Business Owner’s Toolkit: InfoPower for You and Your Business Joan C. Divor Business Services Librarian Burlington County Library System Westampton, NJ

Do you want answers? Start-up? Financing? Marketing? Managing? Growing? We can help!

Start-up?

Financing?

Marketing?

Managing?

Growing?

Answers are OUR BUSINESS! Latest strategies for selling to physicians Licensing requirements (group home for teenage girls) Brokers & dealers: export business Financial assistance (growing gift basket business) How to write an employee handbook Launch strategies (freelance writing) Entering new markets (printing business) We can help!

thousands of $$ of up-to-date knowledge demographics, contacts, how-to guides, market research helps level the playing field vs. big companies Knowledge to help you succeed

thousands of $$ of up-to-date knowledge

demographics, contacts, how-to guides, market research

helps level the playing field vs. big companies

…often from sources NOT free on Internet. … FREE to you with your library card … The best $ you’ve already spent Online – from your home or office computer!

…often from sources NOT free on Internet.

… FREE to you with your library card …

Librarians are expert research guides – saving you time and frustration Expertise to speed your way ...and $$$

Librarians are expert research guides – saving you time and frustration

Phone Visit IM Email Live Chat – 24-7 Answers. At Your Convenience.

Phone

Visit

IM

Email

Live Chat – 24-7

Synergy Resources + Expertise InfoPower!

Objective By the end of this workshop, you will be able to: Use the library’s convenient 24-7 online toolkit to build your business know-how.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

Use the library’s convenient 24-7 online toolkit to build your business know-how.

Objective Know-How How do I start? How do I finance? How do I market? How do I manage? How do I grow?

Know-How

How do I start?

How do I finance?

How do I market?

How do I manage?

How do I grow?

Business Owner’s Toolkit

Business Owner’s Toolkit BCLS Business Gateway http://bcls.lib.nj.us/business

BCLS Business Gateway

http://bcls.lib.nj.us/business

24-7 Online Research Business Owner’s Toolkit

24-7 Online Research

Small Business Resource Center 24/7 online business advice and tools: All major areas of starting, operating and maintaining a business Easy, intuitive screen Pre-compiled info on popular topics

24/7 online business advice and tools:

All major areas of starting, operating and maintaining a business

Easy, intuitive screen

Pre-compiled info on popular topics

Small Business Resource Center Deep, broad, current: Business Plans Handbook Series Encyclopedia of Management Popular guides Small Business for Dummies Unofficial Guide to Marketing Your Small Business Trade & management journals Close to 300 e-sources total

Deep, broad, current:

Business Plans Handbook Series

Encyclopedia of Management

Popular guides

Small Business for Dummies

Unofficial Guide to Marketing Your Small Business

Trade & management journals

Close to 300 e-sources total

Example: How do I start? Writing a business plan How to / guidelines Samples Templates More tools Small Business Resource Center

Example: How do I start? Writing a business plan

How to / guidelines

Samples

Templates

More tools

Small Business Resource Center SBRC Exercise - Basic Search and “buttons” How do I finance? Venture capital, loans How do I market? Pricing How do I manage? Marketing on the Internet How do I grow? Growth / expansion advice

SBRC Exercise - Basic Search and “buttons”

How do I finance? Venture capital, loans

How do I market? Pricing

How do I manage? Marketing on the Internet

How do I grow? Growth / expansion advice

Reference USA How do I market? Directories Business Residential Specialty: Healthcare providers, tech companies

How do I market?

Directories

Business

Residential

Specialty: Healthcare providers, tech companies

Reference USA Identify and market to potential customers in your target segments. CUSTOMIZED TO YOU! Industry Size …MORE Who is my competition???

Identify and market to potential customers in your target segments.

CUSTOMIZED TO YOU!

Industry

Size

…MORE

Who is my competition???

Reference USA Example: How do I market? Retail inventory management software Retail Burlington, Camden counties Medium sized retailers (100-500) HQ or single location

Example: How do I market? Retail inventory management software

Retail

Burlington, Camden counties

Medium sized retailers (100-500)

HQ or single location

Reference USA Exercise: How do I market? NJ Hotels Cherry Hill home-based NEW BUSINESSES – Burlco – home furnishings HEALTHCARE: Orthopedic physicians Marlton & Voorhees NEW HOMEOWNERS – Marlboro, NJ – last 12 months or YOUR market!

Exercise: How do I market?

NJ Hotels

Cherry Hill home-based

NEW BUSINESSES – Burlco – home furnishings

HEALTHCARE: Orthopedic physicians Marlton & Voorhees

NEW HOMEOWNERS – Marlboro, NJ – last 12 months

RefUSA, from home or office JerseyClicks – NJ Knowledge Initiative Library card; PC Access card Direct: jerseyclicks.org OR from bcls.lib.nj.us site

JerseyClicks – NJ Knowledge Initiative

Library card; PC Access card

Direct: jerseyclicks.org OR from bcls.lib.nj.us site

RefUSA

Take a Break!

Demographics Now How do I market? Who are my best customers? Where do they live? How much do they spend? What do they buy? Where should I sell (location, territory)?

How do I market?

Who are my best customers?

Where do they live?

How much do they spend?

What do they buy?

Where should I sell (location, territory)?

Demographics Now Three quick and easy steps Pick your area or location Type of report: summary, ranking, comparison, View, print, save, email

Three quick and easy steps

Pick your area or location

Type of report: summary, ranking, comparison,

View, print, save, email

Demographics Now Let’s Explore! Any requests?

Let’s Explore!

Objective Know-How How do I start? How do I finance? How do I market? How do I manage? How do I grow? How can I manage in tough economic times?

Know-How

How do I start?

How do I finance?

How do I market?

How do I manage?

How do I grow?

EBSCOHost Business Online Business Source Premier Stay on top of trends, markets, developments 2,300+ business & trade mags Daily updates Feeds & alerting

Business Source Premier

Stay on top of trends, markets, developments

2,300+ business & trade mags

Daily updates

Feeds & alerting

EBSCOHost Business Online EBSCO Exercise Industry Landscaping Retail – clothing/apparel Coffee shop Interior design Topic Financial management Internet marketing Outsourcing Expanding your business or YOUR topic! or YOUR industry!

EBSCO Exercise

Industry

Landscaping

Retail – clothing/apparel

Coffee shop

Interior design

Topic

Financial management

Internet marketing

Outsourcing

Expanding your business

Objective Know-How How do I start? How do I finance? How do I market? How do I manage? How do I grow? How do I stay competitive?

Know-How

How do I start?

How do I finance?

How do I market?

How do I manage?

How do I grow?

Opportunities & Challenges INDUSTRY: How big? Growing, mature, shrinking? What trends, regulations, technologies impact my company? Who are the experts?

INDUSTRY:

How big?

Growing, mature, shrinking?

What trends, regulations, technologies impact my company?

Who are the experts?

COMPETITION: Nature of competition: who, what? What strategies do competitors use to succeed? What should my positioning be? Opportunities & Challenges

COMPETITION:

Nature of competition: who, what?

What strategies do competitors use to succeed?

What should my positioning be?

First Research Industry profiles “ Prospector” State & Province Profiles Email updates Super easy-to-use Ex. Law firm developing services for medical transportation companies. New!!

Industry profiles

“ Prospector”

State & Province Profiles

Email updates

Super easy-to-use

Ex. Law firm developing services for medical transportation companies.

First Research – Prospecting Financial Metrics HR Metrics Industry Drivers Other Metrics (Industry growth forecast)

Financial Metrics

HR Metrics

Industry Drivers

Other Metrics (Industry growth forecast)

First Research – Prep Sales Calls Industry analysis Competitive landscape Trends, forecasts, developments, challenges

Industry analysis

Competitive landscape

Trends, forecasts, developments, challenges

First Research – Geo. Markets Industry & economic insight Employment & real estate trends, Local resource links

Industry & economic insight

Employment & real estate trends,

Local resource links

First Research Exercise Outpatient surgical centers: What are the key profitability drivers? Name an industry that is impacted by commodity prices. How big is the tourism industry in Pennsylvania? or YOUR choice!

Exercise

Outpatient surgical centers: What are the key profitability drivers?

Name an industry that is impacted by commodity prices.

How big is the tourism industry in Pennsylvania?

Objective Know-How How do I start? How do I finance? How do I market? How do I manage? How do I grow?

Know-How

How do I start?

How do I finance?

How do I market?

How do I manage?

How do I grow?

Your Library Toolkit BCLS Business Gateway http:// explore.bcls.lib.nj.us /business 24-7 Online Research

BCLS Business Gateway http:// explore.bcls.lib.nj.us /business

24-7 Online Research

More 24-7 Online Research Safari Tech Books Legal Forms

Safari Tech Books

Legal Forms

Help for your business Business 1-To-1-Your "Personal Trainer" @ the Library

Business 1-To-1-Your "Personal Trainer" @ the Library

Help for your business Business programs; networking Business counseling Meeting rooms “ Branch office”: hotspot, computers, fax Adjunct breakroom: Café

Business programs; networking

Business counseling

Meeting rooms

“ Branch office”: hotspot, computers, fax

Adjunct breakroom: Café

Not just business – Life! Leverage, your commute: Audiobooks Save fuel!! Library-in-a-Bag; downloads No time to read: Chapter a day book summaries

Leverage, your commute: Audiobooks

Save fuel!! Library-in-a-Bag; downloads

No time to read: Chapter a day book summaries

Not Just Business – Life! Web homework center Teen programs Family & kids programs

Web homework center

Teen programs

Family & kids programs

“ .. success in the marketplace today is directly proportional to the knowledge that an organization can bring to bear...” Tom Peters Knowledge is Power!

“ .. success in the marketplace today is directly proportional to the knowledge that an organization can bring to bear...”

Tom Peters

Know Your Library… It’s Good for Business! Joan C. Divor Business Services Librarian [email_address] www.bcls.lib.nj.us/business