Research Guides: CISB 2379: Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunities: Overview

Entrepreneurial Ideation Resources

Library Search - Advanced 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.

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.
Mintel Reports This link opens in a new window
U.S. business-to-consumer market research & psychographics
Restricted to only current SMU students, faculty & staff.
View the Market Research tutorial for more insights.
Gale Business: Insights This link opens in a new window
Includes Industry Profiles and Market Share Reports
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.

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 Presentation Resources

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

Citing Business Sources

Related Guides

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