Do you have an idea for a business? Maybe you want to develop a business plan? If so, Langsdale Library has a number of resources that could help. For example, we have information on industry trends, outlooks and barriers to entry in databases like IBISWorld and Mintel Market Research Reports. Reference USA allows you to find potential customers or competition by letting you search for businesses of a certain type with a state, city, zip code or even a 50 mile radius. PolicyMap will let you visualize a variety of demographic information on a map. If you are looking at Baltimore, you might find articles from the Baltimore Business Journal or Baltimore Sun to be of use.
Plus, if you want to write an actual business plan, this month’s featured ebook, The Business Plans Handbook provides examples of business plans for a variety of industries. The video below gives a few more details.