Subscription and Free Databases

This section includes both subscription and freely available databases that provide information on various aspects of entrepreneurship.

Subscription Databases

The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

Business Insights: Global External
Business Insights: Global presents business professionals, entrepreneurs, and the general business researcher with access to comprehensive international business intelligence, compiled into a logical, useable context.
- Professionals have access to detailed information on global businesses, comprehensive overviews on countries, interactive rankings and stats, and quick links to associated news, case studies and articles
- Entrepreneurs have the ability to compare multiple metrics, suggested metrics and inline article content allowing them to explore the broader context behind events and trends they perceive in economic data
- Business researchers will increase productivity by locating hard-to-find data, accomplishing tasks and meeting goals more quickly and easily with advanced search features and extensive deep links within search results.
CCH AnswerConnect External
Provides full text access to documents in business and finance, human resources, health care and tax research.
Crunchbase External
Description: Provides data and analysis on startups, investors, and incubators. The database profiles companies, people, funds, investment rounds and other related events.
Requires username and password. See reference staff for assistance.
EasyBusiness External
Contains in-depth information on more than 19 million companies in more than 60 countries worldwide. EasyBusiness tracks state-owned enterprises, foreign trade companies, joint ventures and foreign representative offices. Company profiles include contact details, trade names, product and service information, and names of executives.
EIU Viewpoint External
EIU Viewpoint is a new fully-integrated solution for content from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Viewpoint gives you more insight with analyst-curated macro Current themes, critical to understanding core issues in today’s changing world. Explore the new intuitive interface for fast, business-critical insights and use a state-of-the-art tool to find and chart the data series you need. The platform covers 203 geographies, providing you with precision tools to seize opportunities, weigh risks, monitor policy change and assess new markets. Content includes:
- Curated macro trends and major events intelligence
- Country-specific short, medium and long-term forecasts
- Industry data and analysis for 26 sectors
- Proprietary ratings on the business environment
- Supply and demand forecasts for 40 critical goods
Factiva External
Factiva is a vast full text archive of publications and up-to-the-minute reports and news focusing on global developments and business. Combines over 35,000 sources from the Dow Jones Interactive and Reuters Business Briefing to provide premium business content from 200 countries and in 26 languages. Factiva is very strong in trade journals and company reports.
Requires username/password; see reference staff for assistance.
Gale eBooks External
This database includes two multi-volume titles that is of interest to entrepreneurs: Business Plans Handbook and International Directory of Company Histories that are continually updated with new volumes.
Business Plans Handbook, a collection of business plans compiled by, and aimed at, entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses in North America. Presents sample plans taken from businesses in the manufacturing, retail and service industries which serve as examples of how to approach, structure and compose business plans. Also includes a business plan template, two fictional business plans, a listing of organizations, agencies, and consultants a glossary and an updated bibliography.
International Directory of Company Histories provides detailed information on the development of any of the world's largest and most influential companies. Includes cumulative industry and company indexes as well as geographic index by country.
You can access them in full text in the LC reading rooms.
Human Resources Abstracts External
Human Resources Abstracts includes bibliographic records covering essential areas related to human resources, including human resource management, employee assistance, organizational behavior, and other areas of key relevance to the discipline. The index contains more than 63,000 records, which are selected from the most important sources within the discipline. Specific subjects covered include: economic structure and policy labor markets and participation education, training, and career preparation hiring and personnel practice work life and work environment organizations human resources management labor and industrial relations earnings and benefits aging and retirement human resources and society economic and social conditions health and human resources psychology, psychotherapy, and human resources social services and human resources and theory and method.
IBISWorld External
Detailed market research reports and analysis on over 700 U.S. industries. The Library’s subscription also includes U.S. Specialized Industries and U.S. Business Environment Profiles. Onsite public users cannot download the reports, but limited printing of report sections is available.
Reading Room patrons have read-only access without downloads to the licenses product.
Plunkett Research External
Provides industry sector analysis and research, as well as information on industry trends, industry statistics, top companies in the industry, export companies, market research, and trade and export associations. The database covers a diverse spectrum of areas energy and utilities, finance and investment, health care and biotechnology, and engineering and research - providing competitive intelligence, market research, vertical industry marketing data, and industry trends analysis.
ProQuest Historical Annual Reports External
ProQuest Historical Annual Reports covers over 800 companies and contains digital reproductions for more than 43,000 reports. The database is an excellent source for research on companies, industries, American history, graphic design, advertising, and corporate architecture. Key data include: financial information; Fortune 500 ranking; industry classification; key people; geographic location; auditor; and related companies. Reports can be browsed by company name, industry or date.
SimplyAnalytics External
SimplyAnalytics has data which answers key business research questions, provides small businesses with a tool for making sound business decisions, and helps users understand the socio-demographic and economic conditions of any geographic area in the United States. There are thousands of data variables related to demographics, employment, housing, market segments, businesses, consumer spending and brand preference. This geographic information resource allows for extraction and comparison of data for specific geographic areas as small as a zip code or Census block. It also provides colored maps and spreadsheets for business plans.
Trade Data Monitor (TDM) External
Trade Data Monitor is a database of international trade statistics, analysis, and reporting for data-driven answers to crucial questions in any industry, around the globe.

Freely Available Databases

Business Dynamics Statistics (Census Bureau) External

The BDS is a United States Census Bureau data series that allows users to track annual changes in employment for growing and shrinking businesses at the establishment level. The annual series describes establishment-level business dynamics, including firm age and firm size. 1975 to present
Census Business Builder

The Census Business Builder (CBB) is a suite of services that provide selected demographic and economic data from the Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use format.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Filings & Forms (EDGAR) External

EDGAR, the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system, performs automated collection, validation, indexing, acceptance, and forwarding of submissions by companies and others who are required by law to file forms with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Its primary purpose is to increase the efficiency and fairness of the securities market for the benefit of investors, corporations, and the economy by accelerating the receipt, acceptance, dissemination, and analysis of time-sensitive corporate information filed with the agency.

BEOnline

BEOnline was a database of over 1,600 selected websites on many aspects of business and economics, created and maintained by the Business Section at the Library of Congress.

It began in 1996 as an experimental project of the Bibliographic Enrichment Advisory Team (BEAT) of the Cataloging Directorate of the Library of Congress to explore means of access and bibliographic control for remote Internet resources of interest to the practice or study of entrepreneurship and small business. It expanded to include selected internet resources on all aspects of business and economics that may be of interest to researchers.

In the summer of 2021, BEOnline underwent a major review to fix broken links, clean categories, and identify catalog records to remove. As a result, it created a more accurate and curated list of recommended websites.

In the fall of 2023, the BEOnline project closed as the Science & Business Reading Room website updated. Many reviewed and recommend links have since migrated to our guides such as Doing Industry Research, Doing Company Research, and the Small Business Hub.

To access an archive of BEOnline, visit the web archive page listed below. For questions, contact Ask a Librarian.

BEOnline [Archived Site]
Archived version of the BEOnline project from November 19, 2021.

Entrepreneur's Reference Guide to Small Business Information

Subscription and Free Databases

Subscription Databases

Freely Available Databases

BEOnline