Business Simulation
Research Guide
College of DuPage Library
Getting Started
- 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.
- Step by Step Guide to Starting A Business in Illinois
http://business.illinois.gov/step_by_step_guides.cfm
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)
- Hoover's Online
Select the Industries section for up-to-date information on your industry.
- Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys
Useful for overviews of broad industry types.
- 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 databases to find these articles:
- The following newspaper databases will have articles as well.
Competition
Target Market
- Lifestyle Market Analyst - HF 5415.33 .U65 L54 (Ref)
- Sourcebook of County Demographics - HA 203 .S65 (Ref)
- Sourcebook of Zip Code Demographics - HA 203 .S67 (Ref)
- U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov
Go to the American FactFinder 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
- 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.
Management / Human Resources
- BLR Encyclopedia of Personnel Forms - HF 5549.17 .B18 (Ref)
- BLR's Job Descriptions Encyclopedia - HF 5549.5 .J613 B55
(Ref)
- Illinois Labor Market Information
http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/wagedata/wage.htm
- Personnel Manager's Encyclopedia of Prewritten Personnel
Policies - HF 5549.17 .P47 (Ref)
- 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.
Web Sites
- State of Illinois Business Portal
http://business.illinois.gov
Information on starting, running and changing a business
in Illinois.
- 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.
College of DuPage Library
Judy Wagner, Business Librarian
Phone: 630-942-2021
E-Mail: wagnerj@cod.edu
Reference Center: 630-942-3364
Library Web Site: http://www.cod.edu/library
