Small business owners often find it hard to unplug when they take time off. If you simply cannot leave your phone or tablet behind, put them to good use by exploring some fresh ideas to help your business thrive.
There are countless online blogs filled with advice, best practices, and first-hand anecdotes that address specific business challenges. If you’re reading this, you already know that Summit Financial Resources’ Small Business Blog is dedicated to helping you maintain the financial health and well being of your business as you navigate the road to success.
No matter what type of company you’re running or how long you’ve been in business, there’s sure to be a blog that will appeal to you. The tough part is deciding where to start. To help you make the most of your vacation downtime, we’ve put together a short list of eight business blogs you can check in with for news, trends, insights, and how to’s – whether you are relaxing at the beach, in the mountains, or in your own backyard.
1 – National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
NFIB is a small business association with over 300,000 member companies, and their blog provides practical information, analysis, and commentary on key issues that impact small business owners. Expect to find content that addresses common challenges entrepreneurs face and offers solutions or advice ranging from ways to up your marketing game to how changes in overtime regulations may affect your productivity.
2 – HubSpot
Hosted by an industry-leading inbound marketing company, HubSpot’s blog is a rich resource for information related to organic search marketing and its relevance to any small business marketing strategy. It’s a valuable tool for building or improving web content, understanding the latest shifts in social media marketing, and attracting and retaining customers.
3 – Small Business Trends
This site is a popular online destination for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and those who do business with them. It provides up-to-the-minute news, information, and advice covering issues that every small business owner should be aware of. In addition to its own editorial staff, the site has hundreds of vetted contributors who volunteer their knowledge, successes, and failures.
4 – Harvard Business Review (HBR)
HBR has something for virtually every small business owner and entrepreneur. The Leadership Blog features insights from business thought leaders, while The Leading the Way blog presents essays from HBR’s corporate learning program. We’re fans of the Management Tip of the Day, an easy-to-digest one-paragraph summary of select HBR magazine articles.
5 – Both Sides of the Table
Venture capitalist Mark Suster is a former entrepreneur who founded and sold two companies and worked in consulting prior to turning VC to invest in passionate entrepreneurs. He has a knack for simplifying complicated ideas and takes a straightforward approach to sharing his views on what it takes to succeed.
6 – SCORE
For over 50 years, SCORE has served as America’s premier source of free business mentoring and education. As a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the organization has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs through mentoring, workshops, and educational resources. SCORE’s Small Business Success Blog features small business experts and mentors discussing trends and providing advice on a wide range of topics affecting entrepreneurs in every industry.
7 – Copyblogger
Writing well is a skill that requires frequent practice – and Copyblogger has long been a go-to guide to improvement. Designed to help you and your team advance your content marketing skills across the board, they cover a wide range of topics and produce some of the most valuable content resources on the web.
8 – Gary Vaynerchuck
An investor, author, and self-described serial entrepreneur, Vaynerchuck is a high-profile, high-energy business expert who promotes a 24/7 hustle mentality. His website and blog are filled with insights, motivational stories, and straight talk about how to be successful at running your own business. A great resource for business owners who are looking for quick reads, useful information, and honest advice fueled by a passion for getting the job done.
If you prefer to go old-school and stash a book or two in your backpack or beach tote, you’ll find a few of our favorite business titles listed in last year’s “Beach Reads” blog post.
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Summit Financial Resources specializes in working capital financing for small to medium-sized businesses that need increased cash flow. We provide working capital financing through invoice factoring, asset-based lending, inventory lending, and equipment financing.