Online resources to help you and your business succeed

‘Never stop learning’ is what we’re often told. But when you own a business, this is particularly true. 

As an owner of a small business, there are always things you can be doing and ideas you can gain inspiration from, particularly in the limitless online world.

But the resources you have access to on the web are endless, so it can be a bit of a maze. But if you know where to look, there are some really excellent resources out there that can help, inspire and energise you in your business. 

But where do I start, you might be thinking? No need to worry. We have come up with a list of valuable online destinations which could provide you with lots of help! 

Podcasts 

Podcasts that are dedicated to businesses are everywhere online. These can be listened to directly from the sites and also from your Spotify account (if you have one). 

Business podcasts are great to listen to as you’ll often hear famous entrepreneurs talk about their thoughts and ideas - so this is a really good way to get your creative juices flowing. 

In terms of podcasts, the list is never-ending. To start with, why not have a look at:

How I built this - Guy Raz - Listen here

Without fail - Alex Blumberg - Listen here

Not another marketing podcast - Listen here

Ramblings and revelations - Kerry Chumbley - Listen here

Akimbo - Seth Godin - Listen here

These are just a few but you’ll find countless other pieces of brilliant audio content to keep you stimulated and entertained. 

Ted talks

Now you may well have come across a Ted Talk before - they are often shared around. But if you haven’t, then allow us to introduce you.

Ted talks are a series of - you guessed it - talks. But all of them have come from leading individuals across different walks of life. And there are plenty from some of the most prominent business figures around including Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Simon Sinek.

The great thing about Ted Talks is that there are so many to choose from covering different topics. So if you ever want to listen to topics that aren’t business orientated then you can. Have a listen to some great talks right now.

Courses

Have you ever thought about sprucing up on a skill that you can bring into your business life? Maybe you fancied learning how to code, design a cool video or manage your social media like a real pro? 

Fortunately, there are some great places out there that allow you to upskill, either for free or for a very low price. One excellent site to look at is Udemy, which offers everything from simple Microsoft Excel starter courses up to advanced Javascript coding. So there really is something for everyone. 

Maybe you are looking to enhance your marketing skills but want something cost-effective and easy to go back to when you need to?  Look no further than Hubspot as your first port of call, they have lots of valuable assets you can browse through. Remember to also check out Coursera as this focuses a great deal on accredited qualifications that you can choose to study in your free time.  

We want to reiterate that this is a small sample of what is out there, but this could help you get started if you do decide that you’re looking to upskill. 

Networking 

When you think of networking, images of conference rooms, small canopies, and name badges are probably a few things that come to mind. Of course, in the midst of the pandemic, venturing to your local chambers of commerce or pubs for these social events is no longer an option (for now anyway). So instead, many of these events have migrated online. 

So where do you start? Again, we would recommend beginning this process by looking at a few groups which are designed with small business owners in mind. You could start off with First Tuesday, British Chamber of Commerce, Federation of small businesses, and 4N.

YouTube 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or another planet for the past 16 years, it’s likely you will have come across YouTube. It can be great fun, and sometimes, an easy way to waste hours watching endless videos.

But YouTube can also be a fantastic resource to get tips, advice, and inspiration from some excellent channels. 

As you might expect, with a platform as large as YouTube, the list of channels dedicated to SMEs is pretty vast. But we can certainly give you a few recommendations. 

For financing for your business, be sure to check out Crunch Accounting to help manage your money better. Maybe you run a business that employs staff and you’re looking to find out ways to be a better leader. If that’s the case, remember to go and check out the channel of Robin Sharma - who is widely considered to be one of the top leadership experts in the world. 

Want to learn a new skill, but not commit to a course, Skillshare can provide you with hundreds of free online lessons to help you. Or you might just want to hear some light-hearted stories from entrepreneurs who made mistakes. Be sure to check out Shopify’s humorous and fun channels for something a bit less dense. 

David Goulden

Copywriter