10 Killer Resources for Small Businesses and Start-ups

Looking to get your startup or small business on the path to success? There are lots of resources that can help you know how to approach your marketing, partners, suppliers, design, and legal matters, which are all crucial to the success of your business.

Here are 10 killer resources that will help you take your business from idea to successful execution.

1. Entrepreneur Advice

entrepreneur magazine

Entrepreneur.com – When starting up your business, you can move fast and avoid costly mistakes by learning from the successes and failures of other entrepreneurs. Enterpreneur.com is a great hub for business strategies and advice on starting a business, marketing and making and successful exits.

2. SEO Tools

seo tools

Market Samurai– Before you create a product, you need to determine whether there is a market willing to pay for it. Market Samurai will help you do this and more including assessing your competition, determining profitable keywords, finding link building opportunities among other crucial SEO activities. The SEO tool is an all-in-one must-have arsenal for anyone looking to sell products or services online.

3. Startup Tools

lean startup tips

The Lean LaunchPad Online – Getting ideas is easy but having an action plan to see the idea to realization is difficult. The Lean LaunchPad Online guide will guide you by enabling you to lay out important things you need to get your business moving from idea to reality.

4. Business Planning

business planning

Business Plan 101– Learn how to write a good business plan that will be your map to growth and success. Find out what should be included in your business plan and download templates that will help you get you started.

5. Hiring Employees

fast company

Fast Company – Get insights on hiring employees for your startup from top entrepreneurs and business writers. Know the mistakes to avoid, what to look for and how to attract and retain top talent. Find out what the top companies are doing to get the best employees. Learn about employee relations and business ethics that will strengthen your team.

6. Internet Marketing

inbound marketing

Hubspot– Learn how to write copy that sells, generate traffic and leads and nurture visitors to become paying customers. Get daily content on email marketing, social media marketing, SEO, and other inbound marketing techniques at Hubspot. This is the only Internet marketing resource you will need.

7. Legal & Accounting Matters

legal tips

S Corp vs. LLC – Determine which legal entity will be right for your business and get tax matters right before you hit the ground rolling. Find out how to register your business at the least cost and which taxes will apply to you based on the business entity you choose.

8. Raising Venture Capital

raising capital

How Venture Capital Works– Learn how venture capital works and when it applies in a company. Know how to prepare for VC money, how to approach investors, write a pitch, metrics to know before pitching and so on.

9. Small Business Inspiration

startup inspiration

Mixergy– Get access to video and podcast advice from interviews conducted with top entrepreneurs that will inspire you to take action and bring your idea to fruition. The website has a mix of free and paid content that include business courses, inspiring stories and advice from founders of companies such as Groupon, Digg, AppSumo, Tradeshift and others.

10. Networking

business networking

Smarta – Connect with other entrepreneurs on Smarta and get ideas to drive your business forward. Get advice on starting up, planning your business, financing, accounting and taxes, suppliers, legal matters and mentors to help you along the way.

Which other resources are part of your arsenal in your journey to building a successful business?

About the Author: Roye Okupe is a Marketing & Branding expert focused on helping entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses grow. He is the founder of Roye Productions, an Inbound Marketing agency with a variety of services designed to transform businesses into major players in their markets.

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