Business Answers

Business Answers

Whether it's brand new or established, let us help your business thrive with our resources.

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Library Databases

Economic Development eNewsletter Sign Up

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Comes out quarterly with services and events for the business community.

Demographics Help

Reference Solutions by Data Axle (Formerly ReferenceUSA)
Use the demographic information of more than 13 million U.S. businesses and 200 million U.S. residents to research markets, build customer lists, and write business plans and grants. Remote access from your library card.

Community Profiles 
These documents feature a wealth of information including demographic, economic, and educational data for Virginia. Each report is automatically updated every time we make changes to our database, so you can be assured they will always be up-to-date!

Fredericksburg Regional Alliance (UMW)
Find comprehensive demographic, economic, and commercial real estate information on the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. Also provides services to facilitate the creation of jobs and capital investment while diversifying the economy and increasing the tax base.

Virginia Economic Indicators
A quarterly publication illustrating and analyzing key economic indicators including employment, unemployment, and production workers’ hours and earnings, and other significant business-related data series.

Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service
Demographic and workforce research and analysis, leadership training, and community outreach.

Local & State Government Resources

Economic Development Authority

Each locality in Virginia has a department that facilitates economic growth.

University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development
Collaborates with business, government, education, and private parties to promote personal, professional, and economic growth by advancing knowledge through entrepreneurship, small business development, innovation and competitiveness, research and analysis, and outreach and engagement. Their annual Business Reference Guide is published on this site.

Business One Stop
Walks you through every step you’ll need to complete in order to establish a new business in Virginia.

Commonwealth of Virginia State Corporation Commission Entity Search 
Look up information on established businesses, such as date formed, type of business, SCC ID, and availability of a business entity name.

Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce 
Advocates for business interests and provides business resources.

Germanna Community College's Center for Workforce & Community Development
Has a plethora of classes and workshops available. Very affordable—and some are free!

IRS Tax Information for Business
Tax information and forms for businesses.

Open Coffee FXBG, opens a new window and Open Coffee Stafford, opens a new window
Community groups for small business leaders of all industries, levels, and backgrounds. Provides access to in-person and online networking and training opportunities.

Rotary
Local clubs work to solve some of their communities' toughest challenges. Find local chapters using the Club Finder tool.

Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity, opens a new window
Promotes access to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s contracting opportunities and ensure fairness in the procurement process.

See about Small Business help below.

Small Business Resources

GovLoans.gov: Business Loans
This site provides information on different kinds of government loans available to small businesses

Gust.com
Search this website for start-up money for your small business.

New York Times Small Business News 
Articles about small business issues.

Rappahannock Economic Development Corporation
REDCO is a licensed, nonprofit, Certified Development Corporation that offers long-term fixed-rate financing for small businesses in Virginia.

SCORE
Retired business professionals provide advice on starting, operating and developing a successful small business.

Small Business Administration - Virginia Office, opens a new window
This site provides information on the Virginia District Office and has a handy guide that takes you through the steps of planning, launching, managing, and growing your business.

Small Business Taxes and Management 
Guidance for small business issues such as employee recordkeeping, tax news, and business reference information.

Small Business at USA.gov
A centralized, one-stop federal government platform that makes it easy for businesses to access programs and services to help them grow and hire.

Small Business with the Wall Street Journal
Small business news.

U.S. Small Business Administration
Find out about loans, government contracts, counseling, veterans business development, and other forms of assistance to small businesses.

Virginia.gov - Business
The Virginia Gov website has information on licenses and permits, taxes, links to other business resources and forms. The site walks you through the steps necessary to start a business in Virginia.

Virginia Innovators Network 
Promotes the commercialization of invention and innovation with networking, education, and promotion of entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Virginia Small Business Development Centers
Business counseling, training, and resources for start-ups and established businesses. In our area, the University of Mary Washington hosts the local office.

Other Resources

AllBusiness.com
Largest online resources for small businesses, providing essential tools and resources to start, grow, and manage your business.

American Express Open Forum for Small Businesses 
A resource center with helpful articles where you can ask other small business owners for advice.

Business Book of the Year Awards

Entrepreneur.com 
The online face of the magazine.

Free Business Tools
Useful stuff, including a barcode generator, invoice generator, purchase order template, and more. It is not necessary to open a store on Shopify to use the tools.

Free Lance-Star's Business Insider 
Free daily email newsletter to inform the Fredericksburg, Virginia. Area business community about matters affecting our regional economy and beyond.

NOLO: Free Legal Information 
Bankruptcy, business formation, debt collection, disability law, employment law, intellectual property law, non-profits, small business, small claims court, tax law, and more.

Investments

360 Degrees of Financial Literacy 
Investor education provided by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) 
Largest independent securities regulator in the U.S.; protecting investors by maintaining the fairness of the U.S. capital markets.

Financial Smarts
The Actuarial Foundation spotlights such topics as insurance, retirement planning, saving, and investing.  Read online or subscribe to email delivery.

MorningStar Investments

Morningstar Investment Research Center

Research, data, and analysis for investors. Includes many portfolio tools to calculate asset mixes, retirement costs, & college savings.

ValueLine Investments

Value Line - Expanded Library Edition

Analyst commentaries and rankings on current operations and future prospects for thousands of large, small, and mid-cap companies.
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