1. Wall Street Journal
2. Business Plans & Start-up Guides
3. Demographic Sources
4. Industry Information
5. Online Journals and Magazines
6. Additional Website & Books
7. Business Databases
Go to this URL: http://jproxy.lib.ecu.edu/login?url=http://www.nclive.org/cgi-bin/nclsm?rsrc=29.
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To find the Small Business columns (published every Tuesday), search for: col (small business)
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If you want to browse one day's Wall Street Journal, click on the Publication search tab, then click on the link for Wall Street Journal; Eastern Edition. You will see a list of dates. Click on the desired date. You will see a list of articles from that day's paper, in alphabetical order. You can sort the articles by page number, if desired.
These sources provide demographic data about the U.S. population. The data is broken down by various attributes (e.g., lifestyle, income, age, marital status, sex). Analysis and comparison of these data can help determine the potential market available in a certain area for a specific product or service.
4. Industry Information:
Overviews & Statistical Data: The following sources provide an overview of major U.S. industries, assess industry trends and challenges, and provide statistical data.
Sources:
Trade Associations: Many trade associations compile and disseminate industry data. While some publications must be purchased, association websites often include free industry overviews.Search engines like Google are good ways to find trade associations. Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys often includes a list of trade associations. The Reference books listed in Section 6 also usually include information about trade associations.
Financial Analysis: Find how your company compares financially with other companies in the industry (ratio analysis). These sources provide industry ratios that can be compared against company ratios. Five years of these print sources are kept in the Reference Business section; earlier issues are in the Joyner Stacks. Research Insight can be accessed from the computers in the Reference Department of Joyner Library and from the Business School Lab. Some ratios are also available through a web version.
Sources:
| Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios (Dun and Bradstreet) | REF Business HF 5681 R25 I525 |
| Annual Statement Studies (Robert Morris Association) also available electronically from Joyner's web page | REF Business HF 5681 B2 R6 (print)
Also available electronically from: http://media.lib.ecu.edu/erdbs/erdbs_description.cfm?id=491
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| Almanac of Business and Industrial Financial Ratios (Troy) | REF Business HF 5681 R25 A45 |
| Financial Studies of the Small Business | REF HD 2346 U5 F55a |
| Research Insight | In the CD-ROM version, follow these steps: "Open Report" / "Sector & Industry Reports" / "Financial Summary (Including Industry Comparisons)" |
5. Online Journals and Magazines:
Entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrpreneur.com
Includes issues of Entrepreneur Magazine from January 1997 to the present.
Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice
Available through Blackwell Synergy, September 2002 - present. 
Family Business Review
Available through Blackwell Synergy, March1998 - present.
Inc. Magazine Online
http://www.inc.com/home
Provides some content for free; Inc. is also available through EBSCOhost Business Source Premier, May 1990 - present. 
Journal of Business Venturing
Available through Science Direct, 1995 - present.
Journal of Small Business Management
Available through EBSCOhost Business Source Premier, 1971 - present, with a one-year embargo on fulltext content.
Yahoo Small Business: http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com
Though heavily commercial, this site has good information and gives the user a feel of the small businesses on the World Wide Web. Includes access to Thomas Register .
New York Small Business Resource Center: http://www2.nypl.org/smallbiz/
Useful sites collected by the New York Public Library.
eWeb:http://eweb.slu.edu/Default.htm
The eWeb site at St. Louis University has a complete list of publications on entrepreneurship and more information about academic entrepreneurship programs and resources. It is considered a most useful site for students and faculty of entrepreneurship.
Economic Statistics from Pirate Source:
Select "Economics," then select "Statistics" as the Type of Material.
There are many books in the library on small businesses and entrepreneurship. Good reference sources include:
Directory of Business Information Resources, Ref HD 2425 D46
Encyclopedia of Small Business, Ref HD 62.7 H553
Small Business Sourcebook, Ref HD 2346 U5 S66
Search the library catalog to find other books. Useful SUBJECT ALPHABETICAL searches include:
business planning
entrepreneurship -- case studies
small business -- finance | | small business -- handbooks
small business -- management
small business -- United States |
7. Business Databases (selected list):
Articles:
Company Information:
Directories:
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