Click to hook up with people, info, advice and tools to make your business successful and fun.


Welcome to IDEA CAFE
"A Fun Approach to Serious Business"
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IDEA CAFE HOME

CYBERSCHMOOZ
You aren't alone! Come find out why Idea Cafe's CyberSchmooz is THE most popular small business community online. Bring your questions, your mind, and your sense of humor.
Guidelines & Help
Choose your schmooz from these forums:
Comfort Food
Working at Home
Start-Up Stew
Biz Ideas
Biz Ingredients
Sources, suppliers and wholesalers buy or sell goods.
Financial Feasts
Request funding or tell your money tales.
eCommerce
Marketing Mix
GenX Biz
Biz Names
Ideas & feedback here.
The Daily Grind
Talk about the perks (and jerks) of running a small biz.
Tech Talk


Coffee Talk with Experts
Our experts answer questions from real entrepreneurs (like you).

Coffee Talk Answers
Beefy biz info on:
• Starting a Business
• Getting Money
• Running a Business
• Marketing Info
• Customer Relations
• Employee Issues
• Moral Support
• Getting Organized
• Desktop Publishing
• Work@Home


STARTING YOUR BIZ
Get step by step help as you plan your biz:
Before You Start
Get ready for the plunge into business.
Your Business Idea
Want to start a biz, but don't have an idea? Check out these examples... or
submit a biz idea

Name Your Business
Plan Your Business
Business plan tips, tools and examples.
Legal Set-up
Corp, LLC, prop or what? -- legal and government "must-do's".
Get Money
Sources of funding and information.
Do It!
Inspiration from other biz owners.

Ideas for a Business You Can Start


RUNNING YOUR BIZ
Expert advice, forms, and links to more resources.

Marketing
Build your identity, define your USP, learn to market your biz effectively.

Human Resources
How to hire and manage people.

Legal & Biz Forms
Ready-to-use tools plus explanations of how and when to use them: Agreements, billing, collections, inventory... and much more.

Managing Your Biz
Quick biz forms, tax tips, the big "to-do" list and other ideas to help you run your biz.

eCommerce
Idea Cafe's trademarked "Fun Approach" to doing business online.


Now Idea Cafe's Small Business Grant Center!
Info and links to business grants for small businesses.

FINANCING YOUR BIZ
40+ pages of tips to help you get the money your business needs:
GETTING READY FOR MONEY
How much money do you need? Instant All-in-One Budget Calculator
What kind of financing tastes right to you? + Self-Exam
Getting Ready Emotionally. Plus Self-Exam
How long will it take?
Women Getting Money
Minorities Getting Money
Before You Apply for a Loan
Loan Agreements
Basic Financial Package
Cleaning Up Your Credit
Financial Trouble
Ideas on handling collections, creditors, and guilt
SOURCES OF MONEY
Debt:

Borrowing Money
Credit Cards
Bank Loans
Line of Credit
SBA Government Loans
Personal Loans

Equity:
Getting Investors
Venture Capital
Angel Investors
SBIC Small Biz Investment Co's
Private Placement
IPO Public Offering

Creative Financing
Other Sources of $
Friends & Family
Customers & Suppliers
Factors
Inventory Financing
Strategic Partners
Convertible Debt
Equipment Leasing

Financing Resources
Online and offline.
Financing Glossary
Words you need to know so you can talk the money talk.


YOU AND YOUR BIZ

GenX Startup
Whatever your age, we urge you to stop by and check out the GenX biz buzz:
GenX Profiles
Spotlighting savvy young entrepreneurs.
Biz Nuts & Bolts
Develop your Biz plan, Choose your entity
Show Me the Money

Work@Home
The corner of Idea Cafe set up just for those of you who work-at-home.

The Fridge
Easy to print biz info on ice: forms, info about public speaking, customer relations, sending email, making a great impression, etc.

Biz Book Reviews


DESTRESS and have FUN!
(Isn't that why you started your business in the first place?)
Contest
It's free! Sign up and win something!
Send an Award
Make someone's day! It'll take just 30 seconds to send a personalized Biz eAward they can view onscreen then print out in color!
Send an eGreeting
Say Happy Birthday or thanks or congratulations to clients, employees, associates and friends.
Biz Horoscope
Yoga@Your Desk
Fun Guide
Your guide to fun sites on the web.


FREE Newsletter

Sign Up to Win

People in Biz Profiles
Spotlight on entrepreneurs who've jumped into the biz mix with both feet and made their ideas work. Great inspiration and advice.

IDEA CAFE'S BIZ WEB GUIDE
Find the resources you need to run your business. Click on a category below, OR check out the detailed list of over 100 subcategories

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