Starting a small business can be an exciting and challenging experience. The beginning is the most difficult part, especially if you’re the sole proprietor of your new venture. It can be difficult to manage everything from accounting to marketing your business. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best resources for small businesses so you can get started on the right foot. We have compiled a list of resources that are essential for new and established small businesses. These resources will help you launch your business, find partners and investors, advertise your services, hire employees, and more. Keep reading to discover the best places to find advice and networking opportunities for small businesses.
Networking Sites and Conferences
Some of the best resources for small businesses are networking sites and conferences where you can connect with other entrepreneurs. You can use these sites to find partners, investors, suppliers, and even customers for your business. If you are a small business owner, make sure to sign up to these free platforms. There are many different options for small businesses to network online. Here are a few of them.
- Events: Small businesses can attend industry conferences and events to meet other entrepreneurs and learn from experts in the industry. There are many online conferences where you can listen to speakers and network with other people in your niche.
- Facebook Groups: Facebook groups are one of the best places to meet like-minded entrepreneurs, share advice, and ask questions. There are groups dedicated to helping new businesses find customers and partners. There are also groups for specific industries, like marketing and advertising.
- Forums: Forums are another great way to connect with other business owners and experts. However, unlike Facebook groups, a lot of forums are only available to members who pay a monthly or annual fee. Some of the most popular forums for small businesses are Warrior Forum, Digital Marketing Forum, and Growth Hackers.
Small Business Accounting Platforms
Accounting is one of the most important parts of running a small business. You can use accounting software to track the income and expenses of your business. It will help you create accurate financial statements for investors or accounting. You can find different accounting software for small businesses online.
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks is one of the most well-known accounting software for small businesses. It provides financial management tools for businesses of all sizes. You can use it to create invoices, track expenses, and manage your payroll. It also has integrations with other business apps.
- Xero: Xero is another excellent accounting software for small businesses. It has more than 7 million customers, including many small businesses. It is an easy-to-use accounting software that you can use to manage your finances.
- Wave: Wave is an accounting software that is specially designed for small businesses. It is easy to use and available on all major platforms. You can use it to track your cash flow, manage expenses, create invoices, and more.
Marketing Platforms
Marketing is essential for small businesses. You can use marketing software to create attractive websites, run marketing campaigns, and manage your SEO strategy. There are many options for small businesses to promote their brand online.
- SONIQBOOM: SONIQBOOM is one of the best marketing sales CRM platforms for small businesses. It has a wide range of tools for marketing, sales, and customer service. You can use the platform to create an attractive website, run marketing campaigns, and manage your SEO strategy.
- Shopify: Shopify is an online store platform that lets you create an online store from scratch. You can use it to sell your products online and create an ecommerce website for your brand. It also has marketing and sales tools for small businesses.
- WordPress: WordPress is a free content management system (CMS) that you can use to create an attractive website. It is one of the most popular blogging platforms and website builders in the world.
- Wix: Wix is another popular website builder that lets you create an online presence. It has a variety of website templates where you can build your website without any design or coding knowledge.
- Sniply: Sniply is an advertising platform that lets you create attractive coupons and share them on social media like Facebook and Instagram. You can use it to create coupons for your products and services, run marketing campaigns, and increase customer engagement.
Employee Recruiting Platforms
While most small businesses start out as sole proprietorships, it can be difficult to manage everything on your own. You can find employment platforms that let you hire remote workers and contractors to help you manage your workload. Here are a few platforms where you can find employees to help grow and manage your business.
- Peopleperhour: This is one of the most well-known platforms to hire contractors and remote workers. You can use it to find freelancers of all skill levels who can help you manage your business. This can be anything from customer service agents to web developers.
- Upwork: Upwork is another popular employment platform where you can find contractors and employees for your business. You can use it to hire developers, customer service agents, and other professionals for short-term projects and full-time positions.
- Remote: Remote is an online publication that helps solve the problem of finding remote workers for your business. It has an online publication with articles about the future of work, interviews with entrepreneurs, and other interesting topics related to remote work. It also has a job board where you can find remote employees for your business.
Small Business Smarts
Running a small business is challenging, especially for new entrepreneurs. There are many online platforms that can help you become a more savvy business owner. Forbes is one of the best online publications for business owners. Here are a few more resources to help you become a small business pro.
- Entrepreneur: Entrepreneur is a digital publication that has resources for aspiring entrepreneurs. You can find a wide variety of articles related to starting a business and managing an existing one. They also have a directory of business conferences where you can network with other entrepreneurs and experts in your industry.
- Harvard Business Review: HBR is another online publication dedicated to business owners. It has a variety of articles related to managing a successful business. It also has a podcast where you can find useful advice from experts in your industry.
- Huffington Post: The Huffington Post has excellent resources for business owners. It has a directory of useful articles related to entrepreneurship. It also has sections for marketing, sales, and other important business topics.
Consumer Research Study Platforms
One of the most important parts of a business is understanding your target audience and their needs. You can use consumer research platforms to survey your audience and get insights about your customers. Here are a few platforms where you can conduct surveys and understand your customers better.
- SurveyMonkey: SurveyMonkey is one of the most popular survey platforms for businesses. It has a free plan where you can create and distribute surveys to your customers and audience. You can also use the platform to create online surveys for your employees to collect data.
- Qualtrics: Qualtrics is another online survey software where you can create and distribute surveys to your customers. It is one of the most widely used survey software for businesses. It also has a free plan where you can create unlimited surveys.
- Typeform: Typeform is an online survey software where you can create engaging surveys for your customers. It also has a free plan where you can create up to five surveys.
- Ethnio: Ethnio is a consumer research platform where you can find survey respondents. You can use it to create a survey and find audience members who fit your target demographic.
Summing up
Starting a business can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to begin. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you get started and grow your business. From networking sites to conferences, to online marketing platforms, there are many places you can go to find assistance. Once you are up and running, you can use these same resources to stay connected with other entrepreneurs and grow your business.