While full access to SEOmoz.org requires a monthly fee they offer quite a few free resources to help you understand the fundamentals of search optimization. Whether you work with a professional or go it alone - you may find something useful for your scrappy upstart.
SEOmoz free tools include:
Their free guides skew to beginners and include:
Great suggestions. May I suggest http://www.seochat.com/. They have some free tools too.