Accounting Resources

Modern accounting has a large number of specialties and subspecialties, and it's difficult to give a general definition of an accountant, but let's try anyway. An accountant is a certified professional who provides services related to financial aspects of running a business. When I was growing up in Toronto, my father was an accountant specializing in bankruptcy and insolvency. (In Canada, most of that type of work is done by accountants, not lawyers.) So, in my formative years, I got exposed to a lot of accounting, at least, one type of accounting. As I got older, I met other accountants and I was always impressed at the breadth of their knowledge. A good accountant can look at a company's balance sheet and tell you more about that company than you would believe. I also developed a special regard for the profession in the 1980s, when accountants were the leaders in using personal computers in business. In the United States, public accounting is dominated by five very large firms called the Big 5, and I have included their Web sites: Arthur Andersen, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers.


Web:

http://www.academicinfo.net/busacct.html
http://www.accountantsworld.com/
http://www.accounting.smartpros.com/
http://www.arthurandersen.com/
http://www.deloitte.com/
http://www.ey.com/
http://www.kpmg.com/
http://www.pwcglobal.com/

Usenet:

Google Newsreader alt.accounting
Google Newsreader biz.comp.accounting


Annual Reports

Every year, publicly traded corporations issue annual reports, many of which are available on the Net. If the report you want is online, this Web site will let you find what you want in a mouse click or two. If you do stock market research, this is a great resource for your bookmark list.


Web:

http://www.reportgallery.com/


Bonds

A bond is a debt instrument used to raise capital by borrowing money for more than one year. A bond represents a promise to pay back the amount borrowed (the principal) on a specified date as well as interest, often at regular intervals. Bonds are issued by various types of organizations, including governments (federal, state/provincial, county, municipal) and corporations. The bond market is complex, and investing in bonds requires you to have a certain degree of specialized knowledge. Here are some resources that can help you understand bonds, find out current values, and make the appropriate calculations and decisions.


Web:

http://www.bondsonline.com/
http://www.bradynet.com/
http://www.investinginbonds.com/
http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/sav/sav.htm
http://www.smartmoney.com/bonds/


Business Headlines

Wondering whether to sell or buy, have a party or jump out the window of the men's washroom on the 44th floor? Don't be hasty. Read the headlines and summaries of the latest business news before making a decision.


Web:

http://money.cnn.com/
http://www.bloomberg.com/
http://www.businessdaily.com/
http://www.businessnation.com/news/
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/
http://www.businesswire.com/
http://www.wsrn.com/


Business Information Resources

Here are some pointers to business information resources on the Net. You can read business magazines and journals, find out about opportunities and business services on the Net, see some entrepreneurial resources, and much more.


Web:

http://www.brint.com/interest.html
http://www.business2.com/webguide/
http://www.strictlybusinesssites.com/


Business Plans

A business plan is an analysis that details the operations, status and future plans for a business entity. With a corporation, a business plan will be drawn up by the management. With a partnership or sole proprietorship, the plan will be created by the people involved. In most cases, the purpose of a business plan is to document a request to borrow money. In other words, before a bank or an investor will give you money, you have to show you know what you are doing, and that your business is likely to be profitable.


Web:

http://www.bizplanit.com/vplan.htm
http://www.bplans.com/
http://www.sba.gov/starting/indexbusplans.html
http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/


Commerce Business Daily

The Commerce Business Daily is a special publication that announces invitations to bid on proposals requested by the U.S. government. This information is updated every business day.


Web:

http://www.ld.com/cbd/today/


Company Information

Do you want information about a specific company? There is lots of information available if you know where to look. Here are some resources to make it easy. You can find addresses, phone numbers, news, names of executives, stock info, analyst ratings, jobs postings, press releases, and more.


Web:

http://biz.yahoo.com/i/
http://www.corporateinformation.com/
http://www.hoovers.com/


EDGAR Database

In the United States, the securities markets are administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), an independent regulatory agency. The SEC's prime function is to protect investors by ensuring that the markets operate fairly, and that all investors have access to material information concerning publicly traded securities. Toward this end, the SEC maintains a huge database called EDGAR (the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system). EDGAR contains the many forms that companies are required by law to file with the SEC. You can find an enormous variety of information by searching EDGAR. It is definitely worth your time to become familiar with the basic forms and what they contain.


Web:

http://www.sec.gov/edgarhp.htm


Entrepreneurs

Tired of being manacled to that creaking metal desk with the file drawer that always sticks? Take charge of your life: own your own business. See the pitfalls and glories that await you, the entrepreneur.


Web:

http://www.entreworld.org/
http://www.tannedfeet.com/
http://www.venturea.com/

Usenet:

Google Newsreader misc.entrepreneurs


Foreign Trade Statistics

Black market traders, investors and exporting gurus will all be interested to hear what the Foreign Trade Division says about U.S. international trade statistics. Scoot back off the edge of your seat. The waiting is over. Point your Web browser to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics and get all the numbers you need.


Web:

http://www.census.gov/ftp/pub/foreign-trade/www/


Futures and Options

Many businesses that buy and sell have a need to lock in the price of a future transaction. For example, a farmer who is growing oranges knows that prices fluctuate. However, he may need to know how much money the oranges will sell for later in the year when they are harvested. So he arranges, in advance, to sell the oranges at a specific price. The buyer hopes that, when the time comes, he will be able to sell the oranges for more than he paid for them. In return, he accepts the risk that the farmer wants to avoid. This type of contract is called a "future". Futures are bought and sold for many different commodities (food, metals, oil, and so on), as well as for financial instruments, including foreign exchange. Within the futures market, people also buy and sell options. (An option is a contract that gives someone the right to buy or sell something at a specific price during a specific period of time.) The futures and options market is complex and volatile. It is possible to make a lot of money, if you know what you are doing and if you are lucky, but you can also lose a lot of money more quickly than you would ever believe.


Web:

http://www.cbot.com/
http://www.futures-guide.com/
http://www.futuresindustry.org/
http://www.futuresource.com/
http://www.ilhawaii.net/~heinsite/FAQs/futuresfaq.html
http://www.nfa.futures.org/
http://www.optioncaddie.com/

Usenet:

Google Newsreader misc.invest.commodities
Google Newsreader misc.invest.futures
Google Newsreader misc.invest.index-futures
Google Newsreader misc.invest.options


Importing and Exporting

Trading is fun because you can get rid of all the stuff you don't need anymore and get cool new stuff that somebody else wants to get rid of and that makes everyone happy. Make people happy all over the globe by reading up on the import-export business. You might even end up with more stuff than you know what to do with.


Web:

http://www.fita.org/
http://www.globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/

Usenet:

Google Newsreader alt.business.import-export.computer
Google Newsreader alt.business.import-export.food
Google Newsreader alt.business.import-export.raw-material
Google Newsreader alt.business.import-export.services


IPOs

An initial public offering (IPO) occurs when a company offers stock to the public for the first time. Because the stock is new, the market has not yet established its value. Thus, although an IPO offers stock at a specific price, that price can change significantly within the first few days, or even hours, of trading. Thus, IPOs are opportunities to (1) buy an initial investment in a newly offered stock as a sound strategic move, (2) make a lot of money quickly, or (3) lose a lot of money quickly.


Web:

http://www.123jump.com/ipomaven.htm
http://www.hoovers.com/ipo/0,1334,23,00.html
http://www.ipo.com/
http://www.ipohome.com/


Network/Multilevel Marketing

Network marketing requires independent entrepreneurs to (1) sell products, and (2) recruit other people to become independent entrepreneurs. The system reminds me of the poem by Longfellow: "There was a little girl, / Who had a little curl, / Right in the middle of her forehead. / When she was good, / She was very good indeed, / But when she was bad she was horrid."


Web:

http://www.mlmforums.com/forums/
http://www.naftatrade.com/mlmfaq.html

Usenet:

Google Newsreader alt.business.multi-level


Small Business Administration

Running your own business can be a delight or a hassle, depending on how you approach it. It helps to have as much information at your fingertips as possible. The Small Business Administration is online, and you can read about business development, government contracting, minority business, and financial assistance.


Web:

http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/


Small Business Resources

If you own a small business, or you are thinking of starting one, you will find that you need a lot of information and skills that may be new to you. Most importantly, you need to set your goals (although they may change), and make a business plan (although it will change). Along the way, you are also going to learn more about taxes than you ever wanted to know. There is a old saying that is good to remember, "When you own a business, the business owns you." Just don't forget that everyone needs a vacation.


Web:

http://www.bizoffice.com/library/library.html
http://www.ideacafe.com/
http://www.isquare.com/
http://www.quicken.com/small_business/
http://www.toolkit.cch.com/


Stock Exchanges

A stock exchange is a highly complex marketplace in which stocks and related financial instruments are bought and sold. Although many stock exchanges are not run by the government, they are heavily regulated in order to protect the public. In the United States, stock exchanges are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Here are the Web sites for the major U.S. and international stock exchanges. In the United States: the American, New York, NASDAQ and Pacific; international: Australian, Hong Kong, London, Tokyo and Toronto.


Web:

http://www.amex.com/
http://www.asx.com.au/
http://www.hkex.com.hk/
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/
http://www.nasdaq.com/
http://www.nyse.com/
http://www.pacificex.com/
http://www.tse.com/
http://www.tse.or.jp/english/


Venture Capital

Venture capital is money invested in new enterprises or research. The people investing the money, either individuals or companies, are called venture capitalists. Venture capital is sometimes referred to as "risk capital", and for a good reason. There is absolutely no guarantee that any new business or research will succeed. For this reason, venture capitalists will usually not invest money unless they receive ownership of a significant part of the enterprise. In other words, to get the money you want, you may have to give up control of the company. I know people who have raised money in just this way, only to be squeezed out later by the venture capitalists. If you are thinking of raising venture capital, you need to understand how it works, and you need to do your homework before you go looking for money.


Web:

http://www.financehub.com/s?k=venture+capital
http://www.garage.com/
http://www.investorguide.com/vc.html
http://www.nvca.org/
http://www.vfinance.com/


Wall Street Net

While everyone else is getting their hands grubby going through various newspapers searching for the latest news, you can be sitting pretty with the information all laid out in front of you. Wall Street Net brings you the latest on what is happening in the world of corporate debt and equity financing. See its archival data, which includes SEC filings and prospectuses on transactions that have occurred in the last twelve months.


Web:

http://wsn.doremus.com/