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Business Reference

Company Research

Hoover's Online  Brief company and industry information and current business news is available at this site.  While much of the information is free, some is available only through subscription.

SEC Edgar Database   All companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file a variety of reports and statements through EDGAR.  This information is available to the public for free.

Thomas Register  Free registration allows the user to view more than 173,000 American and Canadian companies that are listed on this site. Thomas Register is also available in print in the Sun Prairie Public Library's Business Center.

Corporate Information This site provides information on U.S. and international companies including research reports, company profiles, and earnings information.  Visitors must register to use this free site.

Business Resources & Associations

Small Business Administration (SBA) This site offers information on starting, financing and expanding your business and also includes SBA information by state

US Business Advisor  One-stop shopping for federal government information and advice relating to business operations.  Includes information on business development, workplace issues, and taxes as well as many other business related topics.

World Chambers of Commerce This site includes a directory to the Chambers of Congress throughout the U.S. and internationally.  Contact information is provided as well as Chamber web sites (if available).

UW Small Business Development Center  This site from the University of Wisconsin-Madison includes information about resources, classes and the free Small Business Answer Line.

Madison.com's Book of Business  This is the online equivalent of the annual Book of Business publication, with expanded features such as demographics by zip code and property tax rates for Dane County.

UW Madison Business Library Research Guides   The Business Library has compiled research guides on 11 topics including accounting, industry information, Madison and Dane County information, and retailing.  Print resources available in the Business Library are included as well as web sites.

Business Wizard  Provided by the State of Wisconsin, the Business Wizard allows businesses and entrepreneurs to obtain customized business information by filling out a few online forms.  The Wizard develops a comprehensive, tailored summary which provides all the necessary information and online access to required forms or documents.

Business.com  This site offers news, research, and contacts for over 50,000 public and private companies.

Entrepreneur.com  This site includes tips on everything from starting a business to marketing it.  Also includes information on franchises and home-based businesses.

Women's Business Center  This SBA site provides information on starting, running, and marketing a business.  The information is aimed at women, but would also be of interest to any business owner.

Business News

Business 2.0  This companion web site to the magazine Business 2.0 offers daily editorial features and columns.  In addition the Web Guide has links to information on topics ranging from finance to marketing.

CNNMoney  From the editors of CNN and Money Magazine, this web site covers business and financial news headlines and stories.  Personal financial topics are also covered.

Business Week Online  This online magazine has a selection of free materials from the weekly print publication, plus daily news updates.  More material from current and past issues is available with paid subscription.

BizJournals.com   In addition to searching 42 business journals from across the country, this site also includes news by industry, a money center, and classified ads.

Business Wire  Many company press releases never make it to the newspaper or magazines.  This site disseminates full-text news announcements from thousands of companies and organizations worldwide to the news media.

PR Newswire  News releases from over 40,000 organizations worldwide are collected on this site.  Releases are organized by subject and by industry and are searchable.

Foundations & Grants

Foundation Center  The Foundation Center provides access to information on grants, grant seekers and grant makers.  The Center also publishes The Foundation Directory, which can be found in the Sun Prairie Public Library's Reference Area at R 061 Fou.

UW-Madison's Grants Information Center   This site lists the services and resources available to grant-seekers, including information on proposal writing, and fund raising.  The Center is open to the public at U.W. Memorial Library.

Non-Profit Guides  These guides are designed to assist non-profit organizations through the grant writing process.  Includes information on writing proposal and cover letters as well as a sample budget.

GuideStar  GuideStar is a searchable, national database of U.S. charitable organizations.  Information on over 850,000 non-profit organizations is collected and available through this site.

Personal Finance & Investing

Bank Rate Monitor  In addition to tracking bank rates for major cities throughout the U.S., this site also includes tips and articles on topics ranging from credit cards to taxes.

Kiplinger  From investing to managing your money, Kiplinger's covers it all.  The site includes articles and columns from the print publications as well as tools for trackingyour portfolio or finding a car.

InvestorGuide.com  This comprehensive site covers all the basics in plain English. 

The Links Directory has links to sites on Stocks, Other Investments, and Personal Finance.  Basic information and tutorials on investing and personal finance are outlined in the University Section.

Morningstar  The companion site to the popular print publication offers a vast array of information on stocks, funds, and the market in general.  Free registration is required for some areas of the web site and premium membership is also available.

The Motley Fool  This unique, informative, and fun investment site has loads of information from articles on 401k's to "Investing Foolishly."  Free registration required for access to some areas of the site.

International Business

Asian Development Bank

Export.gov  Tools and tips for American exporters.

FDI.net  Foreign direct investment in emerging markets.

Inter-American Development Bank  Economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 

World Bank  A vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.

Disclaimer:  The Library does not give financial investing advice.  The above page is to be used as a reference tool to find the information you need to make your own personal finance decisions.