Help develop your own business plan by using examples from entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses throughout North America. Browse for plans or use the "Search within series" box to find by keyword.

UPDATED--now includes more sources. Articles, market research, industry reports, country reports, company profiles and SWOT analyses.  Learn how to create a search alert here.

CFRA Research produces industry surveys, stock reports, mutual fund reports, The Outlook newsletter, and much more (and is the provider of these products to S&P).

Look up public records in northern Illinois across communities quickly by personal or business name. Part of Public Records Online.

Part of Nexis Uni. After opening the database, use the "Menu" drop-down menu at the upper left of the page and select "Company Dossier." Millions of public and private companies, with contact information, analysis and news/industry links. No download limit.

Full access to this database is only available inside the library. Gives grant-seekers unprecedented access to the largest amount of clean and coded philanthropic data that currently exists.

Full access to the Foundation Directory Online is available to users inside the library. Select nonprofits can apply to Candid's "Go for the Gold" program for one-year remote access to the separate "FDO Essentials" product.

A one-stop source for company profiles and analysis, including SWOT Analyses, investment reports, industry overviews, market information, case studies, in-depth news & articles and more. Also includes Plunkett Research Reports.

In-depth, instructor-led, 6-week classes on tech topics, health care training, business/accounting, personal development, law, test prep, and more. Some classes can lead to certification and continuing education units (CEUs)

Search several different national, regional and international directories simultaneously or separately.

Reference eBooks on biography, business, environment, history, law, literature, medicine, multicultural studies, nations/world, religion, science, social science, and more. See also Access My Library app.

Thousands of Illinois legal forms for personal, business, real estate, litigation, etc. (MS Word or PDF). See also Access My Library app.

A comprehensive source of nonprofit information. Find local nonprofits to donate to, work at, or volunteer with. Easily connect to vital services such as food banks or shelters. Search 1.8 million IRS-recognized tax-exempt organizations, and thousands of faith-based nonprofits. Includes insights on financials (including Form 990s), people/leadership, mission, and more.  

TIP: a free, limited version of this resource can be accessed remotely at guidestar.org.

An interactive platform that gives business owners step-by-step, customized directions to complete 50+ legal essentials in advance of working with a lawyer. It can save owners significant legal fees and 60+ hours.

Mutual Funds, Stocks, ETFs; powerful screening tools. Learn the fundamentals of investing from their Investing Classroom page (on the left-side menu).

Part of the Gale Directory Library. Provides contact and basic factual information on the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States.

Illinois home sales business licenses foreclosures, mortgages, bankruptcies and more. Now includes access to CheckIllinois (quick searching by personal/business name, across communities and record types).

Business directory, residential listings, demographics and health care listings. Records can be downloaded for mailing/contact lists. Use the "Consumers & Lifestyles" module for a powerful analytics tool. Includes job listings from ZipRecruiter.

NEW: A comprehensive mapping, analytics, and data visualization tool with 100,000+ variables. It includes US Census and ACS demographic data, Consumer Expenditure Survey insights, D&B's premium business directory (30 million profiles), and the premium MRI-SimmonsLOCAL dataset covering 8,000+ brands, 450 categories, and detailed psychographics. Users also have access to the Community Lifestages dataset based on Age, Income, and Family Status, along with Claritas PRIZM Premier for marketing segmentation data. Additionally, CDC PLACES health data with 27 diverse health measures is available. Users may log in as a Guest, or create an account to save their work.

SizeUp Arlington Heights provides business owners, start-ups and aspiring entrepreneurs with market research and business insights to help them make smarter decisions with data to effectively grow their business.

Attend a biweekly virtual "SizeUp Open House" | Register

See the video tutorial link below for an in-depth product demo for Arlington Heights users.

NEW: Offers exclusive full text for many top consumer small business reference books, as well as tools to understand and address a wide variety of small business topics. The database includes business videos, case studies, help and advice, a start-up kit and tips for writing business plans. Learn how to create a search alert here.

Web design, coding, mobile app development and more. Earn points/badges to track your progress and create a showcase for potential employers.

If you signed up for a library card online, you must receive a permanent library card (sent to your Arlington Heights address) before signing up for Treehouse.

New user? Account deactivated? Use our account activation form.

Additional FREE resources  (no account required):

• Livestreamed training sessions via their YouTube channel. Check back every few days for updates.
• YouTube edition of their "How to Work Remotely" tutorial.

Gale Presents: Udemy (based on the Udemy for Business collection) offers over 3500 on-demand video tutorials covering technology (e.g., Office, Windows, and Mac OS, coding, etc.), business & management, languages, job & career skills, arts, hobbies and personal growth. Some courses offer IT certification test prep or project management professional development units (PDUs). Also includes test prep for GMAT, GRE, PMP and other professional/technical certifications.

IMPORTANT SIGN-UP DETAILS  |  Using the Udemy for Business App (iOS & Android)

NOTE: Full access to the WSJ.com website is now available to Arlington Heights cardholders. Details here.

Articles from the eastern print edtion. Business and financial news from 1/2/84-present. Articles from the online edition also available. Learn how to create a search alert here.

Full access to the Wall Street Journal website (no app access).

Rates safety and financial stability of banks, credit unions, insurers, stocks and mutual funds. Includes a Medigap Plan selection tool. See their special Video Training Library with guides on investing, researching medigap plans, evaluating financial/insurance institutions and more.