Library Guides: Business: Websites

Evaluating Website Content

"Is this a valid resource for my research needs?" Investigate all websites for accuracy, authority, currency, coverage, and objectivity.

Website Evaluation Quicksheet

Select Websites

This award recognizes three websites annually that are highly relevant to business reference. Complete list available from the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award site.

Business Model Canvas (.com)
Used to create and document business models, the BMC is a strategic analysis tool that visually maps the relationships between customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure. Recipient of the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2023.
Harvard’s Atlas of Economic Complexity (.edu)
The Atlas is a globally recognized tool “intended to advance the understanding of inclusive economic growth.” Interactive data visualizations enable researchers to explore relevant international business information focusing on imports/exports, drivers of economic growth, and GDP growth prospects of certain countries. The data, which is collected by United Nations and IMF, covers 250 countries and territories, and is cleaned and presented as 20 categories of goods and 5 services. Recipient of the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2023.
Census Business Builder (.gov)
The Census Business Builder has two editions, the regional edition and the small business edition. Both provide customizable reports on regions and for counties, cities, zip codes and neighborhoods (tracts) giving demographic and socioeconomic data, etc. Recipient of the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2022.
Data USA
This visualization engine draws from a variety of U.S. federal and state sources, allowing for easy discovery, comparison and customizations of data. It can be used by job seekers, policy makers, business people, students and other researchers. There are four starting silos: Cities & Places, Industries, Jobs, and Education, which offer information on trends in employment (industry growth, diversity, salaries, etc.), industries, education, public health and more. Recipient of the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2022.
Investopedia Dictionary of Financial Terms (.com)
This free dictionary of 14,000+ financial and business terms is for beginner to experienced information-seekers. Its definitions range from short to article-length, each clearly indicating its author and date. Entries are well-known for being factual and accessible, and the site provides clear, contextual information, even for complex topics. Recipient of the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2022.
Our World in Data (.org)
Our World in Data (OWD) covers global policy “problems of the day” by providing factual articles, historical data and data visualizations, which are available for open access use under the Creative Commons “BY” license. OWD encompasses research related to the environment, economics and social issues, and broadly tracks 100+ sub-topics, like demographic change, economic development, education, energy, food security, health, inequality, poverty, sustainable development and war. OWD emphasizes easily-understood writing and high-quality public data. Recipient of the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2022.
Lens.org
A free for public access resource for patent system navigation worldwide. Originally the Patent Lens, this resource was the recipient of the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2015.
United States Patent and Trademark Office (.gov)
An agency of the Department of Commerce. Learn about and search for patents and trademarks. Recipient of the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2015.
Entrepreneur (.com)
Articles, videos, tools and services related to business topics. BRASS Best of the Best Business Website Award 2014 recipient.
Entrepreneurship (.org)
Resources for entrepreneurs from The Kauffman Foundation. BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites 2014 recipient.
SCORE (.org)
Non-profit organization dedicated to helping small businesses through education and mentorship. Support from the U.S. Small Business Administration. BRASS Best of the Best Business Website Award 2014 recipient.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (.gov)
A guide to career information about hundreds of occupations from the U.S. Department of of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2013 recipient.
World Bank Data (.org)
"Free and open access to data about development in countries around the globe." BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites 2013 recipient.
Federal Reserve Economic Data - FRED - St. Louis Fed (.org)
"Download, graph, and track 240,000 US and international time series from 76 sources." BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites 2012 recipient.
globalEDGE (.edu)
A source for global business knowledge. Created by the International Business Center at Michigan State University. BRASS Best of the Best Business Website Award 2012 recipient.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (.gov)
"The principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy." From the U.S. Department of Labor. BRASS Best of the Best Business Website Award 2011 recipient.
BigCharts (.com)
Stock charts, screeners, interactive charting and research tools from MarketWatch. BRASS Best of the Best Business Website Award 2010 recipient.
UNdata (.org)
Search and download a variety of statistical resources of the United Nations Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. BRASS Best of the Best Business Website Award 2010 recipient.
Bankrate (.com)
"Provides free rate information to consumers on more than 300 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, new and used automobile loans, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans and online banking fees." BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2009 recipient.
Small Business Administration (.gov)
The U.S. SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award 2009 recipient.

arXiv.org e-print archive
Open access to e-prints in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Quantitative Biology, Quantitative Finance and Statistics. Funded by Cornell University Library, the Simons Foundation and by the member institutions.
SOAR@SU
A digital archive that provides public online access to the work of the faculty, staff, and students of Salisbury University. It is SU's contribution to MD-SOAR (Maryland Shared Open Access Repository).

Select federal resource sites.

A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies (usa.gov)
A directory of federal agencies from the official U.S. government website.
BusinessUSA (usa.gov)
Sections include: Start a Business; Access Financing; Explore Exporting; Grow Your Business; Find Opportunities; Learn About New Health Care Changes; Browse Resources for Veterans; Learn About Taxes and Credits; Help with Hiring Employees
GovInfo
GovInfo provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov)
Sections include: Starting & Managing; Loans & Grants; Contracting; Learning Center; Local Assistance; and, SBA Direct.
United States Patent and Trademark Office (uspto.gov)
Patents; Trademarks; Intellectual Property Law and Policy

Select local resource sites.

Salisbury, MD Area Chamber of Commerce (.com)
Offers business support and information about the area.
Wicomico County Quick Facts (census.gov)
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau (a great place to look for demographic information).
Maryland Be Moved. Department of Business and Economic Development
Offers a wealth of information on Maryland and business (formerly Choose Maryland).
Maryland Open Data Portal
Browse by category or use the search bar in the top right.
Maryland State Data Center (.us)
Coordinated by the Maryland Department of Planning and official partner with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Maryland Small Business Development Center (.org)
Provide advice, consulting and support to entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state. Part of a national SBDC network that helps over 500,000 U.S. businesses annually.

Social media sites for businesses or brands.

Facebook for Business
How to use Facebook for business marketing
Instagram for Business
Share your brand's unique point of view with Instagram
LinkedIn Small Business
Small business resources to help you get more out of LinkedIn
X Business
Grow your business with X (formerly Twitter)
Social Media Management Dashboard - HootSuite
Manage social networks, schedule messages, engage your audiences, and measure ROI right from the dashboard.
Yelp for Business Owners
Yelp provides a free suite of tools to showcase your business and connect you to the Yelp community.
Google Business Profiles
How to use Google Business Profiles to allow people to easily find your business on Google Search and Maps.

Business: Websites

Evaluating Website Content

Select Websites

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