The following information is intended to help you navigate through the BIC and make the most of the time you spend on the site. If you have a technical question that is not answered below, please ask a representative at the center where you are using the BIC or contact Technical Support. Login and Password The BIC is password protected so we can identify the center and workstation that is being used by site visitors. As stated in our privacy policy, we never collect personal information about you or your visit unless you choose to provide us with that information on the Give Feedback form. Each center has a unique login identifier and a password that you will use to access the BIC. An instruction sheet is provided at the workstation with this information. You will select a login ID from a drop down list and then enter the designated password. You cannot change the login ID or password. If you encounter problems, please ask the center representative for assistance. Navigation The BIC is designed to present information based on the business user's point of view. Our intent is to make resources, guidelines, and other information easily accessible from one web site in a way that makes sense to the user. To that end, we have provided several different methods for accessing information.
Main Navigation - For those who want to find information according to a standard business cycle, there are five "buttons" (Living, Starting, Managing, Marketing, Closing) across the top that, when clicked, will direct you to relevant information for each section of the business cycle.
Menus - By placing your mouse on each of these buttons without clicking, you can access a list of more detailed information that is available within the section. These "drop down menus" can be used to navigate to a specific sub-topic within the site.
Key Topics - On the left side of the web site is a list of broad topics that may be of interest to any business or business owner, regardless of their position within the business cycle. Clicking on these links will take you to a list of more detailed sub-topics, from which you can continue to navigate until you find the appropriate article or link.
Language Selection - On the upper right side of the site is a language preference button that allows you to choose whether you wish to browse the site in English or Spanish. For more information, see below.
Language Preference The BIC has been created to support the educational needs of new Americans and Hispanic entrepreneurs. As a result, we have made an effort to collect and deliver comprehensive business information in both English and Spanish. All information contained within the BIC is available in both languages. However, some PDF documents and links to outside sites are available only in English. These are specified within the Spanish version of the site.
At any time during your visit, you may change your language preference by clicking on the language selection button on the upper right side of the site. The default setting is English. If you wish to browse in Spanish, click on the "En Español" button. If you wish to return to the English language version, click on the "In English" button. Content The BIC provides a tremendous amount of information for the business user. Some of this information is presented directly on this web site, some is provided by partner organizations, and some comes from non-profit and for-profit sources. If an outside source provided the information, the source will be referenced at the bottom of the page. You will find that the content in the BIC is provided in one of three formats: text page, PDF file, or link to an outside web site.
Text - Text pages are written for the BIC and contained within the site itself. You can navigate to various text pages using the links provided in each section of the BIC.
PDF - Several documents on the BIC have been created using the Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF). This allows you to view, download, and print the document separate from the web site page. PDF files are identified by a "(PDF file)" marker next to the link title. All BIC workstations are equipped with Adobe Acrobat® Reader to allow visitors to view these documents. If you are visiting from an outside site and are unable to open a PDF file on the BIC, you may download and install the latest version of Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site.
Link - There are numerous sources of business information on the Internet. The BIC often links to content provided by our partners and other reputable organizations. When you click on a link that points to another web site, that site will open in a separate browser window. You can return to the BIC by re-opening or clicking on the browser window containing the BIC. You will not be able to use the back button to return to the BIC from another web site.
Linked Web Sites The BIC does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of information contained on a linked web site, nor does the BIC endorse the organizations sponsoring these linked web sites, the views they express, or the products/services they offer. If you have a problem accessing a linked web site, please use the Give Feedback form to notify the BIC Site Administrator of a broken link. If you have an issue with the information contained on a linked site, please contact the owner of that site directly. Finding Information The BIC search engine is an easy way to find specific information on the site. For example, suppose you are looking for an overview of business financial statements. You could visit the Starting section and browse through Funding Your Business, but there's a faster way to find the information. From any page of the site, go to the "Search" box on the bottom left side of the page. Type "financial statements" and click the search button ("i" in a circle). You will be directed to the "Financial Statements" page. You can also use the "Advanced Search" to narrow your search. For example, suppose you are specifically looking for information on how to read a "balance sheet." To find this information quickly and easily:
Click on "Advanced Search" below the search box.
Set the variables as follows (use the drop-down menus to view options):
"must contain" "in the body" "the words" - "balance sheet"
"should contain" "in the body" "the words" - "financial"
Leave the other default options, and click "search."
A list of pages that match your search criteria appears.
Click on the page that seems to fit your criteria best or redo the search using more appropriate terms.
How to Change Your Screen Resolution This Web site was designed to be viewed at a resolution of 1024x768. To change resolution to 1024x768:
Click on Start
Find the Control Panel. If you are running Windows 98 or 2000, it is in Settings.
In the Control Panel, click Display. This will bring up the Display Properties window.
Click on the Settings tab.
In the Screen Area box, click and drag the slider to the right, until it says '1024 by 768 pixels'
Click Apply, then when a dialog box comes up, click OK.
Close the Display Properties Window.
You have now successfully adjusted your resolution to 1024x768. To revert to 800x600, or to switch to higher resolutions (not recommended unless you have a monitor 17" or above), follow the same steps, and slide to the desired resolution.
Technical Support
If you require additional technical support related to the BIC, please contact the BIC Site Administrator:
Timy González
Web Content Administrator NHBIC.ORG
Centro Nacional de Información para Negocios Hispanos (NHBIC)
1225 17th Street
Suite 1500
Denver, CO 80202
877-502-6771 tgonzalez@nhbic.org
