Whether you are just starting out or you have been in business for years, there are many free resources to help with your event planning business.  Whether you are looking for a local resource, a consultant or an online resource to help, here are five places and people to help you:

1. Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a free resource available to anyone who wants to start their own business.  There are local offices in most larger cities.  I met with my local SBDC rep more than twenty times during the first three years of my business. The information was invaluable and didn’t cost me anything.

2. Sage Wedding Pros has a fantastic blog with resources you can use in your wedding planning business. They are also offer seminars and paid consultations to help with  financial, marketing, business and cash flow logistics of your business. You can also follow Sage Wedding Pros on Twitter.

3. Saundra Hadley is a professional wedding planner and sales coach. Her sales blog has fantastic information and resources for selling to clients. She is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter.  She is also available for paid sales coaching consulting.

4. Think Splendid is all about social media and the wedding industry. I have followed the author, Liene,  for years and have learned so much from her.  Two of my favorite posts on Think Splendid are avoiding burnout on social media and advice for new wedding entrepreneurs.

5. Sean Low is one of the best business consultants in the creative industry.   Sean’s blog, The Business of Being Creative, is packed with thought-provoking business sense. Sean is also a paid consultant and speaker and has made a very positive difference in my event planning business.

What other local or online resources have helped your business?