Entrepreneurship
From Simmons Library Research Guides
We have selected these resources to help you find relevant information on your research topic. Please contact a librarian for help using the resources listed in this guide or for help with your research process.
Contents |
Reference and Background Information
Search for Reference sources that contain information about your specific research topic here:
You may also consult the resources below for overviews of the topic that you have chosen to research. Use these resources to help you to put your topic in context and give you the big picture of what information exists about your topic. These resources may have bibliographies at the end of each entry that can help further your research.
Business Plan Resources
- Bplans.com
Free Online
This website has articles on business plan writing and is a good source for sample business plans. Bplans.com contains free sample business plans.
- Business Plans Handbook
Free Onlineand Level 1 Reference HD62.7 .B865
This resource provides information about every stage of starting a business, including brainstorming, goals and timelines, staffing, production, and finance. Real business plans from 10 sectors are included.
- Business Plans That Work: A Guide For Small Business
Level 2 HD30.28 .T5766 2004 and SOM Library - 409 Comm. Ave. HD30.28 .T5766 2004 and as eBook
This book provides a step-by-step guide for writing a business plan.
- Entrepreneur.com’s How to Build a Business Plan
Free Online
This website contains a tutorial on how to create a business plan.
- Inc.com
Free Online
This website contains a how-to guide on business plan building which includes tips and pointers for organizing your business plan.
- United States Small Business Administration (SBA)- Business Plan Basics
Free Online
This website provides information on the components of a business plan as well as the basic purposes of a business plan.
General Entrepreneurship Resources
- Edward Lowe Foundation
Free Online
The Edward Lowe Foundation provides information and resources for second-stage entrepreneurs whose companies have grown past the start-up stage.
- eVenturing
Free Online
eVenturing is a site of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. This site provides articles and information for entrepreneurs organized by topics such as finance & accounting, people/HR, sales & marketing, products & services and operations.
- Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Free Online
This foundation provides research and education to help advance entrepreneurial endeavors.
- Missouri Small Business Development Center
Free Online
Missouri Small Business Development Center is an accredited member of the Association Of Small Business Development Centers and provides online business sources and counseling services to help entrepreneurs start and develop their businesses.
- SCORE
Free Online
SCORE provides free and confidential business advice to entrepreneurs. Under the Business Tools section of this website are links to free sources that are very helpful for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- StartUp Nation
Free Online
StartUp Nation was created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and provides advice on such business topics as growing your business, creating a successful website, and managing your money.
Selected Books on Entrepreneurship
- Extraordinary Entrepreneurship: The Professional's Guide to Starting an Exceptional Enterprise
SOM Library - 409 Comm. Ave. HD62.5 .H37337 2005
This is a guide to new venture creation which includes information on developing a business plan and securing funding.
- New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century
SOM Library - 409 Comm. Ave. HD62.5 .T55 2007
An outstanding workbook, this large volume has case studies, and many practical tools for learning about entrepreneurship.
- The Entrepreneurial Imperative: How America's Economic Miracle Will Reshape the World (and Change Your Life)
SOM Library - 409 Comm. Ave. HB615 .S37 2006
Carl J. Schramn, President and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, outlines the importance of entrepreneurship in today’s society.
- The Entrepreneur's Information Sourcebook: Charting the Path to Small Business Success
SOM Library - 409 Comm. Ave. HD62.5 .A96 2006
This step-by-step guide includes information on helpful print and online resources for entrepreneurs.
Finding Articles
Below are suggested databases and indexes for articles on the topic that you have chosen to research. These databases include articles from newspapers, magazines and scholarly journals. Articles are shorter and more narrowly focused than books or reference materials so you should use them after you have narrowed your topic.
- ABI/Inform
Simmons Eresource
Find in-depth coverage of business conditions, trends, corporate strategies and tactics, management techniques, competitive and product information, and a wide variety of other topics from more than 1800 leading business and management publications, most of which are fulltext or page-image. Includes fulltext Wall Street Journal.
Enter your search terms:
Use the Advanced Search for a more precise search:
- Type in a word or phrase in the search box (use the * to truncate; and to link separate concepts;or to group similar concepts)
- Consider selecting a search field name in the drop down menu, or accept "Citation and Abstract" as the default. The most specific search would use the "Subject" field. Other Search Fields include article title, author, company name, personal name, source, SIC code, ticker
- Click an operator (AND, OR, AND NOT, WITHIN 3, PRE/1) to link your search terms
- Specify limits such as Date, full text only, or scholarly/peer reviewed
- Results are available as: citation, full text, text and graphics and/or page image (like a photocopy of article). Articles can be emailed to you.
- Business Source Premier
Simmons Eresource
A comprehensive business periodical database that includes scholarly journals and business periodicals covering topics such as management, economics, finance, accounting, international business and more. BSP provides more than 8,800 full text scholarly publications, some as far back as 1922, such as the Harvard Business Review.
Use the Advanced Search for a more precise search:
- Type in search terms in the Find search box
- group similar concepts in ( ) linked with "or". For example: (women or female or gender)
- Truncate word variants with *. For example: instead of typing (manage or management or managing or manager) just type manag*
- Link separate concepts with "and". For example: (women or female or gender) and (manag* or executiv*)
- Consider selecting a specific "Field" to limit the search. The most specific and generally most accurate is a SU Subject Heading search. Also common TI title, AB abstract, CO company.
- Refine your search with Limits such as: Full Text only, from a specific Journal, Peer Reviewed (more scholarly), Date Published.
- Refine your search with Expanders To search within the entire fulltext of an article, check the "search with within full text articles". To take advantage of the built in thesaurus, check the box "also search for related words"
- Type in search terms in the Find search box
- Lexis Nexis Academic
Simmons Eresource
Provides searchable access to a comprehensive spectrum of full-text information from over 5,600 sources--including non-English language sources--selected to meet academic research needs. Included are national and regional newspapers, wire services, broadcast transcripts, international news, U.S. Federal and state case law, codes, regulations, legal news, law reviews, and international legal information, Shepard's Citations for all U.S. Supreme Court cases back to 1789, business news journals, company financial information, SEC filings and reports, industry and market news, statistics, and medical information.
- Lexis Nexis Academic: Business Research
Simmons Eresource
For business-specific news, facts and events related to companies and industries:
- Choose News tab
- Choose Business News Publications from Selected Sources drop-down menu.
- Enter at least one search term.
- Choose index in which to search for the keyword, such as: headline, lead paragraph.
- Bizjournals
Free Online
"The national bizjournals site features local business news from around the nation, updated throughout the day, top business stories from American City's print editions, industry-specific news from more than 40 industries, advice columns, and a full menu of tools to help business owners and operators manage their businesses more successfully. There's also easy navigation to each of the 42 local business sites."
- Academic Search Complete
Simmons Eresource
Academic Search Complete is a great place to start your search for both popular and scholarly articles, no matter what your topic is! It contains journals from almost every topic and is designed specifically for academic institutions. It provides more than 5,300 full-text periodicals, 4,400 of which are peer-reviewed journals. This resource also features content as far back as 1865.
- Academic Onefile
Simmons Eresource
Academic Onefile contains 8,000 academic journals, the majority in full-text, available in HTML and PDF formats. In addition it contains hundreds of podcasts and transcripts from NPR, CNN, and the CBC.
- Expanded Academic ASAP
Simmons Eresource
From arts and the humanities to social sciences, science and technology, this database meets research needs across all academic disciplines. Access scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images. Updated daily.
TIP: Use the Advanced Search for a more precise search!
Major Entrepreneurship Periodicals
- Entrepreneur
Available in print and as Ejournal
This journal provides helpful articles on topics relating to starting your own business.
- Inc.
Available in print and as Ejournal
This magazine provides informative articles on how to start and grow your business.
- International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Available in print and as Ejournal
This journal contains scholarly articles pertaining to entrepreneurial issues and behavior.
Searching the Web
Simmons librarians have created a customized search engine that allows you
to find Entrepreneurship information on the free web.
Use this Entrepreneurship Google Custom Search Engine box to search all select, quality free web sites at the
same time:
You may also wish to go directly to, or bookmark, the Entrepreneurship Google Custom Search Engine
Tips for Searching the Internet:
- Use the advanced search function, which is available from most search engines:
- Google - See also "Advanced Search Tips"
- Ask - Click "Advanced." See also "Advanced Search Tips"
- Live (MSN) - See also "Options"
- Exalead - See also "Exalead FAQ"
- Yahoo! Search
- Limit your search to .edu and .gov sites. These often provide quality research, statistics, and commentary. Sites ending in .org often have good information, too, but are likely to espouse a strong stance or bias on the issues they cover and may not be objective.
- Try Scandoo, which presents search results from Google, Yahoo! Search, or Live (MSN) with an evaluation about the objectivity, credibility, and overall reliability of the site.
- Consider using a directory of pre-screened, annotated sites:
