The following sources offer some of the best advice to small businesses.
The U.S. Small Business Administration
Founded in 1953, the SBA has helped millions of hard working American entrepreneurs get financing, secure contract templates, find counseling and coaching, and provided other forms of assistance. The SBA is one of the best places to go if you need help with some of the less glamorous aspects of running a business such as finances, payroll, hiring, or other back-office responsibilities.
Start at their website, sba.gov and find a local or regional office near you. There you can find the personalized advice that you need on a host of topics pertinent to your business or industry.
The SBA also plays an important educational roll and they have over 50 courses available on their website for free. Additionally, they frequently host seminars and other information conferences and sessions around the country. The agency is a great resource for any small business entrepreneur.
Forbes
While on the surface Forbes might appear to be just another business media outlet, actually Forbes has great content and information for the budding entrepreneur or small business owner. They have the latest global and local news, as well as videos and speeches from successful business owners. These resources can motivate any business owner to learn more about tech, marketing trends, or other information to become more successful in the office.
Their entrepreneur section is a great resource for informative articles on everything business, including advice from other entrepreneurs. The best part is that most of this content is provided free as the website is supported by ads and subscriptions, great for the entrepreneur on a budget.
Inc
Similar to Forbes, Inc is a great resource to find content and information about the overall business landscape. Inc has great resources such as podcasts, articles across a variety of areas like start-ups, innovation, technology, leadership, as well as other tools.
Inc can help you get great ideas to expand or market your business based on what others are doing. They have information on new technologies, as well as trends in the marketplace. All these resources can help you stay ahead of the competition.
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur may appear to be very similar to Inc and Forbes, but through its narrowed focus on the entrepreneur the site takes information to a whole new level.
One of their most useful offerings buried beneath the front page is their coaching service. This gives entrepreneurs they opportunity to have a professional or successful business owner coach them on an individual basis. This may be a valuable service to any business owner who may just need a “sounding board” to examine ideas in their own personal business.
The business form section is also a great resource. Within this section are a host of helpful forms such as independent contract agreements, templates for your business plan, non-disclosure agreements, and the even purchase orders.
Some of the other sections include event calendars, book listings, and even an “Ask an Entrepreneur” section.