Small Biz Resources

Below is a curated list (some favorites of mine) of business blogs, newsletters, podcasts and other info designed with small business owners in mind. I’ve broken it down into sections, with links below. I’m always interested in new sources to try out and read or listen to, so let me know if there’s a great resource to add.

Sections: Business BasicsNot Business As UsualMarketing and Freelancers

I also have a page dedicated to Nonprofit Resources, which are links that specifically relate to nonprofit finance, entrepreneurship, technology and news.

Business Basics

Small Business Administration – You probably won’t find their blog immediately among their many pages, but it’s one of many resources the SBA offers.

The SBA has a Manage Your Finances section, and a peek at their Business Guide is a good bet too.

Also from the SBA: special sections for businesses owned by women, Native Americans, veterans and LGBTQIA entrepreneurs.

State Guides: Many, if not all, states have some kind of Getting Started Guide for small businesses on their Secretary of State website. Be sure to check those out. At the very least, do a search for your business name in your state, and make sure it isn’t taken.

SCORE is a mentoring & informational offshoot of the SBA with many local chapters and a ton of information. Their searchable Resource Library and Small Business Success Blog are great.

NOLO Small Business is an encyclopedia of topics from the leading source of legal resources. Topics are basically a FAQ for business – do you have a business plan? Do you know what fiduciary responsibility is? And much more.

The IRS has a page for starting a business that I probably refer to more than any other as I go about advising others. It’s dry and needs explication sometimes, but it’s always accurate.

Not Business As Usual

Creative Live has an entrepreneurship section that I like with classes on being a creative, authentic entrepreneur. Topics are from well-known experts and creative business people.

Craft Industry Alliance is a membership organization resource for the creative business community, founded by Abby Glassenberg, a journalist and creative business owner. The weekly email always seems to all know the news relevant to the creative business industry.

Business SHET by Mimi G is a creative business podcast launched in 2018. If you don’t know Mimi, she launched a ridiculously successful sewing business from nothing, and is well-known for her fabulous LA style as a business owner and sewist.

For women-owned businesses, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) has an Entrepreneurship section.

Buy From a Black Woman has entrepreneur resources including a Business Starter Checklist for new and established business owners. They also have a directory of businesses owned by Black women. Official Black Wall Street is another app for finding Black-owned businesses, with spotlights on entrepreneurs in the community.

Marketing

Shopify, one of the premier e-commerce sites, publishes a blog on E-Commerce Marketing. They talk about Shopify Shops, of course, but publish quite a bit of good, general business and marketing content also.

VistaPrint, well-known for free business cards, has a pretty good blog on marketing & design ideas with some small biz articles thrown in as well. I also listen to their Small Business Stories podcast.

ConvertKit is an email marketing company. They write blog articles and the TradeCraft monthly magazine about making a living online.

Freelancers

Freelancers Union is the first place Freelancers should go if they have a question. Information, advocacy and actual solutions for Freelancers. They’ve even helped enact freelancer protection bills in one of the biggest freelance markets, NYC.

SCORE has a dedicated freelancer/solopreneur area of their website for specifically-targeted resources.

Job postings for freelancers abound, with many sites offering ways to connect with work. Some sites are UpWorkCloudPeeps, Mediabistro,  FlexJobs, Guru. Business News Daily also has a great list of job sites, and here’s a list of 78 freelance job sites.