Published in InfoAlert.

With everything a successful businessperson has to do, it's sometimes easy to get so involved in the day-to-day activities of running your business that you don't have time to hunt for helpful business tips or information rich resources.

So let's go to the Internet and see if we can find some handy websites that will benefit you in your business.

We'll begin with American Express's Expert Advice: Tip of the Monthwebsite. Every month, you'll get a new tip, covering topics such as the most commonly overlooked tax deductions, tips that will help you sell to cities, how to profit by speaking at trade shows, and how to save on business travel.

American Express also offers Entrepreneur Smart Tips of the Day , where you'll find tips in categories such as IRA's, expanding your business, and business plans. By clicking on the Business Plan Workshop toward the bottom of the page, you'll be taken to a site called "Creating an Effective Business Plan," where you'll find a step-by-step approach to designing a plan for your business.

If you're interested in business plans, another helpful site is the Business Plan Resource Center . Use their sample plans for free by simply changing them to suit your particular business. Do you have a great business plan yourself? The site pays for good business plans it can post online.

At Developing Your Business Plan, you'll find free business planning software that you can download on the spot.

Another option for developing a business plan is to visit the Interactive Business Planner . At this site, you'll be guided through each section of a business plan with questions and answers and have financial projections prepared for you based upon the information you provide. After designing your plan online, you can download it to your own computer, or you access the website at any time to make changes.

Let's go back to some sites that offer helpful tips. The Smart Business Supersite offers an impressive listing of tips for entrepreneurs. A new tip is posted daily, and the coming month's schedule is even available. Example tips include employee recognition programs and writing a marketing plan.

Idea Cafe, the Small Business Channel, is a light and lively contrast to some of the more sedate business websites. However, the content itself is excellent. Rhonda Abrams, who writes the most widely distributed small business column in the U.S., "Small Business Strategies," offers business tips in areas such as business competition, how to set fees, and more. You can even order a free e-mail copy of her Biz Tips for 1998.

Back at the Idea Cafe, you can also read advice from the experts in categories such as communications and how to finance your business. Under Financing Your Business, you'll find information on borrowing money, getting investors, determining how much you need, and more.

Would you like to receive a weekly e-mail newsletter that offers three simple tips to increasing profits and building your business? Every week, Just Business Tips will provide a quick and inexpensive technique to help you make more money and attract more customers, a way to save money, and a way to save time in your day-to-day activities. The newsletter is geared toward the active businessperson and should take no more than ten minutes to read. To subscribe, send an e-mail to: jb-sub@Just-Business.com.

Though it doesn't offer business "tips," the White House's Economic Statistics Briefing Room is an information rich site that provides current Federal economic indicators. You can access categories such as Employment, Unemployment, and Earnings, or International Statistics. The site provides links to information produced by several Federal agencies, which is updated by the statistical units of those agencies.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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