Getting Business Advice; An Opportunity to Shape how the Government Serves You

Whatever stage you are in with your business, one thing is certain -

you will always need reliable and helpful advice. This is perhaps even

truer during these recessionary times when many business decisions are

burdened by an element of risk.

What might surprise you is that the government has its pulse on your needs in this regard - and wants to help.

Where do you go for Business Advice?

It’s highly doubtful that any small business owner relies on a single

source for business advice. No matter how much you love your spouse,

lawyer, bank manager, SBA Advisor or business magazine, getting a good

mix of advice is always going to provide you with several options on

which to base your decisions or actions.

For the most part, we all turn to five or six trusted resources that we consider our go-to trusted advisors.

Of course, these aren’t always men in suits sitting behind a desk - the

savvy business owner will seek advice from a diverse pool of Web-based

resources and blogs, local Chambers of Commerce, government Web sites (SBA, Business.gov, IRS.gov, etc.), professional associations, other business owners, and so on.

But whatever your resources, the government is interested in hearing about them - from you.

Share Your Preferred Expert Resources and Help Steer how Government Helps You

Through July 7, the Business.gov Community,

the first government-sponsored online community for small business, is

giving you the opportunity to share and vote on your favorite sources

of business advice, both with your peers and with the government.

And because this is an open forum, you can also suggest ways in which

you think the government can improve how it provides and delivers small

business advice. So if you want the Business.gov site to emulate

features from your favorite business Web sites, this is your chance to

have a voice.

Just follow this link to the 'Ideas Exchange' on the topic of 'Where do you Typically go for Business Advice?' and you can share your suggestions.

What will the Government do with this Information?

This 'Ideas Exchange' is not an exercise in snooping, but instead reflects the new administration’s spirit of 'open government'. Quite simply, the government wants to engage and learn from you. As do your peers!

As well as providing a greater variety of real-world resources to other

small business owners through the suggestions you provide, Business.gov

uses your feedback and suggestions to help provide a more robust

information platform for small business owners. The 'Ideas Exchange'

has already generated new ideas that the developers of the site have

taken on board to help provide a more seamless and useful experience

for its members.

Opening the Doors to Government - One Step at a Time

The Business.gov Community, which is managed by the government’s Business Gateway

program, was launched in March 2009 hot on the heels of the White

House’s mission to create a transparent and connected democracy.

The community already has almost 3,500 members. It provides small

business owners, bloggers, and the government with a place to discuss

and share information about starting and running a successful business

in a familiar online community environment.

The Business.gov Community is constantly evolving, and with this 'Ideas

Exchange' business owners actually have an opportunity to steer the

direction it takes - to better serve your needs.

So go on, the government is listening - now’s your chance to make it work for you!

Additional Resources

• Business.gov - The U.S. Government's official website for small businesses.
• Business.gov Has Snazzy New Features - Dawn Rivers Baker recommends Business.gov in Small Business Trends.
• Got Small Business Questions? The Government has Answers (in one place)!
• Open Government Innovations Gallery - Celebrates the innovators and innovations who are championing the President’s vision of more effective and open government.

About the Author

Caron Beesley is a small business owner, a writer, and marketing communications consultant. Caron works with the SBA.gov team to promote essential government resources that help entrepreneurs and small business owners start-up, grow and succeed. Follow Caron on Twitter: @caronbeesley