Research and Reference Resources

Business

Associations and Non-Profit Groups

Associations on the Net - http://www.ipl.org/div/aon/
Direct links to organizations of many types.

BBB (Better Business Bureau) Wise Giving Alliance - http://www.give.org/
Though this site covers fewer charities, the reports are detailed and provide financial information, history, and other information on charities and their work.

Charity Navigator - http://www.charitynavigator.org/
Anaylsis and ratings of charities and non-profit organizations. Includes a list of "Top Ten" and "4 Star" charities.

Foundation Center - http://fdncenter.org
Includes hundreds of direct links to private, corporate, and public foundations, as well as information about foundations and grant seeking.

GuideStar, the Donor's Guide to Charities and Nonprofits - http://www.guidestar.org/
Information on the programs and finances of more than 850,000 charities and nonprofits.

Idealist - Action Without Borders - http://www.idealist.org/
Offers a searchable directory of nonprofit web sites from 165 countries.

non-profit guides - http://www.npguides.org/
"Grant writing tools for non-profit professionals."

Search for Charities -- http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96136,00.html
Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations described in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, is a list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions.

UW-Madison's Grants Information Center - http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/Memorial/grantshp.htm
A print and online collection of information related to grants for individuals or non-profits, housed at UW-Madison's Memorial Library.

Company Research

Corporate Registration Information Service (CRIS) - http://www.wdfi.org/corporations/
crispix/default.asp
Locate licensed businesses, partnerships, and companies in Wisconsin.

Hoovers' Online - http://www.hoovers.com
Short, informative profiles of major U.S. businesses and major industries. Fee-based services are usually clearly marked.

ReferenceUSA database - http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/ref/databases.html
With a South Central Library System library card, you can perform powerful, detailed searches of over 12 million U.S. businesses. Find out more about this resource.

Researching Companies on the Internet: A Tutorial - http://www.learnwebskills.com/company/
A step-by-step process to finding free company information on the web, from company directories to public opinion.

Securities and Exchange Commission - http://www.sec.gov
FreeEDGAR - http://www.freeedgar.com/
Find financial reports on public companies.

Thomas Register of American Manufacturers - http://www.thomasnet.com/index.html
Search the Thomas Register online by company name, brand name, product, or service. You'll get a brief profile for free.

 

General Resources

Business Owner's Toolkit - http://www.toolkit.cch.com/
Ideal for a small business, this site includes basic business forms, templates, and checklists that you can download to your computer and customize to fit your needs.

Delphion Intellectual Property Network (formerly IBM Patent Server) - http://www.delphion.com
MicroPatent - http://www.micropat.com
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - http://www.uspto.gov/patft
All are excellent sources for patent searches, are easy to use, and require fees for full-text patent delivery. USPTO also offers trademark searching.

Enterprise - BusinessWeek Online - http://www.businessweek.com/ebiz/
BusinessWeek's resource center for small business owners, with many useful sites.

KnowThis - http://www.knowthis.com/
Annotated guide to marketing resources.

Standard Industrial Code - http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) - http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html
Businesses by classification or "subject."

U.S. Business Advisor - http://www.business.gov
One-stop shopping for federal government information and advice relating to business operation.

U.S. Small Business Administration - http://www.sba.gov
Useful, official advice and resources for starting, financing, and managing a small business. The start-up kit and the business plan outline are especially useful.

Wisconsin

see also Wisconsin Law

County Business Patterns, Wisconsin - http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html
Track county trends in Wisconsin.

County Workforce Profiles of Wisconsin - http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/oea/cp_pdf/cp_mainx.htm
Access information about the workforce for all Wisconsin counties, from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

International Wisconsin --http://www.international.wi.gov
A join effort of the Wisconsin Dept. of Commerce and several other agencies, the site provides "contact information for trade offices as well as U.S.-based consulates, trade commisions and chamber of commerce for more than 75 countries."

Regional Metrics Benchmarks --http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/oea/grow.htm
An outgrowth of Governor Doyle's Grow Wisconsin initiative, the database provide the seven Grow areas with a "common set of economic, demographic, and labor market indicators".

UW Small Business Development Center - http://www.uwsbdc.org
Information about resources, classes, and the free Small Business Access Line.

Wisconsin Business Services - http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/business.html
For those wanting to start a business in Wisconsin, start here for resources from state agencies, programs, and information.

Wisconsin Business Wizard - http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/app/wizard/LoadIntro
Using a series of standarized questions-and-answers, this resource provides information on starting and operating a business in Wisconsin.

---