New Resources Page for Startups and Entrepreneurs

While I've been waiting for some of the businesses that I've been in contact with to send their information, I decided to start an online resource library for entrepreneurs and startups. You can check out the page by clicking on the "Resources for Entrepreneurs" tab in the top menu.

Just some quick notes about the Resources Page:

1. The resources are divided up into different categories, with a specific page for each category: Management, Finance, Sales and Marketing, Tech and Design, and Resource Collections. Click on the topic you are interested in to go to that page.
2. Right now (since I just started this) the actual resources are a little thin in each section, but I promise that I will keep adding more as I come across them and you share them (if for no other reason than the fact that I actually want a library like this!).
3. I will do my best to make sure that the resources I share have some life in them (in other words, I won't share resources that expire in two weeks or links to courses that run between specific dates). If I do find something cool that is for a "limited time"or has a shelf life, I will share it in a post or via Twitter (@TEKpor7) or on the Facebook page.
4. The resources I share will be free whenever possible.
5. Unless it is a resource that is truly amazing and valuable, I will try to avoid sharing content from Mashable, Techcrunch, Open Forum, Entrepreneur, Fast Company and the other highly popular blogs and sites that we all read anyway. And if you don't read them? Well, I just gave you the links!

I hope these resources are beneficial to you and, as always, any suggestions are appreciated!

Resource Collections for Entrepreneurs

Welcome to our Resource Collections section. Here you will find links to other collections we've found informative and helpful.

Y Combinator is famous. This is its library. What more is there to say?

http://ycombinator.com/lib.html

Mashable is always a great source of high quality content. Here is one of their best resources for the new entrepreneur:  http://mashable.com/2011/09/17/online-learning-tools-business/

Open Forum from American Express is also provides an endless stream of useful content for the entrepreneur and small business owner. Here is their resource page: http://www.openforum.com/crash-courses?intlink=us-openf-promo-crashcourse

If you are interested in e-learning or on-line instruction, you simply cannot miss this site (I promote it whenever I can): http://creatingthefuturetoday.com/

Although it claims to be, "for the independent", this list of resources from The Fresh Standard has something for everyone: http://www.thefreshstandard.com/2011/02/top-47-online-tools-for-independent.html

Guatemala's own Maestros del Web offers a great selection of resources, courses, tutorials and links to help you start your project: http://www.maestrosdelweb.com/

Every week Small Business Trends puts out its "Best Of ..." post, but this one I found more resource rich than usual: http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/08/how-to-run-a-great-small-business.html

LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn sometimes gets a slammed for being the "old man" of the social networking channels, but really for business connections, there is nothing better. Here are list of some groups you may want to join:

1. Latin American Business Development Network
2. Latin American Entrepreneurship and Innovation @ Silicon Valley
3. Maven - The Global Knowledge Marketplace
4. On Startups - The Community for Entrepreneurs
5. Small Biz Nation
6. Startup Specialists

I will keep trying to add country based groups as I come across them.
Tell us in the comments about the great resources you've found so we can add them to the list!

Technology and Design Resources for Entrepreneurs

Welcome to our Technology and Design Resources section, where we list the links to the courses, tools, articles, books and general information that will help you develop your strategy and run your business more effectively.

Websites

Most of you probably already know about Smashing Magazine, but if you don't it is an amazing resource for design ideas: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/ 

And if Smashing doesn't have what you are looking for, check out Before and After Magazine. Also offers free tutorials on colors, fonts, and layouts: http://www.bamagazine.com/

Articles

Depending on what you are designing, here are some articles to help you out:

1. Anatomy of an effective home page: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/effective-homepage/ 

2. Anatomy of an effective landing page: http://www.formstack.com/the-anatomy-of-a-perfect-landing-page 

3. Anatomy of a viral launch page: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/09/01/elements-of-a-viral-launch-page

Color can have the biggest impact on the way your market interacts with your online branding. Learn more about using color effectively here: http://designerscouch.org/view-log/Infographic-of-the-Day-How-Color-Affect-Purchases-1484

For successful calls to action, you need to capture data. Creating an effective form is fundamental:http://uxmovement.com/forms/why-users-fill-out-forms-faster-with-unified-text-fields/

Honestly, I think the jury is still out on QR codes, but if you want to give them a try, here is a starter's guide: http://onebiginternet.com/2011/02/the-complete-guide-to-qr-code-technology/

Tools and Courses

Guatemala's own Maestros del Web offers a great selection of resources, courses, tutorials and links to help you start your project:

http://www.maestrosdelweb.com/

Books

Videos


Tell us in the comments about the great resources you've found so we can add them to the list!

Sales and Marketing Resources for Entrepreneurs

Welcome to our Sales and Marketing Resources section, where we list the links to the courses, tools, articles, books and general information that will help you develop your strategy and run your business more effectively.

Websites

Animoto is a great tool for creating strong presentations: http://animoto.com/

Simply put, John Jantsch is the master of marketing on a tight budget: http://www.ducttapemarketing.com

Articles

We all like infographics. Now step up your marketing game with video infographics. This article shows you how: http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/08/video-infographic/

Speaking of social networking, here is a handy guide to Twitter

From Ken McGuire at http://kenmc.com/

Want to get more out of Facebook and LinkedIn? These articles will get you moving in the right direction:

http://www.focus.com/fyi/facebook-marketing-toolbox-100-tools-and-tips-tap-facebook/

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23454/The-Ultimate-Cheat-Sheet-for-Mastering-LinkedIn.aspx

And while we are talking about social media, here is some inspiration for developing your strategy:

How to create a successful SEO strategy:

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/22957/6-Steps-to-Creating-a-Successful-SEO-Strategy.aspx

Posts from some of the most prominent names in social media with advice for creating your plan:

http://www.blogworld.com/2011/08/11/25-social-media-posts-everyone-should-read/

Content is king when it comes to driving traffic to your blog or site. This is a quick guide to help you get started:

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/content-marketing-for-the-talent-impaired

Beginner's guide to SEO: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/google-analytics-5/

Your marketing efforts have paid off, and you have the meeting with the client. How do you blow their socks off? Start with a great presentation:  http://www.slideshare.net/jessedee/steal-this-presentation-5038209

Your marketing efforts have REALLY paid off, and you have many clients. How do you manage them? John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing shows you how:  

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2011/09/02/using-gmail-as-a-simple-crm-tool/

Tools and Courses

Well, you can't beat this for a freebie; copyblogger.com's free 20 part on-line marketing course: http://www.copyblogger.com/online-marketing-course/

Bring greater interaction to your promo and instructional videos with Viewbix. This embeddable media player allows you add more information, coupons, and deeper social network integration to your online videos. There is both free and premium options. http://www.viewbix.com/

Flipzu is a relatively new service out of Argentina that lets you broadcast audio to smartphones. Great way to start your own radio station! http://flipzu.com/

Books

Good video is a powerful marketing tool. Learn how to use YouTube to maximize results: http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/31/youtubes-creator-playbook-your-guide-to-achieving-internet-fame/

Videos

Tell us in the comments about the great resources you've found so we can add them to the list!