Times and technology may have changed, but the need for a business person to understand and quantify their market and industry did not. The methods around research have evolved with the growing capabilities of the internet, and so has the level and quantity of sheer data available to us today. Below are some posts and articles that can get you started in your research.
CNet has rounded up some great online services that help you "go straight to expert sources and keep track of your research". They have something for everyone, from the student to the businessperson.
Sometimes, the obvious is not where you'll find the information you need- the Online Education Database has what they call The Best Online Research Apps/Sites You Never Heard of. One such unheralded site -
Intute provides access to Web-based resources for science, technology, arts, humanities, and social sciences. The database contains well over 100,000 records and continues to grow. Subject experts review old records regularly to ensure that information is as current as possible.
Not everything is online, so I am still a big fan of widening your research base to include not only online, but hard copy resources as well. To get you started-- who better than entrepreneur.com to recommend the perfect research tools (both online and hardcopy) for the entrepreneur? In The Best Research Tools for Entrepreneurs they talk about some of their favorites - here is a snapshot.
• The Encyclopedia of Associations lists thousands of trade associations, offering contact information and vital stats. This is crucial to all entrepreneurs seeking information about a particular industry.
• The D&B Million Dollar Database offers access to online information on more than 1.6 million private and public U.S. and Canadian companies, their sales, their number of employees and other important information. This is helpful when checking out potential partners, seeking clients or customers, or "spying" on your competition. Visit the site for subscription information.
• Demographic information (crucial to learning about your target market) can be found in Editor and Publisher Market Guide and The Sourcebook ZIP Code Demographics.
• If you're looking for information on government contracting opportunities, visit FedBizOpps (formerly Commerce Business Daily).
In this day and age, everyone is just a couple of mouse clicks (or blocks) away from huge amounts of information, The smart entrepreneur is the one who understands the value of the information and knows where to find it.
