Posts filed under 'Small Business and Entrepreneurs'
If you have the need or desire to collect demographic data, you must try DemographicsNow Now! So easy to use–you can customize results by geography, choosing the area best suited to your needs. Established businesses, prospective entrepreneurs, business students, and anyone who needs to identify cultural patterns or sociological trends will benefit from this ultra flexible marketing tool. Listen to a 3 minute introductory webcast or be guided through more detailed search tips. Access to DemographicsNow is made possible through a Madison Community Foundation collection grant to the Central Library for small business and entrepreneurship. The database was chosen with the input of several area business and entrepreneur groups.
And there’s more! If you’d like to search both Madison Newspapers or the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, whether it’s for an article, an obituary, or just to browse a day’s events, you’ll find NewsBank to be just the ticket. NewsBank is an easy-to-use newspaper archive containing full text articles from the Wisconsin State Journal (1989- present), Capital Times (1989- present), and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1990-present). Updated daily, entries exclude advertisements, employment ads and classifieds. You’ll find detailed searching information here. Due to licensing restrictions, both DemographicsNow and NewsBank are only available to customers who visit a Madison Public Library and remotely to Madison residents with valid library cards. We are in the process of arranging access through the library’s wireless networks for those who want to use the database in the library but on their own machines.
These are the newest additions to the library’s extensive list of databases. Searching from home has never been easier.
October 7th, 2009
terrymc
In these tough economic times, the City of Madison’s Office of Business Resources (OBR) can help. OBR staff works with businesses to provide start-up, retention, expansion, and guidance.
Of timely interest are two new funding programs. First, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has designed a deferred payment loan program (up to $35,000) designed to help small businesses make payments on existing debt. Called America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) Loan Program, these loans are available through SBA-approved small business lenders through 09/30/2010 or until the funds run out.
Secondly, the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) annouces grant funds for Wisconsin manufacturers. Grant funds can be used to defray project cost in two areas: lean transformation or business growth. Offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, project completion deadline is 12/31/2010.
Also, don’t overlook the abundant materials Madison Public Library has that will help your small business boom. Check out just some of the newest resources on the subject.
June 10th, 2009
terrymc
In time for summer, Morningstar Investment Research Center has released a new report titled The Morningstar College Savings Guide. Sections of the report cover Best and Worst 529 College-Savings Plans, Alternatives to 529 College-Savings Plans, Managing Your 529 College-Savings Plan, 529s: Should You Stay In-State or Shop Around, and Are 529 Prepaid Plans All They’re Cracked Up to Be?
Morningstar has also posted the Market Outlook for the 1st Quarter of 2009. Learn what the industry outlook is as of March 31 according to Morningstar.
In a recent survey, customers indicated they’d like the ability to export data from Morningstar. Now you can export some information for stocks. Choose “Financial Statement” tab on the left and then choose 10 Year Income Statement, 10 Year Cash Flows or 10 Year Balance Sheets tab. Look for the “Export to Excel” link on the bottom right side of those pages. You can also export price history for the last five years into Excel. Choose the Dividends & Returns tab on the left, then look for Price/Dividends/Splits and choose Price History. Click on one of the year links for a full listing of that year’s information and an “Export to Excel” link. Morningstar plans to add export features to other sections as well. Do you have something you’d like to be able to export? Let us know, and we’ll pass it on to Morningstar.
If you want to learn more about Morningstar Investment Research Center, contact your local Madison librarian or sign up for the next Live Web Training hosted by Morningstar on Wednesday, September 30 at 3 p.m. Central Time. To register, email librarytraining@morningstar.com and mention the name of your library.
June 2nd, 2009
terrymc
Want to know the rules for building a garage on your property? Thinking about adding a screen porch or deck to your home? The City of Madison’s new Development Services Center website and the
“Do I Need a Permit?” site now offer all of the new building construction, additions, alterations, repairs and replacements brochures online.
Many Madison Public Libraries still have limited quantities of these brochures available in print, as well as books on the same topics. Stop by or call your local library to find out what’s available.
April 28th, 2009
Molly
Interested in starting your own business? The next Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)’s Start Smart Business Planning Series begins this Thursday (April 23) with an orientation. The eight-week series is offered Thursdays, April 30th - June 18th from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
This series provides in-depth learning for starting and running a small business. Participants can complete a draft business plan through weekly worksheets and exercises. Extensive information will be provided on business financing and ownership, market research, marketing strategies, record keeping, cash flow, business operations and management. Best of all, you’ll get to visit the library one week and hear about our free market research resources!
For more information including cost, fees, and financial assistance options, visit WWBIC’s web site. Information and registration is online for the orientation (free) and the class.
April 21st, 2009
Tana
Are you interested in starting your own business? In the process of creating a business plan or expanding an existing small business? We are currently offering free trials of two market research services, Small Business Resource Center and DemographicsNow, that you may find useful.
The Small Business Resource Center offers full-text versions of two popular library print resources: Small Business Sourcebook (a one-stop source for finding more information about your business and industry) and the 14 volume set of Business Plans Handbook (offers over 300 successful business plans as examples, including projected expenditures, market research, case statements, and more). Small Business Resource Center also contains full text of over one hundred business start-up books covering specific businesses to general topics like taxes, finding financing, and marketing. Information is organized by topic, by business, and also fully searchable.
DemographicsNow is a powerful market research tool which allows you to combine your own criteria to find targeted demographic information specific to your business, including 2000 Census data, 2008 estimates, and 2013 projected data. Find consumer expenditures by zip code or census tract, pinpoint neighborhoods, cities or states that fit your target audience, or use the pre-set reports offered by DemographicsNow such as “Business Location Summary” to quickly obtain information for a business plan, loan application, or market expansion.
If you would like to test these market research services, please go to http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/madisonpl and use the password madison to access the databases through May 29, 2009. Then, please let us know what you think of the products by filling out a short online survey.
If you have any questions regarding the trial or technical problems accessing the databases, please call Tana Elias at 266-4953 or email madisonlibrary @ gmail.com.
April 9th, 2009
Tana
Madison Public Library’s Central Library recently received a $27,500 grant from the Madison Community Foundation to increase the library’s collection of small business and entrepreneurship materials. This generous gift may allow us to purchase online subscription-based resources we’ve been unable to afford previously.
If you would be interested in helping us trial new products, please use the April trial information for the DemographicsNow and the Small Business Development Center databases and let us know what was useful (or not useful) to you in your business research. Sign up to receive notice of future trials by filling out a brief online survey of your business information needs.
April 7th, 2009
Tana
Madison Public Library’s Central Library recently received a $27,500 grant from the Madison Community Foundation to increase the library’s collection of small business and entrepreneurship materials. This generous gift may allow us to purchase online subscription-based resources we’ve been unable to afford previously. If you would be interested in helping us determine which materials or products to purchase, please fill out our quick online survey.
March 16th, 2009
Tana
The Madison Community Foundation granted $192,500 to Madison Public Library to build focused collections at seven Madison library locations. The collections will be created over the next three years.
The libraries and collections are: Central Library (Small Business & Entrepreneurship); Hawthorne Branch (Pop Culture); Meadowridge Branch (Strong Families); Monroe Street Branch (Audio Books); Pinney Branch (Sustainable Living); Sequoya Branch (Art of the Picture Book); and South Madison Branch (Success U: Education, Employment & Housing). The Madison Community Foundation previously awarded grants for $27,500 each to the Alicia Ashman Branch (Comics & Anime) and the Lakeview Branch (Film & Film History).
“This is a generous and significant contribution to our libraries and we are grateful to the Madison Community Foundation for their ongoing support of Dane County libraries. The grants will allow us to offer in-depth specialty collections on topics of interest to Madison residents, and will provide much-needed funds to help combat shrinking book budgets and rising prices,” says Carla DiIorio, Collection Development Coordinator for all Madison libraries.
Research demonstrates that people value public libraries and see them as essential community cornerstones. Library usage continues to increase, and libraries were seen as an “essential” city service in a recent City of Madison Resident Satisfaction Survey. When asked how to enhance libraries, users and non-users alike want more current materials. Madison Public Library was one of 256 libraries to receive a top-star rating last week in a nationwide comparison of public libraries.
The grants come with a challenge to use the gifts to help build more community support, to develop partnerships, and to raise additional funds for the collections. As the collections grow, the library and community partners will hold events and offer outreach opportunities around each distinctive collection. Madison residents will be able to subscribe to updates about the collection(s) of their choice.
The Madison Community Foundation has supported Dane County’s public library system with over $5 million in donations for collections, programs and capital campaigns since 2000, including a total of 27 collection grants awarded to Madison and Dane County Libraries.
“It’s simple - great libraries make great communities. We continue to support this wonderful asset and are thrilled to see the collections grow and be shared so widely across the county,” says Kathleen Woit, President of the Madison Community Foundation.
Madison Community Foundation encourages, facilitates and manages long-term philanthropy. Since 1942, the foundation staff has helped people realize their philanthropic goals, allowing them to support charitable interests anywhere in the world. The community foundation also awards grants throughout Dane County to build communities. More information is available online at www.madisoncommunityfoundation.org
March 13th, 2009
Tana
