Small Business Resources

• Bloomberg Business Week 
• Entrepreneur 
• Forbes 
• Fortune 
• Inc 
• Kiplinger's Personal Finance
• Money

Read Library Magazines Online

Did you know  you can access current and back issues of popular magazines with your library card and RBDigital? Download the RBDigital app on your mobile device or read in your computer's internet browser. No holds, no checkout periods, and no limit to the number of magazines you can download.

ReferenceUSA. The premier source of business and residential information for reference and research. Used by entrepreneurs, businesses, students, job-seekers or anyone wanting access to information on tens of millions of businesses and hundreds of millions of consumers in an easy to search format. Provided by the Framingham Public Library.

Business Collection. Business Collection provides coverage of all business disciplines, including accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management and strategy, as well as business theory and practice. Users will understand the activities of companies and industries worldwide through business and trade publications, complemented by a selection of international, U.S., and regional news publications. Provided by the Framingham Public Library.

Credo Reference. (Click "Business" under Subjects) CREDO is a user-friendly search engine designed to help with research on thousands of topics. Enter your search terms(as you would in Google), and CREDO instantly scans millions of entries from over 70 publishers. Search results are drawn from the entire research collection, including images and sound files, enabling you to get relevant answers from a number of sources at once. Each reference title can also be accessed individually. New editions and new book titles are added regularly. Provided by the Framingham Public Library.

Small Business Resource Center - Small Business Resource Center is a comprehensive database that covers all aspects of starting and operating a business, including accounting, finance, human resources, management, marketing, tax, and more. It combines authoritative periodical and reference content to support prospective and current entrepreneurs as well as business students. Provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

Massachusetts Resources

• Central Register - State, county, and municipal contracts out to bid for construction-related projects for Massachusetts public facilities. 
• Center for Women & Enterprise - Workshops and assistance for prospective and current women business owners.
• COMMBUYS - COMMBUYS is the only official procurement record system for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Departments. COMMBUYS offers free internet-based access to all public procurement information posted here in order to promote transparency, increase competition, and achieve best value for Massachusetts taxpayers.
• Growing Your Business in Framingham - License and permit information, microenterprise loan program, sign and facade improvement program, and more assistance for Framingham businesses.
• International Institute of Boston - Expert counseling; assistance; loans for refugees or approved political asylees seeking to start or build a small business. 
• Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center (KBLIC) - Available to Massachusetts residents, the Kirstein Branch offers extensive resources and expert assistance for small businesses. 
• Massachusetts Office of Business Development - Information on state business assistance programs; info and help for financing, site selection, permits, and more. 
• Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, Central Region, at Clark University - Free, confidential help for prospective and existing small businesses in the Central Massachusetts area. 
• Massachusetts Traffic Volume and Classification - The Massachusetts Highway Department's annual traffic data, organized by town and by route. 
• MetroWest Chamber of Commerce 
• SCORE - Local chapters of the Service Corps of Retired Executives in Boston and Worcester provide counseling, workshops, and more support and assistance for businesses.
• Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) - Massachusetts agency that promotes the development of businesses and nonprofit organizations. Excellent links to local business resources. 
• Small Business Administration Massachusetts Chapter - Local information, resources, and services. Extensive list of training opportunities. 
• Town of Framingham Zoning Bylaws  

General Resources

• Business Know-How - Articles and links on topics of interest to small businesses.
• Entrepreneur.com - Whether you're starting or already running a small business, Entrepreneur Magazine's website is packed with useful tips on subjects including marketing, money, home business, and business ideas based on industry or interest.
• FindLaw Small Business Tool Kit - Emphasizes legal matters, including contracts, human resources issues, taxes, funding, consumer issues, much more. You'll find guidance on many tricky legal issues, as well as downloadable forms.
• SCORE: Service Corps of Retired Executives - SCORE, a nonprofit organization that provides counseling to entrepreneurs, offers free email counseling with experts in your field, sixty-second guides on business issues, business-plan and financial templates, online workshops, and links to many recommended sites. 
• Small Business Administration - Practical information about small-business matters, from the federal small business agency.
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 
• USA.gov - Small Business section - Use this federal meta-site to find federal assistance programs, law and regulations, demographic information, taxes, and much more. 

For professional assistance locating the information you need:

• Telephone the Main Library Reference Department at 508-532-5570, extension 4361.  
• Email your questions through our Ask A Librarian page. 
• Visit the Main Library or the McAuliffe Branch for free access to the Internet and databases, and for assistance with research.