Home > Research Guides > Business Simulation
Librarian: Judy Wagner
Office: SRC 3044
Phone: (630) 942-2021
E-mail: wagnerj@cod.edu
Getting Started
- COD Library Catalog
- The first thing you should do is search on the Library Catalog by SUBJECT or KEYWORD to see if there are any start-up books on the business you are starting.
- Bplans.com
- http://www.bplans.com/sp/
- Sample business, marketing and web site plans for specific businesses
- Business PlanPro
- HD 30.28 .B87 (Ref)
- Contains business plans cited on the Bplans web site.
- Business Plans Handbook
- A Compilation of Actual Business Plans
- HD 62.7 .B865 (Ref/Gen)
- Actual business plans - the copies in General can be checked out.
- Business Strategies
- HD 28 .B8 (Ref)
- Up-to-date information on all aspects of starting and running a small business.
- Small Business Sourcebook
- HD 2346 .U5 S66 (Ref)
- Starting A Business in Illinois
- Cutting Through the Red Tape for Small Business -
- HD62.5 .S725 (Ref/Gen)
- Step by Step Guide to Starting a Business in Illinois
- http://business.illinois.gov/step_by_step_guides.cfm
- Business Startup and Management Guides
- http://www.commerce.state.il.us/dceo/Bureaus/Entrepreneurship+and+Small+Business/IEN+Business+Information+Center/
- Successful Business Plan: Secrets & Strategies / Rhonda Abrams
- HD 62.5 .A344 (Ref/Gen)
- A recommended guide to writing a business plan.
Industry Analysis
- Encyclopedia of Associations
- AS 22 .E5 (Ref)
- Use this encyclopedia or Google to find associations connected with your business/industry.
- Market Share Reporter
- HF 5415.2 .M3x (Ref)
- Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys
- Useful for overviews of broad industry types.
- Business Databases
- The most important thing you can do is locate articles on the industry in which your business operates and on the specific type of business which you are starting. Use the following business databases to find these articles:
•Business & Company ASAP
•ABI Inform
•Business Source Premier
Sometimes a general database will have articles on your business or industry.
•Academic Source Premier
•Expanded Academic ASAP
The following newspaper databases will have articles as well.
•Chicago Tribune
Articles on local business topics and Chicago companies.
•Wall Street Journal
Articles from the Wall Street Journal.
•National Newspapers
Use this to search across all the major newspapers simultaneously.
Competition
- Google/Froogle
- http://froogle.google.com
- Google's shopping guide.
- Hoover's Online
- Search for the competitors of major companies that are similar to yours.
- Reference USA
- Useful for local competitors.
- Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
- T 12 .T6 (Ref)
- http://www.thomasregister.com
Target Market
- Lifestyle Market Analyst
- HF 5415.33 .U65 L54 (Ref)
- Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC)
- http://www.nipc.org
- Contains Census 2000 Demographic Profiles for local municipalities.
- Sourcebook of County Demographics
- HA 203 .S65 (Ref)
- Sourcebook of Zip Code Demographics
- HA 203 .S67 (Ref)
- Survey of Buying Power
- HF 5437 .A2 S79x (Ref)
- U.S. Census Bureau
- http://www.census.gov
- An excellent source for current U.S. social, demographic and economic statistics.
- Also see Reference USA
- Useful if doing business-to-business marketing.
Financials/Budgeting
Industry financial ratios
- Almanac of Business and Industrial Financial Ratios
- HF 5681 .R25 A45 (Ref)
- Financial Studies of the Small Business
- HF 5681 .B2 F55 (Ref)
- Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios
- HF 5681 .R25 I54x (Ref)
- RMA Annual Statement Studies
- HF 5681 .B2 R6 (Ref)
- Hoover's Online
- Useful for financials of companies like yours.
Legal Information
- Complete Book of Small Business Legal Forms
- KF 1659 .A65 S43 (Ref)
- How To Form Your Own Illinois Corporation Before The Inc. Dries -
- KFI 1413.5 .Z9 .W54 (Ref/Gen)
- Illinois Compiled Statutes
- KFI 1229 .I44 (Ref)
Management / Human Resources
- American Salaries and Wages Survey
- HD 4973 .A67 (CCIC)
- BLR Encyclopedia of Personnel Forms
- HF 5549.17 .B18 (Ref)
- BLR's Job Descriptions Encyclopedia
- HF 5549.5 .J613 B55 (Ref)
- Corporate Statements
- The Official Missions of Over 900 Companies
- HD 30.285 .H37 (Ref)
- Organization Charts
- Structures of More Than 200 Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations
- HD 58.65 .O74 (Ref)
- Personnel Manager's Encyclopedia of Prewritten Personnel Policies
- HF 5549.17 .P47 (Ref)
- Riley Guide
- Salary & Compensation Information
- http://www.rileyguide.com/salary.html
- Survey Design
- To find books on designing surveys, search on the COD Library Catalog under the SUBJECT of 'Questionnaires' and 'Surveys.'
Marketing / Advertising
- Chicago Creative Directory
- HF 5805 .C4 C4 (Ref)
- Standard Rate & Data Service Directories
- Business publications, consumer magazines, direct marketing, newspapers, radio, television and cable)
- Titles vary
- HF 5905 (Ref)
International Markets
- STAT-USA - National Trade Data Bank
- Search the Department of Commerce's National Trade Data Bank with its wealth of trade leads.
- GlobalEDGE
- http://globaledge.msu.edu
- This international business web site, maintained by Michigan State University, is an excellent source of country information.
Internet Resources
- Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
- http://www.illinoisbiz.biz
- Information on locating, starting or expanding your business in Illinois. Obtain help with starting your business or determining what government requirements or permits apply to your business.
- Illinois Gateway
- Department of Business Services
- http://www.sos.state.il.us
- Select "Services" > "For Business" for small business information. You are able to obtain business forms and fee information for registering with the Secretary of State's office. Also contains a Corporate Name Database that allows you to do a preliminary search on corporate name availability.
- Inc.com
- http://www.inc.com
- Inc. magazine's web site for starting and growing your business.
- U.S. Small Business Administration
- http://www.sba.gov
- The U.S. Small Business Administration has gathered a wide variety of resources for starting, financing and expanding your business.
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