Free Resources for E-commerce Business Owners

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When starting a business, the number one stressor is money. The adage is true, “you have to spend money to make money,” but a business can become more efficient by cutting spending in certain areas. When a company is in its infancy, one must continuously learn, looking for crucial information about the industry or market without spending millions on education year to year. How does one do this efficiently? You look for free resources. Thanks to the internet, many free resources help solve any business problems that may pop up. While multiple businesses have various issues to solve, a guide explicitly offers free resources for e-commerce businesses.

Marketing/Sales Resources:

Social Media Examiner

Business Coach Instagram Feeds

Webinars

HubSpot

The Library

Salesforce

LinkedIn Learning

Coursera

Local Entrepreneur Groups

Board of Directors

Pinterest

Team Education Resources:

LinkedIn Learning

The Library

Workplace Surveys

YouTube

Partnership Exchange

Local Universities/Colleges

Community Forums

Pinterest

Marketplace Resources:

Entrepreneur Online Articles

Local News

National Business News

Stock Market

Customer Surveys (offer discounts to fill out)

Community Partners/Business Partners

Shipping Resources:

YouTube

BigCommerce Blog

Shopify Blog

USPS

FedEx

UPS

Visible SCM

Pitney Bowes

The US government (international shipping)

Pinterest

LinkedIn Learning

Coursera (supply chain management courses)

DesktopShipper’s Favorite Free Resources:

YouTube

The Library

Community Forums

Pinterest

US Census

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Forums

The News

Online Publications

Have More Time?

Networking: Informational Interviews or professional groups.

LinkedIn Educational Groups

Facebook Groups: They are usually run by companies and are industry-specific. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Start one!

Mentorships

Webinars: They’re free when companies sponsor them.

Podcasts

We all recognize that building a massive company is challenging without investing time to educate oneself, but half the battle is figuring out what and where to find support. Free resources are a great way to discover your industry's ins and outs, learn the lingo, and study businesses' stories from before you. Relying on free resources is not only a great way to gain perspective but also allows you to delegate your budget elsewhere.