Small Business

BOOKS

You may want to begin your search for information on small businesses by locating books. Check the online catalog from the SFCC Library homepage http://library.spokanefalls.edu. The following are some useful subject headings for locating information on starting a small business.

FRANCHISE (Retail Trade)
SMALL BUSINESS--UNITED STATES
SMALL BUSINESS--FINANCE

HOME-BASED BUSINESSES
SMALL BUSINESSES
VENTURE CAPITAL

Most books are in the section with call numbers: 658.022 and 658.11. Some titles you might to look at are:

Business Know-how: An Operational Guide for Home-based and Micro-sized Businesses with small Budgets 658.022 ATTARD

Small Business Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in Your Small Business 658.022 STRAUSS

Up Against the Retail Giants: Targeting Weakness, Gaining an Edge 658.87 SAMLI

Mompreneurs: a Mother's Practical Step-by Step Guide to Work-at-Home Success 658.41 Parlapi

How to Start, Finance and Manage Your Own Small Business 658.022 M 312

The Washington Entrepreneur's Guide: How to Start and Manage a Business in Washington 658.11097 Washington

The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business 658.1141 Mariott

PERIODICALS

The best source for locating magazine or newspaper articles on small business at the SFCC Library is the ProQuest Direct database, available on the SFCC Library's Magazine/Journal/Newspapers page. These magazines often have articles relevant to small business management.

*SALES AND MARKETING MANAGEMENT August issue is the Survey of Buying Power (R658.8005). February contains the Survey of Selling Costs.

HANDBOOKS

Smartstart: Your Washington Business (658.1109 Smartst and Reserve)

Covers all the steps in starting a business.

Guide for Small Business. (R658.022 Guide)

Lists services and regulations for business in Washington state.

101 Best Home Businesses (R658.041 Ramsey)

 

Smartbiz

http://www.smallbizsearch.com Lots of how-to resources for marketing, sales, finance and business plans.

STATISTICAL SOURCES

INDUSTRY STATISTICS

RMA Annual Statement Studies (Reserve Desk 338.0973 RMA)

Includes industry ratios comparing assets, liabilities, sales, profit, comparative historical data and other sources of composite financial data. Lists sources useful in finding further industry and company data.

American Express Current Ratio calculators

"The current ratio is the standard measure of any business' financial health. It will tell you whether your business is able to meet its current obligations by measuring if it has enough assets to cover its liabilities."

Java Financials Calculator

This calculator is designed to show you ten different financial ratios. Financial ratios allow you to zero in on areas of your business (such as solvency, liquidity, operational efficiency and profitability) that may need attention.

Census of Retail Trade (R381.1097 C332)

 

Census Data by Subject

http://www.census.gov/main/www/subjects.html

Industry Survey (R332.67 ST24)

Broad survey of key industrial areas.

WEFA Industrial Monitor (R358.0973 Wefa)

Short review of the economic health specific sectors of U.S. trade and industry.

MARKETING STATISTICS (U.S.)

Best Customers (Ref 658.834 Russell)

demographics of customers

Household Spending: Who Spends How Much on What (R658.834 Househo)

Tracks spending by age group, income, household type and geographical region.

The Lifestyle Market Analyst (R 658.834. Lifestyle)

Demographics of cities and consumer groups

Statistical Abstract of the United States. (Ref. Desk)

Most complete single source of U. S. government information. Includes population, labor force data, business indicators and much more. A limited version is online at http://www.census.gov/statab/www/

Sales and Marketing Management Survey of Buying Power. (R658.8005)

Charts population, income and buying power of U. S. cities, states and regions.

County and City Extra: Annual Metro, City and County Data Book. (R317.3 C832)

Selected data avalible at http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ccdb.html Includes population characteristics, information on manufacturing and industry for cities of 25,000 population or more.

WASHINGTON STATISTICAL SOURCES

County Business Patterns: Washington. (R338.0973 County)

Online at http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/cbp99/cbp99-49.pdf

Economic Census and Demographic Profiles

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html

Quarterly Business Review. (R336.2 Washing)

A compilation of data including gross income and taxable retail sales.

Labor Area Summaries. (R331.1 Washing)

Employment data and economic outlook for major Washington cities is shown.

Labor Market Information and County Profiles (Washington)

http://www.wa.gov/esd/lmea/pubs/pubs.htm, lists Washington labor publications available online.

SPOKANE STATISTICAL SOURCES

Book of Lists Current edition at Reference Desk (R338.767 B644)

Lists top businesses in Spokane.

Spokane Economic Development Center

http://www.spokaneedc.org Facts about population, business climate and services

Occupational Projections, Spokane County.

http://www.wa.gov/esd/lmea/occdata/2year/spok2yr.htm

Dun's Regional Business Directory (R338.7025 DunsRE)

Two volumes: first, businesses by SIC, location and ranking; Includes Eastern Washington and parts of Idaho

Market Fact Book Current Edition at Reference Desk (R317.3 MARKET)

 

FRANCHISE INFORMATION BOOKS

Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Book of Franchises R658.8708 LESONSKY

The Franchise Redbook R658.8708 RULE

REFERENCES FOR SOURCES WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Business Plans Handbook: A Compilation of Actual Business Plans... (R658.4012 Business)

Twenty-four model business plans are featured. There is an online index to Business Plans available at http://www.carnegielibrary.org/subject/business/bplansindex.html

Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources (R658 Encyclo)

 

Small Business Profiles. (R658.022 Small B)

In depth explanation of what is needed to set up any of the 60 different business covered.

Business Resource Center

http://www.morebusiness.com Links to start-up information and business plans.

Business Plans

http://www.bplans.com/

INTERNET SOURCES

American Factfinder, http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html

Provides census data down to the block level.

U.S. Small Business Administration

http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov
Check the SBA E-library at http://www.sba.gov/library/pubs.html

Bizstreet
http://www.bizstreetspokane.com/bizstreetspokane

Spokane Chamber of Commerce small business center

The SFCC Library's Internet Resources page lists relevant sites under the headings Business, Spokane & Regional, and Statistics.

Also, please see the SFCC Library Guide on Marketing Information Sources.