Owning and operating a business is always a 24/7 job and the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 has made that job exponentially harder. Here are some tools to help your business succeed:
Local Resources
- Your business can have a library card! Pre-register for your library card to get started, or come to the library to sign up in person.
- Did you know the Addison Public Library offers one-on-one assistance, workshops, and access to numerous online resources for local businesses? Take the library’s Business Needs Assessment survey and our Business Services Specialist will follow up with you to develop a plan to help your business succeed.
- For information on the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) to retooling your facility and disaster loans, visit the Village of Addison COVID-19 Business Resources page.
- Sign up for the Addison Chamber of Commerce & Industry newsletter for updates and to stay connected with other local businesses.
- Sign up for our Business Matters email newsletter.
Helpful Online Resources for Businesses
From professional development courses to demographic and directory data, our databases provide free essential information to help your business succeed. See the complete list of online resources we offer.
- A to Z World Business: Information about business culture and practices in 100 countries. Up-to-date information on importing, exporting, and logistics.
- Business Insights: Global: Detailed company and industry profiles including SWOT reports, market share and financial reports. Thousands of company histories, case studies, scholarly journals and business news.
- Gale Business Entrepreneurship: Hundreds of sample business plans, journals, and multimedia content. All aspects of starting and operating a small business: financing, management, marketing, human resources, franchising, accounting, taxes and more.
- Gale Business Plan Builder: A step-by-step online planning tool for starting, managing and optimizing a business or nonprofit.
- Gale Business: DemographicsNow: Produce comprehensive business and residential lists as well as detailed demographic reports, maps that “visualize” trends, and customized customer reports.
- Gale Courses: Gale Courses deliver hundreds of engaging, instructor-led online courses focused on professional development and technology skills.
- Gale Legal Forms: Authentic, professional legal documents. Useful for filing patents and trademarks, developing leases, creating bills of sale, delegating power of attorney, and more. Ideal for supporting legal tasks for personal or business use.
- Reference USA: Directory of data about U.S. businesses and residences.
- Udemy: Thousands of online video courses in business, tech, and personal development across 75+ categories to achieve personal and professional goals.
Your Digital Library: Access at Home
Don’t forget about our downloadable collection! You can borrow eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies and more for free with your library card.
Business Advisors and Virtual Programs
We partner with many local organizations to provide you with the resources to answer your questions. While we cannot currently provide in-person programs, two of our partners provide one-on-one virtual advising and programs:
- Small Business Development Center at College of DuPage- The Business Development Center strives to advance the practice of business ownership to stimulate economic growth and development through new company formation and growth. The Center is committed to the business community with programming and customized advising and high-quality training. They are also posting a weekly COVID-19 Small Business update.
- SCORE- For over 50 years, SCORE has served as America’s premier source of free business mentoring and education. As a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs through mentoring, workshops and educational resources since 1964. Check out their Coronavirus Small Business Resource Hub for access to webinars, remote mentoring and more. Looking for guidance as you begin to reopen your business? Check out this free toolkit produced by SCORE.
If you have questions, need some guidance, or want some tips and tricks on any database for business, please contact our Business Services Specialist Lesley Cyrier at cyrier@addisonlibrary.org