The Internet makes a disorganized person even more disorganized!
I read the above statement in Scientific American around three years ago. The Internet has changed a lot since then, but the statement still holds true - especially for business related information. There is so much information out there on the Net that it can be extremely difficult to utilize it properly. Moreover, the vast amount of business information, sites, newsletters, etc. that are on the Net can truly make your surfing counterproductive - too much time checking out too many sites.
There is an answer and it is called business.com. Business.com sorts through the Internet for you, eliminating the noise and clutter and providing the information you are looking for in a simple and logical way.
The key to the site is that fact that its comprehensive Directory of business web sites has been put together by a team of more than 50 researchers and industry experts.
Enable provides a brief overview of business.com and then focuses on a few sections that are especially valuable to entrepreneurs and start-ups.
A Logical Structure
Business.com has a team of 50 experts that are information specialists with Master of Library and Information Science degrees or MBAs. Many have years of experience in their field. They have organized the site according to a very logical system - they break the world of business into two simple categories: your department and your industry.
If you are the V.P. Marketing for a company and want information - simply click on Sales and Marketing in the top section marked "Departments."
If you're in the Telecom business and need to find information on broadband, carriers, etc - simply click on Telecommunications in the bottom section marked "Industries."
The help section is also very good, as is the search engine which is powered by Google.
You will have to experiment a little at first, but it is definitely worth the couple of minutes that it will take you to find exactly what you need.
For Entrepreneurs
Business.com provides a slew of information for entrepreneurs. In the top section marked Departments, under Management, click on Entrepreneurship. You will see that it is further divided into Categories, Resources and News. Clicking on Venture Capital in the categories section provides you with all you need to know about the industry in a very easy to use way. The section is again divided into the same three categories as above, only now it is specific to the venture capital industry.
Take the time to go through this if you are in search of funding or need other information about the venture capital industry.
You should also click on the Reference link. When you do, you will be provided with links to numerous sites dealing with entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. This includes several not so common, yet highly valuable sites like:
- BizzAdvice Online business advice for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Offers advice in starting-up, entrepreneurship, business plans, accounting, finance, ecommerce, venture capital and daily news.
- Crinux Domain name incubator.
- Strategy.com Delivers personalized portfolio reports, market updates, financial news, weather and alerts via email, Excel, fax, pager, mobile phone, telephone or PDAs.
Industry Profiles
Another useful section of the site is the Industry Profiles. Here you get Buisiness.com's take on 58 industries and how the Web is transforming them. The information provided is comprehensive and organized in a very easy to read manner. You get an excellent overview of the particular industry, plus links to more information and sites. I read through the Telecom and E-commerce profiles and both provided useful information and insights.
Enable highly recommends that you make Business.com part of your daily business routine. It will save you valuable time and money - and help you organize your business information.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on August 29, 2000.