29 Essential Sites to Help You Invest in Yourself and Your Online Business

I'll admit it -- I'm an information junkie. I love to learn new things, so it's a good thing that I'm in small business marketing where new ideas and new trends emerge every day. Continuing to enhance your own professional/personal development, or investing in yourself, is a primary responsibility that owners of small service businesses often forget to do when they've got lots of business. Taking the time to read just one more article or go to just one more teleseminar or professional conference when you've got your plate full with clients is probably not on your top 10 list of preferred activities. However, remember that your clients are looking to you for cutting-edge information to best help them with their problems. Without this continued learning, you may find yourself quickly left behind.
Here are some resources that I read regularly and highly recommend to keep me in the loop to better serve my clients and enhance my own business:

Technology:

• PC World, (I subscribe to the print version of this magazine)
• Steve Bass's Tips and Tweaks (email newsletter)
• Lynette Chandler's Tech Based Marketing Blog
• Sandra De Freitas' Tech Coach for Coaches (email newsletter)

Marketing:

• Joan Stewart's Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week (email newsletter and blog)
• Straight-Shooter Marketing by Alexandria Brown (email newsletter),
• Marcia Yudkin's Marketing Minute (email newsletter)
• Robert Middleton's More Clients (email newsletter)
• John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing (email newsletter and blog)
• Ralph Wilson's Web Marketing Today (email newsletter)
• Cathy Stucker's Bright Ideas (email newsletter)
• David Frey's Marketing Best Practices (video newsletter)
• Fabienne Fredrickson's Client Attraction (email newsletter)
• The Blog Squad's Savvy eBizTips (email newsletter and blog)
• Kendall Summerhawk's Weekly Marketing Wisdom (email newsletter)
• Get More Clients Online Ezine and Blog (hey, what kind of biz owner would I be if I didn't include my own newsletter on the list?? <g>)

Personal Development/Inspiration:

• Barbara Winter's Joyfully Jobless News and Winning Ways (email and print newsletters),
• Valerie Young's Changing Course (email newsletter)
• Cheryl Richardson's Life Makeover (email newsletter)
• Notes from the Universe (daily emails)
• Rebecca Hanson's Museletter (email newsletter and blog),

Writing/Self-Publishing:

• Dan Poynter's Publishing Poynters (email newsletter)
• Penny Sansevieri's Book Marketing Expert Newsletter (email newsletter)
• John Kremer's Book Marketing Tip of the Week (email newsletter)
• Gail Richard's Author Smart (email newsletter)

Speaking:

• Speaker Net News (email newsletter)

Getting Organized/Feng Shui:

• Vicky White's Design Your Life (email newsletter)
• Beth Schneider's Process Prodigy (email newsletter)

General Business Management:

• Joan Friedlander's Business Your Way (email newsletter)

This list is just the tip of the iceberg for me. New sources come to light every day. Set aside at least 3 hours per week for your own self-education. Your clients will thank you, and your business will grow!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To claim your FR*EE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at OnlineBizU.com. Ask Donna an Internet Marketing question at AskDonnaGunter.com.