Comprehensive Entrepreneurial Resource List for Women: Tools, Courses, and Programs to Boost Your Business
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Entrepreneurial Resource List
Women Entrepreneur Programs
- Certificate in Women’s Entrepreneurship (FREE)- These courses have time constraints.
Join Bank of America and Cornell University to enhance your entrepreneurial skills. If you have a busy life, space out the six two-week courses for flexibility.
Course list:
- Growth Leadership for Female Entrepreneurs
- Creating Your Venture: Personal Readiness & Customer Discovery
- Entrepreneurial Communication: Presence, Persuasiveness, and Negotiation
- Product Development and Digital Marketing
- Laying the Legal Building Blocks for Your Venture
- Funding Your Venture and Business Planning
Engage in group discussions and submit final projects for each course to earn full credit.
- DreamBuilder (FREE)- Go at your own pace.
DreamBuilder is a free online learning program developed for women who want to start or grow their own small businesses. Los cursos tambien estan disponible en español ‘Aprenda Cómo Empezar o Crecer Su Negocio’.
Available Programs:
DreamBuilder Program
A step-by-step framework for starting or growing your business.
- 13 courses
- Approx. 25-30 hours to complete
- You create: A Personalized Business Plan
Learn the foundation for starting a business, like planning, marketing, pricing, management, accounting, managing risk, finding funding, setting goals, and more. Whether you’re just starting or already own a business looking to grow, the program can help you hone your skills in key areas.
Financing Your Dream Program
Learn about different types of capital and how to secure them.
- 1 course
- Approx. 2-3 hours to complete
- You create: A Capital Action Plan
Financing Your Dream will teach you how to determine the needs and sources of funding for your business. You can take this class on its own or as a companion course to DreamBuilder. You will learn about different types of capital and create a Capital Action Plan to secure the funding you need.
Dream Big Program
Learning to Access Value Chains
- 1 course
- Approx. 2 hours to complete
- You receive: A Dream Big Action Plan
Dream Big will teach you how to determine if you are ready to scale your business and the steps you need to take in order to become part of other businesses value chain. You can take this class on its own or as a companion course to DreamBuilder. You will learn about how to access value chains and create a Dream Big Action Plan to guide you through the changes you'll need to make to your business.
- Alison Empower Yourself Courses:
Access free courses for skill enhancement. Certification comes at a cost, but the courses are free.
Alison boasts a diverse array of over 4,000 complimentary online courses. Here's a short list of the courses that are offered:
- Nail Technician
- Esthetician
- Beauty
- Business
- Operations
- Personal Development
- Sales & Marketing Courses
- Management
- Engineering & Construction Courses
- IT and Computing
- Health and Medicine
- Language
Empowering Reads
This curated booklist is your gateway to entrepreneurial success. Check on the book titles to explore our blog posts for insights about each one. If you're eager to dive into the book itself, just follow the provided link to access the free online version. Plus, for our Spanish-speaking readers, some of these gems are available en español.
- Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- Talking To Humans by Giff Constable
Small Business Help (FREE)
- SCORE, a nonprofit organization, aims to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. Its purpose is to provide free mentoring, resources, and workshops to help entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed and thrive.
- The Small Business Administration (SBA) serves as a crucial pillar of support for small businesses in the United States, offering a comprehensive suite of services that span critical areas of business growth and resilience. These encompass access to capital, business counseling through partners like SCORE, government contracting assistance, disaster recovery loans, exporting support, advocacy for small businesses at the federal level, educational resources, specialized aid for minority and women-owned businesses, assistance in securing surety bonds, and facilitation of investment capital through the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program.
Steps to Begin Your Business Venture
The prerequisites for launching a business differ from one state to another. To minimize unnecessary expenses, consider applying for your LLC, which typically costs around $70, directly through official government websites.
Explore our 'Getting Started with Your Business' spreadsheet for state-specific guidance on initiating your business journey.
Annual reporting varies by state; Arizona LLCs are exempt from this requirement. Corporations, nonprofits, LPs, LLPs, and LLLPs submit annual reports to the ACC or the Secretary of State as applicable.
Opt for S-Corp Status: Ensure you're legally allowed to compensate yourself. Operating as an S-Corp is vital to manage payments within legal boundaries.
AI Programs for Success (FREE)
Operational Essentials
- Accounting App (free): Wave Apps
- Business Credit Card (free): American Express
- Checking Business Banking (free): Lili
- General Liability Business Insurance: Next Insurance
- Host Websites: Shopify and/for Efficient Scheduling Solutions: Explore hosting platforms like GlossGenius, Square, Acuity Scheduling, Mindbody, Fresha, Vagaro, and Booksy for a seamless appointment management system.
- 2nd Phone Number (free): Text Free
- Virtual PO Box: iPostal
- Website Domain & Bus. Email: GoDaddy
Grants
Access Grants for Women Entrepreneurs: Girlboss offers a list of small business grants tailored for women like you.
Hope this resource list proves valuable to you. If you have any questions or feedback, don't hesitate to contact us. Best of luck on your journey as an entrepreneur! Feel free to share any resources you've discovered as well.