The following list is not all-inclusive, nor is it meant to serve as an endorsement. Please see the website :specialtyfoodresource.com for updates.
ACCOUNTING ASSISTANCE
MyBizHomepage, Inc.
MyBizHomepage offers free web-based service includes MyBizDashboard that allows entrepreneurs and small businesses to see their QickBoods data online. It also displays important and timely financial notifications.
Web site:mybizhomepage.com
BUSINESS LISTS
Info USA, Inc.
5711 South 86th Circle
Omaha, NE68127
800-321-0869, 402-331-7169
e-mail: help@infousa.comWeb site: infousa.com
Business listings compiled from nationwide Yellow Pages.
Gourmet News
P.O. Box 1056
Yarmouth, ME04096
207-846-0800 Web site: gourmetnews.com
Rents its extensive listing of specialty food decision makers.
CATALOG MARKETING
5th Food Group
Internet and Catalog Marketing
Tony Cox, President
4412 Copper Mountain Lane
Richardson, TX75082
972-907-1464; Fax: 972-907-1466
e-mail: tony@5thGroupMarketing.com Web site: 5thFoodGroup.com
5th Food Group (formerly Catalog Solutions) serves as an outsourced mail order and online marketing department for specialty food companies. “The 7 Habits of the Highly Ineffective Cataloger” available online. Subscribe to their Food by Mail Industry Updates via e-mail.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Business Owner's Toolkit
Business Owner's Toolkit empowers entrepreneurs with the information, tools and advice to help start, run and grow a successful small business. This online resource attracts over 1 million page viewers per month.
Web site: toolkit.com
Foods of the Web
Contact: Emmett Barnes
Buckhead Plaza, Suite 790
3060 Peachtree Road NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-816-7894
e-mail: ebarnes@foodsoftheweb.com Website: foodsoftheweb.com
This is a selling resource for small producers to reach wider audiences. The website is built for cross-product marketing through display of vendor's product photos. The plan is to attract shoppers with ongoing national publicity and zip code targeted mailing campaigns. Free listings are offered through June1, 2009.
Gourmet Business Solutions
Contact: Ryan Montague
129 North Garden Avenue
Clearwater, FL33755
800-975-7068 ext. 703
e-mail:info@gourmetbusinesssolutions.com Website: gourmetbusinesssolutions.com
Gourmet Business Solutions is a management consulting firm specializing in brand and business development, marketing, and internet/technology solutions for companies in the gourmet food and specialty food Industry. We offer the highest level of solutions, sales programs, and specifically for companies manufacturing and selling gourmet food and specialty food.
JJ Hill Reference Library
The Hill Library is a business eseach library with an online resource called "HillSearch" that enables counselors to assist entrepreneurs to research markets, companies, industries and benchmarks for accurate business planning with librarians providing practical help. HillSearch provides access to databases for an annual fee.
Web site: jjhill.org
Specialty Food Resource, LLC
10001 North 77th Place
Scottsdale, Arizona85258
480/778-0640
Contact: Steve Hall
Email: Hall@specialtyfoodresource.com
Focus: Produce and manage website and discussion forum/blog devoted to connecting specialty food processors, distributors, brokers, suppliers and retailers.
SmallBizU
Interactive, online products that help entrepreneurs plan, fund and learn the basics of small business management. Tools include a business planning technique that translates business ideas into business plans. It also offers a certificate training program that teaches entrepreneurs the basics of money and a collection of classes designed especially for small businesses.
Web site:smallbiz.org
Winmark Business Solutions
Winmark Business Solutions is a free online resource for small business owners. New PeerSphere communities create an opportunity to learn from other small business owners. It also offers business-critical information and discounted products and services.
Web site:wbsonline.com
BUSINESS FINANCING
Borrego Springs Bank, N.A.
Borrego Springs BAnk offers the Borrego Express Capital Loan Program directed to long term working capital financing to businesses with a unique mis of SBA loan programs.
Web site: borregospringsbank.com
Corporate Turnaround
Corporate Turnaround has helped thousands of smaller companies find financing, settle past-due debts, resolbe tax problems and avoid bankruptcy.
Web site:dontdeclare.com
DRDA, PC
DRDA's BORSA plan is a tool which allows funding to purchase a business, franchise or business start-up using money from a qualified retirement without incuring taxes or penalties.
Web site:drdacpa.com
Small Business Loan Exchange
The Small Business Loan Exchange (SBLX) is a free online marketplace connectingbusiness borrowers wih hundreds of lenders. The Expert SBLX Credit Guide helps process borrower's applications and works with national, regional and local lenders. Smart technology finds the right lenders.
Web site: smallbusiness exchange.com
U. S. Bank
U. S. Bank is the nations's third leading SBA lender among banks and operates 24 specially designated SBA Business Center offices serving small business customers nationwide.
LIABILITY INSURANCE
DeWitt Stern Insurnace Services of California, LLC
Ms. Rochelle Brotter
818-933-2737
Mikkelsen, Kelly & Kipp Insurance, Inc.
Scott Mikkelsen
553 Cal Sag Road
Alslip, IL
60803
708-389-6330
This insurance agency can sell coverage in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, California, Idaho, Arizona, Oklahoma, Connecticut and Washington.
FINANAICLA MANAGEMENET SERVICES
Intuit, Inc.
This company's mission is to create new ways to manage personal finances and small businesses that are so profound and simple that customers cannot imagine going back to the old ways.
Web site: intuit.com
Ultimate Business Planner by Atlas Business Solutions
Ultimate Business Planner Softwae by Atlas Business Solutions is used by many ABDC offices. UBP incorporates comprehensive business planning with automated financial forecasting. UBP walks users through every step with plain-English instuctions and delivers a polished and professional business plan.
Web site:abs-usa.com
NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS
Lawrence-Allen Group NutriLABEL
2031 Fairmont Drive
San Mateo, CA94402-3925
800-345-2909 or 650-345-2909 Fax: 650-345-9723
e-mail: support@nutrilabel.com Web site: nutrilabel.com
Primary focus: Provides fast, low-cost services, including food-product nutritional analysis, camera-ready nutrition-facts panel art, FDA labeling compliance assistance, ingredient statement preparation, trademark research, and new specialty food product development and consulting services. This is a confidential service with more than 50 years’ experience. Contact Larry Imes.
Strasburger & Siegel, Inc.
7249 National Drive
Hanover, MD21076-1324
800-875-6532 or 410-712-7373 Fax: 410-712-7378
e-mail: info@sas-labs.com Web site: sas-labs.com
Strasburger and Siegel is just one of many laboratories that offer competitively-priced analytical services, including microbiological and microanalytical services, consulting services (project design, product stability, and shelf-life evaluation, thermal process engineering, etc.), and customized product development services.
PRODUCE MARKETING
Sell What You Sow! The Grower’s Guide to Successful Produce Marketing
New World Publishing
11543 Quartz Drive, #1
Auburn, CA 95602
530-823-3886
Sell What You Sow! by Eric Gibson, is a guide to profitable produce marketing that covers marketing plans, research, crop selection, and selling through farmers’ markets, restaurants, roadside markets, pick-your-own operations, and retail outlets. It is a comprehensive how-to book of high-value produce marketing.
QUALITY ISSUES
A couple of good sources for improving your knowledge of quality and productivity are:
The Deming Route to Quality and Productivity
by William W. Scherkenbach
CEEPress BooksGeorgeWashingtonUniversity, 1992
The Memory Jogger II
by Michael Brassard and Diane Ritter GOAL/QPC, 1994 800-643-4316 Web site: goalqpc.org
This is a pocket guide of tools for continuous improvement and effective planning.
UNIFORM PRDUCT CODE
GS1 United States
Princeton PikeCenter
209 Lenox Drive, Suite 202
Lawrenceville, NJ08648
609-620-0200; Fax: 609-620-1200
e-mail: info@gs1us.org Web site: gs1us.org
This company offers UPC barcodes at a lower cost with no annual fees, no disclosure of Federal Tax ID or release annual sales figures. They provide barcode graphics at no charge. Please note: if you plan to sell to The Kroger Co. and/or Wal-Mart, you must obtain your barcodes from GS1.
Two other web sites to consider for UPC barcode information are buyabarcode.com and upccode.net.
RESOURCES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO)
1110 Vermont Street, NW
Washington, DC20416
800-827-5722, 202-606-4000
Web site: sba.gov/womeninbusiness
The Office of Women’s Business Ownership is the primary advocate for the interests of women business owners and provides current and potential women business owners access to the following services and programs:
✧ Technical, financial, and management information
✧ Information about selling to the federal government
✧ Access to capital
✧ Women’s Prequalification Loan Program
Online Women’s BusinessCenter
Web site: onlinewbc.gov
With over 60 centers nationwide, the Women’s Business Centers program provides long-term training, counseling, networking, and mentoring to all types of potential and existing women entrepreneurs.
Council for Entrepreneurial Development
919-549-7500 Web site: cednc.org
CED provides educational courses, networking opportunities, mentoring, and capital formation resources for new and existing entrepreneurs.
Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence (Women and Money)
e-mail: Info@count-me-in.org Web site: count-me-in.org
Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is a national nonprofit organization that will raise money from women to be lent to women. Count Me In is a lending and learning organization dedicated to strengthening women’s position in the economy. The concept is straightforward: millions of women across America will be asked—and inspired—to contribute a minimum of $5 to Count Me In to create a national loan fund for women. The money will be redistributed to qualifying women in the form of small business loans ranging from $500 to $10,000, and scholarships for business training and technical assistance.
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 830
Silver Spring, MD20910.
301-608-2590
Annual dues: $75 to $125, depending on chapter location Members: 80,000
NAWBO is a lobbying organization aimed at promoting policies that encourage female entrepreneurship. NAWBO also established the National Foundation for Women Business Owners (NFWBO), a non-profit research foundation. NFWBO publishes a wide range of research studies and reports on statistical trends among women-owned firms. Its Compendium of National Statistics on Women-Owned Businesses in the U.S. brings together all the publicly available statistical information on women-owned businesses.
American Business Women's Association (ABWA)
9100 Ward Parkway
Kansas City MO64114
816-361-6621
Annual dues: $35 ($32 for retired entrepreneurs)
The ABWA's primary focus is to promote entrepreneurial ventures by women. It offers member discounts, ranging from car rentals and office products to long-distance phone services. The ABWA also provides education and skill building services to assist members just starting out.
American Woman's Economic Development Corp. (AWED)
71 Vanderbilt Avenue
New York, NY 10169
800-222-2933
Annual dues: $55 for new members, $49 for renewals Members: 2000
AWED's experts have experience in every area of small business -- from financing and wholesale distribution to public relations. They offer classes in the New York City area, but also dispense advice and coaching to members nationwide over the telephone. Four regional conferences held annually to encourage networking among members
National Women’s Business Council (NWBC)
409 Third Street, SW
Washington, DC20024
202-205-3850 Fax: 202-205-6825
e-mail: info@nwbc.gov Web site: nwbc.gov
The National Women's Business Council is a bi-partisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners. The Council's mission is to promote bold initiatives, policies and programs designed to support women's business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces -- from start-up to success to significance.
National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)
1040 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor
New York, NY10018
212-944-2430; Fax: 212-719-9611
Web site: nmsdc.org
Provides a direct link between corporate America and minority enterprise. It was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes.
The NMSDC Network includes a National Office in New York and 39 regional councils across the country. There are 3,500 corporate members throughout the network, including most of America's largest publicly-owned, privately-owned and foreign-owned companies, as well as universities, hospitals and other buying institutions. They certify and match more than 15,000 minority owned businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American) with member corporations that want to purchase goods and services.
National Women Business Owners (NWBOC)
1001 West Jasmine Drive, #G
Lake Park, Florida33403
800-675-5066; Fax: 561-881-7364
e-mail: info@nwboc.org
NWBOC was established in 1995 for the purpose of increasing competition for corporate and government contracts through implementation of a pioneering economic development strategy for women business owners. NWBOC is a national 501(c) (3) not-for-profit corporation, and is the first third-party, national certifier providing WBE Certification.
The Nation's First WBE Certifier
NWBOC provides a national certification program for women-owned businesses. The certification, called "Woman Business Enterprise" (WBE) Certification, ensures that a private, for-profit company is truly owned and controlled by a woman or women.
Mothers' Home Business Network (MHBN)
PO Box 423
East Meadow, NY11554
Phone: (516) 997-7394
Membership: 6,000 Annual Dues: $39.95
One of the largest groups for women home-based business owners. MHBN provides information, ideas, and inspiration to mom's who choose to work at home. Publishes two newsletters, Home Working Mothers (annual) and Kids and Career (twice a year). MHBN provides literature on how to juggle your time between raising children and running a successful business as well as a "fraud detector" for evaluating home business opportunities.
Miscellaneous
Coaching Assistance
The Entrepreneur's Source
The Entrepreneur's Source is a nationwide Coaching firm with over 275 offices. They assist individuals who are exploring self-employment and franchising as caree akternatives. They also consult on expansion strategies and ways to increase performance nad profitability.
Web site:thesource.com
Freelance Services
www.findafreelancer.com- a good online source for freelance writing and editing, graphic design, development and programming, artwork and illustration, web design, and photography.
Legal Documents
www.legalzoom.com
Legal documents online to assist with establishing incorporations, LLC’s, trademarks, patents and copyrights.
