If you have a business and are looking to improve your bottom line, or have been thinking about getting a business started, now is a great opportunity to sharpen your business skills. There are a wealth of courses, classes, workshops, and webinars online which are absolutely free (or very low cost). Here is a list of some of the largest, most comprehensive collections of learning materials you can access to learn new software, get better at ones you already use, learn the latest marketing techniques, and much more.

LinkedIn Learning
Learn relevant, professional skills on LinkedIn Learning. Your library card gives you free unlimited access to more than 16,000 courses in 7 different languages: English, French, German Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese. Learn how so sharpen your business skills on LinkedIn Learning here.

Class Central
Class Central lists over 40,000 online courses. Selected from many providers, the course listing makes it easy to find the best programs on almost any subject, wherever they exist. The majority of courses are free, or free to audit. Whatever you are interested in learning, it is more than likely that this course catalog includes information that will meet your needs.

Book-A-Librarian

Additional resources can be accessed based on individual need. For more information on the library’s business resources, contact the library at 317-275-4100, text 317-333-6877, or through Ask-a-Librarian.

More Online Classes:

If you are starting a new business the first thing you should do is contact Central Library to learn about Indy’s business organizations. Meet with a librarian one-on-one to learn more about the major factors involved in becoming an entrepreneur. Staff will share business resources including Data Axle Reference Solutions, Indianapolis Business Journal, Mergent Intellect, and Gale Reference eBooks. Attendees can arrange additional assistance based on individual need. Schedule an appointment by texting 317-333-6877 or register through Ask-a-Librarian.

During your visit, you will participate in a one hour meeting covering the major aspects of developing a new business: business plans, marketing, networking, website development, and introduction to indy’s business organizations, and much more. Receive information and resources specific to your chosen field.

Our library also networks with many of the top business organizations in Indianapolis to offer you the tools needed to turn your plans into reality.

Indy’s Business Organizations

Indianapolis Small Business Administration (SBA)

Since 1953, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has provided access to a wide variety of resources, funding, and job creation for small businesses. Programs include training, counseling, financial assistance, government contracting and procurement. Here are links to some of the many resources they have available:

Indy SCORE

Indy SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) offers a wealth of information and assistance to small business owners. Their volunteer staff of retired executives share their time, experience, and knowledge. They serve as mentors to entrepreneurs seeking business help. Indy SCORE has approximately 80 volunteers from many business sectors. When a new client signs up for services, they are matched with a SCORE representative familiar with their business model. The representative can offer both information and advice on various aspects of the client’s venture.

Indiana Small Business Development Center

Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) is a great resource for the formation, growth, and sustainability of Indiana’s small businesses. ISBDC provides entrepreneurs expert guidance and a comprehensive network of resources. They can help find financing for your business, help with market research, and much more. ISBDC offers numerous seminars and workshops throughout the year which can be accessed through Eventbrite.

ASCENT

Ascent is a recent addition to the services offered by the SBA. It is an online educational resource specifically for women entrepreneurs. It is designed to help them become more knowledgeable and effective in starting and operating their businesses. There are videos, exercises, infographics, discussion guides, and other tools, broken down into five major topics called JOURNEYS. All resources are free and can be worked on at your own pace.

Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce

Of the many business services available through non-profit agencies in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce offers some of the most vital and impactful resources for entrepreneurs. Providing both education and financial services, the Indy Chamber has three separate business teams to help entrepreneurs in a variety of ways. These three teams include the Business Ownership Initiative, the Central Indiana Women’s Business Center, and the Hispanic Business Council. Depending on your specific business needs, the Chamber can supply you with a coach to help strategize the progress and development of your business; there are a number of loan programs and grants available, as well as classes, workshops and seminars on many of the topics you need to understand to get your business growing.

Business Ownership Initiative (BOI)

Business Ownership Initiative (BOI) is the umbrella organization for the Entrepreneurship Division. BOI aims to help Central Indiana residents start and grow businesses. To do so, BOI offers free one-on-one business coaching, access to financing, business workshops, and online business courses.

BOI Micro-loans Program

BOI Micro-loans Program Hosted by the Indy Chamber, the Business Ownership Initiative allows entrepreneurs to apply for microloans ranging from $1,000 to $50,000. To minimize barriers to successful entrepreneurship, these loans are available for start-ups or existing businesses, with no minimum credit score required and ITIN accepted in place of SSN (making this available to immigrant entrepreneurs as well).

Central Indiana Women’s Business Center

Central Indiana Women’s Business Center (CIWBC) connects women business owners to resources and each other. As a result, it provides a support process to nurture and advocate for the development of women owned businesses. They sponsor a “Women in Business” event series, held four times per year on a variety of topics led by women professionals both locally and nationally recognized. Attendees learn about contemporary issues while creating valuable networking connections.

(BOI) ED2Go Online Instruction Center

(BOI) ED2Go Online Instruction Center ED2Go is a platform that BOI uses to easily provide access to business education. The site offers a wide range of highly interactive courses that you can take entirely over the Internet. All of the courses are led by expert instructors, many of whom are nationally known authors. The online courses are affordable, convenient, and packed with valuable information.

Hispanic Business Council

Hispanic Business Council (HBC) works to better assist the Hispanic business community. HBC offers networking events, bi-lingual business coaching, and educational programs such as the “Mentor-Protégé Program” and “Accelerate Latinx”. Experienced mentors help guide the novice business owner through the often complex and confusing requirements of developing a business. Numerous local and regional events also give entrepreneurs the opportunity to network, learn from, and support one another’s efforts. To learn more browse their calendar of events.

Indy Black Chamber of Commerce

Indy Black Chamber of Commerce was established in January 2015 with the goal of serving as an information resource for developing black-owned businesses. The Indy Black Chamber of Commerce provides mentoring, seminars, and network functions with opportunities for business development, growth, and success. On the last Friday of each month they also host “The Friday Group.” This gathering includes guest speakers discussing topics such as business startup requirements, branding your business, and how to find government contract opportunities.

Office of Minority & Women’s Business Development (OMWBD)

The Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD) is dedicated to supporting businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with ADA disabilities. OMWBD assists certified businesses in accessing contract opportunities from various projects in Central Indiana funded by the city, county, municipality, and private sector. In need of educational resources or networking opportunities? OMWBD offers them. Businesses can currently be certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE), and/or Disabled-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE).

More Small Business Organizations

INBIZ (Secretary of State & Dept. of Revenue) is Indiana’s one-stop resource for registering and managing your business and ensuring it complies with state laws and regulations. In partnering with the Secretary of State, Department of Workforce Development and the Department of Revenue, INBiz has created a comprehensive portal that provides a streamlined and expedited process for your business needs. From registering your business’s name to filing the necessary paperwork for incorporation, registering your trademark, or accessing Secretary of State forms, you need go no further than INBiz. The web portal is easy to use. Explore videos, tutorials and even an online “chatbot” who will answer any questions you may not be able to find the answers to on your own.

Organizations for Veterans

Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) provides procurement technical assistance to help existing small businesses sell products or services to the appropriate government agency. By offering confidential counseling services and workshops at no cost. At the core of the procurement assistance program is counseling and education. Your local PTAC office can provide you with a range of services and resources to successfully compete and receive government contracts. Indiana PTAC can connect you with events and workshops to help your business succeed in the government marketplace.

Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) assists Veterans, Active Duty, Guard and Reserve Members in the formation and expansion of their businesses. VBOC offers a wide variety of services and opportunities including workshops, classes and information on financing your business, writing an effective business plan, marketing, accounting and other related topics. They offer business mentors who can help with securing financing, fixing your credit score, networking with other businesses and agencies. VBOC also provides assistance and training in such areas as international trade, franchising, internet marketing, accounting, and more.

More Business Resources from IndyPL

• Business Periodicals
• Business Databases
• Nurturing the Nonprofit Organization

Whether you need data on steel pricing trends, annual revenues for Fortune 1000 companies, or sales data for your competitors within Marion County, you have a wealth of digital resources available for free at the Indianapolis Public Library. We offer our patrons access to business databases that focus on everything from business to genealogy, and languages to science. Most databases can be accessed from outside the Library, if you have a current IndyPL library card.

How to Access Online Business Databases

To use an online database provided by The Indianapolis Public Library, go to the Library’s Research & Learn page. Then scroll down to the section labeled “Filter Resources by Category” and click on either “Business & Nonprofit” or “Magazines & Newspapers” as shown in the screenshot below underlined in red.

After looking through one of the categories, select the database of your choice. Note you will be prompted to enter your IndyPL library card number to access a database.

For entrepreneurs and business owners, or anyone interested in business topics, here are some of the business databases available. If you would like assistance working with any of the databases, our business librarians are available to help. Please contact us at 317-275-4100.

Featured Business Databases

Small Business Reference Center
This database offers exclusive full-text results for hundreds of business periodicals, full-text reference books, and business videos. This resource also offers access to complete business plans, state-specific resources, and much more.

Morningstar Investment Research Center
Morningstar has been and continues to be one of the premiere names in investment research. More than just a massive financial data set, this resource also offers a wide variety of tools and options to learn more about all aspects of investing. It is appropriate for everyone from novice investors to experienced investors. There are tutorial videos, analyst reports, market outlook reports, and financial data for researching specific companies. Virtual education courses cover topics such as funds, bonds, ETFs, and building a portfolio.

Data Axle Reference Solutions (formerly Reference USA)
This is one of the most popular databases used by business patrons. It contains directories of both businesses and adult consumers in the US and Canada. The business database includes extensive information on over 60 million current US businesses and over 300 million historical businesses. Consumer data covers over 300 million US individuals. Data Axle also has sections on new businesses, healthcare providers, and even job postings. Data Axle is highly useful for researching potential business customers and competitors, and creating custom lists of sales prospects.

Plunkett Research Online
If you are researching a specific industry or company, Plunkett provides detailed data including industry analytics and company financials. Plunkett also provides industry-specific glossaries, overview videos for individual industries, video tutorials on how to research using Plunkett, and a tool for generating custom data reports.

Patents & Trademarks

Patent & Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) at IndyPL
Is your business really starting to take off and you want to trademark your business name before somebody else takes it? Do you have an idea for a product, but you need to find out if anybody has already come up with that same idea? Then you need to use our patent and trademark resources.We receive materials from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. These resources include help guides, videos, search software, and the full text of United States patents. We also have special, dedicated computers available to the public to help you do your patent searches.

e-Books & Newspapers

Gale Reference e-Books
This database offers 30 business-specific, full-text eBooks, including Business Plans Handbook, and Small Business Sourcebook.

Wall Street Journal Online (1889-2004) and (1984-Present)
Access articles from the Wall Street Journal from 1889 through today.

Legal Resources

Legal Forms Database
This database provides an extensive collection of authentic, professional legal documents. The forms are available in multiple formats, such as Word documents and PDFs, and can be downloaded or printed for immediate use. The legal forms can be searched by general terms or specific keywords, and Indiana-specific forms are available. This database also includes templates for many different kinds of business letters and worksheets, including competitor analysis, startup costs, target market analysis, and more.

Legal Information Reference Center
This database offers access to ebooks for small businesses, including Legal Guide for Starting and Running a Small Business, Incorporate Your Business, Profit from Your Idea, and more.

More Business Resources from IndyPL

• Business Periodicals
• Nurturing the Nonprofit Organization
• Patents and Trademarks
• Business Skills: Free or Low Cost Online Courses
• Indy’s Business Organizations

Our business librarians are available to assist with your questions. Please contact us at 317-275-4100.

When it comes to researching business topics or events, the Indianapolis Public Library has plenty of resources to help you find the information you need. Whether you are researching industry price fluctuations for an academic paper or learning how to use SWOT analysis for your business plan, you can access thousands of magazines, journals, reports and studies. The Library offers patrons three ways to electronically access business periodicals:

• the OverDrive Libby app which allow you to read e-magazines on your device(s)
• the OverDrive website where you can read business and financial e-magazines on your computer’s browser, and
• online databases which are accessible through the Library’s website

Each option is described below.

Downloadable Business Periodicals:

The Indianapolis Public Library subscribes to many magazines in digital, downloadable e-book format. Borrow and download as many digital issues as you like! Business titles include:

• Kiplinger’s
• The Economist
• Entrepreneur
• Home Business magazine
• MIT Sloan Management Review
• Money Magazine
• Inc.
• Fast Company
• Adweek

Read business and financial e-magazines on your computer’s desktop, click here. Use the Libby app and read e-magazines on your device(s), download the OverDrive Libby app here.

See the full list of digital magazines available to borrow, click here.

Use an online database provided by the Indianapolis Public Library, go to the Library’s Research page. Scroll down to the section labeled “Filter Resources by Category” and click on either “Business & Nonprofit” or “Magazines & Newspapers” as shown in the screenshot below underlined in red.

Click on the database of your choice. Note you will be prompted to enter your IndyPL library card number to access a database.

Business Journal Databases:

Academic Search Premier
This multidisciplinary database provides academic subject coverage in social sciences, humanities, general science, and education.

Business Source Complete
Scholarly journals and business magazines covering management, finance, economics, accounting, and international business.

Entrepreneurial Studies Source
Business journals, reference books, case studies, and company profiles for researchers in entrepreneurship and small business.

Newspaper Source Plus
Full text selections from over 180 regional U.S. newspapers, international newspapers, newswires, newspaper columns, and other sources. Updated daily.

Regional Business News
Business news stories updated daily from all regions of the world. This database includes the Indianapolis Business Journal. To see the list of all available publications within this database, click on “Publications” in the top left corner of the landing page for “Regional Business News,” as shown in the screenshot below.

Small Business Reference Center
Contains consumer and small business reference books, business videos, and information on how to create business plans.

Print Periodicals:

The Indianapolis Public Library has a great number of business periodicals in multiple formats. Print-based periodicals are available with up to three previous years’ issues available in sturdy magazine file boxes directly behind the display shelves. For the more popular magazines, many years of previous issues are also available as hardbound volumes.

At Central Library, all current print magazines can be found on the 3^rd floor in the DVD/CD/Periodicals room. Print magazines must be used on-site and cannot be borrowed from the Library.

Business magazines currently available in print include:

• Ad Age
• Barron’s
• Bloomberg BusinessWeek
• Entrepreneur
• The Economist
• Fast Company
• Harvard Business Review
• Inc.
• Wired

Our business librarians are available to assist with your questions. Please contact us at 317-275-4100.

More Business Resources from IndyPL:

• Business Databases
• Indy’s Business Organizations
• Nurturing the Nonprofit Organization
• Free or Low Cost Online Business Courses