Hello!  My name is Mikaila.  I am the Business and Career Librarian here at Chester County Library, and I’m excited to be the first guest star on this series!  In line with the former posts, I’ll be introducing you to one of the library’s databases.  A library database, for those who are unsure, is essentially just an online resource that the library pays for so that you can access it for free with your library card!

This week, I’ll be discussing Reference Solutions (formerly known as Reference USA).  Reference Solutions is a multi-database resource that focuses on U.S. and Canadian data.  I usually describe it as an in-depth white pages/yellow pages in which you can research information on over 104 million U.S. businesses and 322 million consumers.  This tool is invaluable to small businesses who are looking to do the following: research your competition, so you can see where your competition is located as well as a snapshot of their business to get an idea of their day-to-day operating; create mailing lists for vendors, B2B, and B2C; record data and download heat maps for your reference or to input in a business plan; and generally better understand how you and your market fit in your service area.  Reference Solutions is updated regularly to ensure your research is verified.

Find Reference Solutions on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> R –> Reference Solutions

This post is number ten in this databases series! If you missed the previous installments, you can view them here.