Message-ID: <199902220346.WAA24165@hiroshima.american.edu> Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 22:46:18 -0500 From: Jean-Claude Lorin <mailto:jlorin@SYNAPSE.NET> Subject: ENTERWeb News #10 To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Are you looking for QUALITY sources of information on small business, finance, international trade, entrepreneurship, enterprise development and the economy?**************************************************************************** ENTERWeb News #10 December 1998 / January 1999 < http://www.enterweb.org/> ****************************************************************************
You will find hereunder the titles ( and short descriptions ) of the new sites which have been added to ENTERWeb during the months of December 98 and January 1999. If you are interested in accessing any of those sites just go to ENTERWeb main page < http://www.enterweb.org/> and press on the "What's new" button which will direct you to the appropriate sections.
*************************************************************************** 1) CataLaw CataLaw is a meta-index of legal information providing a single gateway to a large number of legal and government indexes on the Internet.Rather unique and quite broad in scope. Do not miss the section on regional law which covers many countries.
2) Strategic Road More than just a meta-index, Strategic Road has the ambitious objective of achieving a truly strategic watch function at the crossroads of economic intelligence and online information search. Although presently still under construction, it offers a lot of potential despite some complexities. Do not miss the sections on the economy and on search engines.
3) Banking With The Poor The BWTP Network regroups some 35 national policy institutions, commercial banks and NGOs from nine countries in Asia. Its objective is to link microfinance with the financial system. It pursues this objective through research, advocacy, policy dialogue, information sharing and capacity building.Very good site with extensive summaries in the publications section. Do not miss the implications for microfinance of the Asian financial crisis in the newsletter section.
4) Wachowicz's Web World This very impressive collection of finance-related links for students has been put together by a professor of the University of Tennessee and is organised into categories such as Introduction to Financial Management, Tools of Financial Analysis and Planning, Working Capital Management, Intermediate and Long Term Financing, etc. An excellent site for anyone interested in financial issues.
5) Y2K Cinderella Project This site defines itself as "an investigation and information exchange of zero-cost, minimal-impact computing solutions to address the Year 2000 problem", the basic premise being that small users, using older software, are not excluded from participating in surmounting the Year 2000 problem. Despite its "no frills" and somewhat coldish appearance, this is "THE" reference site with a definite bias towards technical concrete solutions. Do not miss the "Cinderella method" and the section on Small Business.
6) U.S. Government's Council Committee on Year 2000 This web site is a clearinghouse for information on the Year 2000 computer problem. It is sponsored by the U.S. Chief Information Officers (CIO) Committee on Year 2000. An extremely comprehensive site which covers standards and definitions, resources for Y2K teams, government, small business, infrastructure, industry, citizen groups, and even vendor resources.
7) Year 2000 computer problem This site, maintained by the Industrial Directorate of the European Union, presents information in various european languages on the Year 2000 computer problems. An excellent site. I particularly liked the way the information is organised (by issues, by sectors, by member states, etc.). Do not miss the links to other sites.
8) Y2K Today Set up by Infrastructure Defense Inc, this non-profit public service site aims to provide the largest single repository of knowledge about Y2K. It is divided into 4 sections (Solutions, Scenarios, Contingencies, Future) in addition to providing Industry News. An excellent, very clear and well designed site.
9) Business Incubator Development Program The Business Incubator Development (BID) Program is a USAID funded program managed by International Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. The BID Program is creating opportunities for small business growth in Ukraine by establishing incubators that will provide consulting services, access to office equipment and training, assistance in accessing credit, and physical building space. Apart from providing general info on the program, the main value of the site is the section on Technology Incubator Resources which covers several countries.
10) Entre Web: Selected Entrepreneurship Websites: Compiled in 1997 as part of a class project at Iowa State University this site provide a list of selected web sites that would be useful to entrepreneurs. Each site is briefly described and commented. A simply designed but quite good site. I particularly liked the sections on business plans and on new ideas and patents.
11) International Association of Investors in the Social Economy INAISE is an international network of "social investors"whose goal is to foster and support the development of financial organisations which invest in enterprises of an ethical, ecological, cultural and self managing nature, including enterprises working within the social economy. The most interesting part is the section on Financial Instruments of the Social Economy (FISE) in Europe and their impact on job creation.
12) IBM's Help for Small and Medium Businesses This hard to find IBM subsite provides non-technical information to small and medium business to help them prepare for the Year 2000. In addition to inventory check lists and strategic preparations, it provides a very good document on testing. Do not miss either the link to IBM Year 2000 Home Page.
13) The Year 2000 problem This OECD site provides a report (downloadable) on the Year 2000 problem and its impacts and proposed actions as well as a list of related country links. Very good site especially the section on country links.
14) Special Unit for Microfinance (UNDP/UNCDF) The Special Unit for Microfinance is a collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Capital Development Fund to enhance the private sector in developing countries and create mechanisms for the provision of credit to the poor. The main value of the site is the MicroStart Guide which offers a concrete methodology and ready-to-use tools for establishing a microfinance project.
15) Year 2000 Millennium resource Site Ring Hosted by Y2K Links, a combination of grassroots info and commercial Y2K products, the Year 2000 Millennium resource Site Ring spins you to 126 sites on the same subject, daisy-chain style. A bit overwhelming but nevertheless very good.
16) PRISME : Réseau d'assistance et de conseils pour l'informatique des PME One of the few francophone sites on the subject, this site from Luxemburg provides a very good and clear review of the subject (in terms understandable by anyone) as well as tools for providing solutions. A very good site.
17) All Y2K Links This site designed to stimulate public awareness and debate about Y2K claims to be "The web's most comprehensive collection of Y2K-related links" and it's probably true as it includes everything from problem definition, government and industry sites, preparation advice, Y2K news, computer fixes,etc. to survival supplies. Very complete site although somewhat lacking in focus.
18) InfoDev Year 2000 Initiative The World Bank's Information for Development Program (infoDev) has developed an overall Y2K strategy to remedy the most potentially serious disruptions at the turn of the year 2000 and help governments in its client countries manage the risks. This web site provides information on Y2K grants and includes a Y2K toolkit. The Y2K information pages section is very good and is available in english, french and spanish.
19) SBA Small Business Help for the Year 2000 The U.S. Small Business Administration Y2K Home Page provides information on what small businesses should do when confronted with the "Millenium Bug". The best part is the "Y2K Self-Assessment and Checklists for Small Business". I particularly liked the last section on "How to check a personal computer for year 2000 readiness"
20) Year 2000 kit for small business Developed by Prudential Insurance company this is a three-step plan (which can be downloaded) for small businesses to help prepare for Year 2000. I particularly liked their worksheets which should be a big help in implementing a corrective plan.
21) Mission An 2000 This official site of the Ministry of Industry in France presents practical information on the Y2K issue. Do not miss the sections on affected systems and on other francophone and anglophone sites.
22) Year 2000 Center Despite the fact that this is a semi-commercial site where subscribers get more information than non-subscribers, it is a very interesting site mostly because of the "enterprise" perspective of looking at things.
23) Small Business Advisor: Y2K Problem A very simple, easy to understand site which brings up to light the fundamentals of the Y2K problem in terms of what you should do and not do in the next few months and right after December 31st 1999.
24) CCF Year 2000 A site from the Credit Commercial de France, one of the biggest banks in France. The approach and advice for SMEs is interesting although the emphasis is mostly on the suppliers(hardware and software) who are expected to provide the answers. I liked the section and corresponding advice on personal PCs .
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If you have sites to suggest for review, please let me know. If you have comments or suggestions on the way ENTERWeb should evolve, don't hesitate and drop me a line, and finally don't forget to tell your colleagues and friends about ENTERWeb. The more feedback I receive the better it will be.
Happy browsing Jean-Claude Lorin ENTERWeb Webmaster <mailto:mailto:jlorin@synapse.net> <http://www.enterweb.org>