Help is on the way for small business start ups! Washington State is funding a new online portal to answer common questions called InfoBiz. It is based in the Seattle area, but never fear, the rest of the state can get access, too. I spoke to Jeff Kempe, Adult Services Coordinator for the King County Library System, who is in charge of the project, and he says the site will be available over the internet to everyone. The first videos will be up in May, and the first phase will be complete in August.

And that is not all! Everything will also be available in Spanish.

"InfoBiz will offer streaming videos, tutorials, and podcasts on demand, detailing business strategies, resources, and concepts presented by local business experts. The project is a partnership between community agencies providing content, and the King County Library System which will organize the content and host InfoBiz." (Forbes)

"Topics for the InfoBiz site will be selected in consultation with organizational partners and the reference librarians working on the project. Topics for consideration include:

-How to create a business plan

-How to find and keep customers in hard times

-Collection strategies for small business

-How to fund a start-up

-How to utilize library materials for market research

-Marketing a small business through online social networking

-Introductory pieces about how various partner agencies can assist small businesses.

Librarians will also create online videos and tutorials to teach small business owners to use the library’s resources to help their businesses succeed." (Issaquah Press)