21 Entrepreneurship Websites Worth Checking Out

The number of websites dedicated to helping entrepreneurs is incredible: there are always new sites, to the point that it can be hard to keep track of them. However, I have a few favorites. There are some tools I absolutely rely on for everything from marketing to billing, some blogs I read constantly and a few resource sites that I consult for all sorts of small business issues.

If you are an entrepreneur of any kind, it doesn’t particularly matter where you are in the process. Whether you’re just starting out freelancing in your spare time or you have a thriving business and you’re looking to expand, there are always new resources that can help you along in the entrepreneurial process. These sites are a great starting point: they’re all good resources and you may not have explored all of them.

Blogs

1. Startup Nation: Startup Nation offers entrepreneurial advice from a whole slew of people who have been there and done that — and have the business to prove it. The site has advice on just about every aspect of creating and running a startup.
2. IttyBiz: This site is an especially valuable resource if you’re looking to start an online business, but it’s got tons of great information on marketing in general.
3. Lateral Action: For creative types, like graphic designers, writers and such, there are some special challenges that come with running your own business. Laterlal Action offers up advice specially targeted to those fields.
4. Freelance Switch: FreelanceSwitch has all things freelance — business advice, ideas for staying productive and far more. Even though the title says ‘freelance,’ there’s plenty of good information for anyone running their own business.
5. Escape from Cubicle Nation: Leaving a cubicle in favor of starting your own business isn’t easy, but this blog helps support such escapees.
6. Young Entrepreneur: Young Entrepreneur focuses on the challenges that younger entrepreneurs face when they start business. It’s also got some great profiles of young entrepreneurs.
7. Small Business Labs: It isn’t easy to predict the trends that will affect small business, but Small Business Labs goes the extra mile to help entrepreneurs figure out what’s coming next.

Web Applications

1. Basecamp: There’s a reason that Basecamp and 37signals other tools are so popular — they work better than a lot of the other options. Basecamp is the company’s project management tool. 37signals also offer Highrise (CRM) and a few other great tools.
2. Blinksale: There are quite a few online options for invoicing. Blinksale is one of the most recommended options, in part because it works well with other tools like PayPal and Basecamp.
3. Skype: Skype is a popular choice for making phone calls online, but it has a lot of bells and whistles (like video conferencing) that make it a far more useful tool for a small business than you might expect.
4. LinkedIn: LinkedIn has come in handy for me many times. It’s an easy way to find contacts for a wide variety of purposes, as well as get answers and advice on all sorts of business topics.
5. Zoho: For a full suite of business tools, including CRM, invoicing, project management and databases, check out Zoho. All of the tools have at least some level of free use, perfect for an entrepreneur bootstrapping a business.
6. RocketLawyer: If you aren’t sure where to start with the legalities of running your own business, RocketLawyer provides free forms as well as help with all sorts of legal documents.
7. Google Docs: At least when you’re starting out, Google can be the easiest way to share documents, manage your business’ calendar and far more. It may not be a long term solution, but it can help you get started without spending a ton of money.

Resource Sites

1. SBA: The U.S. Small Business Administration is a treasure trove of information for entrepreneurs. In general, the SBA’s focus is helping entrepreneurs create long-lived small businesses, but there are also some great resources for folks further along in the process. If you aren’t in the U.S., there’s still some valuable information on the site — and you may find a similar agency where you’re living.
2. SCORE: If you find yourself in need of mentoring from an entrepreneur who’s already been through it all, SCORE can help you find a mentor. The organization is an amazing source of free business advice.
3. Freelancers Union: The Freelancers Union offers a long list of resources for freelancers — and the Union’s definition includes a pretty wide variety of entrepreneurs as freelancers. Among the information you can find on this site is health insurance options that don’t require quite the expense of other non-employer options.
4. Entrepreneur: For a huge collection of information on starting and running your own business, start with Entrepreneur. The company behind the site also runs Women Entrepreneur — a good resource for women looking at entrepreneurship.
5. BusinessWeek Small Business: Business Week has been a solid source of business information for years. The magazine’s small business site is an equally solid resource.
6. About.com Entrepreneurs: About.com offers a regularly updated resource on entrepreneurship. It’s got links to all sorts of other resources, both on About.com and elsewhere on the internet.
7. Entrepreneurship.org: The Entrepreneurship.org site is run by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to provide global resources for entrepreneurs.

These sites are only a starting point, of course. They’re the resources I use myself — and I know there are thousands out there I haven’t seen yet. If you’ve got any resources that you’d like to recommend to entrepreneurs, I’d appreciate it if you would share your links in the comments.

Empower Yourself As A Resourceful Entrepreneur

Sometimes we hesitate to move forward with our business because we're afraid that we just don't have enough experience or skills to implement our ideas.

Have you ever found yourself thinking I don't have enough experience to...

* Launch a website
* Send out a press release
* Set-up a joint-venture partnership
* Speak at a networking meeting



We all have doubts about our lack of experience running a business or expanding in some way. And while experience is important resourcefulness has a BIGGER impact on your long-term success. If you know WHAT needs to be done, you can get help on HOW to get it done.

Let me share how I discovered this to be true...

My career began doing product development and merchandising for the Gap, Banana Republic and J. Crew. About 13 years ago, while in-between jobs, an old boss and mentor asked me to take on a project that was completely outside the scope of my expertise.
He wanted me to open and run high profile stores around the country. It meant negotiating real estate deals, signing leases, overseeing the design of the space from fitting rooms to bathroom locations, to which computer systems we'd use, to actually purchasing the product. The scope was huge, overly awesome, nothing that I'd ever done before and crazily enough I was the only person he wanted for the job.

Why I wondered? What did he see in me that he had such trust I could do this?

For a month or so I felt like a deer in the headlights as I kept encountering new things that I was responsible for that I knew nothing about. I had notebooks upon notebooks with questions that I needed to get answered about all the parts of running these stores. Then, about two months into my job, a light bulb went off for me.

Knowing the "WHAT" is More Important Than the "HOW"

I understood why he chose me. I clearly saw what my gift was and why I was the right one for this job. I am very strong at knowing and figuring out WHAT needs to get done. I may not know HOW it's going to happen and how to do it (and in this case I clearly didn't) but I am resourceful and can connect with others who do have the expertise I may be lacking to get the job done.

This skill has served me well as an entrepreneur. Because there's nothing that truly prepares you-or gives you all the experience you need -to be an entrepreneur. You have to be willing to jump into unchartered waters, and trust that other experts can fill in your gaps. Especially as women, it takes a village and we should relish the fact that we can reach out for support.

Get a Support Network Behind You

As an entrepreneur it's so important to have a network of people you can turn to when you have questions. By getting other people involved in our business success, we'll not only get answers to our questions, we'll be inspired by their ideas.

You truly empower yourself when you involve people that will both cheer you on and provide valuable knowledge - people who can show you the "how".

What if you don't feel like you have enough people in your life that can give you the support you need? This is a big issue for mom entrepreneurs because we're home alone and it's difficult to find the business support we're looking for. I believe there's no need to go it alone, mom entrepreneurs are very generous in their support. Here's an example of example of this kind of generous support I see quite often.

Open Up and Share

I recently had a someone in my community approach me on the side and said, "Kim, I'm really struggling. I have a full-time business and a direct sales business that is just not where I want it to be. Times are tough economically, and it's just not working as I want it to be."

In this process, the woman opened herself up in a very vulnerable way to me. Because I understood her situation, I was able to connect her with some women I thought could support her. One of these women got her to think about something professionally she hadn't even considered.

This new idea allowed me to say, "Aha. I can make another connection for you." Together we were creating a spider web of connections for her. It was such a glorious experience to watch and to realize she had tapped into a handful of other people who could provide great support for her. That was thrilling.

This story really emphasizes the importance of opening up to others to find the right answers to your questions. You might feel vulnerable admitting that you don't know the answer but what better way is there to get support?

For myself, by asking good questions and finding the right people to support me and help me find the answers, I've been able to move my business forward. Don't underestimate your ability to get your business moving forward. With the right support, you can be empowered to be truly successful on your own terms.

Drivers of Entrepreneurial Success

When you are thinking about starting a business it’s natural to ask yourself if you have what it takes to succeed. You see other successful business people and think “how did they get to where they are?”. Then you start comparing yourself against them, and your perceptions of what it takes to make it.

What Does it Take to Succeed as an Entrepreneur?

So what are the main factors in order to make it in business, or as an entrepreneur? Maybe you’ve thought that to hit the big time you need one, or all, of the following:

*MBA from an Ivy League School
*A great idea that nobody has thought of before
*Luck
*A “secret” weapon that guarantees success?
*Good looks
*All the above

There must be something right…I mean they are successful people, and if you haven’t even begun it can be pretty easy to assume they have something that you don’t. Keep reading.

The Real Drivers to Entrepreneurial Success

In a recent survey conducted by SurePayroll of small business owners and entrepreneurs, when asked “What are the drivers of entrepreneurial success?” they answered:.

1. Person’s drive and ambition 27.2%
2. Person’s passion for a specific business venture 14.9%
3. Hands-on experience in the industry 13.5%
4. Easy access to capital to start a business 13.1%
5. Personal connections 11.5%
6. Family members who are entrepreneurs 10.0%
7. Formal education 9.9%

If you’ve been sitting on that great business idea because you were second guessing whether or not you have what it takes to succeed, this survey should give you reason to rejoice.

I don’t doubt for a second that anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis doesn’t have drive, ambition, and passion.

If you’re thinking about starting a business – those top three should come naturally. And look how important they are in the minds of all those “successful” people that you have been comparing yourself too.

Does that change your outlook at all on what it takes to make it?

Let’s hear from you. Do you think the survey responses reflect the true drivers to entrepreneurial success?