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
- 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
- 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
- AtoZDatabases: 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.