25 Small Business Experts, Blogs and Influencers to Track in 2010

Updated: April 12, 2010

EXPERTS


Joseph A. Michelli: Speaker, author, and organizational consultant, Michelli is probably best known for his book, "The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary," which achieved bestseller status on the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek magazine lists.



Kare Anderson: A former Wall Street Journal reporter and Emmy-winner, Anderson is the author of scores of books including "SmartPartnering" and "Getting What You Want: How to Reach Agreement and Resolve Conflict Every Time." Her blog, Say It Better, offers small business owners practical advice on everything from communication skills to proofreading.

Dawn Rivers Baker: An award-winning small business journalist, Rivers Baker regularly reports on and analyzes small business policy and research as the publisher of the MicroEnterprise. She also publishes research at the Microbusiness Research Institute. Her blog can be read at The MicroEnterprise Journal Blog.

Ramon Ray: The founder and editor of Smallbiztechnology.com, Ray provides small businesses with up-to-the-minute insight and news on technology. He is also the founder of the Small Business Technology Summit and founder of Taste of Technology, an ongoing series of small business educational and networking events.



Anita Campbell: Founder and executive editor of of the popular website Small Business Trends, Campbell keeps her finger on the pulse of hot happenings in the small business market and technology trends. She is also the host of Small Business Trends Radio.



Jan Norman: A newspaper reporter and columnist, Norman has authored books rife with practical small business advice including "What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business" and "What No One Ever Tells You About Franchising." Her coverage of small business has been honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration with its top national award for journalists.



The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship: This independent organization is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs advance their businesses. Its 1,000 members from universities, businesses and nonprofit organizations pool their expertise to foster entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors.\



David Monkman: President and CEO of the National Business Incubation Association, Monkman has worked for the United States Agency for International Development and the European Commission. Each year, the NBIA provides small business owners with information, education, advocacy and networking resources.

BLOGS


Entrepreneur Daily Dose: Entrepreneur magazine's Daily Dose blog is a one-stop shop for business owners looking for fast and reader-friendly tips on topics including Facebook etiquette, employee healthcare and angel investors.



The Small Business Blog: WinWeb CEO Stefan Topfer offers bulleted and brief entries for a quick fix on subjects such as advertising, customer service and time management.



The Global Small Business Blog: This self-proclaimed "definitive blog for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global" was formed for the purpose of helping entrepreneurs and small businesses expand their businesses internationally.



Small Business Trends: Not sure how to leverage Twitter? Wondering if you're cut out to work from home? This blog can help by offering useful tips, as well as late-breaking news briefs.

Small Business Brief: A compilation of some of today's most eye-catching news headlines - and links to full articles - to save small business owners the time and trouble of having to search for pertinent news items.

Inc.com: Inc magazine's staff writers contribute well-researched and superbly written entries on everything from choosing an investor to bank reform legislation.



Business Insider: Sharp, topical and irreverent entries on topics that may not pertain to small businesses per se but that every entrepreneur should know and understand.



Small Biz Resource: An IT blog for small business owners looking for a deeper understanding of everything from industry analyst reports to server performance.



Flyte: For small businesses that can't afford to hire a consulting company, Flyte, a Web design and Internet marketing company, delivers web marketing strategies in bite-size blog entries.



The Retail Email Blog: A daily guide to what's going on in the world of retail email marketing, this blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers.



TechCrunch: Find out what's happening daily in the start-up world with smartly packaged news items and business profiles.

INFLUENCERS


Dr. Ivan Misner: Founder and chairman of BNI (Business Network International), Misner perfected the art of business networking with his member-heavy organization. Known as ‘the father of modern networking,' he is also a New York Times best-selling author.



U.S. Small Business Administration: This federal government agency is committed to helping, counseling and protecting the interests of small businesses. It lays claim to an extensive - and powerful - network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.



National Small Business Association: This nonprofit membership organization represents sectors from retail to technology and helps advocate on behalf of its members before the Executive Branch, the Small Business Administration and Congress.



Guy Kawasaki: Managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm, Kawasaki is a regular on the lecture circuit and is the author of nine books including "The Art of the Start" and "Selling the Dream."



Henry Blodget: CEO and editor-in-chief of The Business Insider, Blodget is a former Wall Street analyst and is the host of Yahoo TechTicker, a Yahoo Finance video show viewed by several million people a month.



Jim Blasingame
: President and founder of Small Business Network, Blasingame reaches audiences far and wide. He is the creator and host of The Small Business Advocate Show, a weekday radio talk show, and conducts over 1,000 live interviews annually with his Brain Trust, a community of small business experts.