12 Newsletters That Every Entrepreneur Should Sign Up for Today One of the easiest ways to stay ahead is to stay informed. Here are a few resources that can help you stay competitive.
By Peter Gasca Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
What is one of the most powerful tools an entrepreneur can leverage to provide him or her with a competitive advantage? Knowledge, which is driven by our willingness to constantly learn, adapt and change.
In today's content driven world, there is no shortage of information, resources and inspiration available every day to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge they need to be successful. Unfortunately, all of this information can get overwhelming.
As an information junkie, my favorite means of consuming informative and entertaining content is through podcasts, but like listening to a great jazz compilation, I need to be attentive and focused to get the most from them. Because I rarely have the time to listen, I rely mostly on a variety of newsletters and blogs for my daily dose of content.
Related: Become a Better Entrepreneur by Subscribing to These 5 Newsletters
Most of the newsletters I regularly receive have come from peer recommendations. You may can find the most popular content through a keyword search or sites such as BlogMetrics, but if you are looking for suggestions, here are a few I currently subscribed to and that I have found to be invaluable.
1. Entrepreneur
Of course, no list of pertinent business and entrepreneurial news and inspiration would be complete without the amazing resources available right here on Entrepreneur -- proven by the fact that you are reading this now. You can also have any one of Entrepreneur's awesome newsletters delivered right to your inbox. The best thing about them? They are sent at different times throughout the week.
2. Fred Wilson
A venture capitalist and one of the leading bloggers on technology and startups, Fred Wilson has a daily newsletter that is insightful, objective and forward thinking.
3. Guy Kawasaki
One of the best known and relevant technology and entrepreneurial writers, Guy Kawasaki's blogs delve deep into the topics of business and inspiration.
4. Hubspot
A great resource for all things digital and content marketing, Hubspot blogs, newsletters and white papers are all free and incredibly useful when it comes to improving your online marketing strategy.
5. Strategy and Business
A regular newsletter that both creates and curates informational business content, S&B blogs covers a wide variety of business topics, from strategy and leadership to international business to industry specific news such as energy, healthcare or technology, all of which allows you to customize the content you receive.
6. Seth Godin
Seth Godin provides nice and often short bursts of insightful and inspirational business and marketing insights.
7. Startup.co
This is a great startup newsletter that every startup entrepreneur should be reading.
Related: 4 Podcasts I Live By
8. YCombinator
More a documentary style update of the newest and most innovative companies to make the cut for this great startup incubator, the updates from YCombinator are a great way for aspiring entrepreneurs to live vicariously through new startups while gaining real world lessons in the process.
9. Industry newsletters
Newsletters from your industry association or industry experts are the best way to stay abreast of news and trends.
10. LinkedIn groups
LinkedIn groups are an amazing resource for industry news and insights. Join the groups that are pertinent to you and your business, and set the frequency of each group update that is delivered to your inbox so you do not get overwhelmed. Take your involvement to the next level by regularly commenting and contributing in your groups, which will raise your visibility as an industry expert and open amazing networking opportunities.
11. NextDraft
Of course, it is also important for entrepreneurs to stay abreast of everyday news. Signing up for CNN or Fox News feeds is one way, or you can sign up for Dave Pell's newsletter, NextDraft, which is a daily compilation of the most interesting and compelling news items, with Pell's witty and pithy recap.
12. Inspiration
Every newsletter list should include something you enjoy reading. For me, I have always loved science, so I enjoy the regular dose of science insights from IFLScience and Discovery News. I also receive regular newsletters about scuba diving, backpacking and home brewing, all of which I am entirely too busy to read, but all of which continue to motivate and inspire me to find the time to do the things I love.
By no means is this list complete or static, as I am always adding and deleting new content sources. You can certainly overdo your subscriptions and find yourself reading (and being distracted by) content for hours, which can hurt your productivity. It is worth spending time to develop a personal policy for reading content. Check in and review your policy from time to time, and regularly purge any content that is cluttering your life and adding little value.
Because I am always open to new, informative and entertaining blogs, please share any that you recommend in the comments section below.
