Docstoc provides useful tools in the form of professional, financial and legal documents and technology for establishing and nurturing small- and middle-sized business. Wikipedia describes it as an, “Electronic document repository and online store ….”

Docstoc was launched a month after its listing, as one of the first TechCrunch40 finalist, in the year 2007 by Jason Nazar and Alon Shwartz. Back then it was simply a repository of user-submitted documents meant for small businesses. It announced its emergence from the experimental “beta” stage on May 13, 2009, with new sophisticated additions like open APIs and an advertising generated revenue sharing model with users, besides a revamped website that features selected documents, highlights more images and also highlights different document categories in the domain of business, technology, legal and current events, personal finance, education, jobs and careers, science, medicine, lifestyle, among others, on the left of the page.

Docstoc has over 20 million documents submitted by its users and has over 40 million registered users. It generates its own professional content too, in which it adds 300 pieces of content weekly, which can be accessed through a premium subscription. Docstoc also has videos, tutorials, classes and other educational information that covers different fields ranging from Human Resources, Marketing and Advertising, Business Operations and Product Creation, Starting and Forming Business, Bookkeeping, Accounting and Tax, Finances and Investments to Real Estate, IT and Data Management, Home Owners and Tenants, etcetera. On the top right corner, users have the option to choose from Resources, Learning Center and Upload.

In order to reach out to users, Docstoc has launched four iPad apps: Legal and Copyright Small Business Toolkit, Sales Techniques and Training Secrets, Adwords and SEO Secrets, and HR and Employee Management Advice. All these Apps are free.

In just a couple of years, the platform has turned out to be a raging hit with business people as well as others. Way to go Docstoc!