Small Business Resources

Access the new Evanston Public Library blog for small business at EPL Means (Small) Business

Multimedia Resources for Small Businesses

There are blogs, podcasts, videocasts and online training resources available for entrepreneurs. We've chosen a few multimedia resources to help you get started.

Business Startup

• Entrepreneur's Starter Kit: 50 Things to Know Before Starting a Business.Christopher, Paul J. Chicago, IL: Huron Street Press. 2012
• The Everything Start Your Own Business Kit.  Harrington, Judith B.  Avon, MA: Adams Media.  2012.
• Heart, Smart, Guts and Luck: What it takes to be an Entrepreneur and Build a Great Business. Tjan, Anthony K. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. 2012
  
• How to Start Your Own Business for Entrepreneurs.  Ashton, Robert. Harlow, England, New York: Pearson.  2012.
  

State of Illinois Small Business Portal
Find links to information and resources for starting, running, expanding, relocating, or closing a business in Illinois.

Starting Your Business in Illinois, published by the State of Illinois on their Business Portal website.(En Español)




Starting a Small Business, presented by Entrepreneur magazine.






Online video training courses, provided by the Small Business Administration.

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Accounting and Finance

• Small Business Financing: How and Where to Get It. Toolkit Media Group.  Independent Pub Group, 2012.
  
• Investors in Your Backyard : How to raise business capital from the people you know. Advani, Asheesh. Berkeley, Calif. : Nolo, 2006.
• Hungry Start-up Strategy. Cohan, Peter S.  San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. 2012.
• Raising Capital. Sherman, Andrew J. New York: American Management Association. 2012.
• Accounting Handbook.  Siegel, Joel G. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series.  2010.
• Accounting Savvy for Business Owners: A Guide to the Bare Essentials.  Goodman, Philip B.  Philadelphia, PA: CPA911 Pub. 2010.  (eBook version)
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GovLoans.gov Five federal agencies, including the U.S. Small Business Administration, have come together to create this single point of access for federal loan information on the Web.

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Business Plans

• Business Plans Handbook. Detroit, MI : Gale Research, c1995- . The individual volumes in this set are also available as electronic books. Search all available eBook volumes of this set.
• Business Plans that Work: For your small business. Handelsman, Joe, Magos, Alice H. and Gordon, Catherine, editors. Riverwoods, Ill. : Toolkit Media Group, c2008.
• Writing Winning Business Plans. Sutton, Garrett.  Minden, NV : - BZK Press. c2012
  

Bplans.com 500+ sample business plans; owned and operated by Palo Alto Software, Inc. as a free resource to help entrepreneurs plan better businesses.

Business Plan Resources from the University of Washington and Cascadia Community College. Use this template to formulate your own business plan.

The Small Business Association's "Write a Business Plan". The SBA's advice on how to write a business plan.



Videos that take you through the business planning process can also be found on Bplans.com's site. They have a growing library of webinars, tutorials, online classes, and other video content on YouTube and elsewhere.

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Demographics

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American Factfinder


Part of the U.S. Census Bureau’s website, FactFinder allows the user to find census 2000 and some Census 1990 data with drop-down menus.

Community Information by Zip Code
Selected census data summarized by zip code, provided by California State University at Northridge.

Statistical Abstract of the United States is no longer being published by the Census Bureau, but this site will take you to a page that aggregates statistical information produced by various government departments and agencies.

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Financing Your Business Venture

• Directory of Venture Capital Firms: Domestic & International. Gray House Pub., c2012. (R658.1522 Directo ) [Small Business Reference]

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• Business loans from family & friends: how to ask, make it legal and make it work. Nolo Press, c2009 (658.1522 Advan.A.

Illinois DCEO Business Financing Matrix
A guide to federal, state and regional loan, incentive and grant programs for business and economic development, provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO.)

Financing Assistance from the State of Illinois
Another page on the DCEO website that aids in locating financing for new business ventures.

Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration has offices in every state and offers financing, training and advocacy for small firms.

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Incorporating Your Business

General

The following titles will help you determine the form your business should take. All can be found in [Small Business Reference]:

• Form A Partnership. Warner, Ralph E.; Clifford, Denis.  Berkeley, Calif. : - Nolo, c2012

• LLC or Corporation?  How to Choose the Right Form for your Business.  Mancuso, Anthony.  Berkeley, CA : - Nolo, c2012

• How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation. Mancuso, Anthony.  Ingram Pub Services, c2013.

Illinois

• How to Form Your Own Illinois Corporation Before the Inc. Dries! P. Gaines, c1996. (R346.773 Willi.P 1996 or 346.773 Willi.P 1996)

• How to Start a Business in Illinois. Sphinx Pub., c1999. (658.11 Gania.E 1999 and R658.11 Gania.E 1999 [Small Business Reference])
  The Illinois Secretary of State's office also provides publications for the Small Business owner. The library has print copies of The Illinois Limited Liability Company Act (R346.066 Illinoi), and Starting a Business in Illinois: Cutting through the Red Tape (R658.022 Startin) Both publications can be found in Small Business Reference on the 3rd Floor.

Business Organization Acts




Starting your Business in Illinois Handbook




State of Illinois: Domestic And Foreign Business Corporations Forms and Fees




State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

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Industry Trends

Encyclopedia of American Industries

Provides detailed, comprehensive information on a wide range of industries in every realm of American business.

Encyclopedia of Products and Industries-Manufacturing

Provides information on products and the relationships between products and their industries. Explores various aspects of a product, the manufacturers, suppliers, immediate and adjacent industries and markets.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The principal fact-finding agency for the Federal government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.

Industry Resources Reports

Lists resources available from trade associations, industry publications, and research firms which address subjects, such as industry overview, issues, trends, and outlook. Reports are available for more than 220 industries, and are provided by Valuation Resources.

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Legal Issues

 

Contracts

• Business contracts kit for dummies. Harroch, Richard D. IDG Books, c2000. (346.02 Harro.R)
• Business Forms on File. Facts on File, Inc., c1984- (R651.29 Busines) [Small Business Reference]
• Illinois Forms: practice oriented forms for Illinois legal and business transactions.. Lawyers Co-operative Pub. Co., 1975- Volumes 6-8 cover business contracts. (R347.773 IL6)

Contracts Overview

Provided by the Legal Information Institute of Cornell University, with links to other websites that explain contract law.

Keeping Your Contracts Simple -- and Enforceable

From Nolo’s Law for All website, a primer in how to express contractual agreements in simple, everyday English.

 

Employment Law

• Complying with the ADA: a small business guide to hiring and employing the disabled. New York: J. Wiley, c1993. (R346.013 Allen.J [Small Business Reference])
• Employment Discrimination: an Employer’s Guide. American Chamber of Commerce Publishers, 1997- . (R344.01133 Employm [Small Business Reference])
• Employment in Illinois: a Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations, and Practice. LEXIS Law Pub., c1997- . (R344.01 Sautt.M)
• Illinois Laws Relating to Labor and Employment. Chicago, Commerce Clearing House. (R331.1 IL6iL [Small Business Reference])
• Federal Employment Laws and Regulations: How to Comply. American Chamber of Commerce Publishers, 1998- . (R344.01 Federal 2001)
• Illinois Employment Laws and Regulations: How to Comply. American Chamber of Commerce Publishers, c1998- . (R344.01 Illinoi)

Employment Law
Provided by the Small Business Administration.

Employers' Rights and Responsibilities
Ths is provided by the Nolo Press’ "Law for All" website. Select the link to "Employment Law" on the left hand side of the page. The "Human Resources" section provides links for employers’ rights and responsibilities.

 

Other Legal Issues

The following volumes provide useful legal information on a variety of issues for small business owners.

• The American Bar Association legal guide for small business. Three Rivers Press, c2000. (346.0652 America or R346.0652 America [Small Business Reference])
• The complete small business legal guide. Enterprise Dearborn, c1993. (346.0652 Fried.R)

Illinois' New Legislation Impacting Small Business
Find information about proposed rules and legislation affecting small businesses in Illinois.

Small Business Legal Concerns
FindLaw.com’s overview of legal issues facing small businesses.

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Licensing and Permits

• Professional and Occupational Licensing Directory. Gale Research, c1993- . (R353.008 Profess 1996 [Careers Reference])
  Find the licensing requirements for yourself and your employees in this volume.

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Choose the product, service or profession about which you need licensing or permit information, and get all of your profession related services and questions taken care of.

Illinois Department of Professional Regulation
View a list of all professions that require licensing in the State of Illinois.

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Marketing

• Marketing Your Service. International Self-Counsel Press, c2003. (658.8 Withe.J )
  Explains how to develop a marketing plan, and provides over 30 worksheets to help you develop a targeted plan for any service business.
• The market planning guide: creating a plan to successfully market your business, product or service. (658.802 Bangs.D - 2002)
• What clients love: a field guide to growing your business. Warner Books, c2003. (658.8 Beckw.H)
  Outlines effective marketing strategies, including pinpointing a company's position, defining and managing a brand, and harnessing changes.

Marketing Virtual Library
Source for market research, marketing plans, Internet marketing, and more, provided by KnowThis.com.

Small Business Administration’s Marketing Basics

The SBA has a lot of good information on topics including market research, customer service, advertising, targeting, packaging, pricing, e-marketing, and others





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Created by Kathleen Lanigan
Evanston Public Library, Reference Services
1703 Orrington Ave.
(847) 448-8630