Buying

Purchasing supplies and services for a growing businesses can take a lot of time and effort -- time that could be more profitably spent in more creative enterprises. E-commerce has made it possible to bring up your favorite site, click a few buttons, and have office supplies, computers, or your newest consultant show up at your door the next day. But buying on the Internet can still be tricky, and people need sites that can cater to them in an efficient and honest manner. Only e-commerce sites that can make the buying experience hassle-free will succeed in today's online marketplace. With that in mind, we survey the best office supplies, computer equipment, manufacture, and buying services Web sites.

Office Supplies

Onvia.com
Onvia.com is, without a doubt, the best place to look for office supplies, equipment, and services. This well-run and efficient site, which calls itself "the small business exchange," was one of the first B2B sites to hit the Web last year, and it has obviously figured out how to do with right. Onvia offers a solid 30-day money-back guarantee (except for computer hardware and software) on a wide variety of products, an excellent selection of services ranging from accounting to event managing (and a chance for small businesses to register as service suppliers), auctions, and a variety of information, including forums and news. The MyBusiness page gives you immediate access to your activity as a buyer or a seller; you can also specify various industry and regional news feeds.

	To request a quote for a service, you fill out a form and wait for the responses to come in.
	Buying guides offer information on a variety of subjects, along with questions to ask when buying and a handy glossary.

Office Depot

Office Depot is one of several brick-and-mortar office supply stores that have transferred themselves to the Web. All in all, it's done a fine job of making the transition. Its site not only makes it easy to find and shop for the products you need, but has added to the mix an excellent Business Tools section with much helpful information for small businesses. You're not going to get any great savings here over the competitors: The truth of the matter is that most office supply companies get their products from one (or more) of about three major distributors. However, the helpfulness of the content -- and such services as being able to pick up orders from your local Office Depot store if you're in a hurry -- can tip the scales in its balance.

	A Small Business Handbook can provide a lot of good info on planning and managing a business.
	Need toner for your laser printer? The Toner/Ink Quickfind makes that process much easier.

Buying (cont.)

Computer Equipment

buy.com

It calls itself The Internet Superstore, and that isn't much of an exaggeration. Buy.com is a no-nonsense Web site known for a wide range of products, some of the lowest prices around, and a solid 24/7 customer-service presence. If you want content, or discussion, this isn't the place to come; buy.com is here for one thing, and one thing only. However, if you want a good deal, make this your first stop -- while you're not going to be guaranteed of the lowest prices, your chances are good. And not just for computers: While it is better known for its technology products, buy.com has developed a solid presence in a number of other areas, including office equipment and supplies; books, games, and videos; and sports, with a special area just for golf, in case the course is where you like to hold your business meetings.

	The At Work section focuses on business-related products, such as office equipment and supplies, phone systems, and shipping supplies -- and, of course, computers.
	Deals of the Week let you in on special offers.

CNET Computers.com

When a rival company does something well, you have to give it credit. In this case, CNET has put together a sterling comparison site that includes a huge library of reviews and information. There is a bit too much emphasis on editors' choices -- quite naturally, since CNET's main product is its vast range of technology content -- but many buyers find these informed analyses useful. Once you've chosen the product you want, you can search out online sources; according to the site, price and availability are updated twice a day, making sure all the data is current. This is an excellent place to do a bit of online shopping if you're in the market for a computer, a PDA, or anything technological.

	The CNET Editors' Top 5 let you find out what rings the professionals' chimes.
	While professional reviews are all well and good, some buyers prefer the opinions of their peers; CNET User Opinions provide just that.

Buying (cont.)

Manufacturer Sites

Gateway

One of the top direct sellers of computers has learned what is needed to put together a Web site: A clear progression from information to purchase, prepackaged solutions for a variety of needs, and the ability to easily customize your system. From the front page, you can choose to look at systems geared for the home/home office, students, small and midsize businesses, large businesses, education, and government. You can go with a totally preconfigured system or use spec sheets to change your options. The excellent customer-service area includes 24/7 online chat, tutorials, FAQs, and a number of e-mail options. You can call Gateway to purchase or visit one of their "Country Stores" (you can find the nearest one here), but a thorough examination of this site will get you all the info you need.

	http://www.gatewayatwork.com/gw_atwork/main.aspspecifically targets the business community, from SOHOs to large corporations.
	Still in the works when this was written, Gateway's eMarketplace promises to offer a forum where businesses can negotiate for goods and services.

MicronPC.com

Micron's fortunes in the world of direct computer sales have shifted from year to year, but currently the quality of its systems and its site is high. Right from the outset, Micron gives visitors to its site a chance to choose the type of buyer they are: home, small business (up to 399 employees), medium business (over 400 employees), government, etc. A solid, customer-oriented approach is employed throughout the site, resulting in a highly satisfactory research and purchase experience. The Web-based customer support isn't quite as robust as Gateway's (for example, the chat support deals only with nontechnical issues), but the customization menus are more flexible. A good place to check for small business systems.

	For small business solutions, Micron offers an easy-to-navigate interface.
	Subscription computing is Micron's attempt to make itself a full-service company; in this case, offering a number of Internet-related services, including Web hosting and e-commerce services.

Buying (cont.)

Buying Services

BizBuyer.com

While other buying sites may do a sideline in outsourced services such as employee benefits or IT staffing, BizBuyer specializes in it. The site features a range of services, such as business consulting, Web hosting, telephone systems, merchant accounts, and office furniture. Small businesses that need to find a service can fill out a form (each form asks enough specific questions to make sure the user doesn't get inappropriate answers) and wait for quotes. One very nice touch is Bizbuyer's vendor qualification program, which rates its suppliers on a scale of one to five stars: Dissatisfied customers who buy from a vendor that was rated three or more stars can be reimbursed up to $5,000 on their purchase. What could be fairer than that?

	The BuzBuyer Premium Service is for overworked business people who don't have time to shop around. For a fee, a purchasing consultant will assess your needs, screen vendors, and make a recommendation.
	Buying Guides offer well-researched information on a range of topics.

mySimon

With all the hundreds of e-commerce sites on the Web, you want to find the best deal possible without spending a week checking every e-store out there. For that, you need to find a good comparison shopping site so you can immediately learn what's available where and for how much. mySimon is not only one of the best known, but it's one of the best. Type a product into the search box or find it through the well-organized menu system, and you can get information on where to buy sorted by merchant, merchant review (each merchant is rated on a one- to three-star system), manufacturer, model, or price. Although, like every comparison site, mySimon puts its "featured" sites -- sites that are advertisers or have a partner agreement -- front and center, you can still find excellent deals here.

	The Great Deals page features promotional offers from various merchants.
	A Consumer Resource page contains links to a variety of useful sites.

Collaboration

It doesn't matter what size your business is. Running a tight ship takes efficient communications and good old-fashioned teamwork. Keeping everyone informed can be tough though, if you're relying on equally old-fashioned faxes, voice-mails, overnight packages, and e-mail to do the job. These collaboration and virtual office Web sites and services can help keep the lines of communication open (and ensure everyone's on the same page).

Collaboration Tools

Intranets.com

How much intranet muscle can you get for nothing? Plenty at Intranets.com. This amazing free service features 25MB of storage (more can be bought if you grow), an easy-to-use document management center, branded e-mail addresses (yourname@yourbiz.intranets.com), bulletin boards for threaded discussions, group calendars, and an online contact database and member directory. As an added bonus, built-in instant messaging tools let you contact members of your intranet whenever they're online with just one click. You can also post hot leads or alerts to the company home page and save Web-surfing time by weaving customized news and financial feeds directly into your Intranets.com desktop.

What can an intranet do for you? Check out this helpful FAQ.

WebEx

While Intranets.com and HotOffice are intended to be the backbone of internal communications for a small office, WebEx is primarily an online meeting center. Free meetings can be scheduled on the fly for up to four participants. If you'd like to schedule an online roundtable of multiple far-flung clients or train remote staff, you can create a pay- per-use meeting to demo new software, conduct polls, share applications, control a remote PC, or combine a desktop demo of PowerPoint slides and white-boarding with live teleconferencing for $.40 per minute, per user.

WebEx also features several corporate-level meeting options, including WebEx Meeting Center, which adds live meeting functions to your business Web site (for $100 per user per month), WebEx Business Exchange Intranet-type tool ($100 per month per office -- $200 for full desktop remote control enabled accounts), and WebEx OnCall, an interactive, remote-control, technical-support service.

	Learn your way around WebEx by accessing the Quick Tour.
	Start a WebEx meeting right now.

My.Placeware

Members of My.PlaceWare get free access to a virtual conference room for hosting meetings or conducting presentations for up to five people at a time. Thirty minutes before the show begins, you can upload a variety of content for your meeting, ranging from entire PowerPoint presentations, HTML pages, and photographs to text documents, graphs, or charts. A Live Demo mode lets you conduct software walkthroughs, and you can also lead Web tours. When you invite people to your meeting via e-mail, their systems are automatically checked for compatibility with My.Placeware. When the time comes to host bigger meetings, My.PlacewarePro ($100 per user per month) offers all these functions and also supports up to ten meeting participants. And, you'll get advanced reporting tools and the ability to save and post content anytime. Big shops with multiple locations may be interested in PlaceWare's corporate solutions: Conference Center and Meeting Center.

	Get a free room to conduct your next long-distance brainstorming session or marketing team pow-wow.
	Get the most out of Placeware by viewing one of several multimedia training tutorials.

Collaboration (cont.)

Virtual Office Tools

Visto
Visto is a streamlined Web desktop designed with road warriors in mind. Besides a calendar for scheduling appointments (with reminders to help you stay on track) and an address book filled with contacts, you can collect e-mail from multiple accounts (up to four POP-3 addresses), share your calendar with other users for group scheduling, track to-do lists, and upload must-have documents or files to 15MB of virtual storage space. Take time to install the separate Visto Assistant utility, and you can synch your desktop versions of Outlook, ACT, or Lotus Organizer with your Visto account. You can also access Visto contacts and calendar info via a WAP-device. A separate Groups function lets you invite employees, clients, or friends to share files, schedule meetings, and communicate, all within a special password-protected space.

	Read more about Visto's wireless capabilities by viewing this wireless demo.
	Grab your own Visto desktop by filling out this short questionnaire.

Zkey

Zkey provides a virtual desktop with an e-mail address (and the ability to check other POP-3 accounts), customized calendar, chat room, and up to 50MB of space to store your important files. These tools are great for keeping organized, but the real reason to join Zkey is for its auto-updating address book and personal-information sharing ability. Once you've subscribed and created your personal profile, you can share as much of it (from your cell phone number and home address to your holiday wish list) as you like publicly or privately with other Zkey members. You have access to other Zkey member profiles as well. And, the best part is: Any time a Zkey profile is edited, the changes instantly appear in the address book of everyone with access to it -- no out-of-date e-mail addresses or phone numbers ever again.

Register online in just two steps for your personalized Zkey.

Communications

Communications is everything these days. The Internet itself is one of the most sophisticated and useful forms of communications available; and via the Internet, you can broadcast your own message through a Web site, enable a new form of voice mail and faxing, and send instant notes back and forth to anyone you choose. But to really take advantage of this resource, you have to know where to find the best services. And we have the top free ISPs, voicemail and faxing, instant messaging, and voice-over IP sites.

Free ISPs

EmailAddresses.com

The old adage, "You get what you pay for" isn't always true. Hundreds of free e-mail services are now available on the Web, offered by everything from portal sites (such as yahoo.com) to special-interest sites (such as geek.com). How to choose between them? The best way is to check out EmailAddresses.com, which offers a definitive listing of over 1,000 free e-mail services. A nice interface (and a personal feel provided by sysop Edwin Hayward) lets you choose from POP3 or Web-based services, as well as mail-forwarding services and ISPs that use languages other than English. Each listing has a brief evaluation, and many have user comments attached. Also included are listings to some useful freebies, such as Web counters, calendars, PIMs, mailing list hosts, and online storage.

	Choosing the Right Free E-Mail provides a drill-down series of links to help you choose the service that is right for you.
	Finding E-Mail Addresses is a directory to directories, again featuring useful evaluations.

NetZero

While most businesses are willing to pay for advertising-free Web space, there are times when a free ISP can come in handy -- for example, if your local ISP doesn't cover your trip across the country, and you don't want to take on long-distance fees. It can be hard to choose, though: Nearly all the free ISPs offer e-mail and a reasonable amount of storage space in return for demographic information and constant advertising. There may be too many out there to say which is the absolute best, but NetZero is definitely not bad. It offers dial-up access to the Web, e-mail, and instant messaging, all accessed through a nicely-designed proprietary console/browser, which displays banner ads in exchange for the free service. With local access numbers currently available throughout the continental U.S. and Canada, and 24/7 support, this is a truly viable alternative for a business on a budget.

	Access Numbers is a list of local dial-up number throughout the U.S. and Canada.
	Before signing up, the Support area is an important place to check for any issues your setup may have.

Voicemail/Faxing

j2
If you want to save the expense and footprint of a fax machine, j2 (known for years as jFax) has a viable alternative. Its free service assigns you a personal phone number you can give out for receiving faxes and voicemail. In turn, documents are e-mailed to you as a graphic, and voicemail as a sound file. (No doubt a broadband connection will help save some time on the downloads.) Faxes can be sent from your preferred e-mail package, the Web, or from a Palm VII. (Presumably other wireless PDAs will be added as they become available.) One cool advantage to this delivery method is that you can receive and listen to the message even if you're online. You can upgrade to various plans that include more storage space and advanced features (such as fax broadcast and conference calling) at varying rates. All in all, a great deal.

	Pricing Information features a chart comparing the various services offered and their corresponding cost, if any.
	If you plan to use j2 overseas, the site has information on its international plans.

uReach

Communications is the name of the game, and it's often highly convenient to get all your communications needs from one source -- especially if it doesn't cost anything. uReach offers free access to voicemail, faxing, online storage, e-mail, and address-book and calendar syncing, in exchange for the opportunity to sell you discount calling services. They offer two services: basic, which gives you an 877 number and an extension, and upgraded, which adds a dedicated 877 number along with call forwarding and the ability to place a call. Both are free, but you will be giving your credit card info for the upgraded service, from which you'll be charged for calls beyond the free time supplied. The service can also pick up your e-mail from any POP3 e-mailbox and include those messages. All in all, a good deal, and well worth checking out.

	The features page runs down the list of services offered by uReach.
	A complete FAQ lays out all aspects of the plan.

Instant Messaging

AOL Instant Messenger

AOL Instant Messenger is the de facto standard in messaging: not because it offers the best features, but because it has the largest membership. A truly useful tool for connecting remote offices for conversation (for example, you can hold a chat discussion while viewing a client's Web site), you do not need to be an America Online member to make use of this free service. Many different platforms are supported, including Macs, Linux, wireless PDAs, and mobile phones. Bells and whistles include a news/stock ticker, and the ability to send files to your co-chatters. There are any number of alternatively branded versions of this same service that come bundled with software, such as Netscape, but if you're not certain that these offer the same "buddies" (user list) as the original AOL service, you may want to come here to get it.

	Mobile Instant Messaging pitches the uses and benefits of AIM on a mobile phone.
	AIM Express permits you to use instant messaging from the Web without running a separate application.

PowWow

While AIM is the most popular instant messaging service, it is not the only one -- which can be troublesome when you've got friends or clients who use different systems. If you've got AOL's service, for example, and they've got MSN, somebody is going to have to install yet another program. PowWow solves that problem. It is a free, advertising-supported, full-featured instant messaging program that is compatible with AOL Instant Messenger, Microsoft's MSN Messenger Service, and @mobile's IMessenger Service. In addition to the standard chat capabilities, PowWow supports voice messages, group chats, collaborative white boards, bulletin boards for threaded discussion, text-to-voice, Web touring, and file sharing. Oh yes -- and gaming (not a necessity, but we all need to take a break sometimes…). A great one-size-fits-all service.

	PowWow Features and Benefits gives a simple-to-understand overview and explanation of all the features offered.
	Guided Tour virtually holds your hand and steps you through the setup and use of the program.

Voice Over IP

PhoneFree

One of the latest technologies is VoIP (Voice Over IP), which enables you to make inexpensive calls over the Internet rather than using your usual phone system. While PhoneFree is not quite as free as the wind blows, it's not too shabby, either. Using VoIP technologies, this service offers free PC-to-Phone service in the U.S., and PC-to-PC voice anywhere in the world. A monthly fee buys you PC-to-Phone service for Europe, as well. Other free features include video calls, voice and video mail, and instant messaging. Nearly every path you take on this site features a come-on for services and products that cost money, but whether you go for those is completely within your discretion. Meanwhile, you can save a lot of cash on calls.

	What is PhoneFree? This section lays out all the free features offered here.
	The site has plans for a community page for discussion and support.

Customer Service

Landing new customers is hard. Persuading them to come back is even harder. The best way to turn one-time customers into raving fans is to provide outstanding customer service. That can be tough when your staff is small and your budget is tight. The customer service Web services listed below make the most of limited resources so you can make your customers feel special.

WebCallBack

Just because you can't afford dedicated customer service reps or a call center doesn't mean service for Web site visitors must suffer. Put GlobalPhone's WebCallBack on your pages so customers can get the help they need from your sales team or support reps immediately. After entering its phone number into the WebCallBack box, the service dials a specific phone number at your business. A personalized message alerts your staff that a Web customer is calling, then connects the customer to your agent to complete the call. When your office is closed, you can forward callers to a backup call center, voice mail, or e-mail. Setup is free, and the cost is about 17 cents per minute ($10 minimum usage per month).

	Take the service for a spin by contacting a GlobalPhone rep via WebCallBack.
	View the technical details of the service and download graphics for your Web site.

InstantService

Abandoned shopping carts and lost Web visitors aren't a fact of life. Give your customers the option of talking to your service team while they're still online and you'll close more deals. InstantService is a hosted Java-based chat applet you can add to your site with no need for hardware or software on your end. A secure online management utility manages agent profiles, houses your library of sales or service scripts and tracks call center activity. Pricing starts at $700 for 11,500 minutes of live chat time per month, with no limit on the number of agents you can have connected to the service. While signed in, agents can conduct up to five chats simultaneously and push relevant content direct to the customer's desktop. Tough calls can also be handed off to other reps or escalated to management.

See a multimedia demo of the service or talk with an InstantService live agent yourself.

LivePerson

LivePerson first launched as a live chat service provider but is now available as a complete customer relationship management suite. Depending on the size of your business you may rent everything (live chat, searchable FAQs and e-mail help) as an integrated package, or purchase portions of the suite a la carte (for example, live chat costs $2,000 to set up and a $350 monthly fee per seat). Powerful back-end tools include call escalation, exit polling, the ability to gather demographic data, traffic and agent reports to determine the effectiveness of your service, and interface customization options for both customers and staff. LivePerson also saves time and money by automatically archiving every service session so staffers don't reinvent the wheel for questions that have already been asked.

	LivePerson's customer service tips can help you get the most out of your live help tools.
	Get a copy of the LivePerson/Harris Interactive Customer Service Satisfaction whitepaper.

Agillion
Agillion focuses on cementing relationships with your clients and partners by designing secure, personalized Web pages especially for them. You can create as many free, password-protected CustomerPages as you like. The pages are perfect for keeping customers up to date on accounts, sharing progress reports on projects, or delivering personalized sales pitches. The service is not just one way either. Among other things, you can invite feedback from customers, exchange documents or other data, and allow them to update their profile within the Agillion interface. Contacts can be shared with other team members and synchronized with Microsoft Outlook ACT! and Palm devices. You also get basic contact management, calendaring, and to-do lists. Pricing starts at $30 per month per rep, which includes a 10MB e-mail mailbox and 40MB of storage for documents.

	Learn how CustomerPages work and read more about their benefits.
	Sign up here for Agillion services.

Human Resources and Staffing

So what if you can't afford a full-time HR guru or executive search coordinator. Don't whine. Use the Web. Looking for better ways to manage your employees and simplify payroll? We found them. Wondering how to provide top-notch benefits and snag the highest caliber staff right out from under your rivals? It's available online. All you need to do is surf these job boards, freelance and contract talent, and human resource sites and sign up.

Job Boards

Monster.com
When you're looking for new staff (or when you need a new gig), Monster.com has you covered. Those in hiring mode can do one-time postings of job opportunities ($275 for a 60-day listing), rent access to Monster.com's massive resume database, or sign up for a Monster.com membership that combines these for a fee. The most recent addition to Monster.com's employer tools is Monster Momentum, a comprehensive Web-based, hiring service that handles job posting, resume collection, candidate screening, and tracks the progress of your recruiting efforts (pricing starts at $5,500 annually). You can even search for freelance help in the Monster Talent Market.

For job seekers, Monster.com boasts a searchable database of more than 480,000 positions and an outstanding library of recruiting articles and free career-building advice. In My Monster, you can create and store up to five résumés and cover letters, and select from three levels of confidentiality for each. You can also track applications, conduct automatic searches for specific positions, and fetch news to aid in your job search.

	Post a job opening to Monster.com's database.
	Talk with other people in your field and read expert tips and advice in the Industries and Professions area.

HotJobs.com

While Monster.com accepts postings from headhunters, HotJobs does not, which is attractive to many job seekers who would rather not fuss with headhunter agencies (and phantom jobs that don't exist). Budget-minded managers will also appreciate that it costs only $195 to put your job listing into the HotJobs database for 30 days. However, you may not like having to speak with a HotJobs sales rep to complete the registration process and post your first job listing.

If it's a job you need, HotJobs lets you search the entire database by keyword, company, or location, or visit an industry channel to narrow your search. Posting your resume costs nothing, and you have the option of selectively blocking it from view by HotJobs member companies. A tracking feature tells you how many times your resume has come up in a search, how many times it's been viewed, and how many jobs you've applied for using HotJobs.

	Search for your dream job around the U.S.
	Fill out this form to request information on becoming a HotJobs member company.

Dice.com

If you've tried to find a new network administrator or other technology guru lately, you know today's market for IT talent is tighter than George W. Bush's underwear. One way to make your recruiting ads stand out in the crowd is to use a tech-centric job board such as Dice.com. Nonmembers may post up to three 30-day job listings for a one-time fee of $495. Dice.com members pay a monthly fee ($695 and up) to gain access to Dice.com's database of IT resumes, job posting privileges at the site, and additional job classified listings at sites such as Yahoo! Classifieds and EarthWebIT Site Network.

Job seekers will find all the usual tools here plus a unique Announce Availability feature that informs prospective employers that you're not just browsing for a job -- you're ready to work right now. A smart metro search tool also helps narrow the field of job opportunities to areas in and around major cities.

	Career Links features hotlinks to career resources, lists of IT organizations, and other helpful recruiting advice.
	Anxious to land a tech position right away? Create a profile and announce your availability to prospective employers.

Human Resources and Staffing (cont.)

Freelance and Contract Talent

eWork Exchange

Free agents in search of work can add a personal Skill Profile (with details about your perfect gig, experience, education, skills, certifications, and samples of their work) to the eWork Exchange database free. Companies can list Project Profiles (with a description of the perfect contractor and skill set) on the exchange for 30 days for $100. Once a profile is posted, eWork's matching engine spits out a list of the most appropriate projects in the database. The more specific you are during signup, the better the matches will be.

Besides matching employers and potential employees, eWork also offers a slew of back-end business management and administrative services, some free, some not. Some of the best include virtual office and meeting tools, event and task tracking, and fee-based payroll, invoicing, and benefits management (costs vary based on the level of service chosen and your billable hours). You can even sign up for online skills training via partners Headlight.com and Click2Learn.

	Create a personal SKILLS PROFILE to use with the eWork job matching engine.
	Does your business have a large demand for freelance staff? Learn more about eWork ProSource, a premium Web-based service for recruiting and managing contingent workers.

FreeAgent.com

Like Guru.com, FreeAgent.com is a talent market for independent contractors and freelancers where you can post your profile on the Xchange and bid on projects advertised by other companies. Members also have the option of paying $274 a month (plus a setup fee of $199) to use FreeAgent's e.office, a business management service that takes care of administrative tasks such as invoicing, tax and payroll payments, expense tracking, and even collections. Once you sign up for e.office you are regarded as an employee of Opus360 (FreeAgent's parent company), which also entitles you to W-2 payroll checks and automatic tax withholding, as well as health insurance, 401k, and other group benefits.

FreeAgent.com charges potential employers $50 to post a request for proposal on the Xchange, and multiple jobs can be listed for a monthly subscription fee. Or you may browse the profiles of consultants and contractors, and then invite them to bid on your projects.

	Chat it up with others in your field and share free agent strategies in the Network area.
	Find free agents that suit your projects with the advanced search tool.

Human Resources and Staffing (cont.)

Human Resource Info and Services

Workforce Online

The online home to Workforce Magazine, Workforce Online offers a deep archive of back-issue articles (members can search by content type, topic, or keyword) in its Resource Center, plus news and original feature content on the home page. Take the HR poll of the week or browse the tips offered in Dear Workforce, a Q&A column located in the Buzz section. A friendly community center features topical bulletin boards and live chats. The most unique community offering is user-created Peer Groups, which networks teams of HR professionals together around a common interest or industry, such as hospitality companies or multinationals. You can also stay up to date with new employment law battlegrounds in the Legal Insight center.

	Everything you need to know about common HR topics but were afraid to ask is right here in HR 101.
	Read legal articles, tips, policies, and other employment law updates in Legal Issues and Analysis.

About.com Human Resources Center

Anyone handling day-to-day human resources challenges will appreciate the gold mine of articles, links, discussion boards, and expert advice located at the About.com Human Resources center. Led by guide Susan Heathfield, the site includes scores of original articles as well as links to other must-read HR tips and commentary located around the Web. Whatever your most burning HR dilemma, you'll probably find the solution (or a link to it) here, but drilling down to what you need can be a bit overwhelming with over 25 subjects to choose from. Topics range from training and benefits to legal issues and labor relations. Before giving up your search, remember you can visit the bulletin boards and chat rooms to pick the brains of other HR managers.

	Learn how best to train your growing staff at the One Stop Training Resource area.
	Visit the Legal Issues section often to avoid potential legal land mines and stay abreast of new employment law and legislation.

ADP Emerging Business Services

Give payroll (and other HR) headaches the boot with ADP Emerging Business Services. ADP is famous for its automated payroll service, now available as an affordable Web-based application called EasyPayNet. For about $50 per pay period for a 10-person company, you get online payroll processing, payroll tax filing, and benefits administration. Companies that need even more HR support can choose one of ADP's add-on services, including eTIME for time-card tracking and verification; ezHR, an employee and benefits management service; EasyHire for preemployment verifications; online general ledger accounting (powered by NetLedger); 401k benefits; and recruiting tools. To help decide which services best match your needs and budget, run the online Solution Profiler. Plug in basic info about your company to receive a custom quote of appropriate payroll options (including pricing) and pointers to other solutions you should consider.

	Save time and money by creating a customized package of ADP services that suit your business.
	Desperately seeking qualified staff? Learn how ADP's staffing solutions can help.

EmployeeService.com

Perhaps you're a small business that can't afford a dedicated HR person, or maybe your HR department is sorely overworked and understaffed. Either way, EmployeeService.com's goal is to provide maximum HR muscle with minimum effort.

For $100 per employee per month, this Web-based HR management interface puts all your must-have HR tools in one place, from new hire (and fire) paperwork to benefits administration, tax reporting, and payroll. The Employee Self Service portal gives your staff on-demand access to benefits package details, payroll and tax data, and company policy information. Other tools automate paperwork associated with vacation and sick leave, emergency contact info, your company's employee handbook, and more.

What could EmployeeService.com save you per year? Do the math.

Marketing

At the heart of every business is the need to sell its goods or services to customers. Even nonprofit organizations need savvy selling skills and smart marketing tactics to survive. To help you make some cash, we scoured the Web for sites dedicated to marketing info, marketing services, competitive intelligence tools, and trade show conferences. With these sites you'll hone your marketing strategies, pinpoint a gold mine of potential customers, get the scoop on your competitors, and which trade shows you need to attend.

Marketing Info

About.com Small Business Marketing Center

Volumes of original and previously published articles plus lists of links to Web resources on every marketing topic under the sun can be found at the About.com Small Business Marketing Center. Twenty-eight subject areas (branding, Internet advertising, pricing, and marketing research are just a few) cover all the bases for beginners and seasoned marketing professionals. Articles in the archive address such topics as how to write a solid marketing plan, making your Web site more "sticky," and multicultural marketing strategies. You can also rub elbows with other marketing gurus at the twice-weekly marketing chats live or post your marketing dilemmas to the discussion forum.

	Know your customers better. Study these links to demographic profiles and marketing statistics.
	Are you killing sales with the wrong prices? Learn more about properly pricing your products in the Pricing area.

MarketingClick

MarketingClick is a marketing community and information center hosted by PRIMEDIA Inc., publisher of several well-respected business and trade publications. Browse the latest marketing industry news, commentary and analysis as reported by MarketingClick columnists and editorial staff, or search the treasure trove of articles previously seen in PRIMEDIA magazines such as American Demographics, PROMO, Folio, Marketing Tools, and Catalog Age. Information is divided into six main channels -- advertising, direct marketing, general marketing Internet marketing, promotions, and public relations. The entire site is free, but you may need to register to access some content. An excellent How To archive addresses many common marketing questions, from how to drive traffic to your Web site to choosing the best mailing lists.

	Get straight to the archives of your favorite PRIMEDIA marketing and PR publications.
	Read the latest marketing-related headlines from print and Web publications around the globe.

Market It Right

Market It Right is both an info center and a shopping portal for marketing related services and tools. The site boasts more than 1500 free step-by-step wizards for marketing projects. After selecting a project from among 15 main categories (ranging from printed gift bags to creating billboard ads), the service walks you through different production options, provides helpful timelines, and matches you with local vendors that can source the promotional materials you need. Budget estimates, key task lists, and calculators keep your marketing efforts moving without breaking the bank. Even if you don't use the service to source vendors, Market It Right helps by breaking projects down into small steps that lead to the result you're looking for.

	Create an account and gain access to the site's marketing project guides.
	View the online demo to get a feel for how the service works.

Marketing (cont.)

Marketing Services

eSOLO
Automating marketing efforts and outsourcing them to Web service providers is the idea behind eSOLO. The eSOLO Marketplace is a searchable database of more than 1,300 e-services offerings arranged by marketing task. Choose Direct Mail from the Printing and Production Services category for instance, and up pops a list of links to online services and vendors that handle all aspects of the direct mail process. Another area called M.A.P.s (Marketing Action Plans) features detailed descriptions of common marketing goals such as "launch new products" or "increase sales leads" and then lays out the steps and strategies to get there. When you drill down to the task level you get a list of suggested vendors for the job.

	MyRadar automatically informs you of marketing news and new e-services.
	Join now to save a personalized list of your favorite eSOLO e-services.

ZapData

Targeted sales leads are the key to success for any direct marketing program. At ZapData you can buy a handful of business-to-business leads or several thousand chosen by location, demographics, SIC code, or specialty criteria such as risk scores or technology installed at a location. Leads cost as little as $.10 per name; prices go up quickly when selecting on specialty criteria. Pressing the "get count" button gives you a list count and pricing options for all available reports. Once you have a list count you like, you can download the names or automatically fulfill your direct mail campaign via Eletter for an additional fee. The service also offers free market reports and company profiles on over 11 million publicly traded businesses.

	Access zapmarkets to view market-size statistics by SIC code, or view potential markets by company size, state, metro area, or specialty.
	Sign in as a guest to build and view a sample list of leads.

InfoUSA

InfoUSA is an online marketplace of business and consumer mailing lists you can use with your next direct mail campaign. Registration is free; members can customize lists and download them for immediate use or order lists on diskettes or CD-ROMs, or printed as mailing labels. The advantage here is that you can buy both business-to-business and business-to-consumer lists sorted on SIC code, location, and demographic criteria. Dozens of specialty lists are also available, letting you drill into such lucrative markets as new or growing business owners, parents, affluent households, recently relocated families, and even affluent seniors. In the News & Info section you'll find a handful of useful articles and expert tips, as well as the latest newsbytes from around the Web.

	Make the most of the customers you have by running the Customer Analyzer tool and matching them to mailing lists.
	View pricing on InfoUSA lists for consumers and businesses.

Marketing (cont.)

Competitive Intelligence Tools

Hoovers Online

For researching corporate data and financial reports on public companies, Hoovers Online can't be beat. This massive database covers roughly 14,000 public and private companies in all industries worldwide. Free business profiles include contact information and lists of key officers, plus basic financial data and links to stock quotes and recent SEC filings. Hoovers also is home to business news, hundreds of market analysis reports, and industry research papers that can help your small company better invest its limited marketing dollars. For $14.95 per month or $109.95 per year, subscribers also get extended profiles, full lists of officers and competitors, and in-depth financial information and market analyses. The convenience of getting this great info all in one place makes it more than worth the price.

	Is your competition going public sometime soon? Keep tabs on it (and other firms in your industry) at IPO Central.
	Hoover's Salary Wizard will tell you whether you're earning what you're worth or if it's time to ask for a raise.

MarketResearch.com

MarketResearch.com provides one-stop shopping of over 10,000 market research, competitive intelligence reports, and in-depth industry analyses from over 350 content providers. Full-text searches of the database are free. Once you find what you're looking for, pay only for what you need -- a chapter, a section, a subsection, or a whole report. Many reports are available for immediate download, but some must be mailed to you. You can also buy copies of specialized reference material and directories here, such as the Encyclopedia of American Industries or the Older Americans Information Directory. Sign up for eLerts and you'll get updates when market research you're interested in is added to the database.

	Use Power Search if you know exactly what you're looking for or want to narrow your search.
	Many market research firms specialize in certain markets or industries. Browse the directory by publisher to see a catalog of recent publications.

Marketing (cont.)

Trade Show Conferences

Trade Show Central

Looking for a place to showcase your new product launch or planning a seminar series to drum up publicity? TSCentral can help. The heart of this site is the Event Center, a massive searchable directory of training events, trade shows, expos, conferences, and seminars around the globe. You may list your own event here, search for events by location or topic, and browse by industry. If you're planning a show or seminar of your own, you can search for appropriately sized meeting rooms or convention centers in the Venue Center, then shop the Supplier Center for services and vendors you'll need, such as equipment rental, caterers, display builders, audiovisual technicians, or temporary booth help.

	Get more bang for your buck by setting up a Webcast of your event or conducting live demos of your new products.
	Fill out an online form to list your upcoming event or event-related service in the TSCentral database.

EventSource

EventSource is a free site selection and booking service for special-events planning. Use the Resource Center to compare comprehensive information on hotels and properties around the world. Group airfare discounts and the group airfare calculator ensure your team gets there on time and within your budget. You'll also find helpful city guides, convention and show calendars, and a new tool for registering your attendees. In My Meetings enter the details of your event, then select a list of properties you're interested in, and watch the bids roll in from hotels, convention centers, and other meeting venues. Marketplace links to partner offerings of trade show-related merchandise and services.

	Just how good is the Four Seasons in Boston? Hotel & Property Reviews written by real meeting planners will tell you how different sites stack up.
	Buy blocks of hotel rooms or meeting facilities for your next convention on the cheap using The Auction.

SeeUthere

Like EventSource, seeUthere.com offers a slew of Web-based events planning tools, but it adds the convenience of electronic invitations and event promotion. SeeUthere Express tools are free. In a few clicks you can create a customized electronic invitation, add your logo and map for directions, and blast it to a list of attendees. It's a snap to set up automatic ticklers that request an RSVP or remind folks to attend your special event. SeeUthere can also issue tickets and accept credit card payments for tickets to your event (for an additional fee). Companies that plan complex events or hold multiple meetings per year will appreciate seeUthere's Premium services. Costs for add-ons vary, but they include access to fancier multimedia invites, travel and hotel booking for guests and staff, and an attendee database tool that helps you track attendance and profile guests for future marketing efforts.

	Sign up for a free subscription and create your events page and invitation.
	Become an affiliate and earn commissions for referring other businesses to seeUthere.

Money Matters

Cash is the lifeblood coursing through the veins of your company. Without it your business is as good as dead. The Web is your ticket to expert investment advice (and places to grow the office nest egg), alternative sources of capital for special business projects, and flexible Internet banking options. Whether you need info on general finance, banking and investment services, or loans and financing, the sites below will help you keep the money flowing.

General Finance

MSN MoneyCentral

MSN MoneyCentral has a decidedly consumer slant, but the monster-sized collection of financial information and tools here is first rate. With just a few mouse clicks MoneyCentral members can buy insurance, estimate taxes, get a loan, pay bills, track investments, read up-to-date financial news, and plan for retirement -- all from one place. And, if that's not enough, every section of the site contains helpful step-by-step guides, questionnaires, calculators, and wizards to keep your finances on track. You'll also find a large library of articles here, some exclusive to MoneyCentral, others gathered from other business and financial publications (USA Today, New York Post, Slate) in print and online. Not surprisingly, MS Money users get even more integration and benefits.

	Use the Deduction Finder tool to save yourself cash on your next tax return.
	Are you covered? Use the Insurance Planner to determine the amount and types of insurance you should be carrying.

The Street

Street is an outstanding financial journalism resource, going beyond the perpetual stock ticker updates found on dozens of other sites to offer much more valuable up-to-date analyses of market fluctuations and the conditions behind them. The free site hooks you with a wealth of free investing primers, market news, message boards, and chat transcripts, but if you want even more in-depth commentary and analysis from industry heavyweights, IPO news, and the option to use TheStreet.com's Portfolio Tracker, you'll have to pay for it. Subscriptions to the site's premium RealMoney area (intended for active investors and market enthusiasts) includes twice-daily market updates via e-mail and starts at $19.95 a month or $199.95 per year. Access to IPOPros and TheStreetPros (for financial experts and professionals) areas are priced separately.

	Get right to the point with real-time stock quotes and in-depth financial reports.
	Read the Latest Stories from the Wires to get your fill of breaking financial news.

Money Matters (cont.)

Banking and Investing Services

E*TRADE

E*TRADE gives anyone with an Internet connection and a credit card license to play the stock market at discounted prices. But did you know that E*TRADE also offers an excellent financial news and Standard and Poor stock research center, Internet banking with E*TRADE Bank, retirement planning tools, online insurance quotes (from InsWeb), and a tax area supported by Intuit's Turbo Tax? You'll also find a Community area called the Hub, which features live chats, discussion forums, and periodic chat events with financial gurus. To trade stocks, bonds, and mutual funds via E*TRADE, you'll need to make an initial deposit of $1000. Most trades are under $20 (fees vary and become cheaper as you complete more transactions). E*TRADE also offers a separate service called OptionsLink for managing business stock portfolios.

	Type in the stock ticker number and get instant detailed stock quotes.
	Visit the Markets area to get one-click reports on the most active stocks of the day, top gainers and losers, and breaking news.

Wingspan Bank

Wingspan Bank offers all the typical services of a brick and mortar bank, except basic savings accounts. With one convenient application process (which even lets you use electronic signatures to verify yourself), you can sign up for interest-bearing checking, credit cards, no-fee brokerage services, and online bill payment. All your important financial tasks, from paying bills and checking your balances to transferring funds between accounts and applying for loans, can be carried out from your integrated personal home page. A new service called E-Bill delivers bills from participating companies to you electronically so you can pay them from your Wingspan account. Small-business banking services are also available through Wingspan's parent company, BankOne.

	Check out the going interest rates on Wingspan accounts.
	Apply online for multiple accounts with a single questionnaire.

NetBank

High-interest checking and money market accounts. No monthly fees. Free online bill paying and direct deposit. Access to your account balances via Palm and WAP devices. These are just a few conveniences of banking online with NetBank. NetBank also offers online applications for personal loans, credit cards, and lines of credit, as well as IRAs and CDs. Thanks to a partnership between NetBank and Amerivest, you can arrange for electronic transfer of funds from the bank to your brokerage accounts. For $1.50 per month you can set up a virtual safe deposit box for storing important files and documents securely online. Though it's nowhere near as comprehensive as what you'll find at Microsoft MoneyCentral, you'll also find a small Tips and Tools area with helpful personal finance pointers.

	Apply online to open a free NetBank account.
	See what online banking looks like by launching NetBank's demo.

Money Matters (cont.)

Loans and Financing

LiveCapital
Who enjoys schlepping to multiple banks to compare rates and apply for business loans and lines of credit? LiveCapital does the legwork for you and offers a variety of financing (including working capital and small business loans, lines of credit, equipment leases, and credit cards) from over 70 established lenders around the country. After you fill out a free, five-minute questionnaire, LiveCapital matches the financing offers you're most likely to be approved for to your credit profile, then displays a chart of options complete with rates and terms for easy comparison shopping. Once you've selected the offers that best meet your needs, you can apply online, and in many cases you'll receive real-time approval of your request. The lender will then contact you directly to arrange a transfer of funds.

	Apply online and get the best loan rates at dozens of banks without leaving your office.
	Learn more about how to finance your business in this online primer.

Capital.com

Although it doesn't offer instant approval for its lending partners, Capital.com is the place to locate sources of working capital or equity financing to fund more complex business transactions, such as acquiring a company, real estate and construction loans, employee or management buyouts, and recapitalizations. You can also apply for accounts receivable and inventory financing, machinery and equipment loans and leasing, and several special secured-debt options. After your request for financing is submitted online, Capital.com searches for appropriate financing options and contacts you with a list of competitive offers. The site also includes an archive of CapitalTV video clips, sample financing forms and checklists, an online valuation tool, and a table of interest rates for different financing options.

	Get an idea what all these fancy financing options cost in the Cost of Capital section.
	Research your financing options in the How to Raise Financing section.

Capital Connection

Where Capital.com is geared toward small to medium-size businesses in search of large loans, Capital Connection is a free searchable directory of financing options geared toward entrepreneurs and startups in need of cash. You can't apply online for funding, but the Looking for Money section is filled with contact information and links to investor databases, sources of venture capital, private and angel investor networks, and other unusual sources of cash. Each link describes the service or lender, how it works, the kinds of financing available, and what you can expect to pay. If you need a helping hand in your quest for money, visit the directory of financial experts and related business professionals, such as accountants, attorneys, business appraisers, and consultants.

	How much do you know about raising cash? Take a crash course on raising capital.
	The Looking for Money directory will help you ferret out sources of funding right now.

Business Partners

Business Partners is an online classified service that matches entrepreneurs and startups needing cash with wealthy investors, investment bankers, venture capitalists, and other alternative funding sources. It costs $300 to submit a company profile, which remains in the Companies Seeking Capital database for six months. In your profile you describe the type of investor you prefer and what you are offering in exchange for the funding you request. Investors submit profiles to the Private Investor database describing the type of companies in which they wish to invest. If you don't want to post a profile but you'd like to search for potential investors, the cost is $50 a month or $25 per day for the privilege of searching for businesses seeking partners, angel investors seeking deals, venture capitalists in search of hot startups, and other unusual financing arrangements.

	Find cash locally by searching the Venture Capital Firms by Area listing.
	Got a great idea but need help to make your dream a reality? Find potential collaborators in the Business Partners directory.

Reference Desk

Libraries are still important places, but they're not as convenient as checking the Internet when you need information. Those heavy tomes that we used to need to find a phone number, an important date in history, a definition -- these are now available online, and from a variety of sources. The problem is, of course, that there are too many sources for one person to search through, which is why we now need search engines to ferret out the information for us. So check out these search tools, directories, and encyclopedias.

Search Tools

Google

Quite simply, this is the best search engine available today. Google is quick, simple, and very effective: just type in a keyword or phrase and you will get back a list of sites that are ordered in terms of the likelihood of relevance. Google searches match all your keywords (so that a search for "key phrases" won't result of hundreds of locksmiths), and takes the positioning of the words to each other into account. But one of the best things about a Google search is that, even if the link you choose is no longer in existence, you can access a cached version of the page and its important information. You can also easily place on your browser a Google search link that lets you instantly search on any highlighted phrase. It's a great way to find what you need.

	Google recently instituted a directory which, while not as comprehensive as Yahoo's, can be helpful to those who want to search by category.
	If you're not comfortable with Google's free-association searches, an advanced search page lets you include or exclude specific terms, among other criteria.

Ask Jeeves

If you're not comfortable with just typing random words and phrases into a box, then Ask Jeeves lets you ask questions in full sentences. This interesting search engine has, like Google, been adopted by several well-known Web sites, and so will be familiar to many. Enter a question, and you're offered a number of possible similar questions with links to pertinent sites, and (if available) a number of links from a relevant affiliate site. Like other sites, there is a personalized section (called Personal Jeeves) that gives you access to news, weather, and your horoscope. Much more commercial than Google (and, thus, a bit more suspect), Ask Jeeves is still a comfortable and useful place to search from.