Business Resources

IN-LIBRARY ACCESS

A wide variety of online databases are available at Ephrata Public Library's Biz Info to Grow area. To access these databases, ask the library staff for assistance.

CORPORATE DIRECTORIES

Dun & Bradstreet Million Dollar Database (Available at Duke Street Business Center) - Includes over 1,600 US leading public and private businesses with over 180 employees of $9 in sales. Company information is searchable by SIC or NAICS code, number of employees, annual sales, type of ownership, principal executvies, biographies, import/export, etc. Radius searching is available. Lists can be downloaded to Excel spreadsheets to create mailing labels and customized letter.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Standard & Poor's Net Advantage - Comprehensive source of business and investment information that includes S&P's Stock Reports, Corporation Records, Register of Corporations, Directors & Executives, The Outlook and Mutual Fund Reports. In-depth industry surveys written by financial analysts cover fifty-one key U.S. industries and are updated twice yearly.

PROFESSIONAL DATABASES

Nexis - Comprehensive and powerful research tool consisting of domestic and international newspapers, magazines, trade journals, broadscast transcripts, wire services and directories. Research companies, markets, industry trends and analyze competitors. Search Business & Industry, Table Base and PROMT databases for industry-specific information.

HOME ACCESS

Library card holders in good standing can access these free databases from home or the office.

Business & Company Resource Center (Click on image to access) - Find up-to-date information on companies, products and industries from business news, journals, trade publications and press releases. Financial information from Thomson Financial, investment reports from Investext Select and industry market research from Datamonitor is included. This database is produced by Gale, a leading publisher of business reference books and directories. As such, content from many of their titles, including Market Share Reporter, Business Rankings Annual, International Directory of Company Histories and Brands & Their Companies, is included.

EBSCOhost Business Source Premiere (Click on POWER Library logo to access) - Full-text magazines and trade journals on economics, management, sales, marketing, accounting, labor, human resources, etc., with an archive dating back to 1985 and more than 200 journals in .pdf format dating back to 1965.

EBSCOhost Regional Business News (Click on POWER Library logo to access) - Full-text coverage of regional business news from 75 business journals, newspapers and news wires around the country.

Mergent Online (Click on logo to access) - Electronic version of Moody's Financial Service. Covers over 11,000 U.S. public companies. Includes description of businesses with SIC and NAICS codes, company history, full financials including balance sheets and ratio analysis for the past fifteen years. You can create custom reports to compare selected companies. Access annual reports, search SEC filings via EDGAR and view Equity Portraits for a picture of a company's health in the financial markets.

ProQuest (Click on logo to access) - Full-text coverage of Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today, plus a deep backfile of over 1,400 trade and consumer publications and regional newspapers, including The Intelligencer Journal, New Era and Central Penn Business Journal.

Business Websites

Advertising/Marketing/Internet

Advertising World - Developed and maintained by the University of Texas at Austin Department of Advertising, this is a comprehensive list of links to resources in all areas of the advertising industry.

Brandchannel.com - Insights on brands and branding, including case studies of individual companies and in-depth papers on the subject.

ClickZ - Articles and statistics on internet usage, consumer behavior, market research and marketing strategies for e-marketers and advertisers.

e-Marketer - Research data covering every aspect of the global internet, e-business and technology.

Green Book of Market Research Firms & Focus Group Directory - Listings of market research firms and focus group facilities in the U.S. Search by type of research, research services, industries or market specialties.

Trade Show Central - Lists over 30,000 international trade events. Searchable by industry category, date of event, city or country.

Agriculture/Agribusiness

Ag-Stats.com - Historical statistical data sets for agricultural industries and commodities that can be downloaded from the web for free.

AgMap - Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture online directory for the state's agricultural industry, with a database listing over 1,000 agricultural services and commodities based on location, product and service type.

AgriBiz - Provided by AgriBiz Consulting Services, this is a free source for the global ag community and includes news and information and links to other sites.

AgriMarketing - A Doane Agricultural Services publication, this is a fully searchable site that includes the current issue and archives. An annual listing of communications agencies, the North American Ag Agencies issue is a special feature.

AgWeb - Farm Journal Media's fully searchable website includes a comprehensive electronic community for farmers, ranchers and agribusiness. Offers news, weather, market information and analysis.

American Farm Bureau - Membership organization representing farm and ranch families, this is the voice of agriculture producers and serves as an independent non-governmental policy making agency. Find a list of state farm bureaus here.

Doane Agricultural Services - Publisher of AgriMarketing magazine and other magazines for the industry, along with custom newsletters and a book division.

Farm Progress - Publisher of 18 industry magazines that are fully searchable by individual title. Also includes a list of farm shows and weather links.

Farm Service Agency - A list of state Farm Service Agencies can be found here. Comprehensive information on FSA loans, including a farm loan chart with full descriptions.

Lancaster Farming Online - This leading Northeast and Mid-Atlantic farm newspaper is a one-stop site for regional farm news and includes a list of special issues for the year.

National Agrimarketing Association - Trade association for marketing, advertising, PR and media professionals in the ag industry. Includes news, events, speakers network, links to agribusiness firms, marketing firms, media, associations and organization.

The New Farm - Rodale Institute's site includes an organic price index, farming news and success stories. Click on Farm Locator, a tool designed to assist consumers, brokers, restauranteurs and other farms to locate the farm services they are looking for.

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences: Partners in Progress- Links of interest to the agribusiness industry, technical information, fee-based services, research, continuing education, extension services, publications, annual events and international programs can all be found on this site.

PennAg Industries Association - Trade association for Pennsylvania's agribusiness. There are a variety of educational topics, from food safety to legislation on the site, as well as a comprehensive list of links.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture- Fully searchable site includes market reports, quick facts, resource links and a link to the Farm Show.

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau - State chapter of the American Farm Bureau. This site includes a list of county farm bureaus, programs, legislative information and links to other agricultural organizations in Pennsylvania.

Resources for Small Food Processors and Potential Entrepreneurs - A service of Penn State University Department of Food Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, this site includes information on deciding to become a food processor, resources for starting a business, food safety, processing technology, testing labs, equipment and packaging resources, direct marketing opportunities, farm alternatives, university assistance centers.

US National Agricultural Library - This is the largest agricultural library in the world. Search the catalog or article citation database free of charge via Agricola, the library's bibliographic database.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Find information on agriculture, education and outreach, food and nutrition, marketing and trade, laws and regulations, rural and community development, natural resources and environment, research and services, travel and recreation.

Business Publications

American City Business Journals - This is a network of approximately 40 weekly regional business journals from major metropolitan areas.

Bpubs.com - Knowledge to Business (K2B) links to articles from the best web-based business publications.

Business2Business - Monthly local business publication with separate editions for Lancaster, Harrisburg Metro, Berks and Chester counties. Coverage includes sales, information technology, marketing, management, economics and finance. Cover piece focuses on one critical industry or issue each month. In-depth articles on profiles of businesses, business leaders and management issues.

Business 2.0 - Reports on the smartest, most innovative business practices for doing business in the internet and technology age.

Business Week Small Business Online - Columns of interest to small businesses and entrepreneurs, including a small business guide and small business tools.

Central Penn Business Journal - Weekly regional business journal covering Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. In-depth coverage in the "Inside Business Focus On" section each week. Two lists of top ranking companies in different categories appear each week and are compiled into an annual "Book of Lists." Free registration for daily news alerts.

Conference Board - Reports and articles, Consumer Confidence Index and Help Wanted Index.

Entrepreneur - Online version of Entrepreneur Magazine, which targets the small business audience.

Forbes - Click on the "Work" tab on the home page to access a list of resources and tools for the entrepreneur, including links to the "200 Best Small Companies" and "500 Largest Private Companies."

Fortune Small Business - Articles about and for small business, including links to special issues such as the "FSB 100 list of America's Fastest Growing Small Companies."

Inc. Magazine - Online version of Inc. Magazine, a magazine devoted to small business.

Industry Week - Online version of the manufacturing industry publication. Of particular interest is the Research section, which includes data from their exclusive studies on America's Best Plants, Largest Manufacturing Companies, 100 Best Managed Companies, World Class Communities and the CEO Survey.

Financial Information

Big Charts - Source for investment charting, including historical quotes.

EDGAR - Financial filings and registration statements to the SEC by public companies, including 10-Ks, 10-Qs and annual reports

Government Information

American Fact Finder - Quick and easy way to find census statistics

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Current and historical statistics on Consumer Price Index, Producer Price Index, Consumer Spending, employment and unemployment rates, earnings. The complete Occupational Outlook Handbook, Monthly Labor Review and Occupational Outlook Quarterly can be accessed from this site.

Current Industrial Reports - Production and shipment data for the manufacturing, mining and construction industries

Federal Business Opportunities - Find federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000

Fedstats - Provides quick and easy access to statistics and information published by more than 70 U.S. Federal government agencies, all in one place

FirstGov - One stop shopping site for government information, from all branches of government. A "best of" compilation taken from all the sites of the U.S. government

International Trade Administration - Wealth of information for companies wishing to do business overseas. Include statistics, NAFTA rules of origin and comprehensive country information

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) - NAICS is a system for classifying business establishments. Access a complete list of codes and a SIC/NAICS conversion table

Trademark Database - Search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database of trademarks for free

U.S. Census Bureau - Comprehensive source of census statistics, including population, housing, maps, Census of Agriculture, County & City Data Book, Economic Census, County Business Patterns, construction industry, etc.

Small Business

Bplans.com - Guidelines for writing a business plan. View free business, marketing, web strategy and advertising plans

BizStats.com - Leading online source for small business statistics, including useful financial ratios and benchmarks

CCH Business Owners' Toolkit - Comprehensive checklist of steps to take to start a business. The table of contents expands to display section headings and document titles. Click on document titles for in-depth information.

Dun & Bradstreet Small Business Solutions - Small businesses can obtain credit reports for companies they want to do business with, manage their own credit, collect debt and obtain customer lists. There are no costs involved to search this website, however there are fees for purchasing the reports and lists themselves. There are various subscription packages, all at minimal costs, that a small business can take advantage of. Comprehensive charts of D&B's fees and pricing structures accompany each of the services.

Entreworld - Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation's highly regarded site combines links to the best resources on the web, with content written specifically for Entreworld by noted entrepreneurs and business professionals, for all stages of starting and growing a business.

Family Business Center at Elizabethtown College - Provides family businesses with the opportunity to address and resolve their succession, management, ownership and strategic issues, through seminars and networking

FindLaw - Good source of legal information for the business start-up. Guidelines for starting a business, downloadable forms and contracts and a searchable directory of lawyers by state.

Mplans.com - This free resource from Palo Alto Software provices access to an excellent outline for a marketing plan, as well as sample plans and informative articles.

National Association for the Self Employed - Provides benefits, support and advocacy for micro-business with up to 10 employees, and the self-employed

National Federation of Indepedent Businesses - Largest advocacy organization representing small and indepedent businesses in Washington. Search the toolbox of articles of interest to small business and read about key issues the NFIB is lobbying for.

NOLO - The do-it-yourself law center, with a section devoted to small business, including a good legal encyclopedia.

Peerspectives - Developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation, this site is designed for second stage businesses and entrepreneurs, with information to help them get to that next level. Articles on marketing, finance, human resources, management and organization.

SBTV (Small Business Television Network) - Nice site for small businesses sponsored in part by CNNfn.

SCORE - Service Corps of Retired Executives provides mentoring, training seminars and online counseling to small business startups.

Small Business Administration - This is the definitive source of government information on small business. Guidelines and how-to's for starting and financing a small business, FAQs, local office contacts, regulations, headline news, non-profits home page and disaster assistance are just a few of the many topics covered on this site.

Small Business Development Center - Partially funded by the SBA, the SBDC provides free one-on-one business consulting and professional development seminars and workshops.

Small Business School - Companion website to the PBS series. Read television show transcripts and case studies of small businesses that the series profiles.

Welcome Business USA - Free resource with checklists, tools and a comprehensive resource guide with links. Practical hands-on, how to's and ideas for running a successful small business.

Working Solo - How-to's and practical advice for sole proprietors, self-employed, home-based businesses, freelancers, telecommuters, and other independent professionals.

WSJ.com Startup Journal - Wall Street Journal's site for new business start ups and entrepreneaurs. The main feature is a searchable database of thousands of businesses and franchises for sale, which can be searched by location and category. In addition, there are feature articles on a variety of topics of interest to small businesses.

Yellowcakes - This new website is designed for technology start-ups. Search for companies, sources of venture capital, news and columns offering business tips. Subscribe to a biweekly newsletter.

Small Business Administration

Small Business Administration - Definitive source of government information for small business. Guidelines and how-to's for starting and financing a small business, FAQs, local office contacts, regulations, headline news, and disaster assistance are some of the many topics covered on this site.

Business Opportunities from the SBA - Basics of government contracting, including regulations and policies, size standards, preparing bids and proposals, etc.

Business Plan Guide from the SBA - Good comprehensive guide for constructing a business plan

Financing from the SBA - Basic financing and eligibility topics, plus explanations of all the extensive SBA loan programs

Forms from the SBA - Free downloadable forms, letters and guides

Management for Growth from the SBA - Management, leadership, marketing, financing, strategic planning, technology and special interest topics

Outside Resources and Business Links from the SBA - Links to over 3,000 resources of interest to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

State and County Organizations

Assets
237 North Prince Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: 717-393-6089; Fax: 717-509-3506
Email: assetslancaster@dejazzd.com
Assists would-be entrepreneurs of low and middle income in Lancaster County to realize their goal of self-employment and economic indepedendence. The main focus is a rigorous, fee-based, 13-week training course that covers basic business principles, marketing, finance, management, operations, legalities and taxes.

BASE
447 South Prince Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: 717-509-1730 or 717-392-5467; Fax: 717-290-7936
Email: base@baseinc.org
BASE manages the Lancaster Entrepreneurial Development Program, which provides ongoing counseling, direction, mentorship and technical support to individuals throughout the city and county of Lancaster who are considering startup or expansion of a business venture in the community.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Penn State Harrisburg
Susquehanna Building
777 W. Harrisburg Pike
Middletown, PA 17057
Phone: 717-948-6339; Fax: 717-948-6223
Email: pammartin@psu.edu
Single state technology development program that provides flexible financing and investment opportunities for technology-oriented businesses. Provides university-based support to new and existing businesses in hi-tech industries.

Center for Rural Pennsylvania - In-depth demographic profiles for all Pennsylvania counties.

Community First Fund
P.O. Box 524
30 West Orange Street
Lancaster, PA 17608-0524
Phone: 717-393-2351; Fax: 717-393-1757
Email: cff@commfirstfund.org
The mission of the Community First Fund is to create economic opportunities and stronger communities throughout Central Pennsylvania with affordable loans, one-on-one business counseling, and business training courses. These services are provided to low-income populations and underserved communities. Community First Fund is a U.S. Small Business Administration microlender.

Economic Development Company of Lancaster County
100 South Queen Street
P.O. Box 1558
Lancaster, PA 17608-1558
Phone: 717-397-4046; Fax: 717-293-3159
Email: edc@edclancaster.com
The EDC supports important economic development projects within Lancaster County. EDC is certified as both an Industrial Development Corporation and an Area Loan Organization by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They help existing businesses to grow and expand and also serve as a first point of contact for businesses interested in expanding or relocating into Lancaster County.

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Southern Market Center
100 S. Queen Street, P.O. Box 1558
Lancaster, PA 17608
Phone: 717-397-3531; Fax: 717-293-3159
Country-wide business organization with over 3,000 members. To meet the needs of its members, it offers marketing opportunities, information, training, value-addeds, niche groups, events, business recognition, advocacy and workforce assistance, all with the aim of fostering a positive economic business climate in Lancaster County.

Lancaster County Career Link
1016 North Charlotte Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: 717-509-5613; Fax: 717-509-5617
Email: lrank@libertyplace.net
Cooperative effort to provide one-stop delivery of career services to job seekers, employers, and other interested individuals, and to provide access to employment, education and training resources.

Lancaster County Planning Commission - LCPC is partnered with the Library System to provide information to small businesses through the Biz Info to Grow service. LCPC provides demographic data, access to GIS (Geographic Information System), assistance with site selection and information on municipal regulations and permits.

MANTEC
313 West Liberty Street
Lancaster, PA 17608
Phone: 717-399-7274
MANTEC is a private, nonprofit organization that works with small and medium-sized manufacturers to identify opportunities for continuous improvement. A staff of manufacturing professionals and service providers offers access to specialized programs and initiatives designed to help manufacturing firms successfully compete in a constantly changing marketplace.

Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Center for Entrepreneurial Assistance
400 North Street
Commonwealth Keystone Building, 4th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225
Phone: 800-280-3801; Fax: 717-787-4088
Email: ra-dcedcea@state.pa.us
Lead agency in Pennsylvania government for small business development. Aim is to enhance the entrepreneurial vitality of the Commonwealth and build an environment which encourages creation, expansion, and retention of successful small businesses. Visit the website for information on starting a business in PA, business assistance, financing, international trade, workforce development and more.

Pennsylvania Department of Revenue - Information and forms for business taxpayers.

Pennsylvania Open for Business - Complete online resource for entrepreneurs doing business in Pennsylvania. Register your business online, access forms necessary to start a business, name of your business and explore financial options. Resources include downloadable handbooks on many aspects of starting a business. Pennsylvania State Data

SCORE
Lancaster Chapter 16
313 West Liberty Street, Suite 231
Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: 717-397-3092; Fax: 717-481-7637
Email: scorelancaster@verizon.net
The Service Corps of Retired Executives, sponsored by the SBA, is a volunteer organization that matches business management counselors with prospective or existing small business owners. They offer mentoring, training seminars and online counseling.

SEDA-COG Procurement Technical Assistance Center
SEDA Council of Governments
201 Furnace Road
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Phone: 1-800-332-6701; Fax: 570-524-9190
Email: sedapta@seda-cog.org
Free individualized counseling, bid match services and access to resources that help companies understand and compete in the government marketplace. Provides marketing assistance and help with registrations and certifications, ongoing services and training in specialized topics such as proposal writing.

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
750 East King Street
Lancaster, PA 17602-3198
Phone: 717-391-3522; Fax: 717-720-4262
Email: sommers@kutztown.edu
Provides assistance to start-up and existing businesses through classes and one-on-one counseling in conjunction with Kutztown University College of Business. The SBDC helps businesses through every stage of development, from business planning to marketing, to funding, to management.

Team Pennsylvania Business Resource - Everything you need to know about business expansion and relocation in Pennsylvania, including information on the workforce, county profiles and industry trends, financing, economic base, real estate, regulations and permits, taxes and contracts.