If you haven’t read Part 1 of “Free Ways Founders Can Increase Their Chances of Success,” I’d encourage you to do so. Starting and scaling a company is hard enough—why not make it a little easier by seeking out help? You’ll be surprised how many people are out there who want to see you succeed just as much as you do!

Without further ado, here’s four more free ways to get help for your startup:

1: Join a peer group

For over twenty-five years, I’ve been a member of EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization). Every month, I get together with seven other entrepreneurs to share challenges, strategies, and growth opportunities. We learn from each other, becoming better entrepreneurs in the process.

Once again, I don’t pay those in my group who advise me in cash. The currency of EO is knowledge sharing so we all can learn valuable lessons from each other. I can’t tell you how many ways EO has changed my life and made an impact on my career!

2: Read books and listen to podcasts.

I am absolutely amazed at how many books there are to help you run your business. See, we entrepreneurs tend to not be the most organized types. We tend to be visionaries, more like artists than anything else. Which is why we can be great at starting businesses but then struggle to scale the business. Yet there is a formula you can follow. And the good news here: we can learn from the stories of others.

If you really don’t want to buy a book, then visit your local library! I often see “consultants” pedaling their get-rich-quick masterclasses and wonder why aspiring entrepreneurs don’t just pick up a book or listen to a good podcast!

On Startup Club, we’ve recorded over 110 live shows which we syndicate through the podcast Serial Entrepreneur: Secrets Revealed. I often say if you listen to all these shows, you'd essentially get an MBA in entrepreneurship. From authors and experts like Verne Harnish (Scaling Up), to John Mullins (Customer-Funded Business), to Joe Foster who co-founded Reebok and wrote Shoemaker, to one of my favorite episodes interviewing Geoffrey Moore (Crossing the Chasm).

I’d be remiss not to mention my own upcoming book Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. releasing on October 3, 2023. It took 30 years as a serial entrepreneur, 10 years to write it, and over 100 interviews. All with one goal: to crack the code of what it takes to make a startup successful. If you already subscribe to Audible, you can download the audio version with your monthly credit!

3: Connect with others on social media.

There are plenty of groups on LinkedIn and other social media channels. I am particularly fond of the recent rise in social audio chat apps available through Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, and the new Entre. Each offers you the opportunity to learn from others. What makes it different from just listening to a podcast or a book is you get to actually interact with not only your peers but well-known speakers who can help answer your questions.

One such interaction happened on Startup Club when Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful from SharkTank) came on to talk to our members. If you want to follow trends, the community on Clubhouse is a great way to learn. From trendsetting topics like generative AI, to the latest social media platform Meta’s Threads, you can find a room discussing a topic of interest almost every hour.

Inside the new app Entre, they recently added communities covering everything from real estate to startups. Like Discord and Clubhouse, individuals connect via audio and/or a Zoom-like interface. Although much smaller than Discord and Clubhouse, it appears to be focused on supporting entrepreneurs. To join, simply download the free app at joinentre.com.

4: Find a mentor.

Simply put, having a mentor is one of the best ways to avoid mistakes and help you navigate solutions for success. SCORE, a volunteer organization with expert business mentors, operates in every state. Since its launch sixty years ago, it has helped over 11 million entrepreneurs!

According to their website: “SCORE provides free mentoring support to help small businesses launch, grow and thrive.” They further claim that “entrepreneurs who work with a mentor are three times more likely to stay in business.” Based on my own experiences, I’m inclined to agree!

Simply visit score.org to request a mentor. It’s easy and free. There’s no reason not to.

I could say the same for any of the tips here or the previous blog. There’s no reason not to get the free help you need to shift the odds in your favor. Pick your favorite idea and start there!