Resources to Help Your Small Business Manage Through Uncertainty (COVID-19)

Business Plan Builder

Entrepreneurship
This highly-intuitive, online planning resource brings together the information and tools needed to move through the entire business development lifecycle. It has tools and resources for three focused groups:
  • New Entrepreneurs: Explore your interests and determine your best opportunities. Take your business idea and walk it through the steps of getting it funded. 
  • Experienced Business Owners: Eighty percent of small businesses make it through their first year, but only 55 percent make it to five. Get the planning resources you need to join the long-term successes.
  • Nonprofits: Learn the elements you need to write bylaws, secure funding, and build your organization. 
Gale Business: Entrepreneurship gives business owners 24-hour expertise covering a day all aspects of starting and operating a business, including finance, management, marketing, human resources, franchising, accounting, and taxes.
Gale Business: Entrepreneurship contains hundreds of sample business plans created by real-life entrepreneurs, award-winning eBooks, as well as content from over 300 business journals and magazines. Plus, the platform provides seamless user login, after authentication to Gale products, using Google Account and Microsoft Office 365 credentials, plus access to G Suite for Education and Microsoft tools including Drive, Docs, OneNote, and OneDrive.
NOTE: Once you follow the link in the blue button, your password to enter the resource is your library card number.
​Also, don't forget to check out other resources to help you from OPL here.
Picture

U.S. Small Business Administration

Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.
U.S. Small Business Administration

Census Business Builder

Current and prospective business owners looking to open or expand, will want to use our tool, Census Business Builder, to analyze their customers, market, and competition for their industry of interest. In this Data Gem, learn to select and visualize variables for your industry which enable you to:
  • Evaluate ideal locations.
  • Learn about your customer base and economic conditions.
  • Research competition, supply industries, and employee data and more!
Census Business Builder

Grow with google

The Oxford Public Library is proud to be a Grow with Google Partner! 
OPL wants your business to be successful, and Google is providing resources for us to help you with your online presence. Get online! Get noticed! Create a business profile on Google, and use the analytics tools to grow your business! Use the link below to see upcoming Google Workshops:

Business Source Premier


Business Source Premier provides access to full text and searchable cited references for top journals covering a variety of business disciplines. Topics include accounting, finance, economics, marketing, management, management information systems, and operations management.
This is a free resource provided to you through the Alabama Virtual Library.​
NOTE: Once at the AVL, click on "Adult Resources" and scroll down to the Business Source Premier resource. 

Knowledge City

A comprehensive e-learning platform, build competencies in five areas: Business, Computers, Safety, Compliance, and Finance. There are over 14,000 courses to help you achieve your goals!
 Your username is your last name; your PIN is the last six digits of your library card number.

Oxford Business League

City of Oxford Building Services
In March 2018, the City of Oxford launched its newest program, the Oxford Business League. The Oxford Business League's purpose and mission is to promote the growth, prosperity, and partnership among all businesses within the City of Oxford. The Oxford Business League is responsible for, but not limited to: hosting a minimum of six workshops annually, communicating between the City of Oxford businesses, recruiting new businesses, assisting openings, ribbon cuttings, and groundbreakings, promoting available properties for business expansion, coordinating with City of Oxford Marketing Department, and catalyzing future partnerships among independent and franchise businesses. 
​
To find information about beginning or maintaining a business in Oxford, follow the link below for the Building Services department for the city of Oxford.
  • Building codes
  • Permit applications
  • Zoning
  • Fee schedules
  • Planning board
  • Much more! 
The city of Oxford Building Services department will be happy to help you!

Other Great Resources:

Access a wide selection of state-specific (and multi-state) legal forms and resources across the most popular legal areas. Find legal definitions and legal guidance, as well as Q&As. Most of the forms are fillable, so you can create a professional, legally sound form for your business. NOTE: If prompted for a password, use OPL.
Understand the activities of companies and industries worldwide through leading business and trade publications. Updated daily. ​​NOTE: If prompted for a password, use OPL.
  • Full-text coverage for all business disciplines
  • Over 4,000 business and trade publications
  • Topics include Accounting, Marketing, Finance, Management, and more
Picture
Find information on companies, industries and more in the context of timely news, statistical data, and in-depth reports. ​NOTE: If prompted for a password, use OPL.
Business Insights
Picture
Actual business plans compiled by, and aimed at, entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses. Presents sample plans taken from businesses in the manufacturing, retail and service industries which serve as examples of how to approach, structure and compose business plans.​ ​NOTE: If prompted for a password, use OPL.
Business Plan Handbook