The following free online resources are relevant to students studying Business.
General Business
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Opens in New Tab)Includes career information, fraud studies and deterrence measures, audit standards, professional ethics, information and links about the certified public accountant (CPA) exam, and links to state board requirements and local chapters.
Bureau of Economic Analysis (Opens in New Tab)An agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce and one of the world's leading statistical agencies. Produces economic statistics, which provide a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the U.S. economy, are key ingredients in critical decisions affecting monetary policy, tax and budget projections, and business investment plans. The cornerstone of BEA's statistics is the national income and product accounts (NIPAs), which feature the estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) and related measures.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (Opens in New Tab)Easy entry into the full range of economic data and analysis produced by BLS. Find the statistics and reports on employment and unemployment, price (such as the Consumer Price Index) living conditions, compensation, productivity, and much more. From the U.S. Department of Labor. (LII)
Business Dynamics Statistics - US Census (Opens in New Tab)BDS provides annual measures of business dynamics (such as job creation and destruction, establishment births and deaths, and firm startups and shutdowns) for the economy overall and aggregated by establishment and firm characteristics.
Census Business Builder - US Census (Opens in New Tab)The Census Business Builder (CBB) is a suite of services that provide selected demographic and economic data from the Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use format.
CorpWatch (Opens in New Tab)"Provides news, analysis, research tools and action alerts to respond to corporate activity around the globe," as well as information on various CorpWatch campaigns, including the Alliance for a Corporate Free UN, the Climate Justice Initiative, and the Greenwash Awards. Includes a guide to researching companies, a library covering a wide range of issues, and information on how to get involved in grassroots organizations. (LII)
Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920 (Opens in New Tab)Images of over 9,000 advertising items and publications which show the rise of consumerism in America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the increasing power of the advertising profession. There are eleven collections offering background information. All categories are individually searchable, or you can search the entire collection by keyword or illustration.
Soap, tobacco, and beauty products are just some of the ads included here. From the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History, Duke University.
Forbes.com (Opens in New Tab)Bills itself as "Home Page For The World's Business Leaders". It features in-depth coverage of current events as well as financial articles of interest to the general public as well as financial professionals.
Market Watch (Opens in New Tab)This site for investors has daily business and economic news, information, and advice. The coverage includes stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and tools for personal financial planning. A special feature is the economic sector and specialty "maps" which are graphic representations of market patterns and performance. The Web site is a service of the print monthly SmartMoney , a joint publishing venture of Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) (Opens in New Tab)Private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works. Concentrates on four types of empirical research: developing new statistical measurements, estimating quantitative models of economic behavior, assessing the effects of public policies on the U.S. economy, and projecting the effects of alternative policy proposals.
Research Papers in Economics (Opens in New Tab)A "collaborative effort of over 100 volunteers in 41 countries to enhance the dissemination of research in economics." The site provides a database of bibliographic records with links to thousands of working papers, journal articles, software components, book and chapter listings, and other resources related to economics. "IDEAS" provides access to the complete database, or browse and search specific database sections. (REPEC)
Society for Business Ethics (Opens in New Tab)Our purpose is to provide a forum in which moral, legal, empirical and philosophical issues of business ethics may be openly discussed and analyzed. To this end, we promote the study, discussion and debate of business ethics.
Company Data
AnnualReports.com (Opens in New Tab)A collection of hundreds of the annual reports and 10K reports of companies traded on the U.S. stock exchanges, including most of the Fortune 500. "Visitors are able to look for a company through 5 search criteria: alphabetically, by company name, by ticker symbol, by sector, or by industry." Searchable. (LII)
EDGAR (Opens in New Tab)Security's and Exchange Commission Database of corporate information. Data since 1994.
Yahoo! Finance (Opens in New Tab)This site for investing and personal finance provides U.S. and international stock quotes with minimal delay when markets are open, as well as historical stock quotes and other market information. Additional investment topics include general financial news, industry news, annual reports, and mutual fund, bond, and option information. Also includes links to more than 20 international sites. Personal finance subjects include loans, insurance, and taxes.
American National Business Hall of Fame (Opens in New Tab)The American National Business Hall of Fame was established in 1972. The founders were university professors. The objective was to create awareness, understanding and appreciation of the American heritage of business leadership. The primary intended audience was university and high school students. The primary communication strategy was to develop stories of business leadership and deliver them in the classroom. The stories focused on historical business leaders who were named laureates.
CNN Stock Quotes (Opens in New Tab)Daily quotes and information on all markets, including, for example, currencies, equities, and commodities.
International Business
GlobalEDGE: International Business Resource Desk (Opens in New Tab)Designed by the Center for International Business Education and Research at Michigan State University. It is "a knowledge web-portal that connects international business professionals worldwide to a wealth of information, insights, and learning resources on global business activities." It provides access to over 5000 online resources, country information, an interactive forum, research and teaching resources as well as decision making tools and an "interactive forum for business professionals."
Index of Economic Freedom (Opens in New Tab)"measures 161 countries against a list of 50 independent variables divided into 10 broad factors of economic freedom. Low scores are more desirable. The higher the score on a factor, the greater the level of government interference in the economy and the less economic freedom a country enjoys." Covers trade policy, monetary policy, property rights, banking and finance, and other issues. A project of The Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal (Heritage)
International Business Etiquette (Opens in New Tab)Welcome to your information source for international business etiquette, manners, and cross cultural communication. As global business continues to expand and bring everyone closer, the critical element of a successful business outcome may be the appreciation and respect for regional, country, and cultural differences - known as cultural diversity and requiring good intercultural communication. In these pages you will find a wealth of information and resources on international business etiquette and manners to utilize during your international travels and overseas assignments. In fact, you may want to print a copy to review during your next international flight.
International Monetary Fund (Opens in New Tab)These reports, issued twice a year, examine recent world economic developments and future prospects. Includes links to searchable databases aggregating data used for the reports; search or browse by country, scope by market or economy, and more. From the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
U.S. International Trade Administration (Opens in New Tab)Information and support for U.S. companies seeking to do business abroad. Provides statistical information on imports and exports as well as access to other important information regarding U.S. trade.
World Bank (Opens in New Tab)As a provider of economic assistance to more than 100 developing countries, the World Bank coordinates with private, government, multilateral, and non-government organizations to ensure that resources are used to full effect in supporting a country's efforts toward stable, sustainable, and equitable growth. This Website provides information on health, education, the environment, private sector development, poverty, urban development, gender, and economic reform issues.
