Being a small business owner usually means that you operate in many different roles. We’ve put together a list of free resources to use when you’re looking to gain knowledge in the various areas of your business.
Use Your King County Library Card
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn learning is an online course library that covers skills in business, creativity, and technology. Members of King County Library can use LinkedIn Learning for free. On the sign-in page, click “Sign in with your library card”. You’ll be prompted to use the library ID “kcls”, your library card number and pin to log in. Courses are searchable by skill, subject or software. We love that there are courses on building mentorship skills, developing positive communication, and maintaining a work life balance. You’ll also find courses on understanding finances, managing a team, and creating strong business plans.
Libby
Libby is an online library of free e-books and audiobooks. Log-in with your library card number and pin to get access to Libby’s catalog. The app features guides with titles like “Invest In Yourself” to help you find your next read. Tag books that you’re interested in, and create a list so you always have something to read next. You can put popular books on hold, just like a physical library, and renew books that you haven’t yet finished. Libby has a large catalog of popular titles, like Atomic Habits, and Outliers: The Story of Success. Find a book that you love? Purchase it from a local bookstore or use Estilita’s Library’s Bookshop page.
Get Insights From Local Business Owners
Black Owned Business Excellence
Black Owned Business Excellence (BOBE) is “a collaboration of different organizations and individuals coming together to support, educate, inspire and elevate businesses that are owned by underserved business owners in Washington State”. The collective maintains a calendar of events that business owners can tap into to learn with a community of other Black owned businesses. Topics on the calendar include financial literacy, marketing, and legal advice. There’s an event listed nearly every day, all curated with Black business owners in mind. Some events are hosted by BOBE, like the upcoming panel on Understanding Government Contracts, while others are a lead by partnering groups, like the Legal Professional series, Grow with a Pro.
BUILD Black Wealth
Brothers United in Leadership Development (BUILD) is focused on supporting and educating the community on finances, homeownership, business development, and building black wealth. Their organization operates with the belief that Black men should be empowered leaders and mentors that make positive change in their community. BUILD has partnered with industry experts to create workshops that aim to support financial wellbeing for business owners as well as those who just want to get a handle on their money. We appreciate that BUILD has also featured a workshop on how taking care of your health is essential in finding balance as you build wealth, as well as a workshop on estate planning and preparing for the future.