As a small business owner and entrepreneurial coach and instructor, I am often asked to share some of my most recommended resources. For those of you with entrepreneurial spirit, enjoy the journey:

MIT Open Course Web Site
The Sloan School of Management, along with other departments of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, offers free course notes, video, and even exams for entrepreneurs and other curious souls. From marketing to real estate, economics to customer communications, it doesn’t get any better than free!

Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
Young students often attend my online business-planning class. This is one of the sites I recommend to them. It contains good information for those of us who are also young-at-heart. Number one recommendation? Find a mentor. Good advice for all of us!

AllBusiness.com
Starting a restaurant, construction company, or manufacturing business? Looking for a sample contract? Need to know information about hiring and firing? This is one of the most comprehensive business sites on the web for all business types and business owners. New content added daily.

Wall Street Executive Library
Using this site is like having your own personal reference librarian! From one-click-away business resources to the top business publications, this site contains information you needed yesterday. Outstanding.

BusinessWeek’s Best
I don’t often get to spend time with the print version of this publication, so this is the next best thing. This is one of my favorite sites. It contains stories and advice for small business from leading experts.

The Online Entrepreneur Magazine
This is the online version of Entrepreneur magazine, one of my favorite business publications. It offers a wide variety of resources and inspiration for today's entrepreneur.

About.com’s Entrepreneur Site
Guided by an entrepreneurial expert, this is a good starting point for newbies and seasoned entrepreneurs. Also, check out its sister site – About.com: Small Business Information

How-To Guides for Business
Itching to know something about running your business? This is a fantastic resource. Done in an easy to follow format with quick answers and actionable results.

Jill Griffin’s Loyalty Solutions
From customer loyalty to customer winback, Jill Griffin is the voice in customer experience management. Watch for her new book – Taming the Search-and-Switch Customer: Earning Customer Loyalty in a Compulsion-to-Compare World – arriving on bookstore shelves in March 2009.

CustomerThink
What are your customers thinking? Ask the gurus, a panel of global experts bringing their customer-centric thoughts together on this outstanding site.

Legal and Regulatory Information for Small Business
Not sure where to begin your location-specific search for information regarding your small business? This site will help you. Select your state and begin.

100+ Marketing Ideas
I love this web page. It’s guaranteed to take your marketing thoughts outside the comfort zone.

Guerrilla (Warfare) Marketing
Some days it just feels that extreme! This site is written by Mitch Meyerson, Director of Guerrilla Marketing Coaching Program, and Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerrilla Marketing books. You’ll walk away with good, usable ideas from this site.

Carnegie Library’s Business Plans and Profiles Index
Sometimes, students are the best teachers. This site was discovered by one of my online students. It is an outstanding compilation of various business plans and resources.

Seth Godin: Bestselling Business Author
As a member of his tribe, you’ll often find Seth on my bedside table – his books, not his body! Seth’s fresh perspective (and humor) on business will make you dream big thoughts that are doable.

Work.com
Have a question? Get an answer. This is one of my favorite quick reference sites for small business.