Entrepreneurs face many challenges in getting their business ideas off the ground. Perhaps one of the most difficult parts of making your entrepreneurial dreams a reality is finding the funding you need to start business and learning how to successfully manage your business finances once you’ve launched. Fortunately, there is a wealth of great resources out there for budding entrepreneurs that want to learn more about business funding and finances.
Here are just 5 of the best resources you can start taking advantage of today to set yourself up for entrepreneurial success:
- American Express OPEN Forum
The American Express OPEN Forum blog allows you to stay up-to-date with growth topics and other business news that is of interest to entrepreneurs. The blog covers a range of financial topics that can help aspiring entrepreneurs get a better understanding of the small business finance landscape and the financial challenges that they may encounter as an entrepreneur. In addition to financially-focused topics, the blog also covers marketing and sales, company culture, customer relations, and digital tools.
- Small Business Administration Training Videos
Do you know whether you should apply for a small business loan or a revolving line of credit for your business? Do you know how to find potential investors for your start-up? How much do you know about small business accounting? The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a variety of training videos that help you with financial topics like these and much more. All of the video trainings are self-paced, meaning that you can complete them at your convenience. While you’re there, check out the other training videos on business topics such as starting a business, managing a business, and marketing to prepare yourself for all aspects of entrepreneurship.
- SCORE Finance & Money Resources
SCORE is a non-profit association that aims to help entrepreneurs get their small businesses off the ground, grow their business, and achieve all of their goals through education and mentorship. The SCORE website offers many different finance and money resources that can help aspiring entrepreneurs be more proactive about their small business finances in order to set themselves up for success. The site offers information on setting up an accounting system, preparing to file business taxes, how to manage money, and the best pricing strategies, and recommendations for payment and collection systems in the form of videos, blogs, checklists, and live webinars.
- Small Time Operator: How to Start Your Own Business, Keep Your Books, Pay Your Taxes, and Stay Out of Trouble
Known as one of the most popular business start-up guides, Small Time Operator written by Bernard B. Kamoroff C.P.A. is a must-read for every entrepreneur who wants to get their business started the right way. The book is aimed at entrepreneurs, small business owners, self-employed individuals, independent contractors, and those who own or want to start home- or internet-based businesses. In his book, Kamoroff offers easy-to-understand tips on how to run a small business from choosing a business name to dealing with the IRS. Though this is a comprehensive guide, the information about financing a business, establishing a complete bookkeeping system, and federal, state, and local taxes is ideal for entrepreneurs who want to get their business started the right way.
- The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Personal Finance
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Personal Finance is a helpful resources brought to you by Money Management International (MMI), a non-profit credit counseling agency that aims to improve the lives of individuals through financial education. This organization recognizes that in order for entrepreneurs to be successful, they need to understand their funding options for starting and growing their business as well as learn how to manage their personal finances while balancing the responsibilities of their business. MMI partnered with the Citi Foundation to create a guide for entrepreneurs that offers actionable tips on how to turn ideas into a plan, market and finance a business, and be successful in any business venture.
Sometimes experience is the best teacher. Though these resources may not be able to prepare you for all of the financial challenges you will face as an entrepreneur, they will help you create a more defined plan for raising capital and managing your company’s finances.
Jess Harris, Head of Social Media & Content Marketing at Kabbage, Inc., has been helping small brands and startups expand their brand presence online for the last 8 years. Jess particularly loves helping small businesses start from scratch, using actionable insights to build a solid digital media strategy.