Six Resources To Grow A Home Based Business
One of the largest hurdles for many small business entrepreneurs and home-based businesses is having the information, tools, and resources necessary to take their company to the next level of business growth. Here are six great places to bookmark that can help provide the answers you seek.
1 | U.S. Small Business Administration
Whether you're looking to start and manage your first home-based business, self-employed, or an independent contractor, start with the SBA.gov website first. They are the go-to resource if you've reached a plateau in business growth. In many cases, acquiring funding is the primary issue, and their website will walk you through the process of applying for new business loans, grants, and also for finding local assistance. Click on the ‘Learning Center' tab from the homepage, and watch the course called "Sales: A Guide for the Small Business Owner" for a great place to start if looking to expand your business.
2 | USA.gov
Regardless of the size of your business or non-profits organization, the resources located at USA.gov are quite thorough, and are meant to help solve a variety of business related issues. In addition to guiding you through the process of starting a business or nonprofit, you will find a number of important tutorials on how to better grow and expand your business, which includes how to bid on and win contracts from the government. USA.gov provides information on importing and exporting, as well as tax issues for businesses. Ask questions by chat, email, or calling them directly at 1-844-USA-GOV1.
3 | The GoDaddy Help Center
Since many new business startups use the budget pricing at GoDaddy to purchase their first domain and hosting, chances are you might be, too. You may be surprised to learn how easy it is to manage your business online by using GoDaddy's help page which can take you step by step through the website process. After checking out the help page, next sign up at their community forum here to ask your questions. You'll have a chance to interact directly with members and discuss domains, hosting, website builders, SSL certificates, building websites, and other web-based services you could offer in your own business.
4 | Upwork.com
One of the biggest challenges home-based business owners face when trying to expand is finding and retaining good help. Thanks to websites like Upwork (and Fiverr), it's no longer a problem. Any work that can be done online can be outsourced easily, and when you sign up, you can begin receiving quotes from professional freelancers within minutes. Once you have an assortment of quotes, you can create a quiz or sample assignment to find workers who are ready and willing to help you.
5 | Find Internet
When budgeting your monthly business expenses, every dollar saved helps! That's why it's important to do your research with internet providers themselves. A great resource for checking on multiple providers in your area is Find Internet. You may find that for the money you spend, you could be expanding your business with a faster internet connection.
6 | BLOG.TAXJAR.COM
If you’re self-employed, you have tax obligations that require you to answer to the government about income and expenses. Blog.TaxJar.com is a comprehensive resource that will cover most of your tax needs in greater detail, but it should be considered an overview only since it is not a technical substitute for professional tax guidance. Speak to your bookkeeper or accountant for added insight. So, if you ever get stuck in a rut with your business, there are plenty of options at your disposal. Ideally, we want to create a smooth runway for business expansion as we grow, but sometimes we also must expect the unexpected. That's when getting the right help matters.
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