Community and Government Resources
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The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a US government agency that supports entrepreneurs and small businesses. This tutorial will teach you how to watch online small business training videos and map out your competition using the SBA Learning Center.
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The Company Lab (Co.Lab)
The Company Lab (CO.LAB) is a nonprofit startup accelerator that supports entrepreneurial growth in southeast Tennessee. We work with companies ranging from street-corner mom and pop shops to tech startups scaling into major markets.
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Launch ChattanoogaLAUNCH offers business training, support, and affordable resources to underserved entrepreneurs, empowering them to create sustainable, successful businesses allowing their families and communities to thrive.
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SCORE Chattanooga
Chattanooga SCORE offers FREE business mentoring, low-cost or no-cost business training, and numerous templates and tools to start or grow a business.
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Co.StartersCO.STARTERS is a nine-week cohort based program that equips aspiring entrepreneurs with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn ideas into action and turn a passion into a sustainable and thriving endeavor.
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AMEX Open ForumOPEN Forum by American Express offers a collection of resources to help small businesses, including "videos, articles, blogs, podcasts, and expert advice."
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Sales Tools
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PayPal's free "Standard" business account lets you accept credit card payments on your website and mobile devices, send invoices online, and get paid on eBay.
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Square allows you to "accept credit cards and run your business anywhere with your iPhone, Android, or iPad." You use Square's free app and free card reader that plugs into your device, and you pay a minimal transaction fee. You can manage sales and refunds, set up an online store, send invoices, and track sales.
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LevelUp
If your customers have smartphones and credit cards, consider using LevelUp. Customers pay with the free app, and you are charged a 1.95% processing fee. You can use rewards programs and easily track your sales history.
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Website Tools
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Wix.com lets you create a beautiful website quickly and easily. It's how we created the TGH website you're on now! There are many templates and pricing plans to choose from, and we recommend using Wix instead of Google Sites if you don't need a free, basic website.
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Weebly makes it surprisingly easy to create a high-quality website, blog or online store. Over 40 million people use Weebly to bring their unique ideas to life.
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Squarespace is the all-in-one solution for anyone looking to create a beautiful website: domains, eCommerce, hosting, galleries, analytics, and 24/7 support.
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Hover
Hover makes it easy to buy and manage a domain name and a customized email address for your business, so you can own www.YourBusiness.com and send emails from [email protected].
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Social Media
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With over a billion users, Facebook helps you build relationships with new and existing customers and ultimately drive sales by taking advantage of word-of-mouth marketing.
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X, formerly Twitter, is a social network that helps you "find out what's happening, right now, with the people and organizations you care about." These tutorials will help you register for an account, interact, and keep your account safe.
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Instagram is a simple and free way to share your brand's personality with customers through images.
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Pinterest is a site where people find, collect, and share their interests. "Pins can be almost anything—a gift, recipe, or even a quote. They’re like little bookmarks... that always point back to the sites they came from (like yours!)".
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Your Online Marketplace
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Amazon is the world's largest online retailer and a prominent cloud services provider. Be sure to check out Amazon Seller University for resources on how to maximize your Amazon sales.
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eBay is a website to buy and sell electronics, cars, fashion apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, digital cameras, baby items, coupons, and more. You can create a free account, then sell your products online.
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Etsy is an online marketplace where 30 million users buy and sell handmade or vintage products and craft supplies. These tutorials will help you create an account, set up your shop, and start selling!
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Other Business Resources
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Yelp is a website people use to find information about local businesses and read reviews from other customers. This tutorial will help you create and manage a page for your business.
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Canva is a simplified graphic-design tool website, founded in 2012. It uses a drag-and-drop format and provides access to photographs, vector images, graphics, and fonts. It is used by non-designers as well as professionals. The tools can be used for both web and print media design and graphics.
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