Research on Main Street: Using the Web to Find Local Business and Market Information

by Marcy Phelps, Mary Ellen Bates

In today’s global economy, businesses need targeted, localized information about customers, companies, and industries, but adding the element of geography to any search topic—especially for counties, cities, census blocks, or any other substate areas—makes any project more challenging. Aimed at tackling these issues head-on, this guide offers free and low-cost options for using the web to find business and market information about various places, usually on the substate geographic level. Revealing how to use local sources for more in-depth research into people, companies, and national issues, this resource offers a manageable structure for how to approach this type of research, key resources, and practical solutions to specific questions. Each chapter includes valuable “Tips from the Pros,” short sections spotlighting expert researchers’ advice for finding information about local demographics, economies, companies, people, and issues. A companion website can be found at www.ResearchOnMainStreet.com.

Genres: Business, Professional Development

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Mary Phelps is the president of Phelps Research, which provides professional research and research training services that help clients find and use strategic business information. She founded the company in 2000 after obtaining a masters degree in library and information services from the University of Denver. She is a past president of the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP). Marcy is a contributing editor for FUMSI, a publication for people who find, use, manage, and share information. She frequently writes and speaks on a variety of topics, from business and networking skills to finding and evaluating information on the web."

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed and efficient resources. This book is infinitely helpful to finding ways to search and gain analytical information. It can get repetitive at times but overall worth the read for my personal research on analytics