This Web site was created by Ed Sadowski, librarian at Arapahoe Community College, in Littleton, Colorado, to fill a perceived need--that of an all-encompassing portal to easily steer local entrepreneurs to information they need, and information they didn't even realize they need and is available!

What is a Web portal? A portal is an entryway, a gateway, to Web sites covering a wide, general array of subjects, or a focused, narrower area. There are a number of national, state and local sites that are intended to provide information and resources for entrepreneurs, but I have found them to be lacking, incomplete, as true portals.

A complete portal for entrepreneurs should ideally guide the entrepreneur through the whole maze of resources that are available, from a single starting point. Some portals provide a lot of great articles and Web sites on all sorts of small business topics, but neglect to bring attention to the free services available to help the entrepreneur. Or small business sites may focus on some of the free services, leaving out other important resources that provide a complete palate of information. The result is that the entrepreneur has to be aware of a number of sites to access the whole gamut of available resources. Not being able to start from a single, all-encompassing portal makes it likely that the entrepreneur will overlook the vast possibilities of resources and knowledge available.

My intent here is to present clear pathways to business resources from every conceivable angle of inquiry. Is the entrepreneur just starting out or already in the middle of developing a business? Does the entrepreneur need free help in terms of consultation, research, or training? Does the entrepreneur need information on specific topics such as funding or legal issues? Hopefully the Colorado Small Business Info Network will present options that will be clear and easy to identify and tap into.