Bad credit mobile home loan

Home office Web resources that let freedom ring

ON ANY GIVEN DAY, WHICH WOULD BE WORSE FOR your business--car trouble or a downed Internet connection? If a dead battery is an inconvenience but a dead dial-up connection a bona fide crisis, we hear you. What began with browsing and e-mail has evolved into a full-blown reliance on Web technology for doing business with the outside world. Internet business services, tools, and content are driving the home office revolution by giving independent professionals, home-business owners, and corporate workers the freedom to work independently--from anywhere, anytime.

In the spirit of that freedom, we're saluting 76 of the best Web sites--broken out into categories ranging from reference and shipping to travel and legal services. Peruse the next few pages; you'll find some great sites to help you work more efficiently and effectively, so you can concentrate on doing your best work.

Application Service Providers (ASPs)

www.personable.com Want access to Microsoft Office 2000 from anywhere there's a phone line? Personable.com's host service brings you Excel et al for $15 per month.

www.vjungle.com When companies rely on intranets to keep employees in touch, remote workers sometimes can't get past the firewall. Instead, vJungle.com offers access to e-mail, calendars, instant messaging, and file sharing.

www.elite.com An alternative to desktop-bound billing programs, Elite.com's Timesolv software lets you enter data, bill clients, and generate reports from anywhere.

Finding Clients

www.ework.com This exchange bazaar for workers and managers boasts over $1 billion in project listings, backed by online workspace tools.

www.freeagent.com Land your next consulting gig or freelance project at FreeAgent.com. You'll also find office supplies, health insurance, a 401(k) plan, and more.

www.freetimejobs.com Got some extra time? FreetimeJobs.com matches part-time contract workers with employers in two dozen different technical, creative, and administrative fields.

Your Business

www.score.org When you have business questions, the Service Corps of Retired Executives has answers. The site offers workshops and counseling.

www.formsplanet.com If you still run preprinted forms through your printer, modernize. At Formsplanet.com, you can design customized online forms for every task.

www.freeworks.com Too small to hire an assistant, but too busy for administration? Freeworks.com provides back-end support, from expense reports to purchase and travel requests.

www.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness The golden rule of home business? Never turn down free advice. Learn everything from where to get a patent to how to make cold calls.

Business Plans

www.sbaonline.sba.gov The U.S. Small Business Administration's site provides a business-plan tutorial with sample plans, small business answers, and local listings of SBA resources.

www.bplans.com Need a few more examples? Palo Alto Software's site has one of the most extensive collections of business plans anywhere on the Web.

Communications

www.getspeed.com Scratching your head while your downloads crawl over a dial-up? Find out if your home office qualifies for DSL, cable, satellite, or wireless Web access. Then locate a local provider.

www.decide.com Decide.com suggests the best cell phone plans based on your calling needs. You can view coverage areas and even sample sound quality before you buy.

www.ephones.com Ephones.com will tell you the difference between CDMA and GSM--in plain English. Once you get the drift, you can buy products from all the big names.

E-Commerce

www.alertsite.com A flaky Web site can be worse than no site at all. AlertSite's round-the-clock monitoring service notifies you of broken links or slow performance for as little as $5 per month.

www.bigstep.com This HOC 100 Award winner remains a top-notch choice for a free `n' easy way to put your business on the Web--and has even added NetLedger accounting services.

www.econgo.com Got something to sell? Let eCongo give you a free e-commerce site with a handsome shop interface, plus a shopping-cart system and free customer-payment services.

Education

www.edupoint.com Need to brush up on your French--or Perl or CGI? Edupoint.com lists more than a million courses and degree programs, plus local schools offering the exact program you need.

www.digitalthink.com Need a tech course but can't make time to attend on-site classes? DigitalThink offers hundreds of distance-learning courses, each led by a live instructor.

www.learn2.com Want to learn a specific task, whether giving a Microsoft PowerPoint show or fixing your plumbing? This site provides step-by-step instructions for hundreds of tasks.

Finance/Banking

www.livecapital.com At LiveCapital.com, filling out a single, free form sends your home-business loan application to two dozen banks, including names like Wells Fargo, PNC Bank, and US Bank.

www.paytrust.com Goodbye, paper bills. Paytrust processes your bills, posts the data to a Web-based ledger, and makes sure everything's paid on time for about $9 per month. The site even serves as your permanent billing address.

Finance/Taxes

www.icaccounting.com Unless you're a numbers wizard, you probably need an accountant to handle your finances. Internet Connect Accounting lets you choose from among local candidates in your price range.

www.irs.gov Tax questions? Go straight to the horse's mouth. The Internal Revenue Service offers an essential set of resources for tax preparation, including advice on minimizing penalties, downloadable forms, and complete instructions.

www.taxpenalty.com If you're bracing for a payroll or estimated tax penalty, go here now. TaxPenalty. com recalculates your payroll and estimated taxes using an alternate method to reduce your penalty payment.

www.1040.com Want to be ready for next year's taxes? Get your 1040 forms, and read articles on breaking tax news as well as data like standard deductions, AGL limits, and state addresses.

Government

www.capweb.net Do your senators favor home-based businesses? Find out at CapWeb.net. This federal government guide includes links to Congress, current bills, contact information, and news.

www.e-thepeople.com Do you long to change your local zoning laws? Go grassroots at E The People. You can create a petition, collect signatures online, and deliver it to your representative.

www.govspot.com Want to know the latest postal rates or find tax forms? What about how to file complaints with the government? At GovSpot.com you'll find info on government topics.

Home Networking

www.home-networking.org A one-stop shop for networking news, advice, and how-to info, the site offers a networking glossary and interactive forums to answer your connectivity questions.

www.hometoys.com Home networking is more than cryptic Ethernet protocols; it's all about connecting appliances and having fun (really). Home Toys is chock-full of articles and vendor links about home automation and networking.

Home Office

www.atyouroffice.com The next time you need office supplies, resist the Staples urge. AtYourOffice.com stocks 30,000 products, from supplies to furniture, and features a customizable page.

www.officeme.com Starting a home business requires equal parts phone service, accounting, marketing, and supplies--plus a slew of support services. Find it all at OfficeMe.com.

www.homeofficelife.com Need advice? Author and consultant Lisa Kanarek's site answers your questions and offers dozens of tips. You'll find a collection of online seminars about getting organized, writing effectively, and even working from your car.

Internet

www.abuse.net Spam is inevitable, but you can blow off steam by blowing the whistle on the bad guys. The site notifies offending Internet service providers (ISPs) about unsolicited e-mailers.

www.webhosters.com Need a Web host? Start with this clearinghouse site for the scoop on hundreds of hosting services. Detailed comparison tables help you choose the one that's right for your business.

www.nua.ie/surveys Get access to hundreds of surveys about Internet-related topics at the Nua Internet Surveys site. Justify your next business proposal with an Internet study--if it's been done, you'll find it here.

Legal

www.egripes.com In a dispute with a client over who owns your original work? Go to egripes.com, fill out a form, and name the price you'll pay for resolution--a la Priceline.com.

www.lawoffice.com Want to incorporate your company? Inc.? LLC? Ltd.? Head to lawoffice.com, where you'll find hundreds of articles on everything from bankruptcy to tort law, plus a searchable database of attorneys in your own city.

www.sharktank.com Big companies invite multiple law firms to bid for their business. Now you can, too: Post an anonymous description of your legal needs, and attorneys will send info on their experience and prices to your secure mailbox.

Marketing