The Unofficial MBA

Starting a new business is obviously a challenging task, but it can be a rewarding one just the same. Here are some sites you will find useful on your way. I didn’t just want to list the obvious sites that everyone knows about, so I’ve picked some you might not have thought about…

1. Social Networking - LinkedIn, Ecademy, Facebook: If you’re thinking of starting your own business, then you’ll need help. Many people have told me that the secret to starting a successful business is in the relationships you have. I’ve been told many times that Mentors made the difference. Social networking sites are a great tool in today’s connected world. As you network, and meet other professionals you will keep track of them, stay in contact with them, and even expand your network with sites like LinkedIn, Ecademy and Facebook. Other social networking sites for business include: Plaxo, Ryze, and Tribe.net,
2. Public Speaking - Toastmasters: Like it or not, starting a business is going to involve presenting to people. It might be presentations to potential partners, or sales presentations. Public speaking is an important skill to learn and it Toastmasters is a great place to practice. Find your nearest club on the Toastmasters site, and go along as a guest. Good public speaking skills will make all your presentations more powerful, and set you apart from the competition.
3. Real Life Networking - Upcoming, MeetUp: Upcoming and MeetUp are both great sources for finding events to attend. When you’re starting your business, as I mentioned before, it’s all about your network and relationships. Use Upcoming and MeetUp to find events to attend in your area of interest and network! Learning how to effectively network comes with time, and even if someone you meet doesn’t fit in with what you’re looking for now, keep in touch as they may be useful in the future, or you may be able to refer business to them in the future.
4. Online Applications - Google Docs, Zoho: Build the office of the future! Save costs of licensing expensive software, and switch to online documents. Now you can access your files wherever you may be, and you can collaborate easily with remote workers. You might loose some of the functionality, but those features are just expensive bloat anyway. You get the core functionality you need online, with the lower cost, and the availability anywhere. Of course, it is important, as with any business computer system, that you take security measures to protect your data, and you create backups regularly of important files.

I’m sure I will expand this article in the future, as I find more sites, and also more uses for the sites that are listed here.  Any recommendations are appreciated!

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