Research Guides: CISB 2379: Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunities: Overview

Entrepreneurial Ideation Resources

Library Search This link opens in a new window
Often termed 'google' for SMU, utilize Library Search for ideation among SMU Library resources. Vary search terms for best results.
Factiva This link opens in a new window
Search by industry, such as technology, to find content from top national and international newspapers. Try monetiz* and commercial* as search terms.
View the Finding News and Company Searching tutorials for more insights.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Find statistics, forecasts, and studies on many industries. Click source tab to discover origin of data and further information.
View the Finding Data tutorial for more insights.

Industry Reports

When searching for industry information, it is helpful to note NAICS codes that can be used as search terms in other databases.

Business Insights: Global This link opens in a new window
Includes Industry Profiles and Market Share Reports
IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Search industry by NAICS code (511210) or keyword (software publishing). See About/Additional resources for associations, Industry Outlook for Trends, and Products & Markets for Segmentation.
View the Industry Research tutorial for more insights.
Mergent Intellect This link opens in a new window
Real-time access to Hoover’s private and public U.S and international companies and First Research industry profiles.
To access First Research industry reports, click on First Research below the main search box and then, the orange Submit button on the left side of the page.
View the Company Searching tutorial for more insights.

Government & Funding Sources

USA.gov
Search technology to find useful information at government sites such as Department of Energy, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Find statistics about employment, productivity, wages by area and industry, prices and consumer spending. See Data Tools menu at the top right side to find tables, text files and more.
Department of Energy
Search Technology then use filters to refine search
North Texas Angel Network
Look for the type of projects that foundations and investors, such as the North Texas Angel Network, are supporting.

PitchBook This link opens in a new window
Type Technology in the top search bar for information on VC's and their investments.
Restricted to only current SMU students, faculty & staff. Mobile not included. Downloads limited to 10 records per day/25 records per month. Record typically defined as a single row of data in a spreadsheet.

Sample APA Citations

These examples are based on APA 7th edition, but have been modified to meet the requirements of SMU Cox School of Business instructors. Check with your professor regarding the appropriate citation style for your course.

The following is an example of references on a reference page for the type of articles you will be using for this assignment. Examples of in-text references can be found in Citing Business Sources.

References

American Airlines Group, Inc. (2022). American Airlines Group, Inc. [Corporate structure]. Retrieved from http://www.aa.com

Clarence-Smith, L. and Knowles, T. (2020, June 6). Elon Musk ‘considers Bristol for new Tesla factory’. Times Newspapers Limited. Retrieved from Factiva database

eMarketer. (2022, February). Retail e-commerce sales in the United States from 2014-2025. [Chart]. Statista. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com

FTSE Russell. (2022). Wireless telecommunications services [Industry profile]. First Research. Retrieved from Mergent Intellect database

Maldonado, C. (2022, May). Private equity, hedge funds, and investment vehicles in the U.S. [Industry outlook]. IBISWorld Industry Report 52599. Retrieved from IBISWorld database

Robuck, M. (2020, January 31). Amazon Web Services: A knockout performance in Q4. Fierce Telecom. Retrieved from Business Insights Global database

Statista. (2021). Electric vehicles in Japan. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com

U.S. Department of Energy. (2021, June 24). 2021 Technology Commercialization Fund Project Selections. Office of Technology Transitions. Retrieved from http://energy.gov

Why Do I Need This Guide?

During this course, you will be investigating entrepreneurial ideation and startup opportunities. This research guide page will direct you toward quality resources to ensure success with this specific topic.

CISB 2379 Library Resources Presentation

Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunities
A PDF version of the Power Point presentation on Business Library resources for Entrepreneurial Ideation.

Further Your Skills with Workshops

The one-hour, hands on Industry & Market Research and Demographic & Consumer Research workshops focus on effective and efficient use of the resources you will need to successfully complete your assignment.

Business Research Workshops

Need a different time? If you have a group of 4 or more, we can add a session for you. Request a workshop.

Related Guides

Starting a Business
Resources for starting your own business.
Entrepreneurship Research Guide
Tabs in the Entrepreneurship Research Guide provide additional resources.
International Entrepreneurship
Tabs in the International Entrepreneurship Guide provide additional resources.
Citing Business Sources
Examples are based on APA 7th edition but have been modified and approved for business courses.

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