July 30, 2008
This page contains links to web sites that can provide information and data helpful to running your business. This is not intended to be an exhasutive listing, but rather a listing of some of the more commonly used web sites. The sites are grouped by the headings listed, but some sites could be llisted under multiple headings. The groups are listed in the same sequence as they appear when you scroll down the page:
- Establishing A Business
- Business Plan Information & Resources
- Business Assistance Center
- Federal Government Business Resources
- State & Local Government Business Resources
- Funding Information
- Assistance Programs/Organizations
- Franchise Information
- Restaurant Information
- Selling to the Government
Establishing A Business
City of Milwaukee
Milwaukee Dept. of City Development (DCD)
(414) 286-5900
Licenses and permits, certification for incentives, real estate development
Economic and Community Development
(414) 278-4905
Government certification programs
Milwaukee Public Library (MPL)
(414) 286-3051
Internet and non-internet data bases, economic indicators, SIC codes, census data, labor statistics, patents, standards
Miscellaneous
Milwaukee Sellers permits: County (414) 257-6100, City (414) 286-2238
Register a sole proprietorship: (414) 278-4025
State of Wisconsin
Business Services, Forms, incentives, statistics and data, agencies, disadvantaged
Naming Your Business
www.wisconsin.gov/state/byb/name.html
Information and links for naming a business
Dept of Commerce
(800) 435-7287
Starting, expanding, financing, technical resources, licenses/permits, international
Wisconsin Build Your Business
Business Wizard to help start or expand a business
Business Wizard for Wisconsin
www.wisconsin.gov/state/app/wizard/LoadIntro
Assistance to start and operate a business in WI, including licensing, permitting, regulatory requirements
Wisconsin Dept of Financial Institutions (DFI)
(608) 261-7577
Establishing corporations, LLCs, forms and fees, name reservation. To establish a Subchapter S Corporation, you must first form a C Corporation and elect Subchapter S status with an IRS Form 2553.
Wisconsin Dept of Regulation and Licensing (DRL)
(608) 266-2112
Licenses, permits, registration
Wisconsin Licenses, Permits, Registration
www.wisconsin.gov/state/app/license?COMMAND=gov.wi.state.cpp.license.command.LoadLicenseHome
Apply for licenses, permits and registration
Wisconsin Sales and Use Tax Permits
www.dor.state.wi.us/faqs/pcs/seller.html
Information re: requirements for sales or use tax permits
Wisconsin Dept of Revenue
(414) 227-4000
www.dor.state.wi.us/html/business.html and www.dor.state.wi.us/sales.html
Sales, corporate, excise, property taxes and withholding, forms, sellers permits
Wisconsin Secretary of State
(608) 266-8888
Trade names and trademarks
Dept of Workforce Development (DWD)
(800) 991-5530
Wage information, employment law, unemployment
Business Plan Information & Resources
SCORE
Business plans, on-line workshops, and more
Business Plan Outline
www.score.org/template_gallery.html
Word business plan outline and Excel templates for financial plans
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation
Business plan outline, other helpful start-up information
Commercial Business Plan Writing programs
Prototypes and samples for hundreds of types of businesses. Can be purchased on line or from Office Depot for about US$100
Brandow Co.'s Biz Stats
Free source of small business financial statistics
SamplePlan, Inc.
Downloandable business specific sample plans and outlines for purchase
Business Assistance Center
mybusinesshelp.org
Information for start-ups, advice, import/export and more
Metropolitan Milwaukee Assn. Of Commerce (MMAC)
(414) 287-4100
Demographic information
Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic
Marquette University Law School
(414) 288-7970
http://law.marquette.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?2130&pageID=2989
Free one hour review of legal problem to assess validity of claim. Referrals to proper type of attorneys.
Milwaukee Bar Association Lawyer Referral & Information Service
(414) 274-6768
http://findmilwaukeelawyers.org
FREE over the phone referral service for anyone that has a legal question or is seeking to obtain legal counsel. If the caller is referred to an attorney, the first half-hour of the attorney-client consultation will cost no more than $20.00.
Federal Government Business Resources
Small Business Administration (SBA)
(414) 297-3941
Business Plans, loan programs, marketing, publications, workbooks, management
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
(800) 829-4933
www.irs.gov and www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00.html to apply for EIN on line
Business taxes, rules and forms, Employer Identification Number (EIN)
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99021,00.html
Information for starting a business
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98966,00.html
Information re: what taxes to pay and how to pay them
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=110417,00.html
Information for starting, operating and closing a business venture
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98810,00.html
Checklist for starting a business
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98359,00.html
Legal and tax considerations that help determine the structure of the business
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html
Tax information for small businesses
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98862,00.html
Employee taxes and other IRS employee information
Elect Subchapter S Corporation
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f2553.pdf
Forms and instructions for selection of Subchapter S status
Taxpayer Advocate Office
www.irs.gov/advocate/index.html
An independent organization within the IRS that help taxpayers resolve tax problems
U. S. Dept of Commerce
(414) 297-3473
Includes Bureaus of Economics and Statistics, Census, Economic Analysis, Economic Development, International Trade, Minority Business Development, Technical Information, Telecommunications and Information, Patents and Trademarks. Source for export assistance
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Information re: patents and trademarks
U.S. Copyright Office
Information re: copyrighting, laws and policies, publications, registration
U. S. Dept of Customs
(800) 232-5378
Import assistance
Licenses and Permits
Federal license and permit requirements and link to state licenses and permits site
State & Local Government Business Resources
Wisconsin Economic Development Assn (WEDA)
4600 American Pkwy, Ste 208
Madison, WI 53718
(608) 255-5666, (800) 581-4941
Promotes statewide economic development initiatives
Forward Wisconsin
Wisconsin business climate, incentives, taxes
Small Business Development Center-Wisconsin (SBDC)
Assistance, training, funding/grants information
State of Wisconsin Business Services
www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/business.html
Links to agencies, programs, resources, information, business forms, statistics, licensing and more
State of Wisconsin Forms
www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/business_forms.html
Links to state business forms
Wisconsin Business Forms
www.wdfi.org/corporations/forms/
Statutes, rules and required forms for corporations, non-profits, partnerships, LLCs, Cemetery Assns, etc.
Chambers of Commerce
www.2chambers.com/wisconsi1.htm
Directory and links to chambers of commerce in WI
Wisconsin Chambers of Commerce Directory
www.globalindex.com/chamber/wi.shtml
Links to WI chambers of commerce and other state chambers indexes
Wisconsin Rural Partners
Information, resources for WI rural economic development
Wisconsin DNR Small Business Permit Primer
www.dnr.state.wi.us/permitprimer/
WI Dept of Natural Resources regulatory programs, permits, etc.
Milwaukee Business Resources
www.city.milwaukee.gov/display/router.asp?docid=1031
Links to business resources
Milwaukee Urban Entrepreneur Partnership
435 W. North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 264-2906
Combines private, public and non-profit resources to foster minority business development and job creation
Choose Milwaukee
Business and lifestyle information re: 7-county Milwaukee Metropolitan Area (Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Washington, Waukesha, Walworth)
Funding Information
Marquette University
414-288-1995
Foundations in Wisconsin
Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
Public/private partnership: loan and grant programs, loan calculator, micro-loans
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
(800) 940-7232
Federal/state initiative: minority entrepreneurship, marketing, personnel managementW
Wisconsin Angel Network
www.wisconsinangelnetwork.com/resources/?Id=58
Step-by-step guide to raising start-up capital
Wisconsin Innovation Center
(262) 472-1365
http://academics.uww.edu/business/innovate
Feasibility for products and services
Milwaukee Enterprise Center
(414) 372-3939
Rental space and shared services
Milwaukee World Trade Assn. (MWTA)
Sponsored events and education
Business Statistics
Average Profit/Loss, Balance Sheet statements, financial ratios for many industries
Non-profit Center of Milwaukee
(414) 344-3933
www.nonprofitcentermilwaukee.org
Information on non-profits and membership
Grants for Non-Profits, etc.
List of available grants and how to apply
Assistance Programs/Organizations
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html
Database of federal assistance programs
Grant Opportunities
Finding and applying for federal government grants
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Center
Small business resources and information
Minority Business Development Agency
Minority business networks, initiatives, applications
Veterans Corporation
Business resources for veterans
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Business and economic resources for Hispanic-Americans
National Association of Women Business Owners
Resources, networking for women-owned businesses
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. (WWBIC)
(414) 263-5450
Business education and assistance for women, micro-loans
Women’s Business Center (National)
www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/onlinewbc/index.html
Women’s business ownership entrepreneurial development
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council
Resources, links for women-owned business
Women Owned Business Selling to the Federal Government
Information, resources
National Minority Supplier Development Council
Links between corporate America and minority-owned businesses
State Bar of Wisconsin-Business Assistance
Application for legal advice
Franchise Information
Frannet
www.frannet.com
No-cost guidance, information and support for purchasing a franchise business
Federal Trade Commission
Basic legalities and general help
American Franchise Assn.
Legal resources, FTC regulations and state law
International Franchise Assn.
Buying a franchise, government relations and regulation
American Assn. Of Franchisees and Dealers
How to find a franchise lawyer
Wisconsin Franchise Investment Law
www.wdfi.org/fi/securities/franchise/bdgerreg.htm
Wisconsin State Law governing franchise offerings
Restaurant Information
National Restaurant Assn.
(800) 482-9122
Industry research, running a restaurant business, safety and nutrition and more
Wisconsin Restaurant Assn.
(800) 589-3211
Laws and regulations, industry statistics, safe serving and training and more
Other useful websites for prospective restaurants:
Selling to the Government
Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI)
756 N. Milwaukee St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 270-3600
Guides, trains and provides assistance to firms wishing to provide their products or services to federal, state and local government agencies and their prime contractors
Wisconsin Department of Administration State Procurement
Centralized purchasing and financial management for other state agencies and programs
University of Wisconsin Office of Procurement
Information for selling to the UW system
Business Procurement Assistance Center (BPAC)
3513 Anderson St., Ste 108
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 243-4490
Provides technical and marketing assistance to Wisconsin businesses interested in selling their products or services to the federal government
Acquisition Central
Federal Acquisition Register (FAR)
Central Contracting Registration
Registrant database for federal acquisition
Federal Acquisition Jumpstation
http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/fedproc/home.html
Links to federal acquisition sites
Federal Business Opportunities
Commercial vendors and government buyers can post business opportunities
Federal Marketplace
Classes on how to sell to governments
General Service Administration (GSA)
Federal contracts and schedules, travel resources, becoming a vendor
