Small Business Resources

Bob Gorman
Reference Librarian
Winthrop University
June, 2008

Indexes

Business & Company Resource Center (Available on Dacus Library Online)

Provides access to business-related articles, company and industry information, and investment reports.

Business Source Premier (Available on Dacus Library Online)

Provides indexing and full-text of over 8.000 business-related magazines, scholarly journals, and other sources.  Includes full-text company profiles, industry profiles, SWOT analysis, market research reports, and country reports.

LexisNexis Academic (Available on Dacus Library Online)

Full-text of newspapers and other business resources

FirstSearch (available on Dacus Library Online)

Provides online access to over 40 databases. Two indexes of particular interest are: "Business and Industry" which contains facts, figures, and key events for international public and private companies, industries, products, and markets; and "Business Organizations" which is a directory of business organizations, agencies, and publications worldwide.

Web Sites

Winthrop University Small Business Development Center ( http://cba.winthrop.edu/SBDC/ )

Small Business Administration (http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/)

CCH  Business Owner's Toolkit (http://www.toolkit.cch.com)

Provides sample business plans and documents such as balance sheets and business forms.

Entrepreneur Magazine (http://www.entrepreneur.com)

Newslibrary (http://www.newslibrary.com/)

Search Knight-Ridder newspapers, including The Charlotte Observer and The State (Columbia).

SCIway (http://sciway.net)

This South Carolina Web site includes business and economic statistics and information.

Charlotte.Com (http://www.charlotte.com/)

Provides online access to The Charlotte Observer. 

Resource Guides

The Small Business Sourcebook (Ref. HD 2346 .U5 .S66)

Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources (Ref. HF 5353 .E53)

Encyclopedia of Associations (Ref. AS 22 .E5 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Includes address, phone numbers, names and descriptions of business and trade associations and organizations.

Industry Analysis

Business Source Premier (Available on Dacus Library Online)

Provides full-text full-text company profiles, industry profiles, SWOT analysis, and market research reports.

Business & Company Resource Center  (Available on Dacus Library Online)

Provides full-text industry reports.

Economic Census (Available in Government Documents or on the Web at http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide )

National and local statistical data on all aspects of the U.S. economy, including retail and wholesale trade and manufacturing.  Updated every 5 years.

Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys (Ref. HC 106.6 .S74 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Provides narrative and statistical information on major industry groupings.

Manufacturing and Distribution USA (Ref. HD 9721 .M3495 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Provides industry analysis, statistics and leading companies in manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade.

Mergent Industry Review (Ref. HG 4961 .M68 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Contains financial information, operating data, and ratios on over 6,000 companies arranged by industry group. Provides comparative statistics and rankings within each industry.

Service Industries USA (Ref. HD 9981.1 .S47 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Provides industry analysis, statistics, and leading companies.

Value Line Investment Survey (Ref. HG 4501 .V26 - Kept at the Reference Desk, also available through Dacus Library Online.)

Provides one-page surveys of general industries.

Competitor Analysis

Reference USA (available on Dacus Library Online)

Directory of over 14 million private and public businesses in the U.S. Includes employees and sales by range, credit rating, and a list of products/activities by SIC code for each business.  

Thomasnet.com ( http://www.thomasnet.com/index.html )

Lists products and services, directory information, brand names,   and company catalogs. 

Large Competitor Analysis

Business Source Premier (Available on Dacus Library Online)

Provides full-text company profiles.

Business & Company Resource Center  (Available on Dacus Library Online)

Provides full-text company reports.

Mergent Online  (Available on Dacus Library Online)

Extensive financial and other information on over 10,000 public companies in the U.S. and thousands of international companies.

Value Line Investment Survey (Ref. HG 4501 .V26 - Kept at the Reference Desk, also available through Dacus Library Online)

Provides investment information on major companies.

Market Share Reporter (Ref. HF 5410 .M35 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Compilation of published market shares. Arranged by product with indexes by company name and SIC codes.

Company annual reports

Many large companies are now putting their annual reports on the Web. See also AnnualReports.com (http://www.annualreports.com), LexisNexis Academic and Mergent Online.

Customer Analysis

MRI + (On Dacus Library Online)

Market Analysis: Size and Potential

Editor and Publisher Market Guide (Ref. HF 5905 .E38 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

U.S. Census 2000 (http://www.census.gov)

Survey of Buying Power (Published in the August issue of Sales and Marketing Management)

Sourcebook of Zipcode Demographics (Ref. HA 203 .S67 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Statistical Abstract of the United States (C 3.134: - Government Documents and at the Reference Desk and on the Web at http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab )

County and City Extra:  Annual Metro, City, and County Data Book (Ref HA 203 .S67 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

County Business Patterns (C 3.204/4: - Government Documents - on CD-ROM and on the Web at http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html )

Survey of Current Business (C 59.11: - Government Documents and on the Web at http://www.bea.gov/bea/pubs.htm )

Manufacturing and Distribution USA (Ref. HD 9721 .M3495 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Service Industries USA (Ref. HD 9981.1 .S47 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Sales Forecasting and Financial Statements

Standard Industrial Classification Manual (Ref. HF 1042 .S73 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

North American Industry Classification System United States Manual  (Ref HF 1042 .N67- Kept at the Reference Desk.)

Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios (Ref. HF 5681 .R25 .I53 - Kept at the Reference Desk)

Robert Morris and Associates Annual Statement Studies (Available at the Small Business Development Center)

Marketing Plan

SRDS (Standard Rate and Data Service) (Ref. HF 5415 .S21)

Includes volumes for print media, business publications, radio advertising, consumer magazines, newspaper advertising, and television and cable

Distribution

American Wholesalers and Distributors Directory (Ref. HF 5421 .A615)