As the owner of several small businesses over the years I have always known the importance of reading widely. It is still important to me to spend a part of my day (often over lunch) reading publications relevant to my business. These include industry-specific publications as well as business magazine like Inc. or Fast Company. In recent years I have added blogs into this mix, so now there are a handful of blogs I try to read on a regular basis.
Here are my top 10 blogs that I think every small business owner should read:
Seth’s blog – I believe that Seth Godin is one of the smartest marketing minds on the planet. If you read this blog and nothing else you will be way ahead of most of your competition. It is almost like having you own (free) marketing consultant.
Small Business Trends – One of the most popular blogs targeting small business owners. It focuses on the trends impacting small businesses and is full of practical advice that you can use in your business (full disclosure: I am a contributor to Small Business Trends).
Chris Brogan – His specialty is building community through social media. He writes in a very approachable and down to earth way and he has a unique ability to get to the crux of a problem and provide ideas for a solution.
Duct Tape Marketing – Provides actionable marketing advice for small business owners. This blog helps business owners navigate the many new marketing tools available today.
Business Hacks – This is really a technology blog for business people. It doesn’t assume a high level of technological expertise and it is all about using technology as a means to an end: increasing your productivity.
Online Marketing Blog – Every business owner today needs to know something about online marketing. This blog covers most online marketing topics such as search engine optimization, paid search, email marketing, local search and blogging.
Web Ink Now – This unusually named blog is about marketing and public relations and in particular how these two fields have been changed by the Web.
You’re The Boss – from the New York Times, this blog has a unique combination of contributors. Several entrepreneurs give their first hand account of the business challenges they are facing and there are also journalists providing insight into how current events are impacting small business.
Planning Startup Stories – the focus here is on business planning, and despite the name it is not just about startups. Reading this blog helps me be a better manager of my business.
BusinessWeek Online – as small business owners we can be impacted by current events, so it is important to keep up with the news affecting small businesses. BusinessWeek Online provides this and more.
There are literally thousands of blogs dedicated to small business owners. We live in an age where we have more useful (and free) information at our fingertips than ever before. While I subscribe to over 100 blogs, I consider these to be the my “must read” blogs. They really help me become a better small business owner. I know there are many other great blogs out there, feel free to leave your favorite ones in the comments.
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