Entrepreneurship can be a tough journey. There are lots of unexpected obstacles and roadblocks that can hinder your success. After all, statistics say that 20% of small businesses fail during their first year, while only 50% survive by year five.
That’s why you need all the help you can get during these challenging times.
Valuable tips and insights from experienced entrepreneurs can offer you practical solutions for different issues you might be facing. At the same time, having access to a plethora of educational resources for different aspects of running a business can give you a push in the right direction.
So, here are some essential online resources you should bookmark right away.
1. Entrepreneur
The Entrepreneur magazine has earned a spot on the list thanks to its almost five decades-long efforts to bring the most relevant stories and news about all things entrepreneurship to its audience.
This resource is brimming with tried-and-true tips, tools, webinars, and guides for new, budding, and established businesses.
It covers all the bases of being your own boss so that you can learn a lot about marketing, branding, sales, finding new business opportunities, time management, you name it.
2. Content Marketing Institute
You’re probably wondering why Content Marketing Institute should be among your bookmarks.
The truth is that when you’re just starting out and building a name for yourself, it’s essential to promote your business as much as possible. And that’s why content and copywriting skills can come in handy. Content Marketing Institute offers a number of courses, useful materials, and resources that will help you hone your content marketing skills.
Having your way with words can be of tremendous importance for the growth of your business, and this platform should be your go-to content marketing resource.
3. MIT Open Courseware
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the most renowned universities in the world, especially in the field of engineering and physical sciences. Its Open Courseware program offers core and supplemental classes for entrepreneurs.
You can learn more about building a productive team, organisational leadership, effective negotiation, making data-driven business decisions, and many other critical skills every business owner should have.
4. LinkedIn
Besides being a networking and prospecting staple for business professionals, LinkedIn is also a valuable entrepreneurial resource.
First, you can connect with top minds from your industry and follow the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and unicorn founders. They post advice regularly, and you’ll be able to learn a lot from them.
LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda, is the social media’s online learning platform that offers different business and tech-related courses – exactly what a budding entrepreneur needs.
5. Inc. Magazine
Inc. Magazine is a valuable pit stop for growing companies since it publishes articles about successfully starting and running a business.
Different sections such as Startup, Grow, Innovate, Technology, Money, Events, Videos, and Podcasts are packed with helpful business advice from those who made it.
Inc. 5000 is an annual list of top U.S. private companies whose founders share their success stories. You can even apply and check whether you qualify to become one of the honorees and receive a permanent profile on Inc. Magazine’s website.
6. The Investing.io Newsletter
The best way to learn about running a business and overcoming bumps in the road is by reading what accomplished entrepreneurs have to say. They managed to unleash their X factor and can help you do the same.
The Investing.io Newsletter brings you growth-oriented content curated by seasoned investors. Every week, you’ll get the best stories related to investing, start-up culture, bootstrapping, and entrepreneurship delivered to your inbox.
7. Udemy
Want to improve your sales skills? Become better at recruiting new employees? Learn how to write better business emails? Or set yourself up for success by mastering the fundamentals of entrepreneurship?
Udemy offers more than 700 courses for entrepreneurs at fairly reasonable prices.
What’s also good is that these courses are condensed, and it takes only several hours to complete them.
8. Seth Godin
Most small businesses and start-ups run on a shoestring budget during the first couple of months or even longer than that. And this means that there’s not enough money to hire a marketing team to do advertising and promotions.
Seth Godin is one of the biggest names in the marketing industry, with a massive social media following and 17 bestsellers under his belt. Most importantly, he generously shares his expertise and experience with others.
So, if your budget allows only for a DIY marketing approach, Seth Godin can be a goldmine of helpful tips and tricks you can easily implement.
9. TED.com
Business is all about innovation, and TED.com is a powerful platform for trailblazers to share their ideas and inspire conversations on different topics.
These compelling talks are typically about 15 minutes long, which means that you can find time to watch at least one video a day. Besides exceptional keynote speakers, you can get a lot of value from a very engaged discussion community.
10. 37 Angels
Despite obvious cracks in it, the glass ceiling still exists, and this organization wants to break it by educating and supporting female entrepreneurs. That’s the mission of 37 Angels, a community established by Angela Lee, a Columbia Business School professor, and the membership consists of more than 90 women.
New members have the opportunity to learn from the best by participating in an angel investing bootcamp, either in person or online.
Besides that, this platform provides access to a comprehensive resource repository.
11. Mashable
Business and new technologies go hand in hand.
As an entrepreneur, you should stay on top of the latest tech trends and learn what solutions you can implement to work smarter, not harder.
Mashable is one of the most exhaustive resources for news and stories about digital culture and new tech. Their Self-Made section is a perfect starting point for people who want to turn their hobby into a profitable business.
Wrap Up
This list of useful resources for entrepreneurs is far from complete. There are many different online platforms and portals that you could greatly benefit from. Still, these 11 are a must and should definitely be among the first to consult if you want to expand your business knowledge and acquire some new skills.
