Fwd: Top tools and tips; Retailing resources; Africa Business opportunities

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From: BusinessUSA <business@subscriptions.usa.gov>
Date: Wed, Jul 30, 2014 at 11:26 AM
Subject: Top tools and tips; Retailing resources; Africa Business opportunities
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

BusinessUSA Today, 07/30/2014 TOP TIPS and TOOLS If you've been following BusinessUSA on Twitter @BizUSA the past few weeks, you've seen some of the useful tips and tools for small business that we've shared. If not, here they are as an encore: Free Images: Need FREE high-quality images to use in your small business or local agency social media? Check out this list of image resources. Advice before Starting a Business: Practical, "I wish I had known before I started my business" advice from a business start-up founder/ survivor. Naming a Business: Are you in the process of naming your business? Read this first. What's YOUR cluster? Learn about the industries, careers, and clusters succeeding in your state at ClusterMapping.us.  Government Contracts by Agency: See which federal agencies are the top spenders on government contracts (courtesy FEDMINE(c). As always, you can find current opportunities (contracts, grants, challenges and more) through the BusinessUSA Find Opportunities smart tool. Patent Trolls: 3 things every inventor or business owner should know about about patent risk and patent trolls. As July ends, so does Independent Retailer Month, so we want to celebrate the successful family-owned, mom-and-pop, independent stores out there by highlighting some resources on BusinessUSA to help you Grow your Business, including: Forecasting for Growth Check out the competition in your area with our SizeUp Tool Developing a Marketing Plan Using Technology to Stay Competitive Financing Growth Building your own Franchise Retailing Articles and Guides for Small Business Owners: Sales Tax 101 for Small Business Owners and Online Retailers How to Start a Retail Business; A Step-by-Step Guide Ultimate Guide to the Retail Industry 4 Tips for Getting Large Retailers to Stock Your Products for inventors and entrepreneurs Monthly and Annual Retail Trade statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau Online Retailing Articles and Guides: Ecommerce Resources for small business Setting up an Online Business (i.e., ecommerce or online retailing) Online Business Law Selling Globally Online (Export.gov) Electronic Commerce: Selling Internationally A Guide for Businesses (from the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection Business Center) Online Advertising and Marketing Regulations for E-Commerce and the Internet Services FTC BCP guides for businesses that market or advertise on Internet; assistance with e-commerce transactions laws and regulations.  Census Bureau Quarterly U.S. Ecommerce statistics (scroll to the bottom of their page)   DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA Since the U.S. is entering its hottest month of August, we turn our focus to one of the hottest growth markets: Africa. The continent is home to 6 of the top 10 fastest growing countries in the world, and U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa now top $21 billion a year. However, per this Brookings Institution article, the United States is falling behind the European Union and China in exports to and total trade with Africa. This week, as African leaders are visiting the U.S. and meeting with the President and other high-ranking officials to discuss trade, development and cooperation, we focus on the opportunities for American businesses to do business in Africa. US-Africa Business Forum On Tuesday, August 5, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the U.S. Department of Commerce will co-host the first-ever U.S.-Africa Business Forum, a day focused on trade and investment opportunities on the continent for African heads of government and American business leaders. former President Clinton will moderate the opening session. This US-Africa Business Forum will be a part of President Obama's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, on August 4-6, 2014, a historic convening of more than 40 African heads of state, the largest gathering of African leaders on U.S. soil — plus 200 U.S. and African CEOs, as well as President Obama,and U.S. Cabinet and congressional participants. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will introduce President Obama for closing remarks. Learn about the US-Africa Leaders Summit and all the events on this White House Africa Summit page. Follow both events on Twitter with #USAfricaBizForum and #AfricaSummit ADDITIONAL RELATED EVENTS & DETAILS: 7/30-8/1 in HOUSTON: US energy exporters can network with African leaders about energy opportunities at the US Trade & Development Agency Energy in Africa event. 7/30-8/1 in CHICAGO: US transportation exporters can network with African leaders about rail and aviation transportation opportunities in Africa at the USTDA Transportation in Africa event. Find all OPEN events related to the Africa summit that are happening July 30-August 7 here. Africa Business Resources Learn about Africa The CIA's online World Factbook gives detailed information about Africa as a region and details of each country, such as population (including age and gender breakdown), languages, economy, and more. The U.S. Department of State has an excellent page about Sub-Saharan Africa. Doing Business with Africa Read the fact sheet about the "Doing Business with Africa"  campaign, a federal trade promotion and financing initiative launched in 2012 "to help U.S. businesses both identify and seize upon trade and investment opportunities in Africa." Discover a number of Africa-related business resources and information on BusinessUSA. Read the US Trade and Development Agency's Regional Brief about Sub-Saharan Africa. The State Department offers more information for businesses interested in investing in sub-Saharan Africa. What U.S. industries are "hot" in Africa? Read which U.S. industries are exporting to Africa.  Learn about featured agribusiness opportunities in 4 African nations A Conversation on US-Africa Trade: Watch yesterday's interview of U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman at the Brookings Institution Africa Growth Initiative. Discussed are trade, development, and how U.S. trade policy, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), must adapt to shifts in the global economic landscape. (Click on image below.)   Stay Connected:     Unsubscribe, update your subscriptions, or modify your password or email address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by Business.USA.gov. This email was sent to iammejtm@gmail.com from: BusinessUSA • 1401 Constitution Ave NW • Washington DC 20230 •

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews