MGMT 491: Small Business Entrepreneurship: Small Business Resources
Business Plans
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Bplans.comContains business and marketing plans
Industry Ratios
Industry ratios will give you a benchmark for spending for an industry. This will allow you to see what percentage companies in a specific industry are spending on different business expenditures.
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RMA Annual Statement StudiesRMA is organized by NAICS and provides current and historical info.
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Industry Norms & Key Business RatiosIndustry Norms is organized by SIC and it's industry coverage is a little broader than RMA.
NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) is used by the government to gather and organize industry statistics. it is also used by multiple resources to organize data--like the ratio books above.
- NAICS is more current and has tried to evolve with the changes to business and industry. Search by number or keyword.
SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) is no longer active but it still used by some resources, like Industry Norms, as a way to organize information.
SIC is manufacturer heavy. You can search by number or keyword. There are tables available through NAICS where you can look up the corresponding NAICS number.
Company & Industry Resources
Business Source Complete, Mergent Online, and IBISWorld will provide a general view of a company and it's competitive landscape.
For more in-depth information on researching a company and industry, see the Company and Industry pages for more help.
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IBISWorldIBISWorld covers more than 700 industries. Each report includes industry analysis, including segmentation and the top competitors of each industry.
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Business Source Complete [EBSCO]BSC has both company and industry reports that provide background and context. They include basic financials, lists of competitors, and some segmentation.
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Mergent OnlineProvides financial information about public and private companies, including sales and revenue. It can be searched by industry allowing you to to see competitors.
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Corporate Affiliations [LexisNexis]A guide to corporate families in the U.S. and worldwide. Covers public and private firms, manufacturers of specific products, services, executives, net worth, sales data, and recent mergers.
Tip:Search for specific brands or companies to see who owns them. Click Subscriber Tools > Company Search > Advanced Search, then select "Product Name" from the dropdown.
Local Competitors and Business/Industry Ratios
Small Business Web Sites
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FamBiz.comFocuses on family-owned businesses.
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Business.govA business site site developed by the US government. Find links for resources on starting a business, financing a business, local organizations, and more.
Federal Agencies
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U.S. Small Business AdministrationIncludes information on starting a business, loans & grants, contracting, counseling and more.
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U.S. Business AdministrationSmall business site maintained by the federal government. Includes links to sample business plans and more. However, it will eventually merge with the SBA, linked above.
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Office of Women's Business Ownership (U.S. SBA)Focuses on minority- and womens-owned small businesses. Includes information on professional and personal training, marketing, management, and technology.
Librarian Subject Team
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Social Science & Professional Programs Team Librarians:
Sylvia Tag
Elizabeth Stephan
Emily Spracklin
Team Website: