Find a New Career with a New Business

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So life threw you a curve and you are looking for a job.

Ever thought of starting your own business?

You are not alone. About 6% of the adult population is engaged in trying to start new firms, says the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. And new businesses can take hold in a recession: a 2003 U.S. House Small Business Committee report found that experienced managers over the age of 40 were quite successful in starting businesses in the recession of the early 1990’s.

Where to start?  Consider your local library.
Charlie Henderson found himself looking for new opportunities after being downsized from a long held job.  After deciding to start out on his own, he enrolled in the Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac for New Ventures program at the Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Center in Kansas City. 

They took him straight to the library.

Carmen DeHart, director of the Center says, “When developing a new business, doing the necessary market research is the key to success. Libraries offer a wealth of information in books and databases to get a business off on the right track.”

Charlie is creating a specialty wine shop and art gallery. He used the electronic resources available at the library to develop a targeted marketing plan for his business. “I found Reference USA especially helpful when researching information about specific businesses within the same geographical area.  The business demographics and expenditures that are part of the database were very helpful in projecting my own volume and expenses.”

“The beauty of it,” says Carmen, “is that with a library card, you can access these databases remotely, making it easy to be constantly aware of changes in the market and have ready access to constantly changing market information.”

Research is so important that Carmen’s group partners with local libraries to offer business start up classes on-site.  When it comes to creating a marketing plan, “You don’t even need to know the right questions, just ask the reference librarian and they will lead you,” she says.

Kelly Campbell started Ampersand, a brand consultation and graphic design company. She too appreciates the help of the reference librarians.  "Starting a new business has been daunting, but the resources available through the library provide everything I need to be successful. I'm relieved I don't have to figure this all out on my own!"

Keeping up on current trends
In 2007, the Johnson County Library in Overland Park, KS launched a Business Book Club Program to extend the FastTrac New Ventures program beyond the classroom to link entrepreneurs and ideas.

Each month, emerging business owners from FastTrac meet to discuss key business books. The book selections are their own, and are made public on the Johnson County Library web site. The monthly discussions are led by a local entrepreneur.

Many libraries offer business book clubs and some even offer online clubs.  Online clubs deliver a portion of the book to your email on a daily basis giving you easily digestible bits that keep you current on today’s business issues.

Whether interested in making your business a full time career, just making some money on the side or are giving yourself a creative out while taking care of kids at home, starting your own business can be a good option and the library can help.

Maria Meyers is director of the University of Missouri at Kansas City Innovation Center.

Resource List

A Sense of Urgency
by John P. Kotter
The latest selection in the Johnson County Business Book Club program, this book discusses the importance of urgency in getting people to act.

Reference USA
An online database, Reference USA can be used to build marketing plans, check out the competition or build direct mail lists.  Access it at the library or from home or business using your library card.

America’s Small Business Development Centers can help you start and grow a business through training and one-on-one counseling.  Find a Small Business Development Center near you.  

The Entrepreneur Next Door, Characteristics of Individuals Starting Companies in America
by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Who is starting business in the U.S.? This report studied more than 800 entrepreneurs to find out how they go about starting companies and which start-ups achieve success and why.