[Business]

bogburn — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:07:45 -0400

Living in the Triangle, we are surrounded by major companies, including several company headquarters. Check here for state and federal documents on these and other companies nationwide, wage and labor statistics, as well as information on starting your own business.

Below you wil find resources on the following topics:

State and Federal

NC Secretary of State
The Secretary of State's office facilitates business activities "by providing accurate and timely information and by preserving documents and records."

NC Department of Commerce
County profiles, industry profiles, state/regional comparisons, and economic statistics.

US Department of Commerce
Statistics, economic indicators and links for the United States

US Patent and Trademark Office
Interested in getting a patent on something? See if it already has a patent.

Wage and Labor

NC Employment and Security Commission
Labor force information, business closings, layoffs, largest employers, and more.

NC Department of Labor
Information and statistics on occupational injuries, fatalities and illnesses.

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Find detailed statistics on wages, earnings, benefits, inflation, consumer spending and more.

General Business References

The Street.com
Financial news and analysis.

The Motley Fool
Market and investing adivce, as well as information to educate investors.

Hoover's Online
Company information with business reports and profiles. Most information is free, some has a small fee.

JJ Hill Business Library
The Hill Library, a non-profit research organization that services small businesses, offers a well-organized directory of evaluated business sites.

Business Glossary
Glossary of business and financial terms, put together by Duke University.

Start Your Own Business

Small Business Administration
Business plan tutorial and outline provided by the SBA.

Startup How-to Guides
Entrepreneur magazine gives you a step-by-step guide from finding the best location, hiring an attorney, finding product sources and creating a logo.

SCORE
Has a mentor network of more than 10,000 mostly retired entrepreneurs nationwide.

North Carolina Small Business Administration
A for-profit group that offers financial planning services to the public.

Stocks and Bonds

New York Stock Exchange EuroNext
Look here for listings, trading, equity and interest rate derivatives, bonds and the distribution of market data.

NASDAQ
Stock market quotes and index information and stats.

Standard & Poor's 500
This world-renowned index includes 500 leading companies in US industry. Find data including annual price appreciation, market attributes, month end data and total returns.

Dow Jones Industrial Average
The current "average" plus a history of the Dow. Includes an interesting decade-by-decade look at the Dow's rise and fall, tied to major political and business events.

Dow Jones Industrial Average: Historical Data
An easy-to-use search in which you choose the weeks, months or years for the DJIA data you want.

Look It Up

NC Secretary of State Incorporations
Search by company name or by registered agent. Results will include copies of the company's incorporation documents and annual filings.

NC Registered Lobbyists
Find lobbyists for companies; includes registration papers and expense reports.

Announced Layoffs and Business Closings
Search here for the latest layoffs and business closings throughout the state.

Edgar
Use the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Edgar database to find 10-K, 10-Q and other reports by publicly-traded companies.

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Federal government resource filled with data and statistics on labor and economics.

FreeERISA.com
Employee Retirement Income Security Act site that offers free information on the pension funds of publicly-traded companies. You will need to register, but the service is free.

OSHA Inspections Database
Find inspection and accident reports for a company.

Better Business Bureau of Raleigh/Durham
Look up small businesses by name or business type (e.g., "roof") to see if there are reported complaints.

NC Commercial Property for Sale
Search for buildings or building sites for sale in the state.

Certified Public Accountants
Check to see if the person doing your taxes is actually certified in North Carolina. You may also check if your accountant has had any disciplinary action filed against him.

Electricians
Verify all active electrical contractors that practice in North Carolina.

General Contractors
Thinking of adding on to the house? Check to make sure your builder is licensed, with no complaints.

Optometrists
Verify the license of your optometrist, or find a doctor near you.

Plumbers
Search for plumbers by license number, business name or last name.

Realtors
Find a realtor anywhere in the state, by name or area of expertise.

know.triangle.com - [Business] - Comments

[Business]