Your Business Matters: Training & Resources for Startups, Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses
Posted on February 8, 2022 at 6:00 am
By Stacey Goddard
With all the stories in the news about the Great Resignation—folks quitting their jobs due to dissatisfaction and other reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic—it isn’t surprising that more and more people are finding the idea of being their own boss appealing.
Whether you’re trying to figure out what your product or service might be, consider yourself an entrepreneur with lots of different business ideas in various stages, or have recently launched your business, the library can help you with a variety of programs and resources!
Entrepreneurial Mindset
If you’ve thought about starting your own business but aren’t sure you’re ready to commit to all the work it will entail, we have a workshop series that can help.
Entrepreneurial Mindset Training: Who Owns the Ice House?
ONLINE
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2022, 6–7pm
During the Entrepreneurial Mindset Training (EMT) program, we’ll dive into the hard work and commitment it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
Based on the book Who Owns the Ice House?: Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur, by Clifton L. Taulbert and Gary Schoeniger, the EMT program helps you explore the eight aspects of building a successful entrepreneurial mindset, including:
- Recognizing opportunities
- Turning ideas into action
- Creating community
This program focuses on problem-based learning, where you’ll apply your own work and life experiences to the activities and discussions.
Many of the activities will allow you to reflect on your own interests, learning style, and approach to dealing with challenges. You’ll also have the opportunity for peer learning, as participants share their experiences with each other and walk through situations and activities.
Books for Entrepreneurs & Startups
The library has books on just about any topic you can think of, and business is no exception. You can search our online catalog using keywords such as marketing, branding, business accounting, side hustle, and so on.
Here are some titles that could be helpful for entrepreneurs and start-up businesses.
- Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur? by Gino Wickman
- How to Start Your Own Business: … And Make It Work, by Cheryl D. Rickman
- Creative Economy Entrepreneurs: From Startup to Success: How Entrepreneurs in the Creative Industries Are Transforming the Global Economy, by Alice Loy and Tom Aageson
- Starting a Business QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner’s Guide to Launching a Successful Small Business, Turning Your Vision into Reality, and Achieving Your Entrepreneurial Dream, by Ken Colwell
- Mind Your Business: A Workbook to Grow Your Creative Passion into a Full-Time Gig, by Ilana Griffo
- How to Start a Side Hustle, by Kaylene Langford
Digital Resources for Businesses
Did you know that the library can help you plan, start, or grow your business?
We are demonstrating our Digital Resources for businesses this spring to show you which resource does what and how they can help you plan, start, and grow a business.
Digital Resources: Gale Business Suite
ARGONNE LIBRARY
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2022, 6–7pm
This suite of digital products from Gale includes four resources focused on the needs of business owners and entrepreneurs.
Whether you’re in the idea stage or a seasoned business owner, this resource will walk you through all the necessary steps to complete your business plan. Plan Builder includes activities, examples, and a myriad of resources to help you craft your plan, whether you’re creating a for-profit or nonprofit business.
One of my favorite things about Plan Builder is you can skip around the steps and complete things in the order you want. This means you can hold off on the tough questions if you need to think about things more or crunch numbers. Plan Builder also gives plenty of prompts and resources to help you through each step of your plan.
Gale Business: Entrepreneurship
If you feel like you don’t know where to start with your business idea, this is the resource for you!
Topics that are most top-of-mind to entrepreneurs are ready to browse on the main page, so you can dive in and start exploring options:
- Planning (budgeting, market research, business plans, marketing)
- Funding (traditional lending sources, loans and grants, government funding options, venture capital)
- Managing (dealing with employees, expanding your business, implementing technology)
- Getting started (networking, home-based businesses, legal entities)
Once you select a topic, you’ll be able to browse a variety of resources. Besides the expected magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, search results include video and audio files, business plans, websites, and a number of recommended resources culled from books and encyclopedias.
Gale Business Insights: Global
If you’re considering taking your business to the next (international) level, Business Insights: Global can help you research potential partners, compare companies, and learn about global economies.
In May, we are demonstrating other digital resources for business that are available from the library.
Business Resources Overview
ARGONNE LIBRARY
Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 6–7pm
We discuss how to use Data Axle Reference Solutions (formerly ReferenceUSA) to research potential competitors and create customer mailing lists and how to access articles from The Spokesman-Review and The Journal of Business using ProQuest.
If you’re interested in finding funding for your nonprofit, we’ll demonstrate Foundation Directory Online, which provides content on over 140,000 grant makers and has the tools to help you find grants for your organization.
And we’ll review Washington State Legal Forms, which includes examples of completed forms in addition to blank templates for a wide range of forms necessary for your small business.
Tags: adults, books, business, library programs, small business, startups
