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
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
Altoona
Entrepreneurship and Patents & Trademarks
Lori Lysiak
Consultations by appointment:
814-949-5252
lal29@psu.edu
Berks
Entrepreneurship, Engineering, and Patents & Trademarks
Sarah Hartman-Caverly
smh767@psu.edu
610-396-6243
Why is this important?
Gathering information about your customers, competition, and industry beforehand will better help you understand the opportunities and limitations of your business idea and help reduce risk. Articles, reports, and surveys known as "secondary" resources can help you:
- Map out competitors, partners and suppliers
- Gather consumer demographics and track trends, attitudes and purchasing behaviors
- Determine market size, demand and market segments
- Identify industry opportunities, challenges, financial outlook and regulatory environment
Companies, Industries and Markets
Web Resources
Internet resources can provide a wide-range of information. However, expertise, objectivity, and relevancy are not always apparent. Be cautious when using a search engine to research your topic. The resources below have been hand-picked as credible resources for your research.
- Company/Organization’s WebsiteOften an important source of information about a company’s mission, vision, culture, and products/services
- CrunchbaseCrunchbase is a platform for finding business information about private and public companies. Includes investments and funding information, founding members and individuals in leadership positions, mergers and acquisitions, news, and industry trends.
Note: Penn State does not provide access to Crunchbase Pro. Limited information about startups and investors is available without starting a free trial. Individual memberships are available for purchase. - Thomas RegisterFree supplier discovery and product sourcing in the United States and Canada product.
- Hoover's (Free Online Version)provides limited company and industry information on public and private companies. Includes financial statements, competitors, and more.
- Annual Survey of ManufacturersProvides statistics on employment, payroll, supplemental labor costs, cost of materials consumed, operating expenses, value of shipments, value added by manufacturing, detailed capital expenditures, fuels and electric energy used, and inventories.
- Annual Survey of EntrepreneursThe Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs (ASE) provides information on selected economic and demographic characteristics for businesses and business owners by gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status.
Web Resources
Internet resources can provide a wide-range of information. However, expertise, objectivity, and relevancy are not always apparent. Be cautious when using a search engine to research your topic. The resources below have been hand-picked as credible resources for your research.
- Annual Economic SurveysCollection of data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Includes:
- Annual Survey of Manufacturers
- County Business Patterns
- Nonemployer Statistics - Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition - U.S. Census BureauAids small business owners in gathering key data for their business plan or to better understand their potential market. Presents data for a single type of business and geography at a time
- Observatory of Economic ComplexityAn online resource for international trade data and economic complexity indicators available through interactive visualizations of countries and products.
Web Resources
Internet resources can provide a wide-range of information. However, expertise, objectivity, and relevancy are not always apparent. Be cautious when using a search engine to research your topic. The resources below have been hand-picked as credible resources for your research.
- StatistaStatista.com consolidates statistical market and consumer data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources.
Note: Penn State does not provide access to Statista's premium statistics. Some basic statistics are available to view for free or with a free account. Individual memberships are available for purchase.