StartupCafe

This is a guest post by Graham Mainds who is part of Edinburgh City Libraries. In this guest post, Graham highlights all the resources you can get access to when you’re starting your business.

It’s made of plastic, you keep it in your purse or wallet and it could mean the difference between your startup failing and succeeding. What is it? A library card. And you can enjoy the benefits without ever setting foot in a library.

Libraries have always had a key role in enabling investment and growth in our city, and we’re always looking at new and innovative ways of providing the information businesses need to succeed.

We want our users to be able to use our fantastic range of online resources without being constrained by our opening hours or the availability of computers in the library. This is why we’ve negotiated agreements with the providers of our premium business information databases to let our members access them anywhere, any time.

What do I mean by ‘Premium business information databases? Well here’s a taster:

Kompass allows you to build your own list of highly targeted leads from a database of over 200 000 UK companies.

Use Cobra to investigate all aspects of setting up and running a small business with easy to use fasctsheets, reports and guides.

KnowUK includes the full text of The Which? guide to working for yourself and The bright idea handbook, which tells you how to turn an idea into a profitable business. There’s also a useful events feature where you can search for trade fairs, conferences and the like.

And there’s more. We now offer so many services online that we’ve built a site, Your Library, to house them all – a virtual library if you like. And Your library is not just about business information – you can learn a new language, trace your family tree, revise for your driving theory test… you’ll also find online image collections, a 24 hour enquiry service and a database of local clubs, societies and organisations.

We’re not going to be going completely virtual of course – the recently opened Leith Business Hub at McDonald Road Library is the place to go for workshops, advice sessions and other practical forms of business support. Help is also available at the Central Reference Library on George IV where experts are on hand to guide you through the business information maze.

So in many ways libraries are providing the same services we’ve always done but now we’re using the web offer them in a different way. And we’re also looking at brand new online services – look out for downloadable ebooks coming soon.

The social web allows us to have a different kind of conversations with a virtual, and potential, audience. So follow us, speak to us, tweet us, facebook us – we’re waiting to hear what you think – and how we can help your start up.

But before that, if you haven’t already, join the library – and start enjoying the benefits today!

[http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/joinourlibrary]