The Future is Now!

 

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Internet Basics and Terminology | Online Resources | Database Resources |
Establishing a Web Presence

Welcome to "The Future is Now! Small Businesses on the Web," a community service workshop sponsored by Monroe City Schools/Louisiana Challenge, Louisiana Department of Labor/Monroe Job Service, Ouachita Parish Public Library, GIS Consulting, and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. The free workshop was originally presented April 22 at the Monroe City Schools Technology Training Facility for small business owners with 10 or fewer employees. It was designed for the small business owner who wants to learn about and utilize the wealth of online and database resources for small businesses. The hands-on seminar included: Internet Basics and Terminology, Online Resources for Small Businesses, Full-text Magazines and Business Databases, and Establishing a Web Presence.

This online version of the workshop provides a brief description of the topics presented as well as active links to the web sites showcased.

I. Internet Basics and Terminology

The Internet is no longer a luxury for the small business owner but rather a necessity. Learning about it requires effort, however, it is time well spent. Numerous web sites that provide knowledge and assistance have been developed for people who are new to the Internet and want to learn more.

From within your web browser, view the Ouachita Parish Public Library's Community Internet Workshop powerpoint show that reviews the origin of the Internet and defines basic terminology.
<http://www.ouachita.lib.la.us/webshows/internet/>.

Beginner's Guide to Using and Understanding the Internet is the companion web site to the PBS series. Topics covered include: The Latest Software, World Wide Web Guides, How to Search, Subject Indexes, Search Engines, Meta Search Engines, and What's New.
<http://www.pbs.org/uti/guide/www.html>

The Internet has created a new vocabulary that is often confusing to new users. NetLingo: The Internet Language Dictionary contains hundreds of new words that have been created or words whose meaning have changed due to the Internet.
<http://www.netlingo.com/>

And if you need help with general Internet information or with specific applications, visit the Monroe City Schools Educational Resources :Guides and Tutorials page. The instructional guides used in district technology/telecommunications workshops are available for public use. Links to other online guides and tutorials are also provided.
<http://monroe.k12.la.us/mcs/training/>

II. Online Resources for Small Business Owners

There are abundant free resources on the Internet for small business owners. These resources range from obtaining financial assistance to developing business and marketing plans. If your business is not yet online, an excellent local resource for information and assistance is the Monroe Job Service Office. It offers courteous, knowledgeable staff to assist employers with placement needs and questions about unemployment insurance. An Employer Representative is available to visit your work site and discuss your personnel needs. The Monroe Job Service Office is located at 1801 Auburn, Monroe, Louisiana, 71201 and can be reached at (318) 362-5111.

The Louisiana Department of Labor (LDOL) web page offers up-to-date information for employers. They can obtain information on job placement, unemployment insurance, Worker's Compensation, and a broad range of labor market information under a system known as the Louisiana Occupational Information System (LOIS). The searchable data categories available in LOIS include: Population/Census, Industry, Occupation, Labor Force, Education, Economic Indicators, Profiles, Income and Wages, and Employers.
<http://www.ldol.state.la.us/> <http://204.68.243.81/lois/default.asp>

From the LDOL web site, you can also access America's Job Bank which allows employers to post job openings nationwide and America's Career InfoNet which provides valuable resources for employers on topics such as: employment trends, prevailing wages, economic information, and demographic information.
<http://www.ajb.dni.us/> <http://www.acinet.org/>

First Stop Shop for Business, sponsored by the Louisiana Secretary of State Commercial Division, is a "licensing information center" for prospective small business owners. The First Stop Shop gives current and potential business owners a single place to go for licensing information needed to start a business in Louisiana. The primary purpose of the program is to facilitate business by providing a central system for the determination of what licenses and permits must be obtained and maintained by individuals conducting business in the state.
<http://www.sec.state.la.us/first-1.htm>

The US Department of Commerce web site provides economic information, news, and statistics as well as links to the following: Bureau of Export Administration, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of the Census, Economic Development Administration, International Trade Administration, Minority Business Development agency, Office of the Inspector General, Patent and Trademark Office, ....
<http://www.doc.gov/>

SBA Online provides financial, technical, and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses. Do not miss the link to the SBA Classroom, an on-line systems resource for training and informing entrepreneurs and other students of enterprise. It is a new -- easy to use -- dimension in entrepreneurial training. For a schedule of upcoming workshops and seminars in Louisiana, go to SBA Training and Conferences. <http://www.sba.gov/>

 
Other Sites of Interest:

III. Free Database Resources for Small Business Owners

The Ouachita Parish Public Library offers an array of commercial databases free to its patrons via the Internet. These databases can be accessed not only from the library but also from remote locations such as your business or home. Of particular interest to small business owners are the two information products described below. Please note however, other subscription databases are also available for general use.
<http://www.ouachita.lib.la.us>

Reference USA is a business directory of over 11 million US businesses, governmental agencies, educational institutions, and religious organizations. Information in the directory includes contact person, address, phone and fax numbers, credit rating, headquarters and subsidiaries locations. Users can refine search results by geographic location and business size (number of employees)

General BusinessFile ASAP from Infotrac/Searchbank is a full-text business magazine database with articles from 1980 - current. Use this database to research all business and management topics. It also includes directory listings for over 150,000 companies as well as investment analysts' reports on major companies and  industries.

IV. Establishing a Web Presence

In today's competitive marketplace, the small business owner must use every resource available to compete and become successful. The Internet has added another marketing tool for the small business owner to display their products or services to a much larger audience than ever before. Establishing an Internet presence or website may seem a daunting task, but it's not as complicated as you may think.

Establishing an Internet Presence for Your Small Business is an online presentation created by Paul Moore, GIS Consulting, designed to assist small business owners .
<http://www.ouachita.lib.la.us/webshows/Website/>

The KnowledgeHound is the Internet's biggest directory of free "how to" guides. It offers numerous links to tutorials and guides about setting up a network.
<http://www.knowledgehound.com/networks.shtml>

Hardware Central's Ultimate Guide to Networking is a 3 part series that covers everything from the basics of networking to peer-to-peer network setup.
<http://www.hardwarecentral.com/features/reports/networking1/>

Big Nose Bird.com offers over 200 pages of easy to read original tutorials on almost every subject. Free scripts, free graphics, free midi files and much, much more are also available for web masters.
<http://www.bignosebird.com/>

And if you are interested in knowing what businesses in Monroe/West Monroe have established a web presence, be sure to visit the Monroe City Schools Technology Initiative's Monroe Online Community (MOC) site. The MOC is an index to over 250 local online businesses and organizations.
<http://monroe.k12.la.us/mcs/community/online/

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Presenter Bios and Contact Information

Workshop Participant Pictures
(Hi, Class! Don't say I didn't warn you about where your picture might turn up!)

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Establishing a Web Presence

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