WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With the help of Sterling, Va.-based REI Systems, and McLean-based ENC Strategy, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched new online tools designed to help small business owners develop and grow their companies. Available online at www.sba.gov, the new software tools include the Build a Business Plan tool, the Size Standards tool, a Learning Center, an Events Calendar and a Local Assistance locator for entrepreneurs to access resources sponsored by their nearest SBA field office. REI and ENC developed the software, conducting usability testing, and provided content, creative direction, design support and constituent outreach.

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To help small business owners plan and steer their businesses, the Build a Business Plan tool guides them through the process of creating a basic, downloadable business plan. Users can save progress and build the plan at their own pace.

To determine whether they are eligible to sell products and services to government agencies, and to compete for small business set-aside contracts, business owners previously had to search through various rules and matrices to determine whether their businesses qualify for the small business set-aside procurement opportunities. Now, with the Size Standards tool, there are three simple steps to eliminate the guesswork and quickly find qualified for government procurement opportunities.

Each year, SBA and its partners host hundreds of small business training seminars and workshops across the country. Until now, there was no single repository for these events. Now, with SBA's Events Calendar, small business owners can quickly find and register for training.

The Learning Center is an online learning portal for small business entrepreneurs. It features a streamlined, searchable catalog of small business educational resources, including self-paced courses and informational videos. The resources may be sorted by topic, making it easier to locate helpful information.

Using the Local Assistance tool, those seeking help from SBA district offices and other local resource partners can quickly find the right contact information by clicking on a state or searching by zip code.

More information about SBA's resources is available by visiting www.sba.gov. REI Systems and ENC Strategy are members of the eStars Enterprise Team, a group of companies that also includes Fairfax-based ADG Tech Consulting and Boston-based Acquia that provide technical and content support for SBA.gov.

SOURCE REI Systems