Starting A Business

Five Free and Cheap Resources For Your Startup

You don’t have to do it alone or be overwhelmed

With the coronavirus changing the work environment of many, some are thinking seriously about their future career plans and whether their current positions fit with their personal goals. A whole new generation of entrepreneurs will be born as a result. You may be planning to get going or find yourself at a point of confusion as to how to proceed.

When I started my business, I was pretty clueless. I had a decent business mind and knew some things I needed to do, but in other areas, I was clueless and had no idea what I was doing, I did almost everything by the seat of my pants.

I was in an excellent place to start a business. I was not starting one that required high fixed costs and had savings to cover my living expenses for several years.

I was not afraid to ask for help and knew some excellent folks to ask. During the journey, I found more.

Your Local Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Commerce typically has benefits for new members that people either don’t notice or don’t utilize. There is usually a cost to join, but I justified that business expense quickly. I used quite a few of their offerings.

• Free 1-hour sessions with an attorney and an accountant. These were a benefit of joining and offered to all new members (a smart idea if you are looking for new clients, also). These turned out well for me. I used the time with the attorney to discuss incorporation. I did my research before I went in to meet with him and had an idea of what I thought was best, but he addressed each option. My thoughts were correct, but it was nice to get it confirmed by a well-respected attorney in our community. The accountant I wasn’t as prepared to meet with, but we used the time to discuss some recommended business practices that he felt people didn’t always consider from the start. Both of these people were great professional contacts later on, even though I didn’t use their services. I did refer others to them, and they referred potential clients to me. I was also able to be a resource to them later if they had insurance questions (my expertise.)
• Free advertisement — I was given a free ad in our local newspaper. The paper allowed me to break up the one large ad offered and instead use smaller ads at several different times. A weekly community paper that was operating at the same time also gave me a free ad.
• Radio time — The Chamber has a local radio show, and they allow new members to introduce their business. I was also a resource for other shows that related to my field.
• Chamber events — At the first Chamber event I attended, I was able to give a quick introduction to my business. I was also able to meet other business people in the area at events and do card exchanges with them; so we could support each other.
• Leads groups — I participated in a leads group where we not only learned of the businesses of others, but we met regularly and made concerted efforts to promote each other’s businesses. For example, if someone knew someone who needed help with a health insurance question, they would send them to me. If I knew somebody who was looking to have their home power washed, I knew a guy from whom they could get an estimate.
• Volunteering to help at events — I’m not someone who always enjoys social gatherings due to my introvert nature, but give me a job to do, and I can become outgoing as needed. I was in our Chamber Ambassador program, which not only gave me opportunities to help with hosting events but got me invited to ribbon cuttings and such for new businesses in town. Having a purpose made it seem a bit less self-promoting, even though I had great opportunities to tell people about my business.

Local Community Colleges

Community colleges often have programs for small businesses, usually free or cheap. Ours is through a Small Business Center, with a staff that specializes in helping small businesses.

• I attended a class in How To Write A Business Plan that was invaluable — and free. Another seminar on How To Market Your Business gave me great tips I hadn’t considered and made me focus on creating a marketing plan.
• Classes are now going on online. Looking at the class offerings for my local community college for April and May, they have several timely online sessions on Disaster Mitigation, Banking Technology, and Marketing & Sales.
• Our local community college does free one-on-one counseling sessions. Some of the topics they mention are Business Planning, Business Development & Growth, Problem Solving, and Cash Flow Management. All it takes is making an appointment.

The U.S. Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers counseling, business information, and small business loan information to those who need it. Right now, they even show links for guidance and resources due to the coronavirus.

The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)

SCORE sponsors a mentorship program that can partner you with an expert who can help you as you tackle small business problems. Often these are retirees who were successful in their careers and want to help others by volunteering their knowledge.

Universities and Business Schools

Many universities and business schools have online courses. Want to take a class from Harvard? They have 43 just in the area of business, 177 total. Contract Law, Nonprofit Financial Stewardship, and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies are three free ones they are offering now. Others cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars. (Note that Harvard has some fun courses, too, even if you aren’t starting a business.)

Summary

Starting a business can be overwhelming, but you don’t always have to spend a fortune to get great business advice. Check out what is available in your community or around your country. Ask people you respect when you have questions. You may be surprised at who will step up and help you. Many people want to pass on the help that was given to them when they started out.

The resources I used not only helped get my business off the ground but allowed me to make some good friends and valuable supporters. They will be invaluable as you get your business up and running.