Resources for Young Entrepreneurs
Aug. 19th 2009
For young entrepreneurs, it’s difficult to take that first step – but it doesn’t have to be. That first step doesn’t necessarily mean assembling a business plan, and it doesn’t even have to mean committing to an idea. In fact, the first step for some (and perhaps most) could be getting in the entrepreneurial mindset and staying on top of current trends. But where do you find entrepreneurial resources?
There are a number of resources that we use on a daily basis as entrepreneurs. Most are easy-to-use and require a minimal time commitment. Here are some of our favorite resources:
- Twitter: You all know what Twitter is, but do you know how to use it? Twitter is a great way to hear what other entrepreneurs are talking about. Our favorite entrepreneurs often share links to articles that they think other entrepreneurs might find interesting or helpful. We update Twitter daily with helpful tips, article and blogs for entrepreneurs and you can see our Garagepreneur Twitter page here. You can also see who we follow and add them to your ‘following’ list. In no time you’ll have a list of entrepreneurs who dedicate their time to sharing great entrepreneurial resources.
- Google Reader: Blogs are fantastic tools, but no one has time to visit their favorite blogs each and every day – that’s why I use Google Reader. Using Google Reader, you can add subscriptions to your favorite blogs which are compiled in one spot. I subscribe to about 15 blogs. If I miss a day or I’m off for a week at the cottage, I can come home and catch up on all my missed reading on Google Reader. Some great blogs to start out with are: Business Opportunities Weblog, Seth Godin’s Blog, and Small Business Trends…and of course the Garage Entrepreneurs Blog (but you’re already here)!
- Newsletters: Although I don’t like my e-mail inbox cluttered with newsletters, there are a few that I do enjoy. Entrepreneurs get inspiration from a number of different sources but a big source for me is Springwise. Springwise is a leading source of the world’s best new business ideas which sends out a weekly newsletter – great source of inspiration. Trendwatching is another great site which searches the globe for new consumer trends and then publishes exciting reports on the findings. You can sign up for a newsletter highlighting all the newest trends, or download the full reports from their website.
- Magazines: No, magazines are not dead! Although blogs are fantastic resources for entrepreneurs, sometimes I like to read something on paper either at the office or with breakfast. To keep up with the newest entrepreneurial thoughts and ideas I subscribe to Inc Magazine ‘The Daily Resource for Entrepreneurs’, Fast Company Magazine, and Canadian Business Magazine (to stay on top of local trends). These subscriptions cost a little under $30 each for the entire year and are well worth the investment.
- Market Research Reports: Typically entrepreneurs think about doing market research when they are investigating a new business idea – I often do some light reading as an inspiration for a new idea. These reports, which can cost up to $4000 are free to university students! I recently downloaded four $3,000 reports free of charge! These reports are extremely detailed and provide excellent insight into a specific demographic or industry – I’m currently reading “Active and Fit Consumer Products”. If you’re a university student, check out www.MarketResearch.com – you might have free access!
- Free E-Books: There are some great free e-books for entrepreneurs out there. Check out DocStoc.com, and Google Books for some great free entrepreneurship e-books. We’ve also been working hard to bring you a new free e-book library in our Entrepreneurial Resources Section. We’re working hard to bring you the best resources for young entrepreneurs.
These are just a few of our favorite entrepreneurial resources, what are your favorites?
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Do you know what you need to do on the MarketResearch website to be able to download free market research reports? u stated that you were a student and therefore u were able to download the research papers…I would like to know what exactly you did to obtain them.
For the most part, your academic institution should have a main library site. If you do some searching on there you should be able to find out whether you are included in the free Market Research subscription for students. If you are, I would contact a librarian/admin person at the library and ask for assistance to access the report.
For me, I can login to a proxy server from off-campus and access them directly, but I would assume the process would vary by school. Hope that helps.
[...] look for a good idea, but some of my favorites have been included in a past post that I wrote on Entrepreneurial Resources. Among those [...]