Rhonda Abrams The Passionate Entrepreneur

As an entrepreneur, I turn to the Internet every day. I research products, find information, purchase goods and services, hire employees and contractors, book travel, arrange shipping, and on and on.

For my New Year's gift to you, I've compiled a list of websites to help you build and run your business throughout the coming year.

Today, I'll share some websites for finding the statistical info you need -- to help you build your business plan, make critical marketing and product decisions, or use if you're raising money.

In tomorrow's column, I'll list other websites of particular value to entrepreneurs and small businesspeople.

Here are some websites for market and industry research:

• U.S. Census Bureau

  The Census Bureau has a ton of free information, since it collects in-depth data on all aspects of American life. Want to find the percentage of college graduates in Indianapolis or the number of drycleaners within a particular ZIP code in Phoenix? The Census Bureau has this information, and it's free and easy to use.

  The prime entry point for the Census Bureau is their home page. Click on "Business and Industry" or "Economic Census" for links to business-related data.

  "County Business Patterns" is particularly useful for finding information about businesses.

  American FactFinder is aimed more at finding data about people and demographics.
  

• ERsys.com

  If you're thinking of doing business in a location, you'll find this website a quick and easy way to find information about a city. The site is run by Synergos Technologies, a private company specializing in site selection for large companies. Make sure you check the links on the left side of the page once you select a locale.
  

• Sperling's BestPlaces

  Similar to ERsys, this website compiles data on cities or ZIP codes for easy reference. Sadly, it's now filled with lots of ads.
  

• Central Intelligence Agency

  You read that right -- the CIA, the government's spy agency. Believe it or not, the CIA's website is an excellent source of free intelligence if you're doing business internationally. Their online "World Factbook" provides easy-to-use info on countries worldwide. (And it's great for your kid's school reports, too.)

More websites of particular use for small businesses tomorrow.