Whether you're just getting started with your business idea or you've been in business for years, we have resources that can help you.
Writing a Business Plan & Starting a Business
- Business Plans eBookshelf View sample, industry-specific business plans to guide the creation of your own.
- Gale Business: Plan Builder, opens a new window Step-by-step online planning tool that walks users through five areas of exploration in order to develop a business plan focused on long-term success.
- Small Business Reference Center Check out the "Start-up Kit & Sample Business Plans" section for sample business plans and guidance on starting a business.
Are you ready to turn your dream into reality? You'll need a business plan, first! Harvard Business Review said businesses are more likely to succeed if they had a plan. Browse these titles and articles to see which best fits you. View Full List
How to Prepare A Business Plan
Financial & Legal Resources
- LegalForms, opens a new window - Access Washington state specific, customizable legal documents including contracts, employment documents, and more.
- Legal Information Reference Center, opens a new window - Find publications and legal forms to address a range of legal issues, including topics in business law, patents, copyright, and trademarks.
- Small Business Reference Center, opens a new window Explore the Business Areas category to find information about "Financing a Business" and "Legal Issues."
- Value Line Research Center - Look up company reports, industry reports, or specific issues in PDF format.
Find Customers
- Gale Business: DemographicsNow - Find detailed demographic and consumer expenditure information to help you evaluate the suitability of a region's market for your future business.
- ReferenceUSA - Job search, business research, and marketing database including more than 25 million business profiles & 267 million U.S. residents. Ideal for sales leads, mailing lists, market research, employment opportunities, finding friends and relatives, and much more!
- Small Business Reference Center, opens a new window - Explore the Business Areas category to learn about "Marketing & Public Relations" topics.
Identify Competitors
- ReferenceUSA - Job search, business research, and marketing database including more than 25 million business profiles & 267 million U.S. residents. Ideal for sales leads, mailing lists, market research, employment opportunities, finding friends and relatives, and much more!
- Gale Business: DemographicsNow, opens a new window - A second tool to identify similar businesses around your intended market with the "Businesses/People" tab.
Industry Information
- ABI/INFORM - Find market and industry reports, journal articles, and news about every major industry.
- Business Source Premier - Find SWOT analyses, industry profiles, market research reports, and trade publications.
Chambers of Commerce
Locate your local chamber or business association to attend professional development trainings and to network with local business owners or managers.
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Additional Resources
- Business Impact Northwest - A nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated to serving under-banked entrepreneurs by providing access to capital and comprehensive business technical assistance.
- Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, opens a new window - CIE provides underserved populations with entrepreneurs with training, advising, mentorship, networking, and peer support.
- Department of Licensing, opens a new window - Learn how to start, operate, or grow a business, and how to obtain business licenses for various industries.
- Department of Revenue, opens a new window - Washington state tax regulations and training information.
- Doing Business in Snohomish County, opens a new window - Connect with small business support services and resources specific to Snohomish County.
- Economic Alliance Snohomish County, opens a new window - The regional economic development agency for Snohomish County, which also provides services to small businesses.
- GroWashington, opens a new window Help for start-up product-based businesses, including training and business consulting.
- Island County Economic Development Council, opens a new window - The regional economic development agency for Island County hosts trainings, assists businesses with developing marketing plans, and more.
- NW Innovation Resource Center - NWIRC works with entrepreneurs and inventors to provide them with one-on-one advising, mentorship, group training, networking opportunities and investor introductions.
- Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance, opens a new window - A valuable guide for information on how to plan, run, grow, and close a business in Washington State.
- SCORE, opens a new window – Connect with an experienced business expert and get advice about starting and running a small business. Check the calendar for upcoming events
- Small Business Administration, opens a new window – Federal agency that gives assistance to small businesses in the form of loans, contracts, and counseling.
- Stats America - The Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business has developed a set of tools and reports to help understand economic development opportunities from federal, state, and some commercial/private source data.
- South Whidbey Incubator Kitchen – The Incubator Kitchen is available to rent to commercial users that already have a food business or that are ready to start a new food business and need an approved commercial kitchen space to make their product.
- TheLab@everett - Creative space for inventors and entrepreneurs to incubate and grow their business ideas, network, and attend workshops and entrepreneurial education programs.
- Washington Business Licensing Service, opens a new window - Licensing requirements for starting and running a business in Washington State.
- Washington BusinessHub, opens a new window - Your one-stop resource for starting and operating a business in Washington State
- Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center - Connect with a counselor to get help getting government contracts from local to federal agencies.
- Washington Small Business Development Center - Small business owners receive confidential, objective business advice at no cost.
