Saving Your Small Business: Free Resources

Like other small business owners, you may feel as if you’ve spent the last few years in a pool — treading water, trying to stay afloat. That’s not to say that your business has been failing; but it hasn’t been exactly easy to keep your head above water.

Several organizations and companies are working to dish out life preservers to those resilient small businesses who have managed to survive. From hiring to new employee training, free small business resources are available to keep them from sinking.

Hiring

If you lack staff dedicated to finding and recruiting new hires to your small business, you’re not alone. What’s more, you don’t have the financial resources to utilize a talent acquisition company. So what options do you have?

Well, it may not be fancy or particularly professional, but that doesn’t stop Fortune 500 companies from utilizing the same free resources for hiring: social media. From Facebook to Twitter, many companies out there are forming a dedicated job seeker audience; and now, you can do the same.

It’s easy. Set up a company profile on Facebook or Twitter, mobilize a following and start posting job opportunities with your small business. Set aside time each day to go over that day’s resumes and cover letters, find potential candidates that excite you and set up an interview. What used to take hours and money will now be free and easy for your business.

Training

New hires report that they’re more likely to stay at a new job if they’re equipped with the right training and skills as soon as they begin. But for small businesses, this is a struggle. Again, it’s a time and money issue.

Now, there are small business resources that do the training for you at no cost. The Small Business Administration has established Small Business Technology and Development Centers around the country, which work to equip small business employees with the tools they need in today’s economy and workforce.

Topics vary by day and location, but small business new hires can learn how to write business proposals, create marketing and manage finances, according to TIME.

Software and Mentors

While software and mentors don’t necessarily appeal to your new hire strategy, they still apply to your small business at large. Save on your small business costs from this list, compiled by Datamation. After you’ve upgraded your small business best practices, find a mentor from SCORE, or Service Corp of Retired Executives.

TIME reports that this organization of former business execs is composed of over 13,000 working and retired professionals who represent 62 industries and over 500 skills. Your small business, new hires and long-time employees alike, can benefit from workshops, online tools and templates.

When it comes to hiring and running your small business, put your money where it belongs: into the product. With the free small business resources at your disposal, you’ll find that the water is quite nice. It’s your turn to relax and bask in your small business success for a time.

What do you think of these free resources for your small business? Spark a conversation below.