[Updated December, 2017]

You may be setting out on your own as a freelancer or small business owner, but you don't have to do it alone. You have the world-class resources of The New York Public Library to help you every step of the way, from the planning stages all the way through to retirement. The Science, Industry and Business Library offers a wide range of classes and programs in addition to resources listed below. Subscription databases are available for finding articles on business topics. For online video courses from lynda.com, please log in first through our website with your library card number.

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Comprehensive Business Guides
Negotiating and Pitching
Law
Marketing and Branding
Networking
Money
Taxes
Retirement

Comprehensive Business Guides

Books

• Be Your Best Boss: Reinvent Yourself From Employee To Entrepreneur / William R. Seagraves, 2016
• Dynamic Communication: 27 Strategies To Grow, Lead, And Manage Your Business / Jill Schiefelbein, 2017
• The Entrepreneur's Book Of Actions : Essential Daily Exercises And Habits For Becoming Wealthier, Smarter, And A More Successful Entrepreneur / Rhett Power, 2017
• How To Think Like An Entrepreneur / Philip Delves Broughton, 2016
• One Simple Idea: Turn Your Dreams Into A Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do The Work / Stephen Key, 2016
• The Startup Checklist: 25 Steps To A Scalable, High-growth Business / David S. Rose, 2016
• The Ultimate Freelancer's Guidebook: Learn How To Land The Best Jobs, Build Your Brand, And Be Your Own Boss, 2016 / Yuwanda Black, e-book
• Winning New Business For Dummies / Stewart Stuchbury, 2017, e-book

lynda.com Online Courses

• Become a Small Business Owner 
• Entrepreneurship Fundamentals / Whitney Johnson
• Freelancing Foundations / Tom Geller
• Managing Your Small Business / Naomi Simson
• Small Business Secrets / Dave Crenshaw

Negotiating and Pitching

Books

• The Art Of Getting Everything : How To Negotiate For What You Want And More / Elizabeth Suárez, 2017
• Art Of Startup Fundraising: Pitching Investors, Negotiating The Deal, And Everything Else Entrepreneurs Need To Know / Alejandro Cremades, 2016, e-book 
• Negotiating 101: From Planning Your Strategy To Finding A Common Ground, An Essential Guide To The Art Of Negotiating / Peter Sander, 2017
• Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It / Chris Voss, 2017,  e-book,  e-audio book
• The Only Negotiating Guide You'll Ever Need / Alexandra Cavoulacos and Kathryn Minshew, 2017, e-book, audio book 

lynda.com Online Course

• Pitching Projects and Products To Executives / Dane Howard and Richard Koci Hernandez

Law 

Books

• Business Buyout Agreements: Plan Now For All Types Of Business Transitions / Bethany K. Laurence, J.D. & Anthony Mancuso, 2016
• The Complete Guide To Selling A Business / Fred S. Steingold, 2017
• Form A Partnership: The Complete Legal Guide / Denis Clifford and Ralph Warner, J.D., 2017
• Getting Permission: Using & Licensing Copyright-protected Materials Online & Off /  Richard Stim, 2016
• Legal Forms For Starting & Running A Small Business / Fred S. Steingold, 2016
• LLC or Corporation?: Choose The Right Form For Your Business / Anthony Mancuso, 2016
• The Small Business Start-up Kit: A Step-By-Step Legal Guide /  Peri Pakroo, 2016
• The Women's Small Business Start-up Kit: A Step-By-Step Legal Guide / Peri Pakroo, 2016

lynda.com Online Course

• Protecting Your Intellectual Property / Whitney Johnson
• Setting Up Your Small Business As A Legal Entity / Dana Robinson

The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) can connect you to free one-on-one legal services for small business owners. ​

Marketing and Branding

Books

• Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing For Businesses Big And Small / Nick Westergaard, 2016, e-book
• How To Protect (Or Destroy) Your Reputation Online: The Essential Guide To Avoid Digital Damage, Lock Down Your Brand, And Defend Your Business / John P. David, 2017
• Introduction To Search Engine Marketing And AdWords: A Guide For Absolute Beginners / Todd Kelsey, 2017
• Momentum: How To Propel Your Marketing And Transform Your Brand In The Digital Age / Shama Hyder, 2016, e-book
• Online Or Flatline: The Small Business Owner's Guide To Digital Marketing / Nick Choat, 2017
• Social Media Marketing For Dummies / Shiv Singh and Stephanie Diamond, various editions, e-book
• The Kim Kardashian Principle: Why Shameless Sells (And How To Do It Right) / Jeetendr Sehdev, 2017, e-book

lynda.com Online Courses

• Advanced Branding  / Brad Batesole
• Instagram For Business / Anson Alexander
• Online Marketing Fundamentals / Brad Batesole
• Social Media Marketing for Small Business  / Martin Waxman
• Social Media Marketing With Facebook and Twitter / Brad Batesole
• Twitter For Business / Brad Batesole

Networking/Collaborating

Books

• Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-connected World / J. Kelly Hoey, 2017, e-audio
• Co-create: How Your Business Will Profit From Innovative And Strategic Collaboration / David Nour, 2017, e-book
• Collaborating With The Enemy: How To Work With People You Don't Agree With Or Like Or Trust / Adam Kahane, 2017, e-book
• LinkedIn For Dummies / by Joel Elad, 2016, e-book
• LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies / by Donna Serdula, 2017
• The Profit Of Kindness: How To Influence Others, Establish Trust, And Build Lasting Business Relationships / Jill Lublin, 2017, e-book, e-audio
• The Relationship Engine: Connecting With The People Who Power Your Business / Ed Wallace, 2017

lynda.com Online Courses

• Building Your Professional Network / Dave Crenshaw
• Professional Networking / Dorie Clark
• Learnig LinkedIn / Oliver Schinktel

Money

Books

• Business Funding For Dummies / by Helene Panzarino, 2016, e-book
• The Crowdfunding Handbook : Raise Money For Your Small Business Or Start-up With Equity Funding Portals / Cliff Ennico, 2016
• The Crowdsourceress: Get Smart, Get Funded, And Kickstart Your Next Big Idea / Alex Daly, 2017, e-book, e-audio
• Raise Capital On Your Own Terms: How To Fund Your Business Without Selling Yoursoul / Jenny Kassan, 2017, audiobook

lynda.com Online Courses

• Entrepreneurship: Raising Startup Capital / Rudolf Rosenberg
• Finance Essentials For Small Business / Jim Stice and Kay Stice
• Running a Profitable Business: Understanding Cash Flow / Jim Stice and Kay Stice

Articles About "Freelance Isn't Free Act" (New York City, 2017)

• NYC Freelancers Due Contracts, Timely Pay

• NYC Passes First Freelancer Wage Theft Protections In The Nation

• Yo, NYC Freelancers: How To Take Advantage Of The New 'Freelance Isn't Free Act'

Taxes

Books

• 475 Tax Deductions For Businesses and Self-Employed Individuals / Bernard B. Kamoroff, 2018
• Deduct It!: Lower Your Small Business Taxes / Stephen Fishman, 2017
• Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn / Stephen Fishman, 2017
• Small Business Taxes Made Easy / Eva Rosenberg, 2017
• Tax Deductions For Professionals / Stephen Fishman, 2017
• Working For Yourself: Law & Taxes For Independent Contractors, Freelancers & Gig Workers Of All Types / Stephen Fishman, J.D., 2017

lynda.com Online Course

• Tax Issues For a Small Business / Jim Stice and Kay Stice

Website

• Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center (From IRS)

Retirement

Books

• The 5 Years Before You Retire: Retirement Planning When You Need It The Most / Emily Guy Birken, 2016, e-audio
• Common Sense Income Strategies: Simple Step-by-step Ways To Maximize Your Retirement / Michael Eastham, 2017
• Estate Planning Basics / Attorney Denis Clifford, 2017
• The Income Revolution: Retire With Guaranteed Income For Life / Joseph Stark with Peter Sander, 2017, e-book
• IRAs, 401(k)s & Other Retirement Plans: Strategies For Taking Your Money Out / Twila Slesnick & John C. Suttle
• It's The Income Stupid: The 7 Secrets Of A Stress-free Retirement / Philip Romero and Riaan Nel, 2017
• Ready To Pull The Retirement Trigger?: Your Strategic Guide To Retire With Confidence / Mary Sterk, 2017
• Retirement: Your New Beginning / Sid Miramontes, 2017
• You Can Retire Early: Everything You Need To Achieve Financial Independence When You Want It / Deacon Hayes, 2017, e-book

lynda.com Online Course

• Setting Your Financial Goals / Ken Boyd
• Using the Time Value of Money to Make Financial Decisions / Jim Stice and Kay Stice