business

  • Cooking Up a Roti-Related Business, With Help from the Library

    Cooking Up a Roti-Related Business, With Help from the Library

    In late 2024, when Komal Kashiramka decided to “take the plunge” to leave a corporate job and start a business in the food industry, she sought out helpful (and low cost) resources for entrepreneurs. The Seattle Public Library was not one of the places she originally thought to look. But the business research tools she… Continue reading

  • Your Public Library Is an Untapped Resource for Young Entrepreneurs

    Your Public Library Is an Untapped Resource for Young Entrepreneurs

    Guest post by Mason Pashia, GettingSmart.com “Libraries have long supported small businesses. The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is one of the two oldest business-supporting organizations (alongside the Chamber of Commerce) in the city,” said Jay Lyman, librarian with the Community Engagement and Economic Development group at The Seattle Public Library. (Jay directs the Library’s business… Continue reading

  • Every Day Is Small Business Saturday at The Seattle Public Library

    Every Day Is Small Business Saturday at The Seattle Public Library

    Coming up just after Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, Small Business Saturday is a day to support local businesses and entrepreneurs and celebrate what they do for communities while (possibly) getting some holiday shopping done. If you’re interested in not just supporting small businesses but starting one of your own, it’s also a good time to… Continue reading

  • Business Database Quick Start Guide: DemographicsNow

    Are you exploring a business idea or trying to expand your existing small business? You will undoubtedly get to a point where you’ll need to conduct market research to help you form a viable plan and make a strong case to investors or lenders. The Seattle Public Library subscribes to a wide range of tools… Continue reading

  • Lady Power!

    Today, in honor of those fierce and fabulous ladies over at The FBomb Breakfast Club, I want to talk about the power of women helping women succeed. There’s a special feeling when you know a lady (or a crew of them) has your back, encouraging you and reminding you how strong a worker and teammate… Continue reading

  • Language Learning for Business

    Today’s job market is very competitive and being able to speak another language might just give you an added edge. If your end goal is to be fluent or nearly fluent in a language so that you can put it on your resume then I suggest you start your language learning journey with the resources… Continue reading

  • Show your Pride! Support Local LGBT Businesses

    June is LGBT Pride Month! There’s no need to wait for the gay pride parade to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Check out one of these local LGBT owned businesses! On May 26th, the Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ) recognized the “2016 Outstanding Voices” for individuals and companies committed to workplace equality. Additionally, in partnership… Continue reading

  • Getting Educated on Startup Weekend EDU

    ~posted by Di Z. One week ago, The Seattle Public Library hosted another successful Startup Weekend EDU Seattle. For the second year in a row, participants gathered at the Central Library throughout the weekend to tackle issues in education and craft amazing presentations for Sunday’s finale. Continue reading

  • Looking back on Startup Weekend EDU Seattle

    By Jay L. Imagine 80+ people running around an auditorium with giant post-it notes and sharpies voting on ideas with smaller post-it notes and seeking collaborators to work on their education projects.  This was the Friday night pitch chaos during Startup Weekend EDU Seattle.  Of the forty-seven ideas that folks threw out into the room,… Continue reading

  • Start-up at the library – what do you need to launch your business?

    Do you have a fantastic business idea? Are you planning give it a go, but don’t have a lot of formal business training? The library has some tools to help you out. In addition to our collection of general startup guides, below are some other useful resources. Continue reading

  • Crash: Bank Failures and Other Economic Catastrophes

    You don’t have to look far to find news that illustrates how we are still struggling to dig our way out of a severe economic crisis. How did we get in this mess again? As it was happening, there were lots of articles about housing market bubbles, bank failures, subprime lending, bailouts, securities scandals and… Continue reading

  • October Question of the Month – an irregular series

    Hi. I’m starting a preschool business in North Seattle. I need help getting answers to these questions: $ spent in US on private preschools; $ spent locally on private preschools; % growth last year. Also, growth potential, trends in the industry, and my main competitors’ products and pricing. Thank-you for your help! Thank you for… Continue reading

  • A little investment help from your friends: Tips from the library for bond investors…..

    Library users who invest know that stock information is available 24/7 online via The Library’s free databases Valueline, Standard and Poor’s NetAdvantage and Morningstar.  But what kind of help can the library give with bonds?  Bonds are harder to research than stocks, especially prices, and the library has never really furnished bond price information.  But we… Continue reading

  • Small Business Books Made Easy

    Seattle has always been a center for entrepreneurship and many people recently have decided to start their own small business to beat the recession. Maybe you want to rethink your business strategy, put down that deposit for a Seattle business license or just sort through ideas you’re considering. If  you find yourself confused over the… Continue reading

  • Books for the Employed, or Un-

    Have you been laid off or fired?  Are you unemployed or underemployed?  Generally in a bluish funk job-wise?  Get over it with help from these books and videos that offer advice that’s both practical and entertaining.  You can do it. Working: A Graphic adaptation  by Harvey Pekar (2009) A loving adaptation of Studs Terkel’s original Working: people… Continue reading

  • Shelf Talk on the global financial crisis — “The Great Recession”

    Global financial markets circling the drain. Were – are – we on the precipice of more than “The Great Recession”? What went wrong? Can it be fixed, or is it just a bump in the road that will straighten itself out? Want to learn more about how “The Great Recession” happened? Take a look at… Continue reading

  • Tales of Wall Street

    The news from Wall Street has been a little too thrilling of late, but the high stakes world of high finance has provided a natural backdrop for some great fiction over the years. How do I balance my own need for a little respite from the increasingly bleak economic outlook with my creeping concern that… Continue reading

  • Learn to use Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage Database

    Don’t miss an upcoming opportunity to learn about one of our business and investment databases, Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage on Thursday, June 12, from 6 – 7:30pm at the Large Computer Lab in the Central Library. Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage is an excellent resource for company, industry, and investment information. Dan Sovocool, S&P’s representative, will… Continue reading