Research Resources for Entrepreneurs

OCED provides the following resources to assist entrepreneurs and economic developers with market and industry research.  For more information, please contact the Longwood University Office of Community and Economic Development.

• IBISWorld - IBISWorld's Industry Research Reports are powerful business tools that provide strategic insight and analysis on over 700 U.S. industries.  Extensive, objective and easy to digest, IBISWorld research offers the very latest content on every U.S. Industry that help entrepreneurs and economic developers make better decisions, faster.  For industry reports, please contact your local SBDC office.

• ESRI Business Analyst - So many businesses are driven by "where."  Where should I locate my new business, warehouse, or office?  Where is my competition?  Where do my target customers live?  Where should I offer premium vs. standard services?  ESRI Business Analyst combines demographic and business data, detailed maps, and advanced spatial analytics with your own data to help you answer the "where" questions.  The Longwood SBDC can run analyses to help you make smarter decisions about your business, customers, and marketplace.

• ProfitCents - The Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is now offering FREE confidential financial analysis of your company, including comparisons to other similar companies using ProfitCents software developed by SageWorks.  And it's in plain language - not financial-eze - so you do not have to be a financial guru to understand it.  To get your FREE analysis and consultation contact your local SBDC for an appointment.  You will be asked to provide 2 or more years of Profit and Loss Statements and Balance Sheets.  Tax returns or internally generated statements are acceptable.