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Links & Resources This page provides a listing of business services and links specifically selected for their usefulness to creative organizations. Purposely omitted are any dealing primarily with creative content, the obvious ones of major companies, and any with primarily self-promotional content. If you know of a business service or site that should be included here, please e-mail us at: mail@creativebusiness.com Collection agencies. Creative Business recommends using Dun & Bradstreet Receivable Management Services. Consulting. Service Corps of Retired Executives offers free consulting to small business owners. This site explains their services, and also offers a free e-mail counseling service. Recourses.com provides management consulting services specifically for creative organizations, as does Design Management Resources. Credit checks. Online business credit reports can be obtained from Dun & Bradstreet. Reports are $20 to $120 depending on detail. Design resource sites. allgraphicdesign.com; creativepro.com; creativepublic.com; creativelatitude.com; designer-info.com; graphicdesign.about.com; graphic-design.com Delivery tracking. dhl.com; fedex.com; roadway.com; ups.com Freelance jobs (See "Job sites (projects)" below. Financial management. www.quicken.com/small_business is a good source of general financial assistance. General information. www.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness is a source for general advice, making travel plans, and checking your account; www.inc.com is a source of general small-business news and information; www.business.gov is the federal government's self-described one-stop electronic link to government and business; www.ideacafe.com describes itself as "The small business channel, a fun approach to business information;" www.sba.gov has information on the services offered by the Small Business Administration. Immigration law. Kirberger and Associates (www.immigration-lawyer.com) specializes in immigration law as it relates to creative businesses. Their web site provides general information on the process of obtaining work permits that allow non-citizens to work in the United States. Incorporation & LLC services. www.incorporate.com and www.bizfilings.com are good sources of information on the procedures and benefits of forming a corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC). Job openings/candidates. Listings can be found at www.commarts.com; www.howdesign.com/jobs; www.adage.com; and www.bigroster.com. Job sites (projects). The following sites post projects which can be bid on, and offer help to independent professionals: allfreelance.com; www.ework.com; www.elance.com; www.freeagent.com; and www.guru.com. Legal help. Two all-around legal Web sites are www.nolo.com; and www.lawyers.com; the American Bar Association's site has some useful information at www.abanet.org; lawyers can be located by practice at www.martindale.com and www.findlaw.com; copyright law is covered at www.loc.gov/copyright; for legal help in hiring non U. S. citizens go to www.immigration-lawyer.com; artists and writers desiring self-help legal information can find it at starvingartistslaw.com. Logo, tradename and trademark searches. A visual database of logos and marks is at the Logo Lounge Website. You can check to find out whether a tradename or trademark has already been registered through www.thomson-thomson.com. or www.micropat.com. General registration information is also at the U.S. Government's Patent and Trademark Office site www.uspto.gov. Mailing/prospect lists. www.creativeaccess.com, www.langermanlists.com, and www.thelistinc.com specialize in lists of buyers of creative services. Marketing help. www.marketing-mentor.com has free marketing tips for freelancers and small business owners; www.copywriting-designers.com/free_tutorial.html provides a helpful guide for designers struggling to write good copy. Marketing site. www.mogulforhire.com allows freelancers and small firms to list their services for free. Payroll and human resource services. www.adp.com; www.innovative-solution.com; www.paychex.com; www.surepayroll.com; www.ceridian.com; and www.compupay.com. Permanent employees (headhunting firms). Roz Goldfarb Associates; Rita Sue Siegel. Product reviews/ratings. MacWorld magazine publishes their ratings for software, peripherals, and computers on their web site. An excellent online source of software reviews is Designer-Info.com. This site also provides tutorials for many graphics programs. Salary surveys. The AIGA/Aquent Survey of Design Salaries is the best specialized source we are aware of. The online version is available at www.designsalaries.com. Temporary employees (staffing firms). www.artisantalent.com; www.aquent.com; www.paladinstaff.com; www.portfolio.skill.com; and www.creativegroup.com. Tax information and forms (federal). Access to the Internal Revenue Service's web site for small businesses is through www.irs.ustreas.gov; information on the electronic federal tax payment system (EFTPS) is at: www.fms.treas.gov/eftps. Organizations — Creative Focus American Society
of Media Photographers, 150 North Second St., Philadelphia,
PA 19106, 215-451-2767.
Organizations — Business Focus American Association
of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), 405 Lexington Avenue, New York,
NY 10174, (212) 682-2500.
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