Considering starting a new business? You’ve come to the right place.
No matter if you’ve always wanted to start a business or just began aspiring to be an entrepreneur, starting a business brings with it many challenges, questions, and opportunities.
Luckily for you, there are many free and low-cost resources out there targeted toward new and aspiring business owners.
We’ve compiled five of the most valuable resources for entrepreneurs:
- Small Business Administration (SBA)s
Take advantage of the many government funded programs for counseling, mentoring, and training for entrepreneurs. Some helpful organizations are as follows:
- SCORE, an organization of retired business executives who mentor startup entrepreneurs on everything from marketing to funding.
- Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs). Resources vary by location, but they typically can help with business planning, access to financing and classes.
- Women’s Business Centers. They offer resources specifically geared for helping female entrepreneurs.
- Veteran’s Business Outreach Center. They offer funding assistance, training and contracting opportunities for veteran entrepreneurs.
2. Online Courses
It’s never a bad time to learn something new, especially for entrepreneurs new to the world of business. Business owners need to make sure they are constantly learning and sharpening their skills, as the market is always evolving.
By finding free online courses related to owning a business, marketing, SEO optimization, business organization, and more, entrepreneurs can gain a lot of insight and they can apply it all to actual circumstances within their operations.
Websites such as Udemy and YouTube are home to great free online courses. Coursera is another great option.
3. A Mentor / Networking Groups
Having a mentor with strong industry experience is essential for all entrepreneurs. They will be able to guide you through your journey and help you to avoid making similar mistakes they did earlier in their career. Great mentors will help you and introduce you to others for assistance.
Similarly to a mentor, when you’re starting a business, networking is an important way to introduce yourself to potential clients, referral sources, and may even give you the necessary connections to form strategic partnerships.
4. Business Plan Templates and Guides
Behind every successful business is a strong business plan that is detailed and properly structured. Oftentimes, creating one of these business plans can prove to be difficult, especially when you don’t know where to start.
Luckily for you, there are ample options available when it comes to business plan websites that offer a variety of business plan templates. By providing a strategic roadmap for success, these business plans can help elevate entrepreneurs and their business to the next level.
5. Free Website Creation
In modern day, it is essential for businesses to maintain a strong digital presence. Some operate fully online through e-commerce, but it is still important for physical businesses to consider expanding their reach on the internet. The best way to achieve this digitization is through website creation.
Websites are the primary component for your business. They provide customers access to your products and/or services, and therefore, are a driving factor for your business' revenue and sales. No matter if you’re a small business looking to create your first website or a thriving business, it is essential to create the best website possible.
Entrepreneurs should turn to sites that can create websites and secure domain names for free, to get a foot in the digital door, and to expand the image of the business.
It all starts with Jemi. Jemi is a no-code website builder that is perfect for anyone looking to build a well designed and user-friendly website. Through an easy-to-use drag and drop interface, highly customizable modern templates, built-in ecommerce tools, and custom domains, Jemi has everything you need to build your dream website for your business.
Read more here to understand how to best create a website for your business and signup today!