Entrepreneurial and Marketing

Need a Refresher?  Visit our Library Tutorials Page.

Business Source Premier (CVTC access)

The industry's most widely used business research database, Business Source Premier features full text and searchable cited references for top journals covering a variety of business disciplines.

Refresher Video for Basic Company & Industry Profile Searches (Video)

LinkedIn Learning

Online learning platform with over 13,000 courses taught by real-world experts. This is a great resource for building up your a wide range of skills. *Link will take you to the resource guide. 

How To Use LinkedIn Learning (Video) 

Social Explorer

Social Explorer helps you gain deep insights into any location of interest through thousands of data variables and stunning visualizations, and reinforces your decisions with reliable data mapping capabilities. 

Introduction to Maps Tutorial (Video)

A few words of advice:

You may want to look up your NAICS code via the US Census Bureau (pronounced "Nakes") ahead of any industry searches.  This can pinpoint the appropriate industry(ies) your business falls under.  The US Census Bureau has an informative Naics resource page you can use.

Trade publications and websites can give you an idea as to who an industry's customers are and their needs. For example, if doing research on the cosmetic and nails industry, review NAILS Magazine. To find trade publications, Google your industry with keywords like "trade organization" or "trade associations".  You can do this in Library Search and Business Source Premier as well.

In addition to the nationwide organization, many local communities also feature their own Chamber of Commerce organizations that offer guidance and resources specifically tailored to the market and issues of the local community.

Access additional resources lists by clicking on the links below

Marketing Segmentation, Demographic Data Links

Company & Industry Information Links

Small Business Resource Links

There are a wealth of tools you can use to run an environmental analysis.  PEST, PESTLE, SWOT, FIVE FORCES, and so on.  It is up to you, as the entrepreneur to find the one, or combination of many that fits yours needs.  For a quick overview of the differences, read this PEST & PESTEL Analysis article from Strategic Management Insight.  Then feel free to use one of the worksheets provided below.

SCORE.org SWOT Analysis PDF Worksheet

Businessballs PEST Analysis PDF Worksheet

Mindtool's Porter's Five Forces Analysis PDF Worksheet