Business Sites

Finding a business to buy

Entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrepreneur.com/
This resource is packed with options.
Across the top, notice the row of buttons. Select “Biz Opps” for a comprehensive database of business opportunities searchable by keyword, category, or alphabetical index.
From “Home,” scroll down for links to “Small-Biz Essentials.”

Canadian Business Exchange
http://www.canadianbusinessexchange.com/
This database gives several options for searching for businesses that are for sale in Canada. Search by category or province.

Analyzing profitability

BizStats.com
http://www.bizstats.com/
This site presents “effective and understandable analysis of businesses and industries” through tables that show profitability, operating ratios, and other business statistics. Try the “Benchmark your business” option. Scroll down for National Business Statistics that include the most popular small businesses.

Knowing your competition

Yahoo Yellow Pages
http://yp.yahoo.com/
Find listings of a certain type of business in a specific city.
Enter the city and state and search for a specific business or browse by category.

Getting information about a business

To get information about a specific business or company, try a search using EBSCOHost

EBSCOhost
http://schools.4j.lane.edu/churchill/library/

If you're not at school, you'll need a Username and Password to use EBSCOhost. Check a "Lancer Library Bookmark" or ask for them in the library.

• From the Library Homepage (http://schools.4j.lane.edu/churchill/library/),
  click on EbscoHost --> Search Other Databases --> Business Searching Interface
• In the Find box, search for a specific business or topic.
• Check result categories: Academic Journals, Trade Publications, Magazines, SWOT Analyses, and Market Research Results.
• Click HTML or PDF for the full text of the article.
• Save, print, or e-mail results
• For more search options, select Advanced Search.
• Select "Company Profiles." Enter the name of a company to get both a summary and complete report of a company. (Only large businesses are included in this database.)
• Other options: Country Reports (economics, political background), Industry Profiles (overview, market value), Market Research Reports (market insight, emerging trends)

  Be sure to save the citation of any source you use.

Google
http://www.google.com
Try a Google search on the name of your business. To fish for problems, add "complaints" or "problems" to your search string. (engrave-a-crete and complaints)

Five websites with many helpful links

BeOnline: Business Reference Services
http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/beonline/subjectlist.php
This portal of Internet resources for business and economics is from the Library of Congress. Click on each subject for a list of links to high quality websites.

BeOnline: Companies
http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/beonline/compgen.html
Links from the Library of Congress to databases and other resources with information about specific companies.

Better Business Bureau
http://www.bbb.org/
Under "Check it out:" search for a specific business to retrieve a "Reliability Report."

United States Small Business Administration
http://www.sba.gov/
This site presents extensive information about small business that includes start-up, finance, business opportunities (with the government), and more. On the map of the U.S., click on a state for comprehensive links to business information about the specific state.

Demographics: knowing your clients

SBDC National Information Clearinghouse: Demographics
http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu/SBIC/demographics.htm
Resources to help you analyze potential customers.

U.S. Census Bureau Homepage
http://www.census.gov/
The official source for statistics on the U.S. population, along with maps, economic indicators, and statistics on a multitude of other topics. Search economic summary statistics by metropolitan center, by state, and by county.
A link to American FactFinder is on the left column of links. American FactFinder gives statistics on population, age, education, income, race, home values, and home ownership.

Resources about Oregon

Oregon.gov: Business in Oregon
http://www.oregon.gov/index.shtml
This portal leads to every kind of information a person might need to do business in Oregon.

Economic & Community Development Department (Oregon)
http://www.econ.state.or.us/
This site offers extensive resources for people who want to start a business in Oregon. Select “Assisting Businesses” and browse through the pull-down menu on the upper right of the screen.

Light-hearted help

Business Owners’ Ideacafe: A Fun Approach to Serious Business
http://www.businessownersideacafe.com/
This site offers a range of information in a relaxed format.

Citing your sources

Citation Maker
http://schools.4j.lane.edu/churchill/library/
In the center of the Lancer Library Homepage, look for "To cite your work use Citation Maker." Click on "Citation Maker" on three screens, then scroll down for the choices under "World Wide Web." Enter the information in the boxes and press "Save citation." When you're finished, select "Show my citations" and follow the directions in the pop-up box.