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Entrepreneurship Websites Worth Checking Out
The number of websites dedicated to helping
entrepreneurs is incredible: there are always new sites, to the point that it
can be hard to keep track of them. However, I have a few favorites. There are
some tools I absolutely rely on for everything from marketing to billing, some
blogs I read constantly and a few resource sites that I consult for all sorts
of small business issues.
If you are an entrepreneur of any kind, it
doesn’t particularly matter where you are in the process. Whether you’re just
starting out freelancing in your spare time or you have a thriving business and
you’re looking to expand, there are always new resources that can help you
along in the entrepreneurial process. These sites are a great starting point:
they’re all good resources and you may not have explored all of them.
Blogs
1. Startup Nation: Startup
Nation offers entrepreneurial advice from a whole slew of people who have been
there and done that — and have the business to prove it. The site has advice on
just about every aspect of creating and running a startup.
2. IttyBiz: This site is
an especially valuable resource if you’re looking to start an online business,
but it’s got tons of great information on marketing in general.
3. Lateral Action: For creative
types, like graphic designers, writers and such, there are some special
challenges that come with running your own business. Laterlal Action offers up
advice specially targeted to those fields.
4. Freelance Switch:
FreelanceSwitch has all things freelance — business advice, ideas for staying
productive and far more. Even though the title says ‘freelance,’ there’s plenty
of good information for anyone running their own business.
5. Young Entrepreneur: Young Entrepreneur focuses on the challenges that younger
entrepreneurs face when they start business. It’s also got some great profiles of
young entrepreneurs.
6. Small Business Labs: It isn’t easy to predict the trends that will affect small business,
but Small Business Labs goes the extra mile to help entrepreneurs figure out
what’s coming next.
Web Applications
1. Basecamp: There’s a
reason that Basecamp and 37signals other tools are so popular — they work
better than a lot of the other options. Basecamp is the company’s project
management tool. 37signals also offer Highrise (CRM) and a few other great
tools.
2. Blinksale: There are
quite a few online options for invoicing. Blinksale is one of the most
recommended options, in part because it works well with other tools like PayPal
and Basecamp.
3. Skype: Skype is a
popular choice for making phone calls online, but it has a lot of bells and
whistles (like video conferencing) that make it a far more useful tool for a
small business than you might expect.
4. LinkedIn: LinkedIn has
come in handy for me many times. It’s an easy way to find contacts for a wide
variety of purposes, as well as get answers and advice on all sorts of business
topics.
5. Zoho: For a full
suite of business tools, including CRM, invoicing, project management and
databases, check out Zoho. All of the tools have at least some level of free
use, perfect for an entrepreneur bootstrapping a business.
6. RocketLawyer: If you
aren’t sure where to start with the legalities of running your own business,
RocketLawyer provides free forms as well as help with all sorts of legal
documents.
7. Google Docs: At least when
you’re starting out, Google can be the easiest way to share documents, manage
your business’ calendar and far more. It may not be a long term solution, but
it can help you get started without spending a ton of money.
Resource Sites
1. SBA: The U.S.
Small Business Administration is a treasure trove of information for
entrepreneurs. In general, the SBA’s focus is helping entrepreneurs create
long-lived small businesses, but there are also some great resources for folks
further along in the process. If you aren’t in the U.S., there’s still some
valuable information on the site — and you may find a similar agency where
you’re living.
2. SCORE: If you find
yourself in need of mentoring from an entrepreneur who’s already been through
it all, SCORE can help you find a mentor. The organization is an amazing source
of free business advice.
3. Freelancers Union: The
Freelancers Union offers a long list of resources for freelancers — and the
Union’s definition includes a pretty wide variety of entrepreneurs as
freelancers. Among the information you can find on this site is health
insurance options that don’t require quite the expense of other non-employer
options.
4. Entrepreneur: For a huge
collection of information on starting and running your own business, start with
Entrepreneur. The company behind the site also runs Women Entrepreneur — a good resource for women looking at entrepreneurship.
5. About.com Entrepreneurs: About.com offers a regularly updated resource on
entrepreneurship. It’s got links to all sorts of other resources, both
on About.com and elsewhere on the internet.
6. Entrepreneurship.org: The Entrepreneurship.org site is run by the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation to provide global resources for entrepreneurs.
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