All library locations will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 24th and 25th for Christmas. All library locations will be open on Tuesday, December 31st from 10:00am - 5:30pm and will be closed on Wednesday, January 1st for New Year's Day.
Business Information Online
The Business on the Internet sites listed below have been selected by the Oakland Public Library to help guide your research.
Business on the internet starting points
- Internet Public Library: business and economic resources
- Librarian's Index to the Internet: Excellent site for browsing business topics
- A Business Researcher's Interests (BRINT): Great source for leading edge topics
- CEOExpress: Comprehensive portal designed for the busy executive
Local business information
- Doing business in Oakland: permits, incentives, assitance and training, redevelopment areas, demographics, etc.
- Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG): Bay Area commerce information. Census data, contracts and bids, green business, international trade, etc.
- Alameda County Assessor's Office: Business and real property assessments
- Fictitious Business Names: Filing fees and other pertinent information
State of California Business Information
- Doing Business in California: State portal for business tax information.
- California State Contracts Register: Contracting opportunities
- California State Board of Equalization: Sales and use tax and other business related taxes. Forms and frequently asked questions.
- CALGOLD: "Business permits made simple." Searchable by type of business and location.
- California Business Portal: Secretary of State's site. Find the agent for service of process and what you need to start and file a business entity in the state.
- California State Controller's Office: Unclaimed Property Information
Investments and Personal Finance
- Morningstar: Provides trusted, independent and in-depth news, commentary, fund information, recommendations and research on stocks and mutual funds. (Use this link to access Morningstar from inside of the library. An Oakland Public Library card is required to access this resource outside of the library.)
- Investor Home: Personal investor resource guide. Quick links to popular sites.
- Big Charts: Investment charting and research site. Historical quotes and industry analysis.
- Investing in Bonds: Covers the basics and varieties of bonds.
- MortgageLoan.com: A good personal finance reference, with various articles and financial calcultors. They have current mortgage rates too.
- San Francisco Chronicle Business section: news, classified ads, stock and mutual fund information, focused on Bay Area businesses.
- The Green Money Online Guide: Socially responsible investing information
Small Business
- SBA.gov: US government Small Business Administration website
- Small Business Development Center National Information Clearinghouse: Getting started, buying and selling a business, e-commerce, industry outlook trends and reports, etc.
- Startup Journal: The Wall Street Journal's Center for Entrepreneurs. Franchising, financing, technology, etc.
- US Small Business Administration Startup kit: Loans, lists of small business associations, links to dozens of govt. sites, etc.
- SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business: Free one-on-one counseling sessions with successful business people, both retired and active.
- East Bay SCORE: Local branch of SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business
- Working Solo: Tips and links for entrepreneurs working in the small office/home office
- Trade Show News Network: Search for trade shows, resources for managing your exhibit, etc.
- IRS: Tax information for small businesses and the self-employed
Company Research
- ReferenceUSA: Information on over 10 million US businesses. A good resource for compiling and downloading lists of businesses based on a variety of criteria. (An Oakland Public Library card is required to access this database outside the library.)
- Hoover's Online: Lines of business, top competitors, financial data, and key personnel (An Oakland Public Library card is required to access this database outside the library.)
- EDGAR: SEC filings and forms
- Better Business Bureau: Check out a particular company's business practices
Non-Profit Organizations
- The Nonprofit FAQ: Information for and about nonprofit organizations
- Guidestar: Search for charities and nonprofits. Descriptions and basic financial information
- Foundation Center: Foundation finder. View a foundation's IRS 990-PFs
International Business
- Europages: European Business Directory and Information
- Currency Converter: Currency converter for 164 currencies
- International Business and Technology Information: World level resources
Patent and Trademark Searching
- US Patent and Trademark Office: Patent and trademark database
Statistics
- Counting California: Data from state, federal, and local governmental sources on a variety of subjects
- Consumer Price Indexes: Pacific Cities and US City Average
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: US and regional economy. Latest numbers on business costs, occupations, productivity, industries, etc.
- US Census: Economic Census. Bridge between NAICS and SIC, etc.
- Bankrate.com: Bank rates for mortgages, savings accounts, ATM fees and more
Business Law
- The Business Law Site: Legal checklists, choosing the right business entity, domain names, doing business over the Internet, etc.
- The 'Lectric Law Library: Business and General forms
- Legal Encyclopedia from Nolo Press: Employment law, independent contractors, landlords and tenants, patents & trademarks, etc.
- Business.usa.gov: Legal and regulatory information for America's small businesses
Further Searching
- Northern Light Research: Engine that searches the web, newspapers, newswires, and magazines. Offers specialized searching of industry-focused web pages and market research. Note: to access full-text of many publications, there may be a small fee.