Start a Small Business Online
Click on a topic on the left to find tutorials and resources to start a small business online.
How to Start a Small Business
General Resources for NE Businesses
Writing a Business Plan
Setting Up a Business Website
Marketing Your Business
Business Communication
Project & Time Management
Managing a Team
How to Start a Small Business
- 10 Steps to Start Your Business (Small Business Association): Learn how to plan, make financial decisions, understand legal issues, and launch your business.
- 7 Steps to Starting a Small Business Online (Entrepreneur): This guide will help you understand the process of online sales and website setup and maintenance.
- Nebraska Business Resources (UNL Office of Research & Economic Development): Explore this collection of organizations available to help you start and grow your business.
General Resources for NE Businesses
- Small Business Administration: “The SBA has worked to ignite change and spark action so small businesses can confidently start, grow, expand, or recover”.
- SCORE: “The nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals”.
- Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC): “NBDC helps strengthen Nebraska businesses for a healthy economy and prosperous communities”. Statewide program.
- Center for Entrepreneurship, UNL: “The Center for Entrepreneurship offers mentorships, workshops, competition and funding opportunities to help you grow your business”.
Writing a Business Plan
- Business Planning & Financial Statements Template Gallery (SCORE): Download business, financial, marketing, and management plan templates with instructions.
- Write Your Business Plan (Small Business Association): A guide to writing a business plan, including templates and examples for both traditional and lean startup business plans.
- Writing a Business Plan- Free Online Training (GROW Nebraska): Watch this webinar from GROW Nebraska to get your plan ready to share with the world.
Setting Up a Business Website
- How to Make a Small Business Website Step by Step (WPBeginner): Learn how to use WordPress to build your website. Try this Coursera guided project to learn WordPress quickly.
- Get Found Online (Grow With Google): Learn how to use Google tools to build an online presence for your small business.
- Develop a Company Website with Wix (Coursera): Use this guided project on Coursera to build your website using templates from Wix.
Marketing Your Business
- Grow With Google for Small Businesses (Google): Find video courses to build and improve your website, find free tools to build marketing materials, and learn Google’s marketing tools.
- The Beginner’s Guide to Small Business Marketing Online (Canva): Canva is a free to low-cost tool to design both print and digital marketing materials. Learn Canva for free!
- Free On-Demand Trainings (GROW Nebraska): GROW Nebraska helps small businesses with marketing and training. Try one of these free webinars, or explore their other training options.
Business Communication
- Business Communication Tutorials (GCFLearn): Use the YouTube Playlist or written tutorials to improve conversation skills, de-escalate arguments, business writing, etiquette and more.
- Business Communication Courses (Coursera): Find free courses to learn effective business writing, online communication, and more. Search for “Business communication” on Coursera.
- Effective Business Email Etiquette (The Balance Small Business): Top tips for using email effectively at work.
Project & Time Management
- Work Smarter with Google’s Productivity Tools (Grow With Google): Learn how to organize tasks and manage your time more effectively.
- How Good Is Your Time Management? (MindTools): Use this questionnaire to test your current time management skills, set goals, and find tools to help you improve.
- Project Management Courses (Coursera): Search Coursera for “Project Management” to find guided projects, courses, and certification options. Audit for free or upgrade to a certificate.
Managing a Team
- Team Management Skills (MindTools): These tips are great for new managers, entrepreneurs, and those who want to refresh their skills.
- Learn Valuable Team Management Skills (Coursera): Find one-time courses, specialized certificates, and guided projects to help you manage effective teams.
- 8 Team Management Skills Every Leader Should Know (Indeed): This article with embedded explainer videos will help you get off to a running start as team leader.