Library Guides: Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Getting Started

Access Key

PSU

Access is available to currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff. Must be accessed from a University Libraries' webpage (including this one) when off-campus or using campus WiFi

PSU - VPN

Access is available to currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff when connected to the GlobalProtect VPN

PSU & Alumni Library

Access is available to currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff. Members of the Penn State Alumni Association can also access a version of this resource through the Alumni Library Online

PA Residents

Access is available to all Pennsylvania residents

Community

Access is available to everyone

Overview

This guide supports:

The Entrepreneurship & Innovation (ENTI) cross disciplinary entrepreneurship minor
Other curriculum-connected student entrepreneurship projects.

Researchers whose purposes are for-profit or non-educational, please visit the Entrepreneurship Guide For Alumni and Visitors.

Entrepreneurship Resources for Pennsylvania Residents
by Sara Hess Last Updated Nov 28, 2023 464 views this year

Contact an Entrepreneurship Librarian

University Park

Entrepreneurship

Sara F. Hess

sfh5542@psu.edu
Schedule an online or in person research consultation with me at https://calendly.com
/sfh5542

Patents & Trademarks

Denise Wetzel

dawetzel@psu.edu

Altoona

Entrepreneurship and Patents & Trademarks

Lori Lysiak

Consultations by appointment:
814-949-5252
lal29@psu.edu

Behrend

Engineering and Entrepreneurship

Angela Davis

ard21@psu.edu
814-898-6170

Berks

Entrepreneurship, Engineering, and Patents & Trademarks

Sarah Hartman-Caverly

smh767@psu.edu
610-396-6243

Harrisburg

Entrepreneurship

Emily Mross

elm43@psu.edu
717-948-6130

Engineering and Patents & Trademarks

Andrea Pritt

alp5088@psu.edu
717-948-6071

Getting Started

Hone Your Entrepreneurial Skills

SAGE Skills Business This link opens in a new window
Designed to help students develop and practice key skills in entrepreneurship and related areas including leadership and organizational communication
Access: PSU
This digital resource helps students develop and practice business and professional skills. It has been designed to help students make the transition from the classroom to the workplace. It contains five modules: Data Analytics; Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Organizational Communication; and Professionalism.

Magazines & Newspapers

Web Resources

Invent Penn State Resource Navigator
Searchable list of entrepreneurship and innovation resources across PA
Dare to Disrupt - Invent Penn State [Podcast]
Dare to Disrupt is a podcast about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success.
U.S. Small Business Administration Business Guide
Overview of how to start, manage, and grow a business. Topics include:
- Doing market research
- Writing a business plan
- Funding a business
Kauffman Entrepeneurs
Site created by the Ewing Marion Kaufmann Foundation with resources to help develop ideas and grow your business

Top Industry & Market Research Databases

IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Performance, outlook, and operations of US and global industries
Access: PSU
IBISWorld provides over 700 full-text industry reports, 700 US industry risk rating reports, and information on over 8000 Publicly Traded US Companies as well as hundreds of economic and demographic profiles. Subscription includes access to the US Industry State Reports module.
BCC Research This link opens in a new window
Market sizing and forecasts for the technology, science, and healthcare sectors
Access: PSU
BCC Research provides in-depth market research reports covering technology, science, and healthcare sectors. Reports provide market size forecasts and projections as well as information on major players in the industry. The analyses of these markets will be especially useful to student and faculty entrepreneurs and researchers in Penn State's tech transfer units. Once the database loads, users should click the "Member Login" button on the main screen and then click "IP Authenticate" in order to access reports.
Mintel This link opens in a new window
Market drivers, trends, and forecasts for consumer products & services
Access: PSU
Provides access to two products. Mintel Academic publishes 600 market research reports each year for the U.S. and European consumer markets. Reports analyze market drivers, trends, market forecasts, market segmentations, demographics, and consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviors. The Trends module in Mintel Academic tracks cutting edge trends and shifts in consumer behavior. Mintel Market Sizes provides market size, market share and segmentation data for global consumer packaged goods industries. No walk-ins allowed.

For more, see the Industries, Markets, & Companies page.

Top Company Research Databases

Mergent Intellect This link opens in a new window
Profiles of companies that can be used to identify competitors
Access: PSU & Alumni
Provides data on over 100 million privately held companies.
CB Insights This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Financing data on start-ups and their investors. Must make an account using your Penn State email address to access
Access: PSU - VPN
CB Insights is a venture capital, angel investment, and private equity database. It includes information about the financing and activities of start-ups (their industries, investors, and acquirers). Student and faculty entrepreneurs can use it to research a specific start-up or funder, or to create a list of start-ups. Students and faculty in Finance can use it to track deal activity. CB Insights can also help students identify prospective employers, especially high growth private companies. Penn State tech transfer units can use CB Insights to find potential partners. First-time users will be prompted to create an account using their Penn State email address. VPN information for remote users.

For more, see the Industries, Markets, & Companies page.

Find Articles

ABI/INFORM Collection This link opens in a new window
Articles discussing business problems and trends from newspapers, magazines, and industry sources
Access: PSU
Search a complete database comprising full-text business periodicals and news sources from ABI/INFORM Global, Dateline, and Trade & Industry.
Business Source Premier This link opens in a new window
News and articles from business magazines, newspapers, industry publications, and academic journals. Includes Entrepreneur magazine and more
Access: PSU
An essential article database for business research providing the full text for more than 2,000 periodicals, including about 1,000 scholarly journals. Covers virtually all disciplines in business and economics, including: accounting, economics, econometrics, finance, marketing, management, MIS, QMM and supply chain management.

Top Patents & Trademarks Resources

Patents & Trademarks
by Denise Wetzel Last Updated Nov 24, 2023 1917 views this year
Trademarks
by Denise Wetzel Last Updated Oct 30, 2022 0 views this year

USPTO Issued Patents
Access: Community

esp@cenet - European Patent Office Database This link opens in a new window
International patent searching with varying years of coverage depending on the country
Access: Community
"Over 30.5 million documents including the most recent 24 months of publications from the European Patent Office,recent 24 months of PCT-publications from World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the EPODOC database for"worldwide documents" where coverage varies by country (withUS Patents from 1836 to present), or Japanese Documents -PAJ (Patent Abstracts of Japan) bibliographic database since 1976."

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Access: Community

For more, see the Intellectual Property page.

Entrepreneurship at Penn State & Beyond

Student Organizations

Innoblue
Entrepreneurship club featuring speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities
Lion LaunchPad
Program offering a makerspace, access to mentors, and a special living option

Local Support

PA Business One-Stop Shop
Information on starting a business in Pennsylvania
Happy Valley Launchbox
Business advice, legal & intellectual property clinics, accelerator programs, and co-working space in downtown State College
Penn State Small Business Development Center
SBDC serving Centre, Mifflin, Clinton, & Lycoming counties, including PSU students. Offers free, one-on-one, long term advising for entrepreneurs and small businesses
All SBDCs in Pennsylvania
Central PA SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
SCORE chapter serving central PA, including State College. Offers workshops and mentoring
All SCORE chapters in Pennsylvania
Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Provides direct funding, business assistance, and networking opportunities to PA technology companies
The Enterprise Center (Philadelphia)
Philadelphia non-profit supporting minority entrepreneurship through investment and community initiatives

National Associations & Organizations

Minority Business Development Agency
Agency within the US Department of Commerce offering information on loan and grant programs for minority entrepreneurs as well as research and data on minority-owned businesses
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)

Featured Books

Harvard Business Review Entrepreneur's Handbook by Harvard Business Review
ISBN: 9781633693685
Publication Date: 2018
The Lean Entrepreneur by Brant Cooper; Eric Ries (Foreword by); Patrick Vlaskovits
ISBN: 9781119095033
Publication Date: 2016
Entrepreneurship: the practice and mindset by Heidi M. Neck; Christopher P. Neck; Emma L. Murray
ISBN: 9781483383521
Publication Date: 2017
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
ISBN: 9780307887894
Publication Date: 2011