Starting a business of any kind has some basic needs and I’ve compiled a list of incredibly useful business resources for starting entrepreneurs.
It really isn’t enough to say “I want to start a business” and there are a lot of moving parts.
I compiled a list of resources that I use or have used to help me in the early stages of my business and continue to be a part of the journey!
Content Development
Content can be overwhelming but helps a business grow that brings not only value but information to your people. Being able to manage your content for your different platforms like your blog, newsletter and social media is often comes with an overwhelming feeling. Here are some business resources for starting entrepreneurs when it comes to creating content.
- Google Drive – all of your content in one place without having to use Microsoft Office. Not that I am against them because I do use them but I am able to access the content just about anywhere. This is a free version that comes with your Gmail account.
- Evernote – also a good platform to organize your content within folders and notes. There is a free element to this but the more storage you will need, you are going to need to upgrade.
- Excel – Spreadsheets can really help you decide your content in terms of what you are writing and when you are posting it. I created my editorial calendar for the year and it’s been amazing because now all I have to do is show up and write.
Newsletter
List building and your newsletter are really an important part of your business journey. In your newsletter, you are connecting more closely with your people by offering them additional information as well as making various offers you have going on. But how does one start a newsletter?
To begin you will need a platform that has the ability to collect the e-mails.
- MailChimp – It’s a free service to start but the bigger you get you will need to pay for the using it as well as that some features are only for paid upgrades.
- Mailerlite – Also free for up to a certain amount of people on your list before it switches into a paid service. It comes with a lot of added features to get you started similar to MailChimp. It’s the one I am currently using and I am liking it so far.
- ActiveCampaign – I just switched to ActiveCampaign some time ago, but I have fallen in love with it.
Social Media
You want to connect with people, share your message and tell them that you exist! But it can be incredibly time-consuming to sit down and post several times a day. That’s why planning your content ahead of time is a good idea, and in addition, you want to automate some of your social media. I say some because if you automate everything, people don’t think they are connecting with a real person. Here are some business resources for starting entrepreneurs when it comes to managing your social media.
Some tools that are helpful:
- PostPlanner – this is a good resource to schedule your posts as well as come up with content if you are struggling. They have trivia questions, quotes, images, etc to help you create engagement. You can post to Facebook pages, groups, and Twitter.
- Hootsuite – Here you can manage your social media also on various platforms and schedule your content ahead of time. It’s has a free trial for you to check out and explore.
- SocialBee – I discovered this neat little tool about a year ago and it’s by far my favorite one I’ve ever explored. And yes, I have checked out a lot of these tools.
It’s really valuable to do some research and spend time learning about the various ways to curate your content and then share it with the world.
And let’s be honest putting the pieces together can be quite daunting. I have opened up a few spaces in my Business Mentoring Program where we will work together on what tools are great for your business and hash out the actions you need to take consistently!
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