Business and Companies

KPL staff-selected resources. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Staff Recommends

How to Raise Capital : Techniques and Strategies for Financing and Valuing Your Small Business  by Jeffry TimmonsDuct Tape Marketing : the World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide by John JantschDeduct It! : Lower Your Small Business Taxes  by Stephen FishmanIt's Not About the Coffee : Leadership Principles From a Life at Starbucks  by Howard BeharDesign Your Own Effective Employee Handbook : How to Make the Most of Your Staff With Companion CD-ROM  by Michelle Devon

Databases (most require KPL library card)

Associations Unlimited

International, national, state & local associations information. Mailing label format available. 

Business and Company Resource Center (Home Access)

Company profiles, brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, chronologies and periodicals. 

D&B's Million Dollar Database (Home Access)

Provides marketing information on both public and private companies.

Europa World Year Book

Covers political and economic information of over 250 countries and territories, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

Plunkett Research (Home Access)

Industry analysis, statistics, business development and market research

ReferenceUSA - Business and Residential

Search by company name, yellow page heading or geographic location. Search residential listings by name, address or telephone.

Stat-USA USA Trade Online

Business, trade and economic information from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Please ask at Reference Desk for username and password. Available in Library-Central Only

TheStreet.com Ratings (Home Access)

Evaluations, updated quarterly, of the financial strength of life, health, and annuity insurers, property and casualty insurers, HMO's, banks and savings and loans.  In addition, they track the risk-adjusted performance of over 20,000 mutual funds and more than 6,000 stocks.   
Home Access
(enter your library card barcode number plus a zero to access)

Newspapers and Magazines

View details

Better Buys For Business

Black Enterprise

Business Outlook: Quarterly Report for West Michigan

Business Week

CPI Detailed Report (DOC) L2.3 8/3

Crain's Chicago Business

Crain's Detroit Business

Economic Indicators (DOC) Y 4. EC7:

Economist

Employment and Earnings (DOC) L 241/2:

Enterprise

Entrepreneur

Export America (DOC) C 61.18/2:

Forbes

Fortune

Harvard Business Review

Inc

Kiplinger Washington Letter

MIBIZ

Michigan Business Report (DOC) HD5725.M5P37

Minority Business Entreprenreur:MBE

Monthly Labor Review (DOC)L 2.5:

PPI Detailed Report (DOC) L2.61

Selling Power

Survey of Current Business (DOC) C59.11:

Wall Street Journal

Community Resources

Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce

Phone 269-381-4000

The Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in the county, with more than 2,000 member companies. We are a private, non-profit, voluntary, membership organization which advocates for business, its members range from sole proprietorships to multi-national corporations.The Chamber serves as the collective voice for business on issues affecting business and the Kalamazoo community. Its members are committed to enhancing the local business climate and maintaining a high quality of life in the community. They are able to accomplish together what no one business could do alone.

Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center

Phone 269-387-6004

The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center regional office, affiliated with Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University is one of 12 offices statewide, providing services and support to the Michigan small business community in the areas of counsel, training, and research.

Northside Economic Potential Group

Phone 1-269-342-5655

Training course and micro-loans to graduates of the training program.

Professional Development & Training Center

Phone 269-492-1460

Grant or sponsor paid six week administrative program including training in office etiquette, computer programs, multi-line telephone operations, and job search skills.

SCORE

Phone 269-381-5382

The Kalamazoo Chapter of SCORE offers free counseling, workshops, and other resources to entrepreneurs and small business owners. If you are looking for assistance with the preparation of a business plan, accounting and taxes, marketing, and loan applications, SCORE can help.

Websites

Business Planning

Bplans: Sample Business Plans

60 + free sample business plans.

Business Entity - MI Labor & Economic Growth

Search for records of corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships authorized to transact business in the State of Michigan.

Business Owners' Idea Café

A fun approach to serious business. Helpful hints and useful products to start and run small businesses.

Business Plans - from MI-SBTDC

Tools that can help you focus on what you want your business to be and help you manage and implement your goals.

Business Plans - How to from SBA

The Small Business Administration's information on how to construct business plans.

Business Plans from Moot Corporation

Business plans from competition winners.

CCH Business Owner's Toolkit

Extensive tips, hints, products, and resources of starting and maintaining a successful business.

Entrepreneur.com's Operations Resource Center

Creating your business plan, including editor's picks, about topics that impact day to day operations of your business.

How to Start a Business in Michigan

This free business development service is available to qualifying companies throughout the state.

Michigan Business Start-Up Information

Resources for starting a new business.

Español

Agencia Federal Para el Desarrollo de la Paquena Empresa

Spanish language version of the SBA business resources site.

Franchising

Entrepreneur

Looking for business news and trends, information about franchising, marketing, home business ideas, and more? This site has a bit of everything having to do with the business world and entrepreneurial startups.

Franchise Direct

Comphrehensive franchise opportunity directory. Browse profiles, research opportunities, and locate franchises.

Franchise for Sale

Search hundreds of franchises and business opportunities for sale.  

Franchise Opportunities

Extensive listing of franchises and information resources.  

Marketing

American Marketing Association

Relevant marketing information, including marketing trends, strategies, training, and products.

Creative Ways from Marcia Yudkin

Marketing and publishing ideas.

Drayton Bird Partnership

Questions and answers about marketing your business products,  web links and marketing strategies articles.  

Guerrilla Marketing

Information products about marketing and advertising to the interested enterpriser.

Market It Right

A full-service, fully automated virtual marketing communications service with many marketing tools and resources.

Marketing Profs Newsletter

Strategic and tactical marketing know-how to Internet and offline marketing professionals.

MarketingSherpa

Useful case studies, and best practices data about marketing, advertising, and media relations.

Overture.com

Money and Finance

BusinessTown.com: Income Statements

Overview of income statements.

Consumer Price Indexes

Monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services.

Count Me In - Business Loans for Women

Champions the cause for women's economic independence by providing access to business loans, consultation and education.

CPA Directory

Comprehensive national online directory of licensed accountants on the Internet.

EconomicResources on the Web - U of M

Many useful links that contain information about business and economic related statisitics, compiled data, reports, and trends.

Funding for Business and Economic Development

Links about funding for businesses and economic development.

Income Statement Analysis

An online directory of financial statement resources.

Other Business Resources

Better Business Bureau

Dedicated to fostering fair and honest relationships between businesses and consumers.

Business Information from the Census Bureau

Locate statistical data, financial reports, and industry information.

Business Templates and Images

Human resource forms.

Business.Gov

Official business link to the U.S. Government.

Census Demographics Information - Wayne State

Center for Urban Studies provides demogrphics. Michigan Metropolitan Information Center (MIMIC) files contain the full complement of census tables organized by geography – counties, census tracts, block groups, etc.

Commerce Business Daily

Notices of proposed government procurement actions, contract awards, sales of government property, and more.

International Trade Administration

Business resources that help U.S. businesses participate fully in the growing global marketplace.

IRS - Starting a Business

This page provides links to basic federal tax information for people who are starting a business.

Kalamazoo Demographics

Demographic information provided via Kalamazoo County Government

Michigan eLibrary Resources

MeL has data and information on starting a business.

Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center

Full range of services for a variety of small businesses that are emerging and growing throughout Michigan.

National Green Pages

National Green Pages is a directory listing nearly 3,000 businesses that have made firm commitments to sustainable, socially just principles, including the support of sweatshop-free labor, organic farms, fair trade, and cruelty-free products.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

Business classification system.

Standard Industrial Classification Search

Business classification system.

TradePub.com

FREE Trade Magazine Subscriptions & Technical Document Downloads.

U.S. Dept. of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics

Links to labor statisitcs including demographics, unemployment, inflation, consumer spending, occupations, and census.

United States Census Bureau

Census data compiled on people, employment, geography, business, housing, and much more.

W.E Upjohn Institute for Employment Research

Employment research data center.

Pricing

Business Owner's Toolkit - Pricing Your Product

Extensive tips, hints, products, and resources that cover all aspects of starting, maintaining, and pricing a business.

Professional Pricing Society

Resource center dedicated to pricing professionals.

Small Business Regulations

ELaws from the U.S. Dept of Labor

Employment laws assistance for workers & small businesses

GlobalEDGE

Resources on global business activities.

Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth

Michigan Consumer and Industry, Dept of-Professional & Occupational Licenses;Construction Codes; Liquor Control; Finance & Insurance Services. A one-stop shop for business creation and development.

Michigan Dept. of Treasury

Information about Michigan tax forms, financial and public institutions, local government news, and administrative services for individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations.

Michigan Workplace Safety and Health (MIOSHA)

Occupational regulations, legislation, events, & news.

Patent and Trademark Office

Information about trademarks, patents, contact information, or the policies and laws that regulate intellectual property matters.

Small Business Enviroweb

Site provides access to information regarding pollution prevention and environmental compliance for the small business owner.

U.S. Dept. of Labor - OSHA

Information about safety regulations, occupational safety requirements, current legislatation, OSHA facts, and more.

U.S. Dept. of Transportation

Information about initiatives, regulations, and safety programs.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Maintains and distributes EPA publications in hardcopy, CD ROM and other multi-media formats. Inventory includes over 7,000 titles.


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The Kalamazoo Chapter of SCORE offers free counseling, workshops, and other resources to entrepreneurs and small business owners.