Business Planning

• Guide to Preparing a Retail Business Plan (PDF Download)
  The importance of planning cannot be overemphasized. By taking an objective look at your business, you can identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, pinpoint needs you might have overlooked, spot problems before they arise, and begin planning how you can best achieve your business goals.  

• Standard Method for Measuring Floor Area in Office Buildings
  An American national standard approved by American National Standards Institute in 1996. Published by Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, the premiere trade association of the office building industry.  

• www.bplans.com
  The one-stop shop for the development of your business plan. Bplans.com contains the largest single online collection of free sample business plans. In addition, it has helpful tools and know-how for managing your business. Bplans.com includes practical advice on planning, interactive tools, and calculators.  

• www.businessinsider.com/document-center
  Give your new business a jump start with Business Insider's selection of business and legal documents.  

• www.businessplans.org
  This site offers resources for business planning. It includes different types of tools and examples of various plans. The "strategy insight" portion allows entrepreneurs to test their own business plans.  

• www.chainstoreage.com
  A premiere web site for retail executives. Chain Store Age delivers a wealth of information on retailing trends and the forces behind them, with regular sections covering: retail technology, merchandising, shopping center development, marketing, physical support systems, finance, legislative affairs, security, store design and visual display, strategic planning and human resources, distribution, and transportation.  

• www.downtownresources.com
  Downtown Resources is California's leading firm in working with ownership groups on developing business improvement districts used to rebuild urban areas.  

• www.entrepreneur.com
  The Entrepreneur magazine site contains information and advice for startups, home businesses, and franchises. The small business center focuses on a different topic every week. The site includes how-to guides, business news, and an "opportunity finder" where visitors can browse business prospects based on investment output or category.  

• www.entrepreneurship.org
  Entrepreneurship.org features a vast array of content and resources to assist entrepreneurs, business mentors, policy makers, academics, and investors through each phase of the entrepreneurial process. The content ranges from resources entrepreneurs need to launch a company, to policies and research that has been conducted regarding entrepreneurship.  

• www.envirosell.com
  Envirosell is a behavioral market research and consulting company that specializes in examining consumer shopping behavior using a combination of in-store video recording, observation, and customer intercept interviews.  

• www.franchiseopportunities.com
  Provides you with the Web's largest directory of franchises and franchise business services. The #1 source for franchise information.  

• www.franchiserestaurant.com
  Provides a wide variety of restaurant businesses from full service restaurant franchises to the more specialized food service businesses.  

• www.kickstarter.com
  The world's largest funding platform for creative projects.  

• www.mycorporation.com
  Provides information on incorporation, LLC formation, and trademark search services. This site has helped tens of thousands of companies across the U.S. get their start.  

• www.nrf.com
  The NRF Foundation is the center for the collection and dissemination of information about retailing. As such, the Foundation is the link between retailing's past, present, and future. The Foundation conducts research and education programs and promotes awareness of retailing's community involvement.

• www.score.org
  The SCORE association (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration. SCORE is dedicated to aiding in the formation, growth, and success of small businesses nationwide.  

• www.startupjournal.com
  The Wall Street Journal Center for Entrepreneurs site includes a searchable database of business opportunities, franchises, and companies. Sections include "how-to," "ideas," "financing," and "running a business." The "toolkit" section includes information on creating a business plan and a function for performing a trademark search.  

• www.vistage.com
  Vistage provides monthly forums for entrepreneurs to work on their businesses. Vistage facilitates groups for chief executives, key executives, division leaders, professional service providers, and high school and college students. On the site is a preview of Vistage's topics, ranging from setting goals to negotiating business deals.  

• www.toolkit.cch.com
  All the vital information you need to start, run, and grow a successful small business.

Store Design & Construction

• www.cgiinteractive.com
  CGI combines strategic, creative, and technical expertise to deliver tools that help our clients communicate effectively and efficiently.  

• www.dsignart.com
  DSignArt is an award winning multi-faceted design consultancy, with considerable experience in two and three dimensional graphic communications such as corporate identity, environmental graphics, signage, and way finding programs.  

• www.arrowsigncompany.com
  For over 54 years Arrow Sign Company has manufactured quality electric and architectural signs. From initial design concepts to detailed plans, fabrication, installation and maintenance, their full service sign company has created some of the nation’s most exciting displays.

• www.szfm.com
  SZFM Design Studio is an architectural firm specializing in urban design and strategic planning.

• www.cromearchitecture.com
  Crome Architecture, a premier architecture, branding and interior design firm, approaches each project with a singular design goal: to reflect each client's distinct vision and unique identity.

• www.aviladesign.com
  Avila Design has completed over 3,100 projects throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. Their national retail clients include: Gap, Ann Taylor Loft, Sephora, HMS Host and Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market. Over the course of the past 20 years, the firm has expanded its services to a broader market that includes small scale commercial, casual dining, office tenant improvements, airport concessions and medical clinic projects.

• www.mxlconstruction.com
  MXL Commercial Construction provides its clients with worry-free service from the first pre-construction meetings to project closeout. MXL will manage your project from preliminary drawings, through estimating, and document submittals to final inspections and certificates of occupancy.

• www.legionconstruction.com
  Legion Construction, Inc. was established to provide top quality construction services at an affordable rate. Quality, integrity, and unsurpassed service are the main goals of the company.  

• www.valley.cc
  Valley Construction Company specializes in commercial construction projects, from tenant improvement build-outs and low rise office and industrial buildings to seismic retrofits and retail projects in Southern California, including Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Orange, and Riverside Counties, the greater Sacramento and San Francisco areas in Northern California, as well as Arizona, specifically the greater Phoenix area, and Nevada.

Trade Associations

• www.boma.com
  TThe Building Owners and Managers Association International provides a network forum for industry professionals to discuss mutual problems, exchange ideas, and share experience and knowledge.  

• www.icsc.org
  International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its members include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, lenders, retailers, and other professionals, as well as academics and public officials.  

• www.mainstreet.org
  Works with communities across the nation to revitalize their historic or traditional commercial areas.  

• www.nationalbusiness.org
  The National Business Association's site offers business advice and news, as well as links to other sites. The political updates section provides concise descriptions of legislation pending in Washington, D.C.  

• www.uli.org
  The Urban Land Institute researches, analyzes, and encourages responsible patterns for long-term urban growth, as well as conducts inquiries into what constitutes sound real estate development projects and practices.  

Government

• www.bls.gov
  The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the federal government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.  

• factfinder.census.gov
  American FactFinder contains statistics about population, housing, industry, business, and your community. It has a list of U.S. Census Bureau products and can be used to create reference maps and quick thematic maps. You can also search for specific U.S. Census data.

• www.sba.gov
  The U.S. Small Business Administration is dedicated to providing customer-oriented, full-service programs and accurate, timely information to the entrepreneurial community.  

• www.sba.gov
  The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) dedicates its energy and resources to providing support to small businesses and small-business owners across the nation. SBA helps businesses across the country through what we call the "3 C's" of our service: capital, contracts, and counseling.  

• www.uspto.gov
  The United States Patent and Trademark Office services include processing patents and trademarks and disseminating patent and trademark information.

Property Management

• www.msmsclean.com
  Main Street Management Services is a full service maintenance company dedicated to meeting the needs of shopping center and commercial property owners throughout the Bay Area.