Tools for Developing Your Skills as a Small Business Owner

From accounting to graphic design to social media to marketing, you have a lot to do as a small-business owner. We've covered a range of online tools and software options for tackling those different aspects of running a company. Now, let's go over how to continue developing your skills. After all, your small business will grow, and your abilities should expand with it. Here are a few more tools designed to help you develop the skills you need to better your company:

Freebie Supply: Free

The tagline "+400 Awesome Free Things To Build Your Business" doesn't lie. On Freebie Supply, you can find just about anything to help you code, manage, learn, market and more. Find new skills and resources that'll help you create the company you've always dreamed of.

This site lists online resources by topic, allowing you to find the tool best suited for your needs. If you're not sure where to start when building your business arsenal, Freebie Supply gives you some options. 

Price
As the name implies, Freebie Supply is free to use.

SCORE

SCORE offers new and experienced business owners the chance to find and connect with mentors, browse its library of research or even attend an online workshop. If you're looking for an informational and educational source that goes deep into the topics you care about, then SCORE is a great place to start.

You can filter your resource search by the stage your business is in, allowing you to quickly find relevant information. Topics range from data security to increasing web traffic and more. Take a look to find the information that best fits your industry.

Price
Pricing depends on what services you use. Many tools are free, while some workshops and lessons carry a cost.

Khan Academy: Free

Who has time to go back to school to learn important skills while they're running a business? If you want to keep expanding your abilities to further your company, you can. Khan Academy is one of the most well-known sources of massive open online courses (MOOC). This nonprofit offers free classes on a variety of subjects, all of which you can access anytime, anywhere you have internet connection. And with videos covering the basics of finance, computer science and entrepreneurship, Khan Academy is an essential tool for any small-business owner's arsenal. 

What's more, you don't have to do any homework. Just watch the videos in your spare time and take what you've learned back to your company.

Price
Khan Academy is completely free to use.

edX

Another MOOC platform, edX is composed of courses created and taught by top universities, including Harvard, Berkley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With a wide range of subjects, you can find plenty of information to further your knowledge of essential business skills. 

Additionally, edX allows you to earn university credit, so your time spent learning with this site will count toward your courses if you ever want to go back to a brick-and-mortar college. Some courses on edX are self-paced, which means you can run your company, then watch videos in your spare time. Others, however, follow a set schedule. Make sure to check the courses you're interested in to ensure they fit into your life.

Price
Courses are free to audit. However, adding and accreditation to your course costs $49.

With so many free resources, ranging from surface-level information to in-depth courses, you can continue learning and growing as you manage your own company. The effort you put into education is sure to show results in your business down the line.