Lycos targets SMEs with business portal

Although there's no shortage of Web sites dedicated to small businesses, Lycos has published what it bills as a 'unique and extensive' Web guide for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK and Ireland.

The search engine provider's service at www.lycos.co.uk/webguides/sme/ offers advice on a range of subjects including taxation, recruitment, business associations, and services such as couriers and PR.

Yahoo!, one of Lycos' main rivals, declined to comment on its plans to offer a similarly targeted service for SMEs. However, all the major search engine and Internet directory service providers are known to be looking at ways to make their main sites the launch pads for consumers and businesses using the Web - recasting gateway sites to the rest of the Web as so-called 'portals'.

Lycos already offers Web guides focused on sport, entertainment, computers and other subjects.