Research Network Resources

Research Network Resources

Below are the resources frequently used by the Research Network. It is not an exhaustive list. Most are available only through subscription. The list is meant to give you a better idea of how we construct information in response to a request.

Demographics

US Census Bureau
The Census gathers national demographic and economic data through the Decennial Population Census, an Economic Census every five years, the American Community Survey annually, etc. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as a leading source of data about America's people and economy.

Demographics Now
Provides past, current, and forecasted demographic and household spending data for any geography in the U.S. Also provides snapshots of a business community for any geography as well. Radius searching is offered by both mileage and drive time, but can only cover a maximum of 32,000 square miles. Reports can be in summary or comparison form. Data comes mostly from projections based on past Censuses (1990 & 2000) and Census-derived projects (e.g., American Community Survey)

Learn more: Research Network Database Webinar – DemographicsNow & Community Analyst

Esri Community Analyst
Provides past, current, and forecasted demographics, consumer spending and market potential data for any geography in the U.S. Maps can be made to visualize data variables. View datasets available and sources here.

Learn more: Research Network Database Webinar – DemographicsNow & Community Analyst

Best Customers (New Strategist)
Best Customers describes the demographic characterists of the best and biggest customers for hundreds of individual products and services.

Directories

Reference USA (Infogroup)
Business directory with over 14 million U.S. listings. Searchable by numerous geographic variables, SIC/NAICS code, employee size, sales, and dozens of other variables. Radius searching around a given address is also offered. Sources used to compile information can be found here.

Learn more: Research Network Database Webinar – ReferenceUSA

Martindale.com
Searchable directory that offers profiles for over one million lawyers and firms in the United States, Canada and 160 other countries, serving as a fundamental legal resource and marketing tool.

Thomasnet.com
Supplier and product sourcing database with 700,000 industrial and commercial wholesalers, manufacturers, and custom manufacturers.

Financial Norms & Ratios

RMA Annual Statement Studies
Preeminent print-based source of financial ratio benchmark data, derived directly from more than 200,000 financial statements of borrowers of RMA member financial institutions. Data is national in scope. RMA must have at least 30 valid statements from an industry before data for that NAICS code can be displayed. Explanation of data is available here.

First Research
First Research Industry Profiles include financial benchmark data provided by MicroBilt Corp.

Business Basics

Small Business Reference Center - EBSCO
Featuring how-to information on a variety of general business topics, including
management issues, selling a business, hiring employees, and dozens more. Includes full text of many titles from consumer legal publisher, NOLO.

Small Business Resource Center – Gale
Articles organized by business topics and business types. Includes full text from Business Plans Handbook and Small Business Sourcebook.

Grants & Foundations

Grants.gov
Searchable database of grants currently available from the Federal government. This is distinct from Federal opportunities listed in SPIN (see below), as you can search for awardees of past grants, as well as apply for current grants directly through the website.

SPIN Grant Finder
InfoEd's SPIN (Sponsored Programs Information Network) is a funding opportunity database for identifying the latest grant opportunities. Program listings are provided for Federal, state, and private foundation opportunities.

Industry & Company Reports

Business Insights: Essentials
Includes company profiles and histories, financial reports, periodical articles, and market share reports.

First Research
Used whenever a request seeks “industry trends”. This online source provides reports that give a national overview of any of 900+ industries in the U.S. Typical content includes brief narratives regarding current competitive landscape; job & wage growth within the industry; current challenges; trends and opportunities; financial benchmark data (provided by MicroBilt Corp); valuation multiples (provided by Pratt’s); and other data. Each report is updated, in some fashion, every three months.

BLS Occupational Outlook and Career Guide to Industries
The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a source of current and forecasted information on hundreds of different types of jobs. The Handbook is revised every two years.

Industry & Company Statistics

Statista
Consumer survey results and industry studies from over 18,000 sources on over 60,000 topics.

International Trade

Country Trade Sourcebook
Provides profiles for 215 countries, including export opportunities, trade data, entry data, documentation, marketing and sales channels, trade finance, investment, travel guide and statistical facts.

U.S. Customs and Border Protections
Website from this division of U.S. Homeland Security provides basic information on importing, including ports of entry contact information.

International Trade Administration
Source for basic exporting information, as well as country specific trade information.

News & Industry Trends

ABI/INFORM
A trio of databases (Dateline, Global, and Trade & Industry) indexing articles from over 3,300 U.S. and international-based business periodicals and newspapers, providing information on advertising, economics, human resources, finance, marketing, computers and more. In addition, there is information on over 60,000 companies.

Academic Search Complete
Providing access to full-text and abstracts to articles from over 15,000 periodicals. The database features PDF content back to 1865, and searchable cited references for nearly 1,000 titles.

Business Source Complete
Business Source Complete provides full text from more than 1,600 scholarly business journals. Additional full-text non-journal content includes financial data, books, major reference works, case studies, industry reports, market research reports, company profiles, and more.

Regional Business News
Regional Business News covers business journals, newspapers and newswires covering all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States. Many sources are full-text.

New York State Newspapers
This database includes full from text newspapers from the Buffalo News, New York Times (from 1985 on), New York Post, New York Observer, Syracuse Herald American, Syracuse Herald-Journal, and Post-Standard (Syracuse).

Patents, Copyright & Trademarks

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
Their website provides separate databases that allow for free searching of a) existing and pending patents and b) active and inactive U.S. trademarks.

Google Patents
Its Advanced Search feature is more effective than its Basic Search function. Search results offer a better view of a patent’s accompanying drawings. Also, results include current applications for patents as well.

U.S. Copyright Office
Provides basic copyright information as well as a search function to view copyright records.

Permits/Regulations/Legal Resources

New York Business Express
The Business Wizard provides the means to search for hundreds of permits & other information for multiple businesses and occupations in New York State.

Loislaw
Contains federal law, federal regulations, state law, state regulations, court rules and court cases for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Laws of New York
Search for applicable and current NYS codified legislation.

Legal Reference Center
Featuring full text of books published primarily by NOLO, each providing general legal insight on issues of importance to small business owners.

Procurement

GovSpend
Database of thousands of purchase orders since 2010 by local, state & Federal government agencies, as well as for public schools, public universities, public hospitals, and correctional facilities

Learn more: Research Network Database Webinar - GovSpend

New York State Contract Reporter
A website featuring New York’s official source of state procurement opportunities from state agencies, public authorities and public benefit corporations. It is also useful to search for winners of past awards. Free of charge to use.

Federal Business Opportunities
Searchable resource that identifies procurement opportunities from the Federal government.

USASpending.gov
Website sponsored by the Federal Office of Management & Budget that freely enables searching of the particulars of every Federal award.

Sample Business Plans

Business Plan Pro
From Palo Alto Software, a database used primarily for access to hundreds of sample business plans. New plans are introduced annually.

Business Plans Handbook
As featured in the “Small Business Resource Center” database.