Useful Links for Market Research
Prepared by Davida Scharf
Advertising Data
< SRDS (Standard Rates and Data Service) – www.srds.com, Subscription service. Reference book available in business libraries.
Associations
< Encyclopedia of Associations in every library, online in many (23,000 world-wide)
< American Society of Association Executives database (6500, US) - http://info.asaenet.org/gateway/OnlineAssocSlist.html
Company Information
< Dun and Bradstreet Small Business Services - http://sbs.dnb.com
< Hoovers Databases on Public Companies - http://www.hoovers.com/
< Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Filings on Public Companies: Info.Edgar Database - http://www.sec.gov
Demographics + Government
< US government on the web with links to all states http://www.firstgov.gov
< Copyright – Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/
< Trademarks – US Patent Office, http://www.uspto.gov
< State Public Records - http://www.searchsystems.net
< Official website for the State of New Jersey - http://www.state.nj.us/
< Bureau of the Census http://www.census.gov
< AmeriStat - http://www.ameristat.org - Population Reference Bureau and Social Science Data Analysis Network includes data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
< Bureau of Labor Statistics - http://stats.bls.gov US Department of Labor
Lead Generators
< Information USA - http://www.Infousa.com
< ZapData - http://www.zapdata.com
Libraries & “Ask a Librarian”
< Find a public library www.libdex.com
< Public and County Cooperative Library Systems usually have:
Many databases from Gale-INFOTRAC, EBSCO, the NJ newspapers, ProQuest) i.e., http://www.bccls.org for Bergen County.
< NJ Academic Institutions all have online libraries
< Online Chat with a librarian - (www.QandAnj.org) a network of experienced New Jersey Librarians offering free live, interactive search assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on any topic.
Marketing
< Marketing Virtual Library – KnowThis.com - http://www.knowthis.com/ Annotated guide to marketing resources. Areas covered include advertising, starting and running a business, careers and employment, consumer issues, legal information, electronic commerce, public relations, and selling & sales management.
< American Marketing Association – http://www.marketingpower.com
< Direct Marketing Association – http://www.the-dma.org
< Telephone Directories on the Web - http://www.teldir.com/eng/ an index of online phone books comprising "400 links to Yellow Pages, White Pages, Business Directories, Email Addresses and Fax Listings from over 170 countries."
Market Research
< Investext via Infotrac (for Bergen Residents via BCCLS - http://bccls.org)
< Market Survey Reports - http://www.marketresearch.com
Meta-Sites for Planning, Portals & Search Engines
< Librarians’ Index to the Internet - http://www.lii.org - selected for quality
< SWOT Analysis Explanation - http://www.mindtools.com/pages/articleTMC_05.htm
< CEO Express http://www.ceoexpress.com mega-site for news and business.
< Business Search Engine - http://www.business.com
< Business News: Dow Jones “Factiva” Business Publications databases
< http://www.djinteractive.com
< Google (search engine) - http://www.google.com
< Statistical Resources on the Web - http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/statsnew.html - University of Michigan Library Documents Center site is a comprehensive portal to statistics
< Trade Publishers Websites, i.e. Primedia http://www.primedia.com/
< Video transcripts - http://www.burrelles.com/tvrframe.html
NJ Business News
< New Jersey Business - www.njbiz.com and NJ newspapers online
Non Profits
< Non-Profit Search Engines - http://www.Guidestar.com and http://www.Grantsmart.org
Organizations
< National Association for the Self-Employed - http://www.nase.org/ keeps members informed about legislative matters concerning the self-employed.
< SCORE - http://www.score.org/ The Service Corps of Retired
Startup +
< How to Start a Small Business - http://home.inreach.com/sbdc/book/index.html This online book will help prospective small business owners with the process of starting a business. Also lots of information for owners of existing businesses. Prepared by an SBDC in California in 2000 but still very useful.
< Idea Cafe - http://ideacafe.com/ Advice on financing a business, using new technologies, and communicating effectively with employees and clients is provided via a variety of on-site billboards and columns.
< CCH Business Owner's Toolkit - http://www.toolkit.cch.com/ Tools, advice, and informative resources for small business from a business info publisher, Commerce Clearing House.
< American Express Small Business Exchange - http://www.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness/ Resources, news, a tax guide, expert advice, products and services, and more for small business.
< Center for Business Planning - http://www.businessplans.org/ Business planning, marketing planning, and business strategy information, advice and software. Features online interactive business consulting, sample small business plans and outlines.
< Industry Research Desk http://www.virtualpet.com/industry An extensive set of online tools for researching industries, markets, companies, and manufacturing processes.
