Summer of Small Business 101

When I started freelancing two years ago, I jumped in without having a plan. While I’d been casually thinking about striking out on my own for quite some time, I hadn’t charted out how to do so, created a business plan, or honestly followed any of the recommendations for successfully starting a small business (except for stashing away enough money to support myself for several months). Somehow, I managed to find clients in those first few months, despite my lack of preparation. And since then, I’ve been able to build on that momentum by providing specialized communication support and slowly building my network and reputation.

But in late spring, while I was experiencing one of the frequent slowdowns in business that occurs when you’re self-employed, I decided to create my own Business 101 crash course for the summer. Keeping in mind that my professional development budget at that point was approximately nothing, I went in search of free or low-cost resources that would help give me a basic knowledge of business practices. The good news – there’s a lot of content out there if you’re willing to dig for it. Here are a few of my suggestions for where to find business-related content if you’re working with a limited budget:

• Local libraries: I consider public libraries to be one of the most vital resources the government offers. These days, most of my “visits” are online, either using my Kindle or accessing their learning libraries, but I still sometimes pop in for free workspace/WiFi, when I’m in the mood to browse, or when I need a resource that hasn’t yet been digitized. I’ve barely scratched the surface of what my local library offers: they allow me unlimited free access to Lynda.com training videos, allowing me to create a Business 101 playlist of assorted topics; online access to learn and practice another language; and of course, the ability to download and checkout books on business-related topics. Don’t sleep on the library! They have so much to offer and are consistently adding new resources.
• University alumni resources: It’s a good idea to get plugged into news from your university’s alumni networks, even if, like me, you have never been overly involved in alumni activities. And, dare I say it, although I graduated from two ACC schools, are not a sports fan. Through my UNC-Chapel Hill alumni membership, I was able to participate in webinars (and access archived versions) hosted by the Career Services office. Many of these were aimed at younger alumni starting out in their careers, but there were also topics of interest to me and to other individuals looking to make career transitions. In addition, many alumni groups host regular events at no or low-cost where you can take the opportunity to network with individuals you already know you have something in common with.
• Freelancers Union: While the Freelancers Union is headquartered and a larger presence in New York than in Washington, DC, you can access their blog posts and online resources from anywhere. Note: The local events that I’ve attended have been hit or miss as far as value, especially after I incorporated and was on a mission to focus on the small business aspects of self-employment, but when I first began it was helpful to have an easy way to connect with individuals nearby who were also in the freelance world. The learning curve is steep, and knowing you aren’t the only one working your way up it is a reassurance. Also, who doesn’t want to be affiliated with a group that’s actively campaigning to protect their rights and enhance their opportunities?
• Podcasts: Podcasts are everywhere these days! Specifically, I started listening to the Freelance Transformation podcast after it was recommended by several Freelance DC Facebook group members. While it recently went on hiatus, more than 100 archived episodes on different topics are still available, allowing you to pick and choose what is most relevant to your interests. In addition, I have a slew of other podcasts I plan to listen to on my to-do list. If you’re like me and struggle to concentrate on audio-only options, I’ve found jotting down notes during the podcast to be helpful in helping me focus on the most important items.
• Government resources for small businesses: Cities, counties, and states have staff members and departments focused on supporting small businesses and boosting the local economy. While the specifics differ based on locality, frequently they offer webinars, in-person courses, individual mentoring sessions, increased access to small business loans, and more (all free or at low-cost). There may also be special interest groups for women, minority, or veteran-owned businesses. While these departments are focused on helping start, maintain, and grow businesses within their boundaries, typically you can attend or access materials even if you aren’t officially located there (there are some exceptions) – so if you’re lucky enough to live near the border of several localities like me, that gives you even more options to access resources.
• Chambers of Commerce and professional associations: Membership in these organizations typically comes with a (sometimes hefty) fee. But many allow you the opportunity to attend a certain number of events or access limited resources on a trial basis. While I haven’t yet decided on which group is the best fit for me and my business, I have sampled quite a few this summer and plan to continue working my way through the options until I find that perfect fit.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as resources go. The summer of small business will definitely be expanding into another season, because there’s so much more out there for me to learn as I and my business grow. If you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or communication professional, I’d love to hear your suggestions for what resources and groups you’ve found most valuable, so I can add them to my running list.