Idea Generation
Books to help you develop the creative mindset that will enable you to generate compelling business and product / service concepts.
Back of the Napkin by Call Number: HD30.29 .R625 2009ISBN: 9781591843061Solving problems and selling ideas with pictures.
Brainsteering by Call Number: HD53 .C695 2011ISBN: 9780062006196A better approach to breakthrough ideas.
Disciplined Dreaming by Call Number: HD53 .L56 2011ISBN: 9780470922224A proven system to drive breakthrough creativity.
Thinkertoys by Call Number: HD53 .M53 2006ISBN: 1580087736A handbook of creative-thinking techniques.
Best Practices Are Stupid by Call Number: HD58.8 .S4775 2011ISBN: 978159184385640 ways to out-innovate the competition.
Little Bets by Call Number: HF5386 .S546 2011ISBN: 9781439170427How breakthrough ideas emerge from small discoveries.
Juicing the Orange by Call Number: HF5415 .F27 2006ISBN: 1591399270How to turn creativity into a powerful business advantage.
Databases
These databases are useful for researching consumer attitudes, behaviors and trends.
- iPoll (Roper)Statistics and data gathered from multiple surveys administered by organizations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Data includes opinions and behavior on social issues, politics, pop culture, and international affairs. To download datasets, create a personal account.
Entrepreneurship Opportunities (Local)
- George R. and Martha Means Center for Entrepreneurial StudiesISU's local resource for entreprenership opportunities and consulting.
- ISU Startup ShowcaseISU's student startup competition.
Business Accelerators, Incubators, Research & Venture Funds (National)
- Angel ListMatching entrepreneurs with investors.
- Excelerate Labs (Chicago)Founded in 2010, the firm has graduated 20 firms, most notably Groupon.
- KickstarterA funding platform for creative projects.
- LaunchNowAn online game that lets you build a real a real life company from the ground up or improve your current company.
- Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)A highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization.
- Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT)Program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development (R&D) arena by expanding of the public/private sector partnership to include the joint venture opportunities for small businesses and nonprofit research institutions.
- TechNexus (Chicago)Founded in 2007, the clubhouse where Chicago’s technology leaders gather.
- TechStarsHelps startups and other incubators alike.
- Y CombinatorSince 2005 has funded 380 startups, including Loopt, Reddit, Clustrix, Wufoo, Scribd, Xobni, Weebly, Songkick, Disqus, Dropbox, ZumoDrive, Justin.tv, Heroku, A Thinking Ape, Posterous, Airbnb, Heyzap, Cloudkick, DailyBooth, WePay, Bump, Stripe, AeroFS, and Hipmunk.
Industry Profiles & Analysis
Research the prevailing trends in thousands of different industries to look for potential area of opportunity for your new product / service idea.
- Business Source CompleteFull text database of business information including scholarly journals, books, author profiles, and company information.
- IBISWorldComprehensive full text industry research reports providing analysis and data on key statistics like supply/demand chain, market characteristics, product and customer segments, cost structure, industry conditions, key drivers, major players and market share, recent performance, and 5-year revenue forecasts.
- Mergent ArchivesFull text database of corporate and industry reports including corporate manuals, municipal manuals, annual reports, equity reports, SEC filings, key business ratios, and first research industry reports.
Research Assistance
Danielle Futoran Turos
she/her/hers
Contact:
Visit me: Milner Library, room 418
Please contact for in-person appointment.
Email: dmfutor@ilstu.edu
Please contact for in-person appointment.
Email: dmfutor@ilstu.edu
309-438-5891
Franchising
- Franchising.comNot as comprehensive in the variety of offerings for each industry, but notable for the sorting and ranking features of the database.
- FranNetExtensive information on buying a franchise and franchising your business. Includes links to franchise opportunities.
Product & Service Innovations
- SpringwiseCheck out the "Ideas Database" for recent new products / service introductions.
- Business Source CompleteHere, you can narrow your results under "Source Type" to include only product reviews.
Reference
Entrepreneur's Guide to Market Research (eBook) by Call Number: HF5415.2 .W454 2012ebISBN: 9780313396069
