Every small business owner, whether they are just starting out or are established, needs inspiration and advice – and there are few sources that are better at providing both than Ted Talks. For years, Ted Conferences LLC has been distributing free video lectures online from experts under the slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading.”

Kapitus has chosen the 10 most inspiring and educational Ted Talks lectures from the recent past that can help small business owners with everything from motivation and marketing to sales and being a great leader.

#10 Dorie Clark, Business Professor at Duke University, “The Real Reason We’re All so Busy”

Most people thought working from home would create more personal time. In many cases, however, remote work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic created less personal time because people are literally working and living in the same space. Dorie Clark, a business professor for Duke University and keynote speaker, explores ways people can make better personal decisions to find that work-life balance.



#9 Kiki Ayers, Founder of Ayers Publicity, “How to Know if You’re Meant to be an Entrepreneur”

Being an entrepreneur means having grit and determination, having the ability to overcome failure and having the passion to pursue your dreams. Do you fit that bill? Kiki Ayers, founder and CEO of Ayers Publicity, talks about the difference between “9-to-5ers” and entrepreneurs, and how to tell if you have what it takes to start your own business at an early age.

#8 Karim Abouelnaga, Founder of Practice Makes Perfect, “The Small Business Hustle”

Boxer Mike Tyson once said “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face,” and that’s figuratively true for most aspiring small business owners – their idea for a business may be brilliant, but figuring out the logistics of turning that idea into a successful enterprise may be monumentally challenging. Karim Abouelnaga, founder and CEO of Practice Makes Perfect, talks about the common mistakes he made as an entrepreneur such as over-projecting and overspending.

#7 Marcos Aguiar, Senior Partner at BCG, “Seven Tools for Building a Business That People Trust”

One of the most difficult tasks for any small business owner is creating a brand that people trust. Achieving this brings great rewards, but it also often involves connecting to consumers on a personal level and communicating through multiple channels. Marcos Aguiar, senior partner at BCG, talks about ways to elevate your business so that it can be seen in a positive light in the public.

#6 Adam Biddle, Co-Founder of GHO5T, “Defining the ROI of Social Media”

The importance of communicating your brand through social media skyrocketed during the pandemic, and that meant that businesses that didn’t have a strong social media presence faced being left in the dust. Social media expert Adam Biddle, co-founder of GHO5T, brilliantly simplifies the oft-confusing world of social media sites and explains how to use them to your advantage.

#5 Patty McCord, Independent Executive Coach, “Four Lessons the Pandemic Taught us About Work, Life and Balance”

Few people can deny that the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed the way we work and how we balance our professional and personal lives. Patty McCord, an independent executive coach, expertly gives four key insights that employers and employees gained from working from home. She also said that many companies need to stop referring to their employees as “family” and must stop being stubborn about creating a work from home policy.

#4 Julissa Prado, CEO of Rizos Curls, “Three Rules to Help you Build a Successful Business”

Operating a small business means having to effectively spend limited resources and having a lot of grit, especially when you are an immigrant or person of color. Entrepreneur Julissa Prado. CEO of Rizos Curls, talks about the rules she herself followed on her way to becoming a successful Entrepreneur.

#3 Julia Skupchenko, Co-Founder of AlterContacts, “Behind Every Small Business There is a Story”

COVID-19 disrupted the notions and beliefs upon which many businesses are run, and in order to adjust and survive, we have to let go of “past conditioning.” Julia Skupschenko is a world-renowned entrepreneur who co-founded AlterContacts, a consulting firm for small businesses. She also created Lockdown Economy, a think tank dedicated to helping small businesses face the challenges of the pandemic. In her Ted Talks lecture, she outlines the current challenges small businesses face and how to overcome them.

#2 Simon Sinek, Best-Selling Business Author, “The Right Way to do Work-Life Balance”

The very definition of work-life balance was permanently skewed as working from home became the norm during the pandemic. How do we strike that perfect balance when our home office and our work computer are always present? Simon Sinek, a former advertising executive and small business guru, gives some much-needed pointers on how to achieve that.

#1 Linda Chiou, CEO of IVY Swimwear, “How to Cultivate an Entrepreneurial Mindset”
We are living in an unprecedented time in which a record amount of people are rejecting the doldrums of working in the corporate world and, instead, want to follow their passions by becoming their own boss. Linda Chiou, a successful entrepreneur and CEO of IVY Swimwear, gives a powerful talk that reminds us that being an entrepreneur is as much of a mindset as it is a job.