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Birmingham Public Library - Virtual Library - Subject Resources - Small Business Resource Guide
Guide Categories
  • Databases - Business Plans and Start Up Assistance
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Small Business Resource Guide
 
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Subjects last updated on Jul. 21, 2023.
Small Business Resource Guide RSS
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Guide Information
Last Updated
Mar. 23, 2023
Comments
Databases
Databases - Business Plans and Start Up Assistance
Alabama LegalForms
Description
Provides a wide selection of Alabama legal forms across the most popular legal areas. Includes real estate contracts, wills, pre-marital agreements, bankruptcy, divorce, landlord tenant and many others. Also included is a comprehensive attorney state directory and a dictionary of legal definitions explained in laymen's language. Also, via https://subscriptions.uslegalforms.com/gale/forms.html
Availability
Requires a JCLC card.
Tutorials
Product Overview  HTML document
Video Tutorial  Video tutorial by BPL on YouTube (length 4:32)
Business Plans Handbook
Description
Actual business plans compiled by, and aimed at, entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses. Presents sample plans taken from businesses in the manufacturing, retail and service industries which serve as examples of how to approach, structure and compose business plans. -site
Availability
Requires a JCLC card and residence in Birmingham, AL.
Gale Business: DemographicsNow: Business and People
Description
Part of the Gale Business Suite: A powerful online resource connects users with a wealth of highly detailed demographic data on more than 24 million U.S. businesses and 206 million consumers—making it ideal for gaining consumer and market insight. • The product's superior reporting capability enables users to easily and rapidly produce a variety of compiled reports—both standard and custom—to help make informed and accurate decisions. • The demographics tool leverages Census data, consumer expenditures, retail spending, and Mosaic Lifestyle market segmentation groupings to helps users "crunch" data in easy-to-use report formats providing complete demographic information for any geographic territory—from a summary report to a comparison of up to sixteen different geographies within a single report. • An innovative new mapping tool allows users to map their business and residential search results to create custom geographies and view demographic variables in thematic coloring scales.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card and residence in Birmingham, AL.
Gale Business: Entrepreneurship
Description
Part of the Gale Business Suite: A comprehensive database that covers all aspects of starting and operating a business, including accounting, finance, human resources, management, marketing, tax, and more. It combines authoritative periodical and reference content to support prospective and current entrepreneurs as well as business students. Experience an easy-to-browse interface mapped to four key stages—plan, fund, start, and manage—to fit your research needs at any point in your business's development.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card and residence in Birmingham, AL.
Gale Business: Plan Builder
Description
Part of the Gale Business Suite: A step-by-step online planning tool for starting, managing and optimizing a business or nonprofit. The program’s intuitive dashboard walks users through five areas of exploration to develop a business plan focused on long-term success.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card and residence in Birmingham, AL.
Databases - Company Research
Business Insights: Essentials
Description
Company profiles, brand information, rankings, investment reports, histories, chronologies. Detailed news and information on companies and industry.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card.
Business Source Premier
Description
A database of resources for the modern businessman, Business Source Premier contains full-text articles from more than 1,000 newspapers and magazines on business topics, management, economics, finance, banking, and accounting.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card.
Reference USA
Description
Directory of U.S. businesses, company leaders, parent companies, and subsidiaries. Includes U.S. healthcare listings, job and internship listings, and White Page listings. Reference Solutions is an excellent reference tool that contains current information on over 70 million companies, 295 million customers, household lifestyle and purchasing habits, and job listings.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card.
Tutorials
Video Tutorial  Video tutorial by BPL on YouTube (length 7:12)
Training Guides
Financial Ratings Guide (by Weiss)
Description
Financial Ratings Series Online makes sure that you have the information you need to be certain you are working with the best and most financially stable organizations. Using the quick and easy navigation screen, you will get immediate access to the Weiss' Independent and Unbiased Ratings for: Life & Annuity Insurers Property & Casualty Insurers HMOs & Health Insurers Banks Credit Unions Stocks Exchange-Traded Funds Stock Mutual Funds Bond & Money Market Mutual Funds Plus, you have access to the Medicare Supplement Insurance Guide, Financial Planning Tools, and Financial Literacy Skill-Building Tools too.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card.
Databases - Marketing Research
Business Insights: Essentials
Description
Company profiles, brand information, rankings, investment reports, histories, chronologies. Detailed news and information on companies and industry.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card.
DemographicsNow
Description
Part of the Gale Business Suite: A powerful online resource connects users with a wealth of highly detailed demographic data on more than 24 million U.S. businesses and 206 million consumers—making it ideal for gaining consumer and market insight. • The product's superior reporting capability enables users to easily and rapidly produce a variety of compiled reports—both standard and custom—to help make informed and accurate decisions. • The demographics tool leverages Census data, consumer expenditures, retail spending, and Mosaic Lifestyle market segmentation groupings to helps users "crunch" data in easy-to-use report formats providing complete demographic information for any geographic territory—from a summary report to a comparison of up to sixteen different geographies within a single report. • An innovative new mapping tool allows users to map their business and residential search results to create custom geographies and view demographic variables in thematic coloring scales.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card and residence in Birmingham, AL.
Reference USA
Description
Directory of U.S. businesses, company leaders, parent companies, and subsidiaries. Includes U.S. healthcare listings, job and internship listings, and White Page listings. Reference Solutions is an excellent reference tool that contains current information on over 70 million companies, 295 million customers, household lifestyle and purchasing habits, and job listings.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card.
Tutorials
Video Tutorial  Video tutorial by BPL on YouTube (length 7:12)
Training Guides
Udemy
Description
Learn and improve skills across business, tech, design, and personal interests. Connect to 4,000+ on-demand video courses taught by world-class instructors. Courses cover the freshest and most relevant content on leadership and management, coding, design, marketing, IT operations, data science, project management, human resources, sales, accounting and finance, and productivity. Powered by the Udemy for Business collection.
Availability
Requires a JCLC card and residence in Birmingham, AL.
Page Last Modified: 3/2/2026 11:12 AM

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