LibGuides: Business: Small Business

Available in the Library:

These books, along with other titles, can be found in the Reference section of the Library. Click on the cover to view the book in Amazon. Click on the title to go to the record in the Library Online Catalog. Be sure to check the Circulating collection for books you can check out, too.

American Bar Association Legal Guide for Small Business, 2nd edition by American Bar Association
Call Number: REF KF 1659 .Z9 43 2010
Entrepreneur's Information Sourcebook by Susan C. Awe
Call Number: HD 62.5 .A96 2012
How to Write a Business Plan by Mike McKeever
Call Number: HD 30.28 .M3839 2012
Wall Street Journal. Complete Small Business Guidebook by Colleen DeBaise
Call Number: REF HD 62.7 .D43 2009

Library Databases

These databases will be useful to you in your research:

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to over 3.2 million entries from over 400 reference titles
Ebook Central This link opens in a new window
Contains over 130,000 full-text e-books in a wide variety of subjects and disciplines. There is a powerful user interface that includes highlighting, bookmarking and automatic citations.
EBSCOHost This link opens in a new window
EBSCOhost is the primary online journal and e-book platform at VFCC. It contains 28 multidisciplinary and subject-specific databases. Be sure to consult Business Source Complete and Small Business Reference Center, as well as e-Book Academic Collection for full-text books.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
This collection contains the complete archived holdings of over 1,100 scholarly, full-text journals. New titles and disciplines are added regularly.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Contains full-text documents from over 6,000 news, business, and legal publications.
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Contains full-text resources on current issues. This online library investigates current issues and topics from a number of perspectives.

Smalll Business Websites

Here are some websites that will help as you research various aspects of small business.

Bloomberg Businessweek
Wonderful Small Business tab which gives information and tips on such things as: financing, sales and marketing, smart answers, starting a business, and much more.
Business Cafe
"Small business ideas for starting a business, marketing, financing, grants, work at home & internet ecommerce. Network with others who KNOW what you're going through."
Entrepreneur.com: the Online Small Business Authority
Online "How-to" guide for starting a small business
Quick MBA: Entrepreneurship
"An online knowledge resource for business administration."
Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE)
SCORE works with the Small Business Administration and is available to would-be and new entrepreneurs to guide them throughout the process of creating a small business.
StartupNation
"StartupNation is a free service founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs." It covers step-by-step advice for starting a business, helpful articles, forums, local interest and professional groups, blogs and podcasts.
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Step-by-step advice
Helpful articles
Small business & entrepreneur forums
Local, interest and professional groups
Member-to-member Networking
Expert Blogs
Podcasts
Contests
The Riley Guide: Steps to Starting Your Own Business
Areas include :Steps in Starting Up, Finding Help, Funding for Your Business, A Little Legalese, and Setting Up the Office
WomanOwned.com
Networking tools for women business owners, and many resources and articles on planning, financing, managing, and promoting a small business.

Government Websites

Business USA
"Business USA is a centralized, one-stop platform to make it easier than ever for businesses to access services to help them grow and hire."
Census Business Builder
If you need data to help decide whether to start or grow a business, this is a brand new site from the Census Bureau.
House Committee on Small Business
The HCSB "strives to support new and small businesses through open access to loans, credit and capital. We advocate fair and true tax relief for small business. We work to open the lucrative federal marketplace to entrepreneurs, reduce onerous paperwork, and give small companies the tools they need to take care of their employees and build their companies. This web site is designed to provide you with important, up-to-date information on the activities of the Small Business Committee.
Library of Congress Business Reference Services
The Library of Congress Business Reference Services offers a subject guide to online Business reference sources.
Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
General information on federal government management and technical assistance programs to assist minority-owned businesses.
Office of Women's Business Ownership
Part of the SBA, this site offers "entrepreneurs, especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged, are offered comprehensive training and counseling on a vast array of topics in many languages to help them start and grow their own businesses."
Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
"Here you will find information on actions the Senate is taking to help small businesses through legislation, hearings and oversight letters. Information on issues important to entrepreneurs is also available, as well as a survey for small business owners to tell us about their businesses, the challenges they’re facing and ways the Senate can help."
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Information on starting, financing and expanding your business; SBA info by state; searchable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
United States Department of Labor (DOL)
The Department of Labor (DOL) fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States.
United States Small Business Association: Micro-Loans
Brief information about the federal government program that "provides very small loans to start-up, newly established, or growing small business concerns." Includes a state-by-state directory of lenders and technical assistance organization."

Specialized Business Search Engines

Business Research Search Engine
Google Custom Search.
Business.com
Google Insights for Search
Find trends, projections, percentages, etc. in business.
Small Business Search Engine
This SBA site lets you search across federal, state and local government sites, and retrieve information on programs, services and resources that help you start, grow and manage your small business. You no longer need to visit multiple government websites to find information you need.
Yahoo! Small Business
News, tips, and articles for small business owners. Topics include getting started, marketing, online business, management, legal and financial issues. Also offers a business dictionary and web domains for small businesses.

Library Director

Melanie Oestreich

Professional Associations

Here are some small business associations and organizations that may be of interest to you:

American Association of Franchisees and Dealers
Non-profit trade association representing the rights and interests of franchisees and independent dealers.
International Franchise Association (IFA)
A membership organization of franchisors, franchisees and suppliers. Dedicated to providing a one-stop shopping experience for franchise information.
National Association for the Self Employed (NASE)
The nation's leading resource for Micro-Business. Provides a broad range of benefits and support to help the smallest businesses succeed.
National Business Association
Non-profit association, specifically designed to assist the Self-Employed and Small Business Community in achieving their professional goals."
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
"The nation's largest small business advocacy group."
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
The state-wide voice of business. Contains directory of local Chambers of COmmerce throughout the state.
Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE)
"Counselors to America's Small Business. A nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE volunteers provide free, confidential face-to-face and email business counseling to America’s entrepreneurs."

Small Business Blogs

Blogs: The U.S. Small Business Administration
Small Business Association's list of blogs.