Small Business Resources

We have databases to help you start and grow a business, and we provide free training to help individuals or groups learn to use these databases. Book A Librarian to request training.

Small Business Launchpad

The Small Business Launchpad offers an 8-week program for potential entrepreneurs with previous state or federal convictions to learn the basics for starting and running a business. With supplies provided by SLCL, participants develop skills through expert-led presentations and workshops. This program will run every Wednesday evening July 10–August 28 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in our Small Business Center at the Clark Family Branch. Applications will be accepted May 1–31, 2024.

Details and Application

DemographicsNow For Libraries: Business & People

Provides comprehensive demographic, business and residential data with customer tools for reporting and analysis.

Adult Programs
Subscription Database

Foundation Directory Online (In Library Use Only)

Access detailed information on grant makers, grants, and grant recipients, as well as access to grant maker web sites and searchable 990s.

Adult Programs
Subscription Database

Gale Business: Entrepreneurship

Covers starting and operating a business, includes business journals and a wide selection of sample business plans.

Adult Programs
Subscription Database

LinkedIn Learning

Access thousands of self-paced online courses and tutorials in over 10 languages to help you learn about leadership, career searching, software, marketing, and many other skills essential to the job market.

Adult Programs, Teen Programs
Digital Service, eCourses

Mergent Intellect

Features a deep collection of worldwide business information including private and public U.S and international business data, industry news, facts and figures, executive contact information, the ability to access industry profiles and much more.

Adult Programs
Subscription Database

Reference Solutions

Directory with millions of listings for businesses, residents, new movers, and consumers across the U.S.

Adult Programs
Subscription Database

Our databases can help you:

Search Gale Legal Forms for the legal forms you’ll need to start and run a business.

Learn about your competitors’ locations, executives, sales volume and expenses using Reference Solutions and Mergent Intellect.

Reference Solutions and Mergent Intellect allow you to create free mailing lists containing names and addresses of potential residential and business clients.

First Research and Gale Business: Insights provide 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.

DemographicsNow and Reference Solutions will help you determine the market demand and size for your product or service.

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.

Find businesses or people most likely to purchase your product or service using Reference Solutions, DemographicsNow and Mergent Intellect. Discover people and businesses new to your area using Reference Solutions. Learn about a company’s executives, locations, sales volume and more using Reference Solutions and Mergent Intellect.

Take free courses to learn how to start and run a business through LinkedIn Learning and Gale Courses.

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 Reference Solutions and Mergent Intellect.

Access over 600 sample business plans in Small Business Source. Find statistical information needed for your business plan in First Research, DemographicsNow, Reference Solutions and Mergent Intellect.

See the full list of organizations.