Business Planning Research at the Library by Anne LehmannFebruary 5, 2019

We’re now in the fourth of this year’s New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition, which provides participants the opportunity to win $15,000 to start their business, but also delivers value to everyone involved. The program offers a structure for participants to develop their plan, and connects them to valuable resources the New York Public Library offers free of charge.

In January's workshop, Business Planning & Research participants learned about the components of a business plan and how to conduct the important research necessary to create a quality plan. NYPL offers numerous resources to help anyone planing a business and compiling research for a business plan. Here are some suggested resources from our team:

Business Planning e-resources

lynda.com logo

NYPL offers the lynda.com database of online video course for free with an NYPL library card. You can access lynda.com in the library or at home with your NYPL library card and PIN number!

Online business courses offered on lynda.com include:     
 

  • Creating a Business Plan with Mike Figliuolo (1h 12m, 9/17/2015)
  • Entrepreneurship: Finding and Testing Your Business Idea with Dave Crenshaw (42m, 8/6/2018)
  • Entrepreneurship: Raising Startup Capital with Rudolph Rosenberg (1h 44m, 12/19/2018)
  • Finance Essentials for Small Business with Jim Stice (54m, 6/4/2018)
  • Setting Up Your Small Business as a Legal Entity with Data Robinson (1h 5m, 3/6/2018)      

Databases for Market and Industry Data

Use First Research for information on industry market size, trends, challenges, financials, call-prep questions, and more. Also, check out Plunkett’s Research Online, IBISWorld, S&P Capital IQ, or Mergent Intellect for industry reports. 

Databases for Customers and Demographics

When looking for potential customers, use ReferenceUSA or Mergent Intellect. To find demographics and statistics on residents and households use ReferenceUSA-Consumer Lifestyles and SimplyAnalytics.                             

Books and Resources from the Science, Industry and Business Library                                                                    

Business Plan Development Schedule 2019

The StartUP! team has put together a Business Plan Development Schedule to help program participants stay on track when writing their plan throughout the competition. 

Key resources for the business planning process include:
 
Finally, remember, that NYPL offers free access to thousands of ebooks with your library card.

February's focus for Business Planning & Research participants is on using Library resources to develop a marketing plan for your business. Best wishes for success!

 
View all posts by Anne Lehmann

Comments

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StartUp

Submitted by Conor (not verified) on January 31, 2020 - 1:25pm

Visits to the Science Industry and Library give three reasons to camp out and stay for more personal instruction: 1. Internet strategies 2. Answering common questions about starting 3. Take a look around, e.g. services, reading areas, and job readiness What this Business Plan site takes for granted is that you will have to know what the industry (business) is doing. So, plugging in to services neither daunts the customer, nor guarantees a reason to stay interested. I am looking for fine print, which is seemingly ridiculous but the strength of this library is the comfort of their vision. Seeking answers in the detailed mock-ups is not guaranteed poor used knowledge services don't follow this vision. Access to real answers challenges patience. Hear about the market in jobs lost to mechanization, computerization maybe put the lie to positive valuations. Cool to roll out the big break-out here, going to the presentation always distinguishes the call from the resulting response. conor