| Good data is hard to find. It's so easy to get the other | | | | data, Securities Exchange Commission (EDGAR) filings |
| kind! If you feel like singin' the blues whenever you try | | | | and U.S. Industrial Outlook statistics.SPECIAL |
| to find reliable business information, you're not alone. A | | | | LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION |
| lot of other marketers are singing the same tune.Solid | | | | |
| information is critical, the basis for making any | | | | Another excellent site with hyperlinks to the Wall |
| marketing plan or decision. Yet, finding that information | | | | Street Journal Interactive edition and Hoovers On Line |
| is easier said than done. The Internet seemed like it | | | | Research, among others.U.S. CENSUS BUREAU |
| would be a quick fix to the problem. While the Internet | | | | econ_cen.html |
| does serve as a bountiful source of business statistics | | | | Economic census data including industrial products |
| and information, it has thus far proved both a blessing | | | | overview, annual survey of manufacturers and other |
| and a curse for business research. The information on | | | | good industry information.WALL STREET JOURNAL |
| the Net can be inaccurate and difficult to locate | | | | |
| without spending a lot of time with fruitless | | | | Stock market information, excellent research |
| searching.Clifford Stoll says in his book, Silicon Snake | | | | hyperlinks including one providing connections to local |
| Oil, "There is no easy, complete access to information. | | | | newspapers and periodicals throughout the |
| Never was. Never will be." Although there may be no | | | | country.DEMOGRAPHICS JOURNAL |
| quick and easy source for accurate business | | | | Articles about demographics and trends throughout |
| information, we offer in this article a few places to look | | | | the country including a search engine.INDUSTRYNET |
| for helpful data.The Personal Touch | | | | ASSOCIATION |
| Unlike much Internet information, libraries are not only | | | | Great site for industry news/information including |
| catalogued and organized, they offer the most | | | | press releases and hyperlinks to companies.U.S. |
| user-friendly sources of business information available: | | | | DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE |
| librarians. These wizards of information provide the | | | | |
| personal touch by expertly guiding us through the | | | | Hyperlinks to a wide variety of federal departments |
| ever-increasing maze of available knowledge. Infinitely | | | | including WorldTech-Foreign Technology Alerts.Just be |
| patient people, librarians spend most of their time gently | | | | careful, information alone can only take you so far. As |
| guiding those of us who search for business | | | | Clifford Stoll says, "No amount of data, bandwidth or |
| information but don't know where to find it. Whether | | | | processing power can substitute for inspired thought." |
| your questions concern finding dates of trade shows | | | | We hope you use the research tools presented here |
| or defining prospect lists in a special database, the | | | | with confidence, but always remember, it is up to you |
| staff of a good business library is trained to help.The | | | | to process this data and convert it into good, profitable |
| Internet | | | | business decisions.Deborah Henken served as VP of |
| You don't need to end up disappointed when you try | | | | Marketing at several Silicon Valley start-ups, and in |
| to collect business facts on the Internet. To help lower | | | | senior marketing and channel positions at Hewlett |
| your frustration level, we recommend the following | | | | Packard, Informix and BEA Systems. She earned her |
| addresses for free on-line research. Groups such as | | | | MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of |
| universities, governments or professional associations | | | | Management at Northwestern University. Deborah is |
| generally maintain these sites.U.S. PATENT | | | | Founder of the Highland Team.Susan Henken has |
| &TRADEMARK OFFICE | | | | directed marketing at consumer and health care |
| patents.uspto.gov | | | | companies for more than 15 years. She provided |
| Completely devoted to patent information, including | | | | marketing consulting to manufacturing companies at |
| search engines for a variety of | | | | Minnesota Project Innovation through a grant from the |
| categories.UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN center/frames | | | | SBA and Department of Commerce and ran her own |
| statsfr.html | | | | consulting business. She is currently |
| Well organized and maintained site with a variety of | | | | Director of Marketing for Consumer Products at |
| hyperlinks to useful information including Census Bureau | | | | Compex Technologies. |