LibGuides: How to Research Your Target Customer: Online Resources

Consumer Research Database

Why is researching your consumer important?
Researching your consumer can help you: identify and locate your customer; adjust your market strategy; and help you construct a profile of your customer.

How can our resources help?
By using our resources you can find market research reports, trend reports, company and industry profiles, reference books, sample business plans and almost everything else you will need to help you identify and research your consumer.

What else can the Business and Career Center do for you?
The Learning Resources can be found through the Libraries website and can be accessed with the Laptops in the Business and Career Center. These laptops are available for loan using your Brooklyn Public Library card. Do not hesitate to ask for help or suggestions from the librarian in the center. You can also make an appointment online for one-on-one research help. To find out more about our Book a Librarian service, click here.

Learning Resources with Remote Access

All of these resources can be accessed from home using your Brooklyn Public Library card and your 4 digit PIN. Either follow these links or go to https://www.bklynlibrary.org/online-resources/list to see the full list of our resources.

ABI Inform This link opens in a new window
Find current business information in full articles from business journals, newspapers, and trade publications.
Publications include Wall Street Journal and Barron's.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
24/7 access to reference ebooks. No checkout necessary. Titles can be browsed, searched, and downloaded anytime from any Internet-connected device. Topics include arts, business, education, history, law, literature, medicine, religion, science, and social science.
Gale Business: Entrepreneurship This link opens in a new window
Information on opening, operating, and growing a small business including financing, managing, marketing, and accounting; contains sample business plans.
Mergent Intellect This link opens in a new window
Access to public & private U.S. and international business data, executive contact information, First Research industry profiles, current D&B Key Business Ratios, job search, residential look-ups, and Census demographics.
Reference Solutions This link opens in a new window
Commercial and residential directory listings, job postings, and data for entrepreneurs to research target customers, competitors and suppliers.
SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new window
Demographic, business, and marketing data on a local level; users may create reports and maps with hundreds of demographic, business and marketing variables. Remote access to SimplyAnalytics is available to anyone within New York City or Nassau County with a BPL card.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Quantitative data categorized into 21 market sectors such as media, business, finance, and politics.

Learning Resources only available at the Brooklyn Public Library

All of these resources can ONLY be accessed on a Brooklyn Public Library computer at the Central Library or at one of our branch locations. More details about each of these resources will be listed in their individual descriptions.

Mintel This link opens in a new window
Market research reports with analysis of consumer markets, companies, and brands. This resource can only be accessed at the Central Library.
Sports Market Analytics This link opens in a new window
Market research and industry news on all aspects of the sporting goods and sports marketing industries, including sports equipment sales, sports participation, broadcasting and sponsorship. On the SMA log-in page, enter only your library card number. The username and password fields are auto-populated by the vendor.