An incredible amount of data and resources are available on the Internet about various business topics. In each chapter, the Net Gains section will provide you with links to and descriptions of websites that directly relate to the content of that chapter. You should visit these websites to gain an appreciation of the types of data available at no cost and to enhance your understanding of the chapter's focus. The following Internet sites have resources about strategic planning:

• Planware (http://www.planware.org/). Planware offers downloadable software to help businesses develop a strategic plan. For example, their On-Line Strategic Planner is a step-by-step guide for creating a three-page strategic plan. The site also offers a business plan template and development guidelines (downloadable in Microsoft Word format).
  
  
• EDGAR: A Database of Information About Public Companies (http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html). The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR website hosts a database of various required filings of publicly owned companies. One of the most detailed reports about a company is known as the Annual Report or Form 10-K. To access a company's 10-K, log on to the link listed above and type (in the box labeled Company Name) the name of a company of interest. Select Find Companies. A new screen will appear-click on the ten-digit CIK (Central Index Key) number that appears to the left of the name of your selected company. A chronological list of recent filings will appear in the new screen. Scroll down until you find the most recently filed 10-K report. Click on HTML or TEXT to read the 10-K in the format you prefer. This resource will help you to learn about different companies and to complete many assignments in this text.
  
  
• Articles 911: Best Free Articles on the Web (http://www.articles911.com/). This website provides links to reference articles about strategic planning from a variety of professional business journals and magazines. This service saves time when searching for background reading material about the fundamentals of business strategy.
  
  
• What Works And What Doesn't (http://www.apqc.org/). The American Productivity and Quality Center is a research group that is funded by large, well-known companies to conduct studies about contemporary business topics. This website includes research reports, PowerPoint presentations, and news articles about strategic planning.
  
  

Collectively, these resources will help you to gain insight into successful strategic planning through examples and case studies from well-known businesses.