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Eighty percent of U.S. small businesses have just one employee: the boss. Some of these micropreneurs have big plans for expansion, but many are content to run the whole show. Fortunately, even a one-person shop can be a huge success. With technology and careful cost controls, even the smallest companies can do big business.

If you've purchased software through Open Business or Open Value License Agreements, you can now access a License Tool to configure and view your Microsoft License Statement. This Small Business+ benefit gives you a comprehensive view of your organization's license entitlements in an easy-to-understand online format.

Regardless of the medium, no form of marketing is more valuable than word-of-mouth referrals. Unsolicited, honest endorsements from friends and associates carry rock-solid credibility. Bring those referrals to the online world—where they reach infinitely larger audiences—and you have a priceless advertising vehicle. After all, if one real-world happy customer can influence a dozen or so friends or family, imagine the reach of a network-enhanced personal referral campaign through "word of mouse."

Starting your own small business can open the door to independence, fulfillment, and prosperity, but figuring out the first steps can be intimidating. But don’t be discouraged. Microsoft now offers a free online resource for new business owners: the Microsoft Startup Center. Visit www.mystartupcenter.com for clear steps on how to get your business going. Explanations are simple and straightforward, and you'll find links to the places you need to go to get things done. In addition to practical guidance, you’ll find special offers for Microsoft products and services, as well as special offers from other leading small business brands. Check it out today, or refer a friend.

Microsoft Office Live has teamed with the Web site design and marketing experts at Website Pros to offer a Web design package that includes a 5-page, professionally designed Microsoft Office Live Web site that can be updated at any time; unlimited consulting with a Website Pros design and marketing consultant during the first 30 days of the subscription; and more.

Want to attract new customers to your small business? Try search engine marketing. It’s an effective and measurable way to drive prospects to your Web site. Microsoft adCenter can help you reach out to 96 million potential customers—83 percent of whom have recently purchased online—and an audience that converted to customers at a higher rate than Google in four out of five categories. Try it today, and get $50 in free search clicks.* Use coupon code MSFT-SBNL when you sign up.


	Benchmark your marketing campaigns to maximize your bang for the buck When it comes to getting bang for their marketing bucks, too many business owners resign themselves to guesswork. But you can get maximum value if you plan carefully and keep researching throughout your campaign. Here are six ways to benchmark your campaigns without breaking the bank or overburdening your staff. Initial budgets should drive ongoing targets and planning Increasing profits depends on assembling, assessing, and acting on relevant information. This module will show how financial management software can help by giving you tools to manage inventory, analyze costs, improve your gross profit, analyze product and service trends, budget for the short and medium term, and improve cash flow. Windows Vista Business offers 3 security features to help keep your PCs safer Sound security measures can greatly reduce your vulnerability to phishing schemes, spyware, and other malicious software used to steal or compromise business data. The good news is that there are built-in, enhanced security features in Windows Vista Business. Here are three you should know about. Get more business skills training		Discover the basics of setting up and customizing Windows Vista Windows Vista delivers several new features designed to help you organize information and increase the security of your data. Getting Started with Windows Vista explains how to start using the new operating system and how to customize it to suit your home and work requirements. Microsoft Small Business Financials taps budgeting power of Microsoft Office Excel Microsoft Small Business Financials includes a Budget Wizard for Excel that can help you explore forecasting scenarios, review historical data, or specify the accounts you want to work with. You can import your data back into Microsoft Small Business Financials to create your budget. Follow these instructions to get started. Explore the time-saving features in Microsoft Office Access 2007 Microsoft Office Access 2007 makes it easy to start creating and using forms, tables, and queries. Categorized templates give you pre-built databases you can use right away, and the new Navigation Pane makes it easier to find the modules you need. See how the new interface can help you get started. Get more software training

Discover anywhere, anytime collaboration with Microsoft Office Live Groove 2007
Try Microsoft Office Live Groove 2007, and see how easy it is for teams to work together, no matter their location, time zone, or work hours. Groove collaborative workspaces put people, tools, and data in one place, so you and your team members have synchronized access right on your desktops.

Choose from 40 templates to help streamline your business processes
Create Web-based applications tailored to common business processes or tasks, such as managing a help desk or tracking marketing campaigns, with application templates for Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. The templates take advantage of the collaboration features of Windows SharePoint Services, a technology in Windows Server. Learn more about application templates.

Download the new Microsoft Office Accounting software free
Save time, get organized, and sell online with Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007.

* Does not include the one-time, non-refundable $5 activation fee required to open a new adCenter account.

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Win $25,000 office overhaul with Vern Yip
Is your home office more cluttered than calming? Want to make it a showcase of technology, efficiency, and design? Join HGTV’s Vern Yip, Microsoft, and HP for the Microsoft Home Office Makeover contest. The winner will receive the latest and greatest home office to create a more productive, professional, and creative environment. Enter before July 4, 2007.

	Find special offers on Windows Vista and Microsoft Office A new PC with Windows Vista Business and Microsoft Office Professional 2007 gives you and your employees surprising new ways to find, use, and share information. And if you shop online today, you’ll find great savings at Dell, Best Buy, CompUSA, Office Depot, and more.
	Make any idea real with your own free Web site and domain name We crisscrossed the country to help entrepreneurs set up free Web sites that reflect their business ideas. Explore their stories and learn how you, too, can get a free Web site, free domain name, and 25 free e-mail addresses for your business in just 15 minutes with Microsoft Office Live.

Small business experts share insights in Microsoft Office Live Web Seminars
Learn from highly acclaimed Small Business experts ... from the comfort of your own desk. The Microsoft Office Live Web Seminar series offers easy-to-access Web seminars that cover a variety of topics pertinent to small business owners. Sign up for live webcasts, or choose from an extensive archive of on-demand videos.

Learn how OneCare helps keep you protected
Protecting your PC from malware is critical to maintaining a safe and secure network environment. In this on-demand replay of connections:unplugged, Windows Live OneCare Product Manager Gina Narkunas explains how to help keep your PC protected and running smoothly with integrated antivirus, antispyware, anti-phishing, firewall, tune-up, and backup features.