The Information Age has changed our society just as greatly, if not more than, the Industrial Revolution changed the farming society of the 1800s. It's a fast-paced wired world, with news flashing around the world almost instantly, e-mail connecting far-flung correspondents all over the globe, and information bombarding us from all sides.

Unfortunately, often the information bombarding us is not information that can help our businesses thrive. We must learn to cultivate our own methods for staying abreast of developments in our particular field - and we must learn to ignore information we can't use.

Where to start? The following list of suggested resources is just that: a starting point. We hope you will use these ideas to develop and move on to your own, more sophisticated, network of information resources.

• Subscribe to industry or trade publications that focus on your business or the business of your clients and customers.

• Join a professional association, chamber of commerce, or network with other entrepreneurs in similar industries.

• Look for information on the Internet. Watch for opportunities to interact with business or industry experts in chat room interviews. Put the interviews on your appointment calendar and be sure to show up.

• Subscribe to Internet newsgroups that focus on your industry.

• Read newspapers - local and national - to track business trends.

• Talk to your customers and clients. What issues are troubling them? What is their mission? What factors do they think will affect their business in the future? Ask yourself, "How might this affect my business?"

• Invest in training: attend a conference or seminar on a subject that affects your business. Once there, Strike up conversations with other participants. If a session is particularly helpful, go up to the speaker to thank him/her or add a comment of your own. Ask for his/her business card. If he/she agrees, you'll have a resource who's just a phone call away when you need a fast reality check. Most people are flattered to be consulted - but remember, their time is valuable, so don't waste it. Ideally, information exchange should be a two-way street. Do you have information that might benefit your source? Share it with him/her.

• Visit or call your city library or check out the library at a nearby college. Find out what resources - periodicals, newspapers, reference materials - they offer for someone interested in a business like yours.

• Recognize that at some point you may not be able to know everything about your business. Learn to use consultants or hire employees who can compensate for the gaps in your knowledge.

• Cultivate your curiosity. Don't be afraid to try new things. The most important skill you can develop is not the ability to remember information, but the ability to seek out and find the information you need, when you need it and then use it for the benefit of your business.

A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your firm's resume. The basic components include a current and pro forma balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow analysis. It helps you allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. Because it provides specific and organized information about your company and how you will repay borrowed money, a good business plan is a crucial part of any loan application. Additionally, it informs sales personnel, suppliers, and others about your operations and goals.

The importance of a comprehensive, thoughtful business plan cannot be overemphasized. Much hinges on it: outside funding, credit from suppliers, management of your operation and finances, promotion and marketing of your business, and achievement of your goals and objectives. Despite the critical importance of a business plan, many entrepreneurs drag their feet when it comes to preparing a written document. They argue that their marketplace changes too fast for a business plan to be useful or that they just don't have enough time. But just as a builder won't begin construction without a blueprint, eager business owners shouldn't rush into new ventures without a business plan.

Before you begin writing your business plan, consider four core questions:

Where will you get the financial resources to start your business?

Designed by Kamtech