10+ Must-Read Online Resources to Become a Better Entrepreneur

Running a business, whether in part or in whole, is something which requires a large range of skills in order to do well.

Luckily, the internet is overflowing with information aimed at helping people develop their business skills.

Figuring out what sites are worth visiting can be a daunting prospect, which is why in this article I’ve gathered together 12 of the best business sites from around the web.

Entrepreneurs

Most people will claim they dream of leaving their jobs and setting out on their own, though the reality is very few ever find the courage to actually do so. Those that do, find a hard road ahead of them, but most will agree the rewards are well worth it.

Three of the best sites for getting advice from successful entrepreneurs are:

Entrepreneur – The website is owned by and named after the extremely successful magazine of the same name. The sites content is mostly produced by the same writers as the magazine, though they also regularly feature articles from entrepreneurial oriented guest bloggers as well.

On Startups – A great blog written by Dharmesh Shah that talks about the trials faced by people looking to get involved in setting up a start up company, as well as discussing other business related issues.

Venture Beat – Is a business news aggregation website which focuses on start-ups, low profile and new venture based businesses. There are plenty of opinion pieces and new stories, but there are also a range of extremely in depth analytical articles on the site as well.

Small Businesses

When running a small business, especially one that has yet to make a lot of money, there can be a huge amount of pressure when trying to make sure all of your bases are covered. If you need basic business advice, or places where you can keep an eye on the latest issues surrounding licenses, financing and outsourcing, then why not give these three sites a try:

Work from Home – About.com columnist Randy Duermyer shares his insight into everything home-based business related: from starting a business to growing and expanding it. Consider adding his Home Business Glossary to bookmarks – you’ll definitely need it often!

Inc – Another website owned and named by a successful business magazine. Inc has a huge amount of information relating to start-ups, leadership, finance, technology, plus advice on running businesses both large and small. It’s an extremely useful site, which all business people can learn something from.

Wall Street Journal Small Business – The WSJ is one of the most respected news publication agencies in the entire world, because of their high quality, impartial methods of spreading information. The WSJ: Small Business sub-site continues this tradition, making it a worthwhile resource for anyone wanting to become a true business mogul..

Open Forum – A business and commerce site founded by American Express, Open Forum plays host to a huge number of articles, written by some of the more well known business writers active on the web today. It’s a great starting point for finding out about the latest discussions on different types of business theories and practices.

Management

When it comes to business, good leadership and management techniques can be a key part in the rise and fall of any company. Managing people is rarely easy, especially as businesses grow and more personalities begin to enter the fray.

However, with the help of the following websites, you should be able to learn everything you need to know to take charge and get things done:

BNet – A specialist article site which produces stories and guides relating specifically to business management. It’s a great place to see how people actually apply business management strategies to the real world.

Harvard Business Blog – Its Harvard’s Business Blog, mainly dealing with theoretical business models but its definitely worth reading.

Knowledge@Wharton – Another top business schools blog (this time Wharton’s), dealing with management, marketing and finance mostly. Incredibly in-depth and well researched articles, as you would expect from an academic institution.

Finance

Most people who might consider themselves good at business, are in fact terrible at business, they just happen to be very good at their chosen profession. Running a successful business means keeping control over finances, not just being the best at doing whatever it is you do. If you need some help working out how to do that, why not take advantage of one of these great finance orientated resources:

FT – All over the world, the Financial Times is respected as the leading daily news source for business and finance. A tradition which their website now proudly carries on. They play host to a range of blogs, articles and special reports which are real goldmine of information for both novices and experts.

Get Rich Slowly – An all round resource site that provides information on various kinds of personal and business related financial issues.

The Motley Fool – One of the webs most longstanding financial advice orientated communities, hosting articles, blogs, forums and guides, The Motley Fool should be the first stop for anyone looking for financial help on the web.

Post image sources: 1, 2, 3