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Hware’s Top Picks: Some Old, Some New, Some May Surprise You.
As an online business training and coaching company, people often want to know where we go for our business resources and who we turn to for advice, tips, and strategies. While we have been offering business and technology consulting services for over 25 years, we believe in the importance of being students of life. That means that we never stop learning. We have a huge library of online resources, personalities, brands, and strategic organizations that we tap into daily and weekly. It was hard to narrow it down, but we finally came up with the BEST websites to help you build your small business. So grab your favorite drink and check out the top 15 websites that made the cut! Please leave your comments below and let us know what you think:
- Altimeter group: A research-based advisory firm. This is where I go to get a lot of data driven info on business strategies.
- Chris Brogan: If I had to pick one industry expert on social media and business. It would be Chris Brogan. His book, Trust Agents is a must-read!
- CopyBlogger: Copywriting tips for online marketing success. This site has a ton of valuable FREE resources and tips on blog writing.
- Gena Livings: For inspired living. My dear friend, Gena Livings is changing the world with her lifestyle modification services. Be sure to download her free e-book. It’s inspiring!
- Green Festivals: If you are a “Green” business who sells B2C, you cannot afford to not be an exhibitor at this event. Co-founded by my good friend, Kevin Danaher, Green Festivals is on the leading-edge of bringing all things “Green” to the mainstream. Four events are held throughout the year in Washington DC, Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco. We have been attending since the first Green Festival and this event just keeps getting better every year, especially the after parties!
- Mashable: The most popular Social Media News blogs on the internet. Take your time absorbing the information, it can be overwhelming for newbies. You will want to bookmark a lot of the material and use it as a reference later.
- Michael Franti & Spearhead: (Okay, this has very little to do with growing your biz online, but I could not resist plugging my fave band. I fire up this music to keep me motivated and inspired for my biz.) As entrepreneurs, we all need music to keep us motivated, inspired, and happy! We LOVE to dance to Spearhead music! If you ever have the chance to see a live Michael Franti and Spearhead concert, you must GO! It’s life altering! What’s your favorite music that keeps you going?
- Mixergy: Andrew Warner interviews CEOs and Founders of successful companies . I love his in-depth questions of business leaders. He is young and bold and he asks really good questions. I love to go hiking on my property while listening to Mixergy interviews on my iPhone. I always learn something new from this twenty something year old.
- Read Write Web: This is a technology analysis news blog. I like referencing this site because while the focus is on technology, the writing is not filled with Geek and Coder jargon. It’s written for people like us ordinary folks.
- Seth Godin: One of the top marketers in the world. I have read many of his books and have had the opportunity to see him speak live. He has a way of making his point very succinctly.
- Small Biz Survival: A rural and small business resource blog. We live in a rural area in northern California, and while our business is internet and technology-based, we are nevertheless interested in what’s happening in small town businesses.
- Small Business Trends: An online news blog with a focus on small businesses trends and over 122,000 subscribers.
- Social Media Examiner: A guide to social media. This site has a lot of useful “How To” articles on social media, well written content and easy-to-understand.
- Triple Pundit: As many of you know, our personal lifestyle is oriented towards most things “Green” and “Sustainable.” We did build a straw bale home many years ago and enjoy living in it. Triple Pundit is a great online “Green” business news resource.
- Work Awesome: A resource for the worker on productivity, time management and all kinds of other awesome stuff. I recently found this site and I can’t say enough awesome things about it!
I hope you found great value in our top 15 BEST websites to help you grow your small business. We invite you to add some of your favorite small business websites too, even if it is your own and you feel it will help a small business owner. Don’t be shy! Go ahead and post!
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