Small businesses exist because people have a dream and a vision, and a desire to make a living off their own ideas. Once a business is off the ground and running, the goal is to grow that business into a sustainable, moneymaking machine.
Growing a business isn’t always a walk in the park, however. Business owners need to deal with roller coaster economies, a constantly changing marketing landscape that’s determined by the next big social media trend, and the fact that the business owner needs to also focus on running the business while attempting to grow it.
It’s a big task that requires more than just determination. It requires education.
Now, not everyone – in fact, not most – can afford to attend college again while operating a business. But business owners are in luck. There are plenty of great resources on the web that don’t make growing a business any easier, but they can make the business owner smarter.
Here are some top website resources on how to grow a business:
MSN’s Business on Main
MSN’s homepages may be best known for clickable headlines about Kardashians and kittens, but its small business page, Business on Main, is dedicated to small business owners.
Some of the top headlines includes, “How the company perk is getting creative,” and Unforgettable workplace safety videos.”
The content isn’t just informative, it’s also entertaining.
There are some click-bait articles, such as “Easy ways to get extra cash” (We all know that isn’t true), but for the most part, the site offers some great content.
Owners can learn about small business successes of growth (see the title, “How fruit bouquets blossomed into a $500 million success.”) from other small business owners. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the same field or not. Growth is only dependent on one factor: success.
SCORE
This nonprofit organization provides business consulting and a wildly popular email newsletter that’s totally customizable, depending on who subscribes.
SCORE can help business owners delve into financing help and expansion plans, which is important when piecing together funds for growing a business.
The site, which is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, is filled with video success stories of how small business owners grew their business. It offers content like, “Writing your first business plan” and “When to hire, when to outsource HR.”
Xero Small Business Guides
Many may not realize it, but the up-and-coming accounting software Xero offers a slew of small business resources that can not only inform a small business rookie, but also assist a business veteran in growing and transforming a business.
Growth just doesn’t mean people, so Xero offers content such as “How to transition to a cloud-based accounting software.” By making operations more efficient, a small business owner can have time and funds to expand a business.
The site also offers practical business help, such as “How to manage debt,” “How to manage cash flow” and something very important to growing a business: How to raise money for your business.” There’s actually two parts to that series.
The guides offer easy-to-read text, infographics and quizzes to make sure you read closely. Xero continues to add new guides with updated, valuable information.