Research Your Competitors, Prepare for a Job Interview, and Create Lists of Sales Leads with Library Resources

Are you looking for an efficient and effective way to research a company? I suggest you use Columbus Metropolitan Library resources to research specific companies.

As a librarian, I am always pleased when I can help my customers quickly find accurate information on business topics.

Here are just two examples of successful searches:

• An entrepreneur needed fast access to analytical information of a central Ohio publicly held company. He used the Business Source Premier resource to download a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of Limited Brands, Inc for free from his home.
• A job seeker was looking for information on employment opportunities for central Ohio veterans. She was thrilled when we found a recent Columbus Dispatch article, Job Program Gives Ohio Vets a Chance to Shine using the Columbus Dispatch Electronic Edition resource.

For a guided tour of these resources, start with our Researching a Company online tutorial, which is absolutely FREE via columbuslibrary.org/research/. You will need a library card number to access resources, such as Business Source Premier, Columbus Dispatch Electronic Edition and Business & Company Resource Center.

You can also download or print this checklist to use as your guide. All of the resources listed on the document above are free from your home or office with your library card number and PIN, with the notable exception of Hoover’s Online, which you must visit one of our library locations to use. 

If you have any questions or want additional information, I can be reached at bbeardsley@columbuslibrary.org.