Hit a Paywall? Here are Alternatives to Three Popular Business Websites
More learning, fewer subscription costs
Learning business is expensive.
From high-cost business degrees to textbook rentals to online resources, the cost of keeping up with today’s knowledge can be overwhelming. No wonder the average MBA student walks away with more than $66,000 in student debt between undergrad and graduate school and the United States is facing a genuine student loan crisis.
Even after school, once you hit the workforce and start making money, the need to learn is ever-present. Business theories change regularly, accelerated by trends in technology and the emergence of expansive sales and marketing channels. The smart business leader in today’s market knows the need for life-long learning. But learning isn’t cheap.
To make financial matters worse, many of the best online business resources have set up paywalls in recent years. This limits the amount of content you can consume before you have to pony up.
It’s not surprising— every business wants a steady flow of subscription revenue. I learned that from a Harvard Business Review article.
They now have a paywall.
Young professionals who are early in their careers, hungry to learn and grow and achieve, have to face tough decisions about where to invest their time and their resources. And many can’t — or don’t want to — shell out hundreds of dollars a year on subscription services.
Luckily, in today’s market, there is a huge base of business content to choose from. Let’s dive into some free alternatives to popular business sites.
Quick Note!
Before you click through to the alternatives listed here, check to see if you already have access to the most popular business websites.
- Work. Many companies, especially large ones, pay a flat fee for their entire workforce to have access to certain publications. The company wants you to use the resources — that’s why they’re there — but they don’t always do a great job letting employees know about them. Check your learning system or ask a partner in HR/L&D to see what’s available.
- School. If you’re still in school, your university or college probably has some subscriptions. Like companies, they pay a flat rate for students to access the content. And like companies, they don’t advertise resources well. Ask your advisor or reach out to the business department to see what you can get your hands on for free.
- Library. It’s a travesty more people don’t use their local library. In many cases, the library offers free access to major publications, and many library systems have started offering digital options as well. You may be able to access some of these publications directly from your smartphone or computer, free of charge.
Ok, now on to the list . . .
Paywall #1 — Harvard Business Review
Odds are, if you’ve spent any time studying business, you’ve been assigned a Harvard Business Review article. HBR is an industry-leading publication and a favorite of business professors everywhere.
The publication, which is offered in online, magazine, and compilation form, covers a wide variety of topics. Many articles summarize trending business research, while others provide opinions on the emerging issues of the day. HBR is able to attract top-level writers from universities and Fortune 500 companies around the world.
HBR does allow for a few free reads per month — you can look at two free articles as a guest, and four if you register — but after that, the paywall kicks in. As of this writing, the Digital and Digital & Print subscriptions run $12 per month each, which can add up after a while.
Alternatives
In order to replace Harvard Business Review, you’ll have to piece together the latest in business strategy, industry insights, and career advice. Not the easiest thing to do, but with a little savvy, you can manage.
Try these instead:
- McKinsey Quarterly. McKinsey & Co. is one of the leading management consulting firms in the world. So they know their stuff. They publish a quarterly magazine called — you guessed it — McKinsey Quarterly, where they talk about all the emerging trends in business. Since the company uses its magazine as a lead magnet for Fortune 500 clients, they offer their online articles for free. Nice!
- Knowledge @ Wharton. Wharton, the Business School arm of the University of Pennsylvania, rivals Harvard in terms of university prestige. It’s no surprise, then, that they put out some great content. Knowledge @ Wharton is an online publication offered for free by the university and covers many of the same topics HBR does. Business strategy, technology, career, economics. It’s all here.
- Harvard Business Review’s Podcasts. If you’re willing to listen to your business insights rather than read them — and honestly, who doesn’t love a good business podcast while jogging around the neighborhood? — then you can get free access to almost all of the same content through the HBR podcast channels. Since Harvard can monetize their podcasts through ads, they don’t mind you listening for free. Check out the HBR IdeaCast, Women at Work, Dear HBR, and more.
Paywall #2 — The Wall Street Journal
If your dad worked in business back in the day, he probably read The Wall Street Journal. Boasting an impressive 38 Pulitzer Prizes and more than 2.8 million subscribers, WSJ is a widely-circulated newspaper that pays particular attention to the economic and business side of the news.
You can still get WSJ in newspaper form, but many people choose to engage with their website, which is filled with up-to-the-minute coverage of the economy, financial markets, and trends, as well as general topics like politics and global news. Many U.S. and international business leaders add their voice to The Wall Street Journal when called upon.
WSJ currently allows you to read the first three or four paragraphs of an article before the paywall kicks in. And subscriptions start at $8 per month, but that’s only for the first year.
Alternatives
If you just need general news, there are tons of online sources to seek out. But to replicate the economic and financial focus of The Wall Street Journal, you’ll need to dig a little deeper.
Try these instead:
- Reuters. Reuters is a business, economics, and markets publication that provides a wide breadth of coverage. There’s plenty of U.S. investment market coverage, as well as local and global news. This is a great general resource for keeping up with what’s happening in the business world, as well as impacts to major companies and economies.
- Industry-Specific Publications. If you’d rather spend time reading about particular industries you’re interested in, then it’s time to specialize. Focused on tech? Check out Wired and Re/Code. How about marketing? Spend time on Hubspot and Ad Age. There’s a great publication for almost every industry, and it’s worth your time to track one down.
- The Wall Street Journal’s Podcasts. Similar to HBR, The Wall Street Journal uses ad-revenue to fund a series of podcasts. What’s News is a great way to invest 10–15 minutes into a topic, while The Journal gives wider coverage to the news of the day and The Future of Everything explores modern trends. Every listener can find something they like here.
Paywall #3 — The Economist
Strategy insights and up-to-the-minute news bites are great. But many readers want to know about the broader implications of business change. They want to read about economics. And that’s where a publication like The Economist comes in.
The Economist is an England-based publication that has been around since 1843 and boasts 1.6 million subscribers across print and digital. Many people look to The Economist as a great resource for keeping up with global business discussions.
The current website for The Economist limits you to a few lines from each article before needing to log in with a subscription plan. If you go digital only, and look for a discount, you can get a subscription for around $8 per month. And the longer you subscribe, the cheaper the per-month fee gets.
Alternatives
There is a lot of great economics content available. And, unlike in years past, it isn’t all driven by academics and researchers. Tapping into the emerging trend of approachable economics discussions is a great way for young professionals to expand their knowledge. And you can do so outside The Economist.
Try these instead:
- BBC. One of the key advantages of reading The Economist is getting away from the U.S.-centric news cycle and considering the broader economic happenings of the world. The BBC is an excellent resource for just that. With a tremendous reputation and a knack for real-time reporting, the BBC is a great global option.
- FiveThirtyEight. American statistician, Nate Silver, rose to fame in 2008 when his data-driven approach helped predict the presidential election. He went on to found FiveThirtyEight, which is a website dedicated to data. Their content covers the gambit — from sports and politics to science and technology — but they have some great write-ups on the economy. You won’t find a deeper data dive anywhere outside academic journals.
- Planet Money and The Freakonomics Podcast. The Economist offers its own series of podcasts — you can find them here. But if you’re looking for something less formal and more fun, check out these two. Planet Money and Freakonomics have a way of taking complex economic topics and making them oh-so-easy to understand. They feature many of the same great economists and thinkers as other publications, but wrap their study in fascinating stories about real humans. Well worth the listen.
What Young Professionals Should Do Next
If you have the funds to pay for multiple ongoing subscriptions, then by all means. But if you’re managing your budget closely, and willing to check out alternatives, there’s no need to break the bank. You can learn business, economics, finance, and more from dozens of great online resources.
When considering where to spend your time online, here are some recommendations:
- Embrace your interests. If reading news about the S&P 500 feels stuffy to you, but the current trends in artificial intelligence are fascinating, spend time reading about AI. You may feel pressure to read intelligent-sounding articles from intelligent-sounding business leaders, but at the end of the day, your interests are going to drive your actions. So embrace them.
- Cast a wide net if you don’t know. If you haven’t found the part of business that interests you the most, it might be time to expand your worldview. Be willing to read a half-dozen articles or listen to the first fifteen minutes of a few random podcasts. Who knows? Something may grab your attention and send you down a lifelong journey.
- Lastly, learn one new thing every day. It’s amazing what you can accomplish by being consistent. Learning new business concepts can feel overwhelming, so set reasonable goals. One thing learned today is one thing you didn’t know yesterday. And that’s worth celebrating!
What are your favorite business websites? Drop a recommendation in the comments below. And join the Young Corporate page where we’re talking about career success, corporate citizenship, and more.
