How Libraries Support Future Business Owners During National Entrepreneurship Week

Happy National Entrepreneurship Week!

This annual celebration of entrepreneurs of all kinds takes place Feb. 15–22, 2025. It was dedicated by an act of Congress in 2006 and relaunched in 2017 as a way to help educate people about entrepreneurs, what they do, what resources are available, how to find opportunities, and how to access capital markets. During this week, you’ll find free webinars and events designed to empower current and future entrepreneurs, helping them be more successful and connected in the entrepreneurial world.

Naturally, libraries have a role in supporting entrepreneurs in their communities, whether a small start-up or a successful business poised for further success. And as always, libraries don’t just note the date of the event on their calendars; they wholeheartedly support it in myriad ways, including the following.

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Reading Materials and Web Resources

Of course libraries have plenty of reading materials on hand that cover every aspect of the entrepreneurial lifestyle. The Chicago Public Library provides a curated list of books (a sampling, not the entire available bibliography) of books focused on entrepreneurs, including guides written by successful entrepreneurs, books on how to start and market a business, pitfalls to avoid, and other topics.

Missouri’s Kansas City Public Library has extensive online resources for entrepreneurs, including information on conducting demographic and statistical research, what licenses may be required and how to apply for them, industry data, and help writing business plans.

Washington’s Seattle Public Library has a web page titled “Start and Grow Your Business,” with resources for everything from crowdfunding a startup to managing a cottage food business to expanding into franchising and tools for both starting and growing a business.

In Michigan, the Farmington Community Library system highlighted three specific resources on its website that benefit small business owners. Those include access to Gale Business: Plan Builder, which provides step-by-step guidance for developing a business plan; Gale Business: DemographicsNow, which provides demographic data for any area in the US so prospective business owners can better understand their potential market; and Reference Solutions, which has a wide-ranging variety of data that could be useful to entrepreneurs.

Wisconsin’s Madison Public Library system also offers a robust set of online resources, including access to UW’s Patent and Trademark Library and its Small Business Development Center, a list of neighborhood business associations, access to a directory of manufacturers called ThomasNet, and Gale eBooks, which includes the Business Plans Handbook.

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Workshops and Education

In Illinois, the Champaign Public Library offers a workshop on writing a business plan in conjunction with the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. While that may not sound like the most glamorous topic, it’s one that too few entrepreneurs understand or even know about, and it can make all the difference between getting a business off the ground and one that never starts. A solid business plan is good for the entrepreneur to really understand what’s at stake and what’s needed, and it’s vital to, sooner or later, convince investors to be part of the business. A workshop like this is crucial in the entrepreneur’s process.

Maryland’s Baltimore County Public Library offers not just a list of books that cover varied aspects of entrepreneurship but also hosts the Entrepreneur Academy, where interested people can learn from legal, financial, and accounting professionals while networking with other entrepreneurs. The series was created in partnership with the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the Small Business Development Center, and the CASH Campaign of Maryland.

However, business plans are just a small piece of the overall entrepreneur puzzle. Libraries like the Oak Park Public Library provide resources that first-time entrepreneurs may not even know they need at the beginning, including access to business trends and data (and skilled library workers to help the entrepreneur identify what data they need and how to find it), places where entrepreneurs can meet with prospective clients or investors, and access to mentors or networking events.

New York’s Brooklyn Public Library offers a Small Business & Entrepreneur Services center where aspiring entrepreneurs can not only research or attend classes and events but also sign up for one-on-one business coaching.

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Business and Nonprofit Librarian

Connecticut’s New Haven Free Public Library has a dedicated Business & Nonprofit Librarian with access to Ives Squared’s Exchange, which offers resources and programs designed for entrepreneurs, particularly those in the New Haven area.

Baltimore County Public Library also has dedicated staff in addition to the programs listed above, and the Seattle Public Library has a business librarian who can address information requests and provide assistance to entrepreneurs.

Urban Libraries Council

This coalition for North American public libraries sees those libraries as being essential to the entrepreneurs in their communities. It has an extensive list of tools and resources libraries can use to help their communities learn more about starting businesses and keeping them operating successfully.

National Entrepreneurship Week is a great time to celebrate and learn about what it takes to become an entrepreneur. But as this list shows, libraries support entrepreneurs the other fifty-one weeks of the year, too!

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries.

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