You could spend a day just skimming the federal government’s Small Business Administration Web site, www.sba.gov. It’s that rich—containing 44,800 pages devoted to starting, financing, developing and managing a small business.

If you’re just setting out in business, check out the Small Business Startup Kit. Wondering whether you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur? There’s a questionnaire to help you find out. Just how do you go about starting a small business? It outlines the steps. How do you draft a business plan? A self-paced online tutorial shows you.

The SBA will even teach you the basics of operating your business. In its Small Business Classroom www.sba.gov/classroom, you can read articles, take courses, or research business aspects you want to know more about. Unlike online college classes, you can start anytime—and it’s free.

Does your marketing campaign need revitalizing? Head for www.onlinewbc.gov/DOCS/market for practical marketing tips.

Are you a woman facing gender issues in the entrepreneurial business world? Turn to the Online Women’s Business Center, for help in overcoming business obstacles.

The SBA site can also help you grow your business, Just go to www.sba.gov/expanding. Pro-Net serves as a search engine for federal, state and private contractors, a marketing tool for small companies, and a link to government procurement opportunities. Prime contractors use SUB-Net to post subcontracts. And Tech-Net helps small high-tech companies link up with researchers, government contractors and potential investors.

“Whether you are in the thinking, planning, financing or growing stage of the business, there is something for everyone on our Web site,” says Diane Gannon, who manages the site as the SBA’s director of productivity enhancement.

Not all SBA help is online, by any means. Through outside contractors, for example, the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME) provides training and technical assistance to low-income business owners with fewer than five employees. It’s offered by 69 organizations in 28 states. Just call your local SBA district office to find who may provide PRIME in your area.