Toolbox

The following is a collection of templates, forms, brochures, calculators, links, reference documents, software apps and other miscellaneous resources that can be helpful in researching a business idea, writing a business plan or operating a business.  Please email us if you know of another useful resource we can share here.

	Bookkeeping Tools
	Business Plan Tools
	Frequently Used Forms
	Helpful Links
		General Assistance
				Business Network International
				CMU Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
				Department of Veterans Affairs
						VA Vocational Rehabilitation
						VetBiz.gov
				Disability.gov
				GVSU Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
				Keeter Consulting Blog
				Michigan Chambers of Commerce Directory
				Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center (MISBTDC)
				Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
				State of Michigan
						Michigan Business One Stop
						Michigan Commission for the Blind
						Michigan Rehabilitation Services
						Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) Office Locator
						Michigan Taxes (Sales, Use & Withholding; downloadable .pdf file)
						Michigan Works!
								Michigan Talent Bank
								Michigan Works! Office Locator
		Research
				FreeDemographicsData.com
				Grand Rapids Public Library
				Local.Yahoo.com
				Wikipedia
		Funding
		Michigan Loan Funds
		Small Business Administration
		Social Security Administration
					Plan to Achieve Self Sufficiency (PASS) Program
					Ticket to Work Program
		Books Worth Reading (Available through Amazon.com, but check your local library as well)
					Blur: The Speed of Change in the Connected Economy
					The Little Black Book of Connections
					The Personal Efficiency Program
					Project Management for Dummies
					The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
					The World is Flat
		Free Software & Webware
					Adaware (spyware/malware detection & removal) [DOWNLOAD]
					AVG AntiVirus [DOWNLOAD]
					Doodle.com (easily schedule meetings with several people)
					Loan Calculator
					Glary Utilities (registry cleaner; disc optimizer, software uninstaller) [DOWNLOAD]
					Dropbox (free cloud file storage)
					Google
							Blogspot (free blog sites)
							Google Docs (create, edit, store & share documents, spreadsheets, drawings & presentations)
							Google Earth (highly detailed satellite imagery of almost the entire planet) [DOWNLOAD]
							GMAIL (email, calendar, to-do list)
							Google Maps (detailed maps and driving directions)
							Picassa (photo editor, organizer and uploader; works with online Picassa photo albums) [SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD]
							Google Talk (chat, PC to phone/phone-to-PC/PC-to-PC calling, video calling) [SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD]
							YouTube (post and view videos)
					Open Office (downloadable alternative to Microsoft Office) [SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD]
					OpenProj (Project Management Tool) [SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD]
					Windows Live
							Mail (email, calendar, to-do list)
							Mesh (back up your hard drive to the web) [SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD]
							OfficeLive (web-based MS Office apps: Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
							Skydrive (online file storate/sharing)
							Writer (desktop blog editing/publishing tool) [SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD]
							Wordpress (free blog sites)