Blog Posts by Subject: Small Business

50 Years of National Small Business Week

This year marks the 50th anniversary of National Small Business Week. Although things have certainly changed since President Kennedy signed the first Presidential Proclamation in 1963, one thing that hasn't changed is America's entrepreneurial spirit and the important role that small business owners play in our economy and our communities.

This week, President Obama has continued America's tradition of honoring the spirit and success of American small business owners by proclaiming June 17–21 to be 2013's National Small Business Week. Small businesses have 

New Business Bestsellers: May 2013

Here is a selection of books new to The New York Times list of Business Best Sellers published in the Business Section print edition Sunday, May 5. Plus, a quick look at the Nielsen BookScan in the May 4 and 11 editions of The Wall Street Journal shows some titles new to this column. Enjoy!

Each title is noted with its ranking. Click on any title below to place a hold on the item. If necessary update your contact information (phone number or e-mail address) so you are notified when the book arrives for you at your local 

Adventures in Marketing Research: IBISWorld - Market Research Reports

I know the danger of first impressions. And of reportage on the basis of superficial knowledge. But when something newsworthy comes along, caution must yield in the moment. So, permit me to introduce you to NYPL's newest marketing research electronic resource: IBISWorld.

Let's start with a (nearly) real-world example from the research desk at SIBL—Where can I find 

Business Books from "The Economist," April 13, 2013

The April 13, 2013 Economist included its quarterly business book reviews. Here is a listing.

For those interested in the articles, you can find them through some of our electronic resources—We recommend our ProQuest Research Library database, available from home with a library card. Or you can find them on The Economist's website (if you're a subscriber). For those who are too impatient to read those, I've included for each book, based on the articles, a short 

New Business Bestsellers: April 2013

Here is a selection of books new to The New York Times list of Business Best Sellers published in the Business Section print edition Sunday, April 7, as well as two books reviewed in the Mutual Funds Reports special section that day. Plus, a quick look at the Nielsen BookScan listing in the April 5th edition of the Wall Street Journal shows some titles new to this column. Enjoy!

Each title is noted with its ranking. Click on any of the titles below and place a hold to request the item. 

The Sound of Trade: MondoMusica New York 2013

Today I'm going to write about trade shows. I'm going to use as an example the recent trade show/exhibition for the violin (really, string instrument) trade, MondoMusica New York 2013.

What are Trade Shows? The name says it all. Businesses and businesspeople getting together at an event organized for the chance to network, display their wares, buy and sell — to each other and, possibly, the public.

How do you find out about trade shows? Good sources would be Trade Journals and Directories. Some directory titles:

Association Meeting & Event 

New Business Best Sellers: March 2013

Here is a selection of books new to the New York Times list of Business Best Sellers published in the print edition Sunday, March 3rd. Plus, a quick look at the Nielsen BookScan listing in the March 2nd edition of the Wall Street Journal shows some titles new to this column. Enjoy!

Each title is noted with its ranking. Click on any of the titles below and place a hold to request the item. Remember to update your contact information (phone number or e-mail address), so you are notified when the book arrives for you at your

Need Help Starting or Running a Business?

NYPL's small business website, smallbiz.nypl.org, can link you to hundreds of free and low-cost assistance programs through its Services Directory. New York City is one of the best places to start a business, and a wealth of small business services is available to entrepreneurs through local & state government, non-profit organizations, economic development corporations and neighborhood community groups. There are hundreds of programs, funded separately, not connected to each other, so 

Start your Business Research at SIBL!

If you're thinking of starting your own business, or you're in business and need to keep up with trends, you can save time by using the industry and market research databases at NYPL's business library, SIBL. The library provides access to a range of premium information which is not available free on the Internet. At SIBL, you can research an industry or market sector to get the background and data you need for a business plan or for a marketing plan.

Two of the best industry databases are First Research and Plunkett's Research 

Jump Start the 2013 NY StartUP! Business Plan Competition

Do you need a BIG push towards realizing that elusive goal of business ownership? If so, the 2013 New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition offers you the option for multiple wins: a piece of the more than $30,000 "pie" of cash prizes, technical training, one-on-one business advisory, and participation in a vibrant small business network. But, hurry! There is just a week left to meet the first requirement -- attending an orientation.

With the generous sponsorship of the Citi Foundation, the New York 

New Business Best-Sellers: November 2012

Here is a selection of books new to the New York Times list of Business Best Sellers published in the print edition Sunday, November 11th, and, to catch up, the August 28th edition. Plus, a quick look at the Nielsen BookScan listing in the November 10th edition of the Wall Street Journal shows some titles new to this column. Enjoy!

Each title is noted with its ranking. Click on any of the titles below and place a hold to request the item. Remember to update your contact information (phone 

Business Books from "The Economist," October 13, 2012

The October 13, 2012 Economist included its quarterly business book reviews. Here is a listing.

For those interested in the articles, you can find them through some of our electronic resources (I recommend our Custom Newspapers database, available from home with a library card — I have put a link to the 

New Business Best-Sellers: August 2012

Here is a selection of books new to the New York Times list of Business Best Sellers published in the print edition Sunday, August 5th. Also, a quick look at the Nielsen BookScan listing in the August 11th edition of the Wall Street Journal shows some titles new to this column. Enjoy!

Each title is noted with its ranking. Click on any of the titles below and place a hold to request the item. Remember to update your contact information (phone number or e-mail address), so you are notified when the book arrives for you at your

Panjiva - A New Global Sourcing Tool

Do you own a business? Work as designer, distributer, or manage a retail boutique? Maybe you're a buyer for a large store? You need to find reliable suppliers for your business.

Panjiva, a new database you can access at SIBL, NYPL's business library, can help you identify suppliers and manufacturers in over 190 countries. A search in Panjiva for a keyword such as sweaters, coffee beans, or guitars, returns results from the database of over 1 miilion suppliers 

Babiators: A NYC Startup Takes Flight... and Shares Down-to-Earth Tips

Last Spring, I invited my niece Molly and her husband, Ted Fienning, to SIBL to trace the meteoric rise of their new company Babiators, which, in less than a year, grew from an idea sketched on a napkin to a thriving enterprise. The audience's avid response to their nuts-and-bolts account of launching a startup in NYC inspired a series of talks by other successful metro-area entrepreneurs that will kick off in Fall 2102 as SIBL heads into its fourth StartUP! Business Plan Competition season. For now, I asked 

Entrepreneurship for Veterans: Another Way to Win

As over a million of service men and women are returning to the civilian workforce in the next five years, entrepreneurship may be an attractive option for some of them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Report on Veterans Small Business Development, veterans own 2.4 million American businesses or 9 percent of all the American's business. When including businesses in which veterans are at least half owners, these numbers rise to 3.7 million businesses or 13.5 percent of U.S. businesses.

The following information is excerpted from

New Business Best-Sellers: May 2012

It's not quite time to worry about choosing your beach reading yet. But Memorial Day is coming, and so it is time to think ahead just a little. With that in mind, here is a selection of books new to the New York Times list of Business Best Sellers published this last Sunday, May 13th.

Also, a quick look at the Nielsen BookScan listing in the weekend's Wall Street Journal shows some titles new to this column, although one of them, The Art of the Sale, was mentioned in a recent look at 

Business Books from "The Economist," April 7, 2012

No matter how hard you try to prioritize your reading, magazines can really pile up rather quickly. So... I've just finally gotten to the April 7th issue of The Economist, and discovered its quarterly business book selection for April.

For those interested in the articles, you can find them through some of our electronic resources (I recommend EBSCO's Business Source Premier,

New Business Best-Sellers: April 2012

I don't want to neglect highlighting some of the newer business best-sellers from the New York Times (Sunday, April 1, 2012, page 7). I've also included a selection from Nielsen BookScan as published in the April 7-8, 2012 Wall Street Journal (page C10). Happy Reading!

Each title is noted with its ranking. Click on any of the titles below and place a hold to request the item. Remember to update your contact information (phone number or e-mail address), so you are notified when the book arrives for you at your 

The Best Jobs for People Over 50

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, people in the 55-years-and-older age group account for 19.5 percent in the labor force in 2010 and are projected to be 25.2 percent in 2020.

This age group’s contributions to the work force are substantial, some of them serving at helms of chief political, economic, education and military institutions. The experience of people over 50 provides a valuable asset to the U.S. workforce and their accomplishments are commendable.

Some people over 50 may transition into a