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SMALL BUSINESSES GET READY FOR BRAC

http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

FedBizOpps.gov is the single government point-of-entry (GPE) for Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. Government buyers are able to publicize their business opportunities by posting information directly to FedBizOpps via the Internet. 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

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


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.

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 (local interest)

Baltimore County Business Directory (local interest)
A showcase for the Web pages of a wide variety of businesses located in the County. Listings are alphabetically and by product. Join the Directory!

Baltimore County Conference and Visitors Bureau (local interest)
Put a listing in this directory which is distributed to trade/travel shows and to meeting planners.

Greater Baltimore Technology Council (local interest)
Organization devoted to growing the region's technology community through programs and forums.

Hereford Zone Business Association (local interest)

Hunt Valley Business Forum (local interest)

Infobank (local interest)
Baltimore County economic, demographic, and business information.

Overlea Fullerton Business and Professional Association (local interest)

Parkville-Carney Business and Professional Association (local interest)

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Chambers of Commerce

Baltimore County (local interest)
and Small Business Resource Center.

Dundalk (local interest)

Essex-Middle River-White Marsh (local interest)

Greater Catonsville (local interest)

Pikesville (local interest)

Reisterstown-Owings Mills (local interest)

Towson (local interest)

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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


Associations Unlimited
The combined data from the entire Encyclopedia of Associations series plus additional IRS information on nonprofit organizations.

Business Source Premier
Provides full-text/abstract access to over 3,350 journals. Also indexed Country economic reports (EIU; DRI-WEFA; ICON) and detailed profiles for the world's largest companies.

Forms: Personal and Business (Facts On File)
Forms for a variety of government services including the Departments of Labor, Housing and Urban Development; the Small Business and Social Security Administrations, etc.  Common forms for general office, legal, real estate, and other business-related uses. Forms to apply for financial aid, legal services and links to numerous online college applications. Browse a list of cross-referenced federal and state tax forms, grouped by category, searchable across current and archived forms. Access from any computer.

Hoover's
Provides comprehensive company and industry information as well as business news and scheduled Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Available for in-library use ONLY at the Towson Library.

Reference USA
Detailed information on more than 12 million United States businesses. Sources used include both white and yellow pages, 10-Ks and other Securities and Exchange Commission documents, Chamber of Commerce information, business publications, and industry directories.

Regional Business News
Incorporates 75 journals, newspapers, and newswires covering all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States. Abstracts or full text available.

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; The Outlook; Directors and Executives; Stock Guide and Mutual Fund Reports. Does not include Industry Surveys.

Value Line
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. Available on Public PCs in full-service BCPL Libraries ONLY.

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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 (local interest)

Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (local interest)

Maryland Insurance Administration (local interest)

One Stop Shop for Business Assistance (University of Maryland) (local interest)
University resources for small business.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) – Research Park and Technology Center (local interest)
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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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 (local interest)
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.

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. The e-commerce section is particularly useful. Now includes blogs.

'Lectric Law Library
Source of free legal forms for business.

Librarians' Internet Index: Business Topics
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 (local interest)
Official state list of Maryland chartered banks and trusts.

Maryland State Library Resource Center: Business Center (local interest)
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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This page is provided by the Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Maryland USA.
The text version of this page was last revised on 04 September 2008.
The graphics version of this page was last revised on 04 September 2008.
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