful site providing information for people and businesses affected by the Base Realignment and Closure plan. Links to similar sites for Counties are given
Baltimore County offers many advantages for businesses planning to enter the BRAC market. Check out this website:
http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/economicdev/edd_brac.html
Chambers of Commerce
Baltimore County
and Small Business Resource Center.
Dundalk
Essex-Middle River-White Marsh
Greater Catonsville
Pikesville
Reisterstown-Owings Mills
Towson
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Company Reports and Profiles
Annual Reports (PRARS)
A source of free annual reports from over 3600 public companies. Provided by the Public Register's Annual Report Service. Also includes IBM Guide to Understanding Financials which provides basic information on how to read a company's financial statements.
Annual Reports Library
A portal for sources of annual reports and company information. Also a source for non-profit, charity, and other types of annual reports.
Edgar Database of Corporate Information
All corporations are required to filed 10K and 10KSB statements and other forms with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Download these from the site. Searchable by keyword.
Yahoo Finance Company and Fund Index
Profiles on over 9,000 public companies including contact information; business summaries; officer and employee information; sector and industry classification; financial statements and ratings.
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Databases
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Search the Business Economics and Theory, Small Business Collection, and Insurance and Liability Collection, Databases by entering your search terms below ("tax law" for example.)
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The links below are to other electronic resources that contain valuable business information. A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed.
Associations Unlimited
IRS information on more than 456,000 organizations. Also contains association materials such as brochures, logos and membership applications.
Business Source Premier
Provides full-text access for nearly 2,800 titles as well as indexing and abstracts for 3,350 journals. Subjects covered include management, finance, international business. Includes the Harvard Business Review.
Hoover's
Now available in all BCPL branches. Hoover's, known as the Business Information Authority, provides company details such as description, contact information, competitors and key personnel. This information can be used to prepare for client meetings, sales presentations, vendor and partner negotiations, and other business opportunities. News from the business world and scheduled Initial Public Offerings (IPO's) also included.
Reference USA
Database of over 11 million company profiles including address and phone number, NAIC codes, numbers of employees, sales volume, product lines and corporate structure. Also includes a residential directory.
Small Business Resource Center
Covers all major areas of starting and operating a business including financing, management, marketing, human resources, franchising, accounting and taxes. Startup and established businesses alike can find the answers they're looking for from an easy-to-use interface that includes a "How To" menu that tackles the most-frequently asked new business questions--including "How to start a small business."
Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage
A comprehensive source of business and investment information. Full text access for many S&P publications including: Bond Guide; Corporation Records; Dividend Record; Earnings Guide; Register of Corporations, The Outlook; Directors and Executives; Security Dealers of North America; Stock Guide; StockReports and Mutual Fund Reports.( Does not include Industry Surveys. These are accessible only from a BCPL branch)
Value Line Investment Survey Online (This is accessible only from a BCPL branch)
Comprehensive source of information and advice on approximately 1,700 stocks, more than 90 industries, the stock market, and the economy. Accurate and independently created research information.
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Insurance
AccuQuote.com
A quick way to get term-insurance rates from many top firms.
Medicare Part D Policies
The best tool for comparing Medicare Part D prescription-drug policies. Compare premiums and co-pays for many plans.
MedicareNewsWatch.com
The government's CostShare Report analyzes the best in Medicare Advantage plans in your area for three different health categories.
Auto Insurance
This site provides price quotes from several major insurers and makes it easy to see how much would be saved by changing your coverage.
eHealthInsurance.com
Find quotes for most major health insurers, plus a way to compare coverage. Find plans that include your doctor.
International Business
Global Edge
Search this well organized web-portal of regional and country specific sites. Maintained by the International Business Center at Michigan State University, free registration is required to access some information. Also offers industry profiles, international business statistics as well as diagnostic tools to help in pursuing opportunities in the global marketplace.
Europages
An international yellow pages. Free listings for companies. Requires free registration.
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Maryland Resources
Maryland Comptroller of the Treasury
Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development
Maryland Insurance Administration
One Stop Shop for Business Assistance (University of Maryland)
University resources for small business.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) – Research Park and Technology Center
A major incubator site in Baltimore County.
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Minority Business
Minority Business Development Agency
Major source of information to foster the creation, growth, and expansion of minority owned businesses. Provided by the United States Department of Commerce.
State of Maryland Governor's Office of Minority Affairs
Excellent portal to helpful sites for start ups; financing; marketing and expanding information. The Resource Guide is an exhaustive list of agencies dedicated to small business success.
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Mutual Funds
Fund Alarm
Helps investors get a handle on the riskiness of their mutual funds by measuring their volatility. Each month a list of funds are listed that have trailed their benchmarks. The site is free.
Green Money Journal
Information on socially responsible investing opportunities.
Morningstar.com
A free registration allows access to a wealth of information on all aspects of investing.
Mutual Fund Investor's Center
Published by the Mutual Fund Education Alliance (a no-load fund trade association), this site offers fund listings and tools for planning, tracking and monitoring them.
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Personal Finance
BudgetWorksheets.org
Free worksheets for financial planning. Categories include: Household,Vacation,College, Pets and Moving.
Connections: Family Financial Assistance
Local resources for getting financial help, assistance in money management, budgeting for the household, debt repayment, and more.
Consumer Credit Counseling Center of Maryland and Delaware, Inc
This agency provides tools that assist in setting up a budget as well as gaining financial security through saving and other money-making suggestions.
Debt Management - NOLO Press
This web site contains information about handling your debt. The information includes: avoiding overspending, using credit and debit cards, strategies for repayment of student loans, and credit repair.
There is also a section that will help you calculate the amount of your loan.
Small Business
About.com--Small Business Information
Mega site containing relevant links, how-to information, forums, and best practice news.
Resource Directory for the Small Business Owner in Baltimore County
Important localized information for the small business community.
United States Small Business Administration
Official government site for financial, technical, and management assistance. Also contains an extensive list of downloadable forms.
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Stocks and Bonds
American Association of Individual Investors
A non-profit organization devoted to helping individuals become effective managers of their own assets through education, information, and research.
Big Charts
This commercial source supplies free easy-to-use online charting and investing research tools. It provides access to interactive charts, quotes, industry analyses and intraday stock screeners, reports, and indicators on over 50,000 stocks, mutual funds, market indexes. Also provides historical quotes back to 1985.
Edgar
Access and download for free the 10K and 10KSB reports from United States corporations.
Financial Times
Financial and general news from around the world provided by the British International business newspaper.
Investing in Bonds
Unique source of bond price information. Includes a wide variety of market data, news, commentary and information about bonds. A product of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
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Savings and Treasury Bonds (Treasury Direct)
Find the redemption value of a variety of bonds. This site also has information on a selection of products and services offered by the United States Treasury.
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General Resources
Cable News Network (CNN) Financial Network
The 24-hour news powerhouse provides comprehensive news and reports on financial markets, retirement planning resources and a small business resource guide.
FastFacts InfoCenter: Directories
Ready reference listing of directories important to business.
Insure.com
Shop on-line for business insurance. Get comparative quotes on all types of insurance products.
Internet Public Library: Business and Economics Reference
A useful and complete portal giving access to major blogs.
'Lectric Law Library
Source of free legal forms for business.
Librarians' Internet Index: Business Resources
From Accounting to ZIP Codes, this portal contains links to all areas vital to the small business person.
Maryland State-Chartered Banks and Trust Companies
Official state list of Maryland chartered banks and trusts.
Maryland State Library Resource Center: Business Center
A useful collection of e-sites and books on all aspects of business and investing.
MSN Moneycentral
A personal finance mega-site.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
The official site of the uniform industry-wide classification system (North American Industry Classification System). Recent updates to the manual are added regularly.
Risk Grades
Compare individual securities with benchmark indexes and other stocks, or gauge the risk of an entire portfolio. Allows for comparison of risk across all asset classes. Free registration is required.
SuperPages.com--Verizon
Searches over 11 million Unites States companies by business name or category. Map their locations, get hours of operation and customer reviews.
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
Comprehensive online resource for finding manufacturers, distributors and service providers. Requires free registration.
United States Securities and Exchange Commission--Investor Information
A source of useful links on topics of interest to both novice and veteran investors.
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