Resources for Entrepreneurs

The following is a list of sites useful to entrepreneurs. Check back frequently for new additions.

VentureArchetypes' list of 150+ Top VC Blogs—we are compiling a comprehensive list of VC bloggers, which can be very helpful to 'get inside their minds' (particularly if you are pitching these particular folks).

VentureArchetypes' list of VCs on Twitter-- another good way to understand what investors are funding / thinking / eating / doing.

TechCrunch, the go-to site for all things web 2.0 related, and the accompanying CrunchBase database of startups. Other good web-focused sites are Mashable and Read Write Web.

Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurial Leadership—a site dedicated to all things entrepreneurial. Highly recommended. Find the Kauffman Foundation site here and the extensive resource site here.

Wall Street Journal's Startup.com—articles, news, and resources. Great site, though it tends to have a "small business" focus (vs. a high-growth startup focus). Also see WSJ's VC-related blog, here.

Startup Company Lawyer, a site run by Yokum Taku, a partner at Wilson Sonsini. An excellent resource for answering nearly every legal question a startup may face.

U.S. Small Business Administration—extensive resources for starting, managing, and financing your business, run by the SBA.

United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship—an affiliate of the International Council for Small Business. Conferences, news and resources.

Young Entrepreneurs' Organization—Networking and resources for business owners under 40.

Technical partners—There are a variety of companies that will provide free or discounted software, hosting, and other technical services to startups, among them Microsoft BizSpark and Sun Startup Essentials. Amazon also has a competition for startups that use its AWS web services platform.

Incubators—Incubators have mushroomed in recent years, particularly in the web 2.0 space. Most provide very small levels of funding (in the five-figure range), coaching and exposure. Notable incubators include TechStars, YCombinator, and SeedCamp (UK). Others include the Hatchery (NYC) and Capital Factory (Austin). Longer lists of incubators can be found here and here.

Platform Funding—Large web and social networking companies have set up incubation programs for coders developing on their platforms. Examples include Facebook's fbFund REV, and Google's Gadget Ventures. Blackberry also has a fund for developers on its platform, and PayPal is making some moves with its X.com platform.

VC Seed—Several VC firms are getting into the game with seed funding initiatives, such as Highland Capital's Summer@Highlandl and Charles River Ventures QuickStart Loan program. Other dedicated VC programs include Kleiner Perkins' iFund (for iphone-based startups) and Bay Partners.

Business Plan Competitions—Many startups with an MBA or university tie-in make the rounds on the business plan competition circuit. The range of competitions varies widely, but many offer significant cash prizes, and they are a good way to gain pitching practice in a relatively safe environment. A list of approximately 50 such challenges can be found here.

Inc. Magazine—Online version of the well-regarded small business-focused magazine.

BusinessWeek Online Small Business Center—Decent articles, but heavy on the pop-up ads.

EvanCarmichael.com-- Large collection of entrepreneurial articles. Includes lengthy list of famous entrepreneur profiles and case studies-- from Hugh Hefner to Jenny Craig and everyone in between.

Venturewire—VC news and information. Most of the site requires a paid subscription, but the Daily Alert is free and useful to see who's getting funded. Another good site to subscribe to is PEHub.

National Venture Capital Association—VC trade organization.

Angel Capital Association-- Angel investor trade group. Includes links to most established angel groups around the country.

WorkIT—Listing of events in the SF Bay Area, mainly geared towards tech startups.

IBF Conferences—Hosts events such as the Venture Investing Conference and the Early Stage Venture Investing Conference, as well as industry-specific events. Good place to network.

Harvard Business School Working Knowledge—articles and "thought leadership" on various business topics.

McKinsey Quarterly—more "thought leadership" from this top consulting firm.

Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs—tech-focused networking organization. Hosts frequent events.

SiliconValley.com—"Inside the tech economy," created by the San Jose Mercury News. Good source of tech articles.

To view some other VentureArchetypes partners and affiliates, visit here.