St. Louis County Library has databases to help you start and grow a business, and we provide free training to help individuals or groups learn to use these databases. Call 314-994-3300 x2050 to request training. Our databases can help you:
Access legal forms
Search Small Business Resource Center for the legal forms you’ll need to start and run a business.
Analyze competitors
Learn about your competitors’ locations, executives, sales volume and expenses using ReferenceUSA and Mergent Intellect.
Create mailing lists
DemographicsNow and ReferenceUSA allow you to create free mailing lists containing names and addresses of potential residential and business clients.
Determine potential
First Research provides industry reports, risk assessments, forecasts for growth, opportunities, trends, challenges, critical issues, executive insights and more to help you decide if a business is worth starting.
Discover market demand and size
DemographicsNow will help you determine the market demand and size for your product or service.
Explore grants
Find current statistics and five year forecasts to support a grant application using DemographicsNow. Discover grant funding opportunities, 990s and the efforts a foundation has previously funded using Foundations Directory Online and GrantSelect.
Find potential clients
Find businesses or people most likely to purchase your product or service using ReferenceUSA, DemographicsNow and Mergent Intellect. Discover people and businesses new to your area using ReferenceUSA. Learn about a company’s executives, locations, sales volume and more using ReferenceUSA and Mergent Intellect.
Learn to run a business
Take free courses to learn how to start and run a business through lynda.com, Gale Courses and Universal Class.
Locate a business
Use DemographicsNow to discover competitor locations, population forecasts, highest traffic areas and the vicinities where a product or service is in highest demand. Search for companies like yours that have gone out of business in a particular area using ReferenceUSA.
Write a business plan
Access over 600 sample business plans in Small Business Resource Center. Find statistical information needed for your business plan in First Research, DemographicsNow, ReferenceUSA and Mergent Intellect.
Local organizations supporting startups
See the full list of organizations