Library & Cultural Services: Business and Management: Entrepreneurship. Innovation. Small Business

Entrepreneurship. Innovation. Small Business

Useful Websites

British Library Management & Business Studies Portal - Small Business & Entrepreneurship
References to books, journal articles, reports, websites, datasets, sound recordings, videos, theses and other resources from the British Library's collections. Some full text materials available - mostly open access working papers and other reports.
British Venture Capital Association
The BVCA represents virtually every UK source of venture capital which invests primarily in the UK.
Business Advice from GOV.UK
Official national website offering support & advice for UK businesses.
Dept. for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
The department offers a range of Statistical Data. See also the policy area for Business Enterprise and Research and Development, which looks at Innovation and the non-departmental body Innovate UK which works alongside the Dept. The Community Innovation Survey provides useful statistics on UK small business innovation. Past SME's statistics from the previous Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are also available.
Office for National Statistics Business Demography
UK data series, formerly known as Business start-ups & closures. Data from 1980- onwards. ONS statistics are derived from the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR). This data is confidential, but tailored statistics can be requested from it through ONS

Centre for Entrepreneurs
Claims to be the UK's entrepreneurs think tank.
Donor Committee on Enterprise Development (DCED)
Coordinates programs aimed at boosting private sector enterprise in developing countries.
European Digital City Index
Ranks European cities support for digital entrepreneurship.
Eurostat Entrepreneurship Indicators Programme
Set up in 2007 & attempts to provide a range of indicators for EU countries.
Global Entrepreneurship & Development Institute (GEDI)
Non-profit organisation in Washington DC, led by Zoltan Acs to promote entrepreneurship in economic development. The Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) developed by Zoltan Acs & Laszlo Szerb attempts to measure national differences in entrepreneurism between countries.
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM)
Organisation established in 1999 by London Business School & Babson College. Researches the state of entrepreneurship across a wide range of countries & makes freely available highly useful datasets, national & global reports.
OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs & Local Development
Aims to disseminate best practice initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, SME growth and local economic development. Annual publication: Entrepreneurship at a glance- offers free access to data. See also OECD Data - Innovation & Technology.
Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED)
University of Michigan based research project offering detailed data (interviews & questionnaires) on business start-ups in the USA since 1998.
50 best business ideas for new entrepreneurs in 2023

Big Innovation Centre
Launched by the Work Foundation & Lancaster University in 2011. Free access to its research reports on encouraging innovation in the UK.
Business Research and Development and Innovation Survey (BRDIS)
Data for the United States. Preceeded by the Survey of Industrial Research & Development (1953-2007). Specifically for small business there is the new Survey of Microbusiness Innovation Science & Technology (2016-)
Eurostat Community Innovation Survey
Useful source of innovation data for EU countries, surveys every 2 years since 2000/01 (note: access to data is by application, which takes time to process)
Global Innovation Index (WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization)
Annual survey & ranking 2011-
Manchester Institute of Innovation Research
Dedicated unit within the Manchester Business School. Free access to working papers & other publications.
NESTA (National Endowment for Science Technology & the Arts)
Independent body promoting innovation in the UK. Free access to its publications. See its Business Incubators & Accelerators report, and State of Small Business report and graphics based on data 2013-2016 (maps small business to local district/borough level).
STIP Compass
New (2018) database from OECD & EC on science, technology & innovation policies, trends and data. Information mainly from surveys every 2 years.
Top 100 Global Innovators
Annual research by respected Thomson Reuters using patent & citation data to produce rankings of most innovative companies (2011-). See also the Reuters report on the World's most innovative universities.
UK Research & Innovation
New offshoot of the Dept. for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, will be officially launched in 2018, coordinating the work of the research councils and Innovate UK.
US Patent Data

British Chambers of Commerce
Includes access to various publications and data, such as its Quarterly economic survey (from 2007-) and the DHL/BCC Trade confidence index
Federation of Small Businesses
Main UK lobbying organisation promoting the needs of the self-employed & small business.
Institute for Family Business
UK organisation representing family businesses & offering access to some useful e-publications.
Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (ISBE)
UK body focusing on all aspects of entrepreneurship.
OECD Future of Business Survey
Monthly survey of SMEs in developed & emerging countries commenced in February 2016.
Survey of Small Business Finances
US micro data from surveys 1987-2003.

Business Plans

The Business Plan by Gerald Schwetje; Sam Vaseghi
ISBN: 9783540752677
Publication Date: 2007
This book provides the essentials to write a successful business plan. The represented methods and best practices have been approved over many years in practice with many management consulting engagements. The book is beautifully structured, it has a pragmatic emphasis and an autodidactic approach. The reader gets acquainted with the skills and competencies as well as tools, required for the planning and development of the business plan project.
Translate ideation to business plan (Video) by Knowledgemotion Ltd
Writing a Business Plan (Video)

Support from University of Essex

University Enterprise Zone
The centre aims for nurturing and supporting new digital and creative businesses. The team can provide students with advice and practical support and there are some funding opportunities through equity investment platform.