Time is a precious commodity when you own a small business, regardless of how long you have been going and whether you consider yourself an Entrepreneur or a Business Owner. And the internet is full of blogs, vlogs and other informative content that can distract you without giving you any real benefit.
As a mentor and coach I am often asked what blogs I read and where I ‘surf’ when I have a spare ten minutes, so here are my top 5 blogs and reference sites which I consider to be ‘value adding’ to my brain:and whether you consider yourself an Entrepreneur or a Business Owner. And the internet is full of blogs, vlogs and other informative content that can distract you without giving you any real benefit.
- Richard Branson – where better to start than to read the blog of a UK businessman, entrepreneur and regular producer of support, ideas and opportunity. This blog has it all – business tips, opinion on the UK markets, personal insights, introductions to useful people, and most importantly the chance to enter to win money for your business, mentoring and other money-can’t-buy opportunities. Definitely worth a subscription, if not a regular visit to the site too.
- BBC Business – with up to the minute content and information, having an awareness of what is happening in the UK and the world cannot do you any harm as a small business owner. There is so much going on and you can keep up to date with breaking news via the app or through news alerts. If something is happening, you will find out here. There are also some great features on small businesses that are worth a read, and can make great content for tweets.
- Huffington Post – full of great guest writers on lots of topics relevant to business and personal matters. Some of the posts are superbly written about things that may never happen to you in your life but can help you to empathise with others around you.
- Telegraphs women in business – No matter what stage you are at in your life, there is an article on here that relates to you. And there is a lot of up to date content on women in business and articles to motivate, inspire and provoke you into action.
- The Guardian Small Business Network – sign up for their weekly newsletter and keep up to date with the competitions and latest news. Small business Saturday is one of their key promos, as well as the frozen lake pitch – all designed to give small businesses a chance of brand promotion, funding and support.
It is also worth signing up to industry specific blogs such as social media or the market you operate in, plus local companies and news so you can keep up to date with your community.