- Check out the databases and books on this page for help writing business plans and understanding legal and ethical issues.
- The next page has examples of SWOT analyses, financial statements, and industry/competitor information.
- There is also a page on market research.
- For information about private, local businesses and local consumer lifestyles, go to the local information page.
Gale Business: Entrepreneurship
Gale Business: Entrepreneurship covers all aspects of starting and operating a business, including accounting, finance, human resources, management, marketing, tax, and more.
Legal Information Reference Center
In the Legal Information Reference Center, try seaching for terms like "intellectual property" or permits. You can also read specific publications like the Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business.
Anatomy of a Business Plan : The Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Business and Securing Your Company's Future (ebook)
The One-Hour Business Plan : The Simple and Practical Way to Start Anything New (ebook)
Business Report Guides: Research Reports and Business Plans (ebook)
Starting an Online Business All-In-One for Dummies (ebook)
Startup Opportunities: Know When to Quit Your Day Job (e-book)
The Right-brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success (print book)
The Small Business Start-up Kit : A Step-by-Step Legal Guide (print book)
This page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Business Insights: Global
Business Source Premier
- Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition
This interactive tool uses your target industry and zip code to generate a map and report based on available government data. - US Census Data
The Census Bureau is the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. Search for a location and/or characteristics like age, sex, race/ethnicity, veteran status, language spoken, commuting habits, income, household makeup, and more. - Consumer Expenditure Survey
Survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the buying habits of American consumers, their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics. - American Time Use Survey
Measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing. - North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
NAICS is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. - Datasource Links from PSU's Population Research Center
Even more places to find government data, from Portland State University's Population Research Center.
This page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
- Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Search for social media fact sheet for a helpful report about social media usage patterns. - Consumer Insights from Google Trends
Google shares select insights and reports based on its vast data on consumer behavior.
The Census, on the Market Research tab, has lots of information available at the city level. It's much harder to find local information that the Census doesn't collect. Also, private companies are not required to file information (called 10Ks) with the federal government like big public companies are. Reference Solutions is one of the few resources to find at least some local, private company information, as well as (imperfect) data about consumer lifestyles at a very local level. Local and regional newspapers can also be a good source of information about local businesses and consumers.Find articles about your company and its competitors in regional and local news sources. This may be your best bet for external analysis if you're working with a private company!
The following local papers are available full text for the time period indicated: The Oregonian, 1987 - present; Corvallis Gazette-Times,1999-present; Albany Democrat-Herald, 1999-present
Includes full text coverage from several hundred U.S. and International newspapers as well as regional business publications.
This page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Image attribution: Edfallere, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Common.
Access Reference Solutions (formerly ReferenceUSA) through the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
As an LBCC student, you have access to Corvallis-Benton County Public Library's (CBCPL) electronic resources. To use these, you must first have a card from CBCPL. Sign up for a CBCPL e-card using your LBCC email.
An important business resource from Corvallis Public is Reference Solutions, which is one of the best sources for information on very small, local, private companies. To get here (once you have your library card), look under the Business & Finance section of CBCPL's E-resources and click the Reference Solutions link. Use the number on your CBCPL card to log in.
Find Local Company Information through Reference Solutions
Once you're logged in, click on the search button for US Businesses. Enter a company name and a city to find the owner, contact information, SIC/NAICS industry codes, expenditures, sales, and more.
Under Location Information, you can enter a number of miles in Radius Search, and then click on Find Similar to see nearby businesses in the same industry.
Learn more about the US Businesses database.
Research Consumer Segments in Reference Solutions
When you're logged into Reference Solutions, go to U.S. Consumers/Lifestyles, and then go to Advanced Search.
Use the facets on the side (I suggest starting with the city you're interested in) to limit to your target demographics.
Click "View Results." This shows you all the people identified who meet the criteria of your search (it's not comprehensive).
You can go to Summary and identify further facets (age, income, marital status, etc.) you want to compare within your segment. View matrix, chart, or table to analyze the data.
Learn more about the US Consumers/Lifestyles Database