Following are some resources that might be helpful to entrepreneurs who are facing the challenges of starting a business, raising capital, writing a business plan, and, finally, growing a company.

Entrepreneurial Death Traps:
How to avoid the classic entrepreneurial mistakes There is no better way to learn how to avoid making mistakes than from those who have already made them. This article outlines the key traps that entrepreneurs fall victim to during the course of building their businesses. Presented by Frederick J. Beste III, a partner with Mid-Atlantic Venture Funds LP at the J.H. Cohn LLP Fall Forum in Lawrenceville, NJ on November 13, 1996. To read this article and others by Mr. Beste, please click here:
www.vcinstitute.org/materials/deathtraps.html

Also check out Mr. Beste article on " the Twelve (Almost) * Sure-Fire Secrets to Entrepreneurial Success".
www.vcinstitute.org/materials/surefire.html

Fatal Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Business Plan Writing a business plan is a daunting task. Daniel McGilvery, President of the Business Planning Institute, offers some advice about this process. The Business Planning Institute provides professional business plan writing, editing, and reviewing services. For this and other information on writing a business plan, please visit their website:
www.bpiplans.com/articles.htm

Capital Advantage Raising expansion capital for your growing private company? From describing the various sources of capital available to private companies, through a discussion on improving valuation and bargaining power, this summary offers valuable information to any entrepreneur interested in understanding the fundraising process. Mr. Richardson is a partner with the Arnall Golden Gregory law firm in Atlanta, Georgia where he has been advising growing companies and their investors for more than 25 years. For additional information from this site, please visit:
www.growco.com

Merger Central MergerCentral® is the Internet's premiere source of M&A news and services. Founded by America's merger guru, Stanley Foster Reed, MergerCentral® is an Infomediary created for people and firms involved with mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, joint ventures, cross-licensing, technology transfers, franchises, and other aspects of the merger phenomenon. For additional information from this site, please visit:
www.mergercentral.com

MergerPlace.com MergerPlace.com's resource center provides free valuation guide, business plan tools, bookstore, forms and contacts and many free on-line links for education and preparation for mergers and acquisitons. For additional information from this site, please visit:
www.mergerplace.com

Diversification and Wealth Management Many successful entrepreneurs diversify by investing in equities and bonds. Timely and reliable information is a cornerstone of profitable portfolio management. Stockwatch™ is a free, customizable, online tool to stay in touch with the stocks that interest you, plus headlines and links to current business news. Access to StockWatch™ is free at:
www.MyStockWatchOnline.com