As a new founder, what was one resource you continually turned to for a wealth of information and advice?
These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year and have created tens of thousands of jobs. Learn more at yec.co.
1. Other Entrepreneurs
Other entrepreneurs have been the most important resource for information as I’ve grown as a leader. It can be lonely at the top and having a community of entrepreneurs who can share their experiences has been crucial in my decision-making processes. It’s been imperative for me to have a group of leaders who have entirely different philosophies and leadership styles than I do to help me grow.
2. A Coach
A coach will fast-track your success because they will be in it with you and have gone before you to help you skip all the trial and error. A coach is better than any book or course because they will know you and your business personally and help you in specific ways that books cannot.
– Diego Orjuela, Cables & Sensors
3. Local Business Clubs
Local business clubs have always been a wealth of information for me. They put you in touch with real people with whom you can have in-person conversations about business. Even if they don’t have any members directly related to your business or industry, it is always helpful to interact with local leaders who have actually started their own businesses and understand the entrepreneurial mindset.
– Jordan Conrad, Writing Explained
4. Blog Posts by Other Leaders
I’ve found success by turning to popular blogs that feature content from other business owners. It’s nice to see that I’m not alone in my journey, regardless of our industry. Reading what others have experienced helps me make decisions about my business. The fact that there’s always new content means there’s always something new to learn.
5. Networking Events
One resource I found to be extremely helpful when I started my company was networking events. Although most people go there for self-promotion, I found that there was a wealth of knowledge that was always presented and accessible. People at these events are willing to answer your questions and elaborate on topics that you simply can’t get answered online or find anywhere else.
– Jacob Tanur, Click Play Films
6. Bunch.ai
One resource I’ve found recently that I believe every first-time entrepreneur should leverage is Bunch.ai. It’s a digital coaching platform that dramatically brings down the cost of professional coaching to levels that an early-stage entrepreneur can afford. I’m a huge advocate of coaching, but costs can be prohibitive for early-stage founders and this is the first tool I’ve found that democratizes it.
– Colin Darretta, Innovation Department
7. Quora
Quora is basically a question-and-answer type website, but it’s popular among small business owners, entrepreneurs and founders. It can provide a wealth of information for newbies as far as how to run a small business in the beginning.
– Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
8. TikTok
I have a short attention span and, as funny as it may seem, TikTok is the perfect place for me to get the best advice because my mind immediately absorbs it and I still have interest despite the long hours of staying on the app. It could be nonsense for others, but for me, the introduction to a certain idea usually comes from TikTok, and then from there I’ll learn further details on my own.
– Daisy Jing, Banish
9. Books
Reading books is the most important thing any person can do to build their knowledge. It’s useful to read about as many diverse subjects as possible because you’ll create “dots” of knowledge. When you can combine these dots in unusual ways, that’s when creativity at work happens.
10. Audiobooks
Listening to audiobooks is a great alternative to reading books if you don’t have the luxury of time to read every day. You can be cleaning up around the house, taking a coffee break or making breakfast while finishing a book on marketing.
11. Podcasts
Entrepreneurs lead busy, on-the-go lifestyles. There’s hardly ever enough time to wind down and take in new information. That’s why I love listening to business-related podcasts. I can tune in while performing other tasks and still learn a lot of cool, new things about running a business. Even better, it feels like a real conversation I’m sharing with friends.
12. Personal Experience
Before focusing on the company where I currently work, I went through many other experiences that allowed me to learn about the process I was about to start. In addition, I was able to discard the information that would not be useful to me to later form the idea that arose as I increased my knowledge.
