10 Business Resources Every Entrepreneur Should Be Familiar With

Entrepreneurs are some of the hardest working individuals on the planet.  But if you are reading this, then I probably didn’t have to tell you that.  Skillful entrepreneurs are always entering unknown territories and learning new ways to better their understanding and further their resources.  While there are business degrees to be earned, nothing teaches the entrepreneurial spirit.  There is no textbook to guide you on how to navigate the ins and outs of every resource available to businesses today.  With an abundance of self-starter books and online websites, it pays to have these 10 business resources under your belt and at your fingertips.

Go Global

A conglomerate of global gurus makes up a highly trafficked online bulletin board known on www.reddit.com/r/startups. This busy highway of information exchange is a valuable resource loaded with firsthand accounts to help save you time and money by piggy backing off another’s mistakes and lending a helping hand with your hard knock lessons along the way.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Forbes is one of your most valuable resources.  It is a whole realm of potential with articles and daily posts such as this gem from 2013 that is still highly relevant two years later, “100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs”.  Not only does it provide a wealth of know-how with up to date information sharing, it keeps you in the loop with multiple posts every hour, something every savvy entrepreneur can use in his or her arsenal.   Entrepreneurs are reinventing a global market economy and this is a springboard.

Reading to Learn

One thing successful entrepreneur’s will all admit is that learning does not stop after school.  One website continuously updates helpful articles loaded with relevant topics that are easy to read and digest.  Profitguide.com is easy to navigate and has an archive of a dozen plus years’ worth of successful tips with expertly written articles in areas such as start up, small business, management and more.

Trading…News

With Exportwise.ca relevant information that can be linked to your social media website like Facebook or Twitter offers easy access to fast reading on topics you need to know.  Topics such as “Managing Risk” and “Emerging Markets” are just a small fraction of what is available to you.  A question of the week section not only keeps you informed about what your fellow entrepreneurs are into, it keeps you brushed up on current trends.  Access to multiple blogs such as, “Trade Talk”, “Industry Insights”, and “Regional Insights” as well as resources such as, “Economic Guides” and “How To Guides” make this site the pearl of great price.

Federal Government

 Probably the most boring ever, the Canada Business Network is a buried treasure that uncovers the nuggets of information such as loans, grants, wage subsidies and pertinent financial reporting.  Modules for e-businesses, managing employees, marketing and marketing research, as well as security make this site worth digging into.

Start Up and Grow

 This 15 year old strong site, Canadaone.com, has been helping entrepreneurs launch and maintain thriving businesses. Easily watched videos can be streamed when you don’t have time to read.  “Ask the Expert” section offers brilliant solutions to commonly encountered problems where you can browse on your own or ask the expert!

Face to Face

 With so many MVP’s playing in the entrepreneur field, sitting down over a cup of tea just isn’t feasible…or is it?  With sites such as clarity.fm you are able to pay a set fee and have a real conversation with an expert entrepreneur.  You can take what you learn here and hold your own web conference with people in your circle that need to be updated so you can move forward.

It’s a Woman’s World Now

 Or at least we are on our way to a more integrated gender dynamic.  Women2.0 offers daily insightful articles on in-depth content for any entrepreneur with ambition.  The Women 2.0 community is an online hangout with meetings in real life and in-the-know info for upcoming events and conferences.

Never Too Old to Learn

Stanford University’s eCorner highlights confessions of elite entrepreneurs such as Guy Kawasaki, Marissa Mayer and Elon Musk with keynote interviews and video panels.  Easy to browse topics such as “Creativity and Innovation”, “Team and Culture”, “Globalization”, and “Product Development” round out your fort of knowledge for growing your skills and leadership ability.

Down Under for the Down Low

 Broadening your horizons is always a good thing with such impetus driving us forward into a global economy.  Australia hosts Smart Company and while you might not find it all highly pertinent or of the same caliber of journalism found in the NW hemisphere, this different perspective is probably not what your competitors are reading which is why you should be.

These online resources are far from the most comprehensive out there, but it gives you an edge.  Familiarizing yourself with these online portals into tomorrow helps you save money, time and frustration.  Now that you have checked them out, which are you going to use?