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| Resource | Resource Type | Description | Resource Provider | Timeline | Resource Access |
| Census Business Builder | Research, Data & Insights | Provides free access to demographic and economic data for market research. | U.S. Census Bureau | Immediate access. | https://www.census.gov/data/data-tools/cbb.html |
| Federal Reserve Bank Research & Insights | Research, Data & Insights | Offers free data and reports on the U.S. economy, with a focus on small business trends. | Federal Reserve Bank | Immediate access. | https://www.frbsf.org/research-and-insights/ |
| U.S. Census Bureau Small Business Resources | Research, Data & Insights | Provides data and reports on small business demographics, economic trends, and more. | U.S. Census Bureau | Immediate access. | https://www.census.gov/data/data-tools/cbb/help/sm-bus.html |
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Small Business Index | Research, Data & Insights | Provides data on small business economic trends, confidence levels, and challenges. | U.S. Chamber of Commerce | Updated quarterly. | https://www.uschamber.com/sbindex/ |
| Open Library – Business Book Collection | Other | Free access to thousands of business and finance books online. | Internet Archive | Immediate access. | https://openlibrary.org/subjects/business__economics |
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| Resource | Resource Type | Description | Resource Provider | Timeline | Resource Access |
| California SBDC Workshops | Learning Platform | Offers free workshops and resources on business planning, operations, and growth strategies. | SBDC | Benefits from attending workshops in the short term. | https://www.norcalsbdc.org/services/sbdc-trainings-workshops/ |
| Harvard Business School Online Insights | Learning Platform | Provides free video lectures and resources on business management and entrepreneurship. | Harvard Business School | Immediate access. | https://online.hbs.edu/blog/ |
| Kauffman FastTrac | Learning Platform | Provides free entrepreneurship courses to help business owners develop their companies. | Kauffman Foundation | Self-paced. | https://www.fasttrac.org/must-reads/ |
| Khan Academy | Learning Platform | Free learning platform for core subjects as well as more complex areas like economics, computer science, and more. | Khan Academy | Immediate access. | https://www.khanacademy.org/ |
| MIT OpenCourseWare – Entrepreneurship | Learning Platform | Free business and entrepreneurship courses from MIT professors. | MIT | Self-paced. | https://ocw.mit.edu/collections/entrepreneurship/ |
| Money Smart for Small Business (FDIC) | Learning Platform | Provides free financial education courses for small business owners. | FDIC | Self-paced. | https://www.fdic.gov/consumer-resource-center/money-smart-small-business |
| SCORE Webinars | Learning Platform | Provides free webinars and online workshops on various business topics, from marketing to finance. | SCORE | Immediate access. | https://www.score.org/business-education?f%5B0%5D=format%3A44&f%5B1%5D=training_type%3Aonline&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwytS-BhCKARIsAMGJyzqUoS4eoOzXPpV2k8brB-YyCY_KToRWCNrMQ_x3Mxiy1fo2n6eUvTYaAmQbEALw_wcB |
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| Resource | Resource Type | Description | Resource Provider | Timeline | Resource Access |
| AngelList Startup Funding Resources | Guide & How To | Offers guides and insights on raising capital and connecting with investors. | AngelList | Immediate access. | https://www.angellist.com/learn |
| Bank of America Center for Small Business Empowerment | Guide & How To | Offers free financial management tools, guides, and insights for small businesses. | Bank of America | Immediate access. | https://business.bankofamerica.com/resources.html |
| CalChamber Small Business Resources | Guide & How To | A collection of free guides and resources aimed at helping small businesses navigate California laws, taxes, and regulations. | California Chamber of Commerce | Immediate access. | https://advocacy.calchamber.com/small-business/small-business-resources/ |
| CalGOLD Business Permit Assistance | Guide & How To | Helps California businesses find the necessary permits and licenses. | California State Government | Immediate access. | https://www.ca.gov/departments/237/services/1127/ |
| California Business Investment Services (CalBIS) | Guide & How To | Offers free resources and information for businesses seeking investment or grant opportunities. | CalBIS | Immediate access. | https://business.ca.gov/calbis-sign-up/ |
| California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Resources | Guide & How To | Provides guides and tools for California businesses to comply with labor laws and regulations. | DIR | Immediate access. | https://www.dir.ca.gov/ |
| California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) Resources | Guide & How To | Provides free resources and guides to help businesses navigate tax requirements in California. | CDTFA | Immediate access. | https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/ |
| California Energy Commission (CEC) Small Business Resources | Guide & How To | Provides resources and incentives for small businesses focused on energy efficiency and sustainability. | CEC | Immediate access. | https://www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/funding-resources/small-business-dvbe-information |
| California Franchise Tax Board Resources | Guide & How To | Offers free resources and guides for small businesses on tax filing, deductions, and compliance. | California Franchise Tax Board | Immediate access. | https://www.ftb.ca.gov/help/business/small-businesses.html |
| California State Licensing Requirements | Guide & How To | Offers free guides on what licenses and permits are required for small businesses in California. | California State Government | Immediate access. | https://calosba.ca.gov/for-small-businesses-and-non-profits/permits-licenses-regulation/ |
| Gusto Payroll Compliance Checklist | Guide & How To | Offers free payroll and HR compliance guides for small businesses. | Gusto | Immediate access. | https://support.gusto.com/article/100200892100000/Compliance-checklist |
| Investopedia Accounting Information | Guide & How To | A free resource that offers practical accounting and financial management guides for small business owners. | Investopedia | Immediate access. | https://www.investopedia.com/accounting-4689820 |
| IRS Retirement Plans Navigator | Guide & How To | Helps small businesses set up retirement plans for employees. | IRS | Immediate access. | https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans |
| IRS Small Business Tax Center | Guide & How To | Offers free resources on tax compliance, deductions, and credits for small businesses. | IRS | Immediate access. | https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed |
| LegalZoom Small Business Resources | Guide & How To | Provides free legal guides and templates to help small businesses with legal compliance and formation. | LegalZoom | Immediate access. | https://www.legalzoom.com/articles |
| LinkedIn Small Business Resource Hub | Guide & How To | Offers guides on networking, hiring, and marketing strategies for small businesses. | LinkedIn | Immediate access. | https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/success/small-business-advertising/resources?selectedFilter=all-categories |
| Merchant Maverick Small Business Funding Guide | Guide & How To | Offers free reviews of business funding options, grants, and loans. | Merchant Maverick | Immediate access. | https://www.merchantmaverick.com/get-small-business-loan-guide/ |
| National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Small Business Resources | Guide & How To | Provides free tools and resources for small businesses to maintain quality standards and certifications. | NIST | Immediate access. | https://www.nist.gov/itl/smallbusinesscyber |
| Nav Business Credit Education | Guide & How To | Provides free tools and guidance on building and maintaining business credit. | Nav | Immediate access. | https://www.nav.com/resources/ |
| OpenAI Small Business Information | Guide & How To | Offers free resources on how small businesses can use AI for automation, data analysis, and customer engagement. | OpenAI | Immediate access. | https://openai.com/business/ |
| PayPal Business Resource Center | Guide & How To | Offers free financial and e-commerce guides for small businesses. | PayPal | Immediate access. | https://www.paypal.com/us/brc/ |
| QuickBooks Self-Employed Guide | Guide & How To | A guide to managing bookkeeping and taxes for self-employed individuals and small business owners. | QuickBooks | Immediate access. | https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-uk/help-article/import-transactions/beginner-guide-quickbooks-self-employed/L6rrN84Hn_GB_en_GB |
| SBA Business Guides | Guide & How To | Provides a range of online resources and guides for small business owners, including tax, legal, and operational advice. | SBA | Immediate access. | https://www.sba.gov/business-guide |
| SBA Small Business Cybersecurity Guide | Guide & How To | Provides free resources to help small businesses protect against cyber threats. | SBA | Immediate access. | https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/strengthen-your-cybersecurity |
| Shopify Business Encyclopedia | Guide & How To | Provides free definitions and explanations for business terms and strategies. | Shopify | Immediate access. | https://www.shopify.com/entrepreneur |
| Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Resources | Guide & How To | Provides free resources, tools, and consultation to help small businesses grow and thrive. | SBDC | Immediate access to resources. | https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc |
| The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Resources | Guide & How To | Provides free resources for small businesses to protect their intellectual property. | USPTO | Immediate access. | https://www.uspto.gov/learning-resources |
| U.S. Department of Labor Compliance Assistance | Guide & How To | Provides free compliance resources for wage laws, worker protections, and payroll. | U.S. Department of Labor | Immediate access. | https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/compliance-assistance |
| U.S. Green Business Council (USGBC) Resources | Guide & How To | Offers free guides on making businesses more environmentally sustainable. | USGBC | Immediate access. | https://www.usgbc.org/resources |
| Vistaprint Free Resources for Small Business | Guide & How To | Provides free guides on creating marketing materials, websites, and branding for small businesses. | Vistaprint | Immediate access. | https://www.vistaprint.com/hub/?srsltid=AfmBOoo6qW_YJQV-L4oARotviWH4Jk3mc3dHqgshI64NxuX97wEMAvwo |
| Wix Small Business Blog & Resources | Guide & How To | Provides free guides on website building, e-commerce, and online marketing. | Wix | Immediate access. | https://www.wix.com/blog/explore/categories/business-strategies |
| Y Combinator Startup Library | Guide & How To | Offers free guides, templates, and startup advice from Y Combinator mentors. | Y Combinator | Immediate access. | https://www.ycombinator.com/library |
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| Resource | Resource Type | Description | Resource Provider | Timeline | Resource Access |
| California Grants Portal | Grant & Financial Resource | Lists available state and local grants for small businesses, especially in innovation and sustainability. | California Government | 1-2 months after application, upon grant award. | https://www.grants.ca.gov/ |
| California Office of Business Development Incentives, Grants & Financing | Grant & Financial Resource | Provides information on grants and incentives available to California small businesses. | California OBD | 1-2 months after application. | https://business.ca.gov/resources/incentives-grants-and-financing/ |
| Grants.gov | Grant & Financial Resource | A comprehensive database of federal grants for small businesses. | U.S. Government | 1-2 months to apply. Benefits from approval. | Grants.gov |
| Kiva U.S. Loans for Small Business | Grant & Financial Resource | A peer-to-peer lending platform where small businesses can access zero-interest loans from a global community. | Kiva | 1-2 weeks to apply, benefits in 1-2 months. | https://www.kiva.org/about/how |
| SBA Disaster Loan Assistance | Grant & Financial Resource | Provides low-interest loans to help small businesses recover from disasters. | SBA | 1-2 months after approval. | https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance |
| Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program | Grant & Financial Resource | Offers funding for small businesses focusing on innovative research and development. | U.S. Government | 2-3 months to secure funding. | https://www.sbir.gov/ |
| U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration | Grant & Financial Resource | Provides grants to promote economic development and innovation in small businesses. | U.S. Department of Commerce | 2-3 months after application. | https://www.eda.gov/ |
| U.S. Department of Labor Grants | Grant & Financial Resource | Provides grants for workforce development and training programs for small businesses. | U.S. Department of Labor | 1-2 months after application. | https://www.dol.gov/grants |
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| Resource | Resource Type | Description | Resource Provider | Timeline | Resource Access |
| Canva (Free Plan) | Free & Open Source Tool | Free graphic design tool: templates, collaborative team editing, lots of free content and layouts for marketing materials and design. | Canva | Immediate access. | https://www.canva.com/pricing/ |
| Freedcamp (Free Plan) | Free & Open Source Tool | Project management / collaboration system free for unlimited users/projects/files (with some feature limits). Includes tasks, discussion boards, milestones etc. | Freedcamp, Inc. | Immediate access. | https://freedcamp.com/pricing |
| HubSpot CRM (Free Tier) | Free & Open Source Tool | A free CRM tool: contact management, email scheduling, reporting dashboard, live chat, meeting scheduling, deal tracking etc. | HubSpot | Immediate access. | https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/crm?currencyCode=USD |
| Slack (Free Plan) | Free & Open Source Tool | Free collaboration / chat workspace: channels, direct messages, limited message history, limited app integrations, 1-on-1 audio/video etc. | Slack / Salesforce | Immediate access. | https://slack.com/pricing/free |
| Trello (Free Tier) | Free & Open Source Tool | Kanban-style project management boards; free version gives basic boards, cards, tasks, due dates etc. | Atlassian / Trello | Immediate access. | https://trello.com/pricing |
| Wave (Accounting & Invoicing Tools) | Free & Open Source Tool | Free accounting / invoicing / expense tracking: unlimited invoicing, dashboard of income/expenses etc. | Wave Apps | Immediate access. | www.waveapps.com |
| Wrike (Free Plan) | Free & Open Source Tool | Free plan for small teams (1-5 users usually) with task & subtask management, some views (board, list) etc. | Wrike | Immediate access. | https://www.wrike.com/price/ |
| Zoom Basic (Free Plan) | Free & Open Source Tool | Video meetings: up to ~100 participants, limited meeting duration (40 minutes for group meetings), plus chat and some “whiteboard” features. | Zoom | Immediate access. | https://www.zoom.com/en/products/virtual-meetings/features/free-video-conferencing/?lang=en-US |
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| Resource | Resource Type | Description | Resource Provider | Timeline | Resource Access |
| California Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) | Development Center | Provides free consulting services and resources for minority-owned small businesses. | MBDA | Immediate access. | https://www.mbda.gov/ |
| California Women’s Business Center (CWBC) | Development Center | Provides resources, mentoring, and education for women-owned small businesses in California. | CWBC | Immediate access. | https://californiawbc.org/ |
| Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative | Development Center | Offers free consulting, grants, and networking opportunities for Sonoma-based businesses. | Sonoma EDB | Immediate access after inquiry. | https://sonomaedc.org/ |
| Sonoma Small Business Development Center | Development Center | One on one advising covering a host of services, workshops, and funding assistance. | Small Business Administration | Immediate access, longer process for certain services. | https://www.sonomasbdc.org/ |
| California Department of General Services (DGS) Contracting Opportunities | Contract Opportunity | Provides information on state contracting opportunities for small businesses. | DGS | Benefits from securing contracts in 1-2 months. | https://www.dgs.ca.gov/pd |
| California Green Business Network | Community Group | A certification and network for small businesses focused on sustainability and green practices. | California Green Business Network | 1-3 months for certification. Access to Green Business Partners Immediately | https://greenbusinessca.org/ |
| California Office of Small Business Advocate Resources | Community Group | Offers advocacy, networking, and resources for small business owners in California. | California Office of Small Business Advocate | Ongoing access to networking. | https://calosba.ca.gov/ |
| Californians for Clean Energy Small Business Support | Community Group | A group focused on providing resources, grants, and networking for small businesses in clean energy sectors. | California Clean Energy Coalition | 3-6 months for growth benefits. | https://www.treasurer.ca.gov/caeatfa/cheef/sblp/index.asp |
| Druids of California (local chapters) | Community Group | Make an impact in your local community through community service and an international support network. | United Ancient Order of Druids | Application process 1-4 weeks. | https://californiadruids.org/ |
| Founders Network – Bay Area Chapter | Community Group | A peer mentorship network offering support, discussions, and startup resources. | Founders Network | Immediate access after approval. | https://foundersnetwork.com/ |
| Freelancer’s Union Community | Community Group | A network of small business owners and freelancers that provides resources and support. | Freelancer’s Union | Immediate access. | https://freelancersunion.org/ |
| Kiwani’s Club (local chapters) | Community Group | Make an impact in your local community through community service and an international support network. | Kiwani’s Internationl | Application process 1-4 weeks. | https://locator.kiwanis.org/#/ki-cl/search-club |
| Lion’s Club Internaional (local chapters) | Community Group | Make an impact in your local community through community service and an international support network. | Lion’s Club International | Application process 1-4 weeks. | https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/start-our-approach/club-locator |
| National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) Resources | Community Group | Provides grants, expert advice, and networking for small business owners and freelancers. | NASE | Immediate access. | https://www.nase.org/ |
| National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research | Community Group | Provides free advocacy, legal guides, and policy updates for small businesses. | NFIB | Immediate access. | https://www.nfib.com/small-business-trends-research/ |
| Rotary International (local chapters) | Community Group | Make an impact in your local community through community service and an international support network. | Rotary International | Application process 1-4 weeks. | https://my.rotary.org/en/ |
| SCORE Mentorship Program | Community Group | Offers free mentoring services for small business owners, providing guidance on business strategy, growth, and finances. | SCORE | Benefits ongoing as mentor guidance is applied. | https://www.score.org/find-mentor |
| Small Business Majority Policy Updates | Community Group | Provides free legislative updates and advocacy resources for small businesses. | Small Business Majority | Ongoing updates. | https://smallbusinessmajority.org/ |
| Start Small Think Big | Community Group | Connects entrepreneurs with pro bono legal, finance, and business growth experts. Helps with entity structure, contract review, leases, financial systems and more. | Start Small Think Big (nonprofit) | 1-3 weeks, subject to approval and restrictions. | startsmallthinkbig.org |
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| *Some resources may require sign up, registration, application, or invitation request. Some resources may have additional benefits for a cost. This database is meant to be a tool to assist your search and not to provide legal, tax or compliance advice | | | | | |
ADC & Co. 