Managing by the Web

Office.com As one CEO put it, it's hard to figure out exactly what Office.com is supposed to be until you've cruised the site awhile. But even navigating it isn't easy. If you stick with it, what you'll find is an array of online tools and software -- some of them fun, most of them pretty basic. Maybe the best thing we can say about Office.com is that it provides a number of decent links to other sites as well as articles aimed mainly at beginners.

Onvia.com You need a lawyer, some insurance, and a Web designer -- and you need them yesterday. One place you can turn is Onvia.com, an ambitious online marketplace for small-business products and services. You may find some decent suppliers -- or at least a good deal on PCs -- from these folks. And one CEO raved about Onvia.com's RFQ feature. At best, Onvia.com is a shopping mall for small businesses. Most of its attempts to offer broad content -- such as the news-and-tools section -- fall short. Don't even waste your time there.

SmartOnline.com Smart Online looks as if it offers a lot when you first get there. The site bills itself as having easy-to-use Web-hosted software to help people start, grow, and manage their businesses -- but in reality, it's damn hard to find your way around it. What we did figure out looked as if it would be interesting for beginners; it ranged from canned business letters to tools for creating financial statements.

workz.com If you're thinking of launching -- or relaunching -- your Web site without spending a lot of money, you may want to consider the resources of workz.com. For real beginners, the site delivers layer upon layer of how-to articles, checklists, and links. You'll find everything a novice needs -- from advice on how to build a Web site and maintain it to how to actually make money with it -- discussed here in detail. Our CEOs didn't have much time for workz.com, but we think it might not be bad for absolute beginners.

Here's the Inc. reviewers' bottom line on the best of the Web sites that are not focused on making money from your business:

edge.lowe.org Edge.lowe.org is the business library you wish you had down the street. Cleanly lit and well organized, it's a good place to begin research on many start-up topics, from preparing a profit-and-loss statement to creating a marketing campaign. However, the fact that it's run by a nonprofit shows. The content is all pretty basic and may frustrate more experienced entrepreneurs.

EntreWorld.org The official Web site for the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., is helpfully organized into three areas: "starting your business," "growing your business," and "supporting entrepreneurship." While it does have some original content and some promising if ill-attended chat groups, Entreworld.org mostly just links you to other sites you might need. Some of the material is old, and it's probably useful only for those just starting a business or wanting to be part of the entrepreneurship-education community.

sba.gov Run by the Small Business Administration, this utilitarian site is the definitive source for small-business information from the government. Visitors can search a comprehensive online library about regulations, download loan forms and other documents, and take "workshops" in tasks such as preparing a business plan. The material is at the beginner level and often needs updating. (Y2K information was still on the site in February.) But the site is well set up and a snap to search.

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Additional reporting and site evaluations were provided by Inc. staffers Jill Hecht Maxwell, Anne Stuart, Christopher Caggiano, and Susan Greco.