Investment Reports in Business & Company Resource Center

Did you know that you have access to investment reports through some of our business databases?  If you are researching a company or an industry, you may find these reports useful.

Business & Company Resource Center offers an easy way to find investment reports.  Follow these steps to access them…we’ll use Office Depot as an example of company we’re researching:

Start by clicking on the link to our databases:
http://library.jwu.edu/research/databases/az.htm#b

Choose Business & Company Resource Center

Enter the name of the company as a company search:

Click on the company (use the ticker symbol and/or the headquarter location to choose the correct one):

Click on the Investment Reports tab:

Click on the titles of the investment reports that are the most current.  If you are researching an industry, repeat the process using the names of the top companies of that industry.  If you need help finding the top companies, use the Rankings tab when you are looking at the details for a particular company.

Happy researching!

Creating Quality Presentations

Do you have a presentation due for a business class project (or any other project, for that matter)?  Are you having a tough time designing a PowerPoint presentation that looks professional?  Are you struggling to find a way to add pizzazz to your topic?

There’s help available in Academic Search Premier, a database that has hundreds of articles on presentations.  There are articles with advice on choosing the best colors and font sizes, finding professional-quality stock images, using the 90-second rule, appropriate use of video, etc.

One quick way to find these articles is to do a subject search for business presentations.  Use the link for Academic Search Premier (below) and enter business presentations as a subject (see the screenshot below…you can limit to full text articles by putting a check in that box):

 Academic Search Premier (All Campuses)
on campus  |  off campus

By the way, if you’d like to see articles about speaking in public, use public speaking as a subject search.

Good luck!

Database Spotlight: First Research from Dun & Bradstreet

First Research from Dun & Bradstreet offers In-depth industry research for over 300 industries.  The research reports are updated quarterly, and are given in a relatively simple, consistent format.  Each industry profile is broken down consistently into the following chapters/sections:

Industry Overview

Recent Developments

Business Challenges

Trends & Opportunities

Executive Insight

Call Prep Questions

Financial Information

Industry Forecast & Rating

Web Links & Acronyms

You can search for industry reports by NAICS and SIC, or you can browse from the main page under the following broad sectors:

Construction & Real Estate

Finance & Insurance

Food & Agriculture

Healthcare

Manufacturing

Public Services, Education & Recreation

Retail

Services

Technology & Communications

Transportation, Energy & Storage

Wholesale

As far as reports related to JWU programs, the reports for the retail industry are broken down into over 40 subcategories.  There is a Hotel and Motel Lodging report listed under the main sector of Services; there’s also a Bed and Breakfast Inns report in this same sector.  Also under Services you’ll see Advertising & Marketing, Direct Marketing, Trade Show & Event Planning, Security System Services, and Travel Agencies & Services.  Under Food and Agriculture, you’ll find reports for Bakeries, Breweries, Catering Services, Restaurants, and Wineries.

The Financial Information section includes benchmarking figures and financial ratios (and includes their definitions) for each industry.

The section for Web Links & Acronyms in each report offers links to associations and Web sites related to each industry, as well as a brief glossary for acronyms used in the report.

One useful feature from First Research is Call Prep Sheets section of each report.  In this section, you’ll find “conversation starters” that are relevant to the industry.  The conversation starters are designed to be used for sales calls, but they could be useful when preparing for job interview.

Another nice feature is the States & Provinces section.  It features a clickable map that lets you find monthly updates of industry, economic, employment, and real estate data & trends for each of the 50 states in the U.S.

To access First Research, go to the Databases section of our site, and scroll down to “F” in the alphabetical listings:

http://library.jwu.edu/research/databases/az.htm

First Research from Dun & Bradstreet offers In-depth industry research for over 300 industries.  The research reports are updated quarterly, and are given in a relatively simple, consistent format.  Each industry profile is broken down consistently into the following chapters/sections:

Industry Overview
Recent Developments
Business Challenges
Trends & Opportunities
Executive Insight
Call Prep Questions
Financial Information
Industry Forecast & Rating
Web Links & Acronyms

You can search for industry reports by NAICS and SIC, or you can browse from the main page under the following broad sectors:

Construction & Real Estate
Finance & Insurance
Food & Agriculture
Healthcare
Manufacturing
Public Services, Education & Recreation
Retail
Services
Technology & Communications
Transportation, Energy & Storage
Wholesale

As far as reports related to JWU programs, the reports for the retail industry are broken down into over 40 subcategories.  There is a Hotel and Motel Lodging report listed under the main sector of Services; there’s also a Bed and Breakfast Inns report in this same sector.  Also under Services you’ll see Advertising & Marketing, Direct Marketing, Trade Show & Event Planning, Security System Services, and Travel Agencies & Services.  Under Food and Agriculture, you’ll find reports for Bakeries, Breweries, Catering Services, Restaurants, and Wineries.

The Financial Information section includes benchmarking figures and financial ratios (and includes their definitions) for each industry.

The section for Web Links & Acronyms in each report offers links to associations and Web sites related to each industry, as well as a brief glossary for acronyms used in the report.

One useful feature from First Research is the Call Prep Sheets section of each report.  In this section, you’ll find “conversation starters” that are relevant to the industry.  The conversation starters are designed to be used for sales calls, but they could be useful when preparing for a job interview.

Another nice feature is the States & Provinces section.  It features a clickable map that lets you find monthly updates of industry, economic, employment, and real estate data & trends for each of the 50 states in the U.S.

To access First Research, go to the Databases section of our site, and scroll down to “F” in the alphabetical listings:

http://library.jwu.edu/research/databases/az.htm

MarketResearch.com Academic (new resource)

MarketResearch.com Academic offers in-depth reports for numerous industries.  In general, the reports contain info on demographics, market size, market trends, growth & shares, forecasts, analysis of major brands, new product introduction trends, industry forces, company profiles, and consumer trends & buyer behavior.

The reports in MarketResearch.com Academic are written by the following publishers:
Kalorama Information
Packaged Facts
SBI
Simba Information
Icon Group International, Inc.
Paul Budde Communication Pty Ltd

The content includes current and historical information on markets and industries, ranging from Consumer Goods to Life Sciences & Technology.  Some reports that cover industries related to JWU’s programs include the following:
Food & Beverage
Food Service & Hospitality
Retailing
Travel & Leisure
Technology & Media

You can browse through 40 categories of reports, or you can search by using keywords that are related to your industry.

The advanced search lets you search by keywords in the title of the reports, or you can search for keywords within the full text of the report.  The results are displayed with the name of the report, a brief summary, and the year of publication. 

Warning: there are some reports in this resource that were published over 10 years ago.  For your projects, be sure to use the reports that are the most current.

Note1:  If your browser is set up with a pop-up blocker, you may want to disable it before using this resource.  Another workaround for the pop-up blocker issue is to follow the dialog boxes (“If the report does not automatically open after a few moments, please click here.”) to open your report in a new window.

Note2:  Don’t be intimidated by the cost listed for each report; the reports are free for JWU faculty, students and staff through our MarketResearch.com subscription.

MarketResearch.com Academic can be found alphabetically with the other JWU market research resources by going to:
http://library.jwu.edu/research/databases/research.htm

If you have any questions, pleases don’t hesitate to call or IM us.

Happy searching!

Films on Demand Streaming Video Collections

Business & Economics, Careers & Job Search

This is a collection of streaming video (Films on Demand) offering content from the Film Media Group, who’s most popular titles are under the Films for the Humanities & Sciences label.  Currently, we have access to the Business & Economics titles and the Careers & Job Search titles.  There are over 800 titles in these two collections.  The length of each film varies from 7 minutes to under 1 hour.

The interface, which is linked from our databases page (under “F” for Films On Demand) allows JWU faculty, staff and students access to these educational videos anytime, and anywhere there is a computer with access to the internet.  We are exited that JWU faculty will be able to utilize these online videos, both in their classrooms and for their assignments.

You can search for videos by subject or keyword.  The advanced search gives you more control for your search, lets you limit your search by date, and you can limit to titles with closed-caption.  You can also browse the collection by using the subject terms in the sidebar on the left, and you can create your own personal folders and playlists for videos that you will frequently use.  You can even create custom segments that show specific sections of the videos you wish to use.

To access the Films On Demand videos, go to the Databases section of our site, and scroll down to “F” in the alphabetical listings.Business & Economics, Careers & Job Search

This is a collection of streaming video (Films on Demand) offering content from the Film Media Group, who’s most popular titles are under the Films for the Humanities & Sciences label.  Currently, we have access to the Business & Economics titles and the Careers & Job Search titles.  There are over 800 titles in these two collections.  The length of each film varies from 7 minutes to under 1 hour.

The interface, which is linked from our databases page (under “F” for Films On Demand) allows JWU faculty, staff and students access to these educational videos anytime, and anywhere there is a computer with access to the internet.  We are exited that JWU faculty will be able to utilize these online videos, both in their classrooms and for their assignments.

You can search for videos by subject or keyword.  The advanced search gives you more control for your search, lets you limit your search by date, and you can limit to titles with closed-caption.  You can also browse the collection by using the subject terms in the sidebar on the left, and you can create your own personal folders and playlists for videos that you will frequently use.  You can even create custom segments that show specific sections of the videos you wish to use.

To access the Films On Demand videos, go to the Databases section of our site, and scroll down to “F” in the alphabetical listings:

http://library.jwu.edu/research/databases/az.htm

Analysts Turn To Software For Spotting Terrorists

There’s an interesting story from NPR’s Morning Edition that covers Palantir Technologies, a software company that has developed an application to track terrorists.

The story can be found here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106538028

At the end of the article, there are links to three related stories covering privacy.

Giving Back (book review)

Giving back : connecting you, business, and community / Bert Berkley, Peter Economy
HN65 .B46 2008

This quick read is a useful resource for those in the business community who want make a difference in their immediate local communities.  There is a recurring theme in this work that showcases successful business leaders who create organizations to help their communities directly, rather than relying on government or outsiders to do it.  In the forward, Harvey Mackay describes the book as a tool for individuals to use as an “easy-to-follow blueprint for making a real difference in the world around them.”

Included in the book are descriptions some outstanding socially-responsible programs created by leaders of these well known companies:

Chick-fil-A
Stonyfield Farm
UPS
 
The book also features excellent narratives of the early beginnings of these successful organizations:

Horizons for Homeless Children
Kiva.org
SPORTS for San Diego

The leaders of each of these organizations are interviewed at the end of each chapter.  Thoughtful advice is given in chapter 10 for CEOs interested in starting a new organization.  For the rest of us (non-CEOs), in chapter 9, there are descriptions of organizations that enable individuals to give back to their communities.

The book is fully indexed and chapter headings are clearly laid out in the top margin of each page.  Additionally, there is a useful appendix with 14 web resources for researching, connecting, networking, and interacting with charitable organizations.  Phone numbers, fax numbers, and snail mail addresses are given for these resources as well.  Come in and check it out.

Employment Articles in Business Source Complete

Looking for a job?  Did you know that you can use the library databases to find articles that offer guidance in your job search?

Here are three recent articles that can be accessed though the Business Source Complete database:

Title:  How to Land a Job in an Economic Downturn
Author: Thompson, Kimberly
Source:  Phi Kappa Phi Forum; Spring2009, Vol. 89 Issue 1, p26-27, 2p

Title:  Writing a Recession-Proof Resume
Author:  Hosking, Rob
Source:  Office Pro; Apr2009, Vol. 69 Issue 3, p5-5

Title:  The Interview That’ll Bag a Job
Author:  Needleman, Sarah, E.
Source:  Wall Street Journal – Eastern Edition; 4/14/2009, Vol. 253 Issue 86, pD4

You can find these in Business Source Complete by searching the title and author from each article, or you can find them by using these related job hunting subjects:

EMPLOYMENT interviewing
ENTRY-level employment
JOB hunting
RESUMES (Employment)

To access the Business Source Complete database, go to the library’s website:
http://library.jwu.edu/

…then click on Databases
…then scroll down until you see Business Source Complete (Business Source Premier) in the alphabetical listing.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask…

- by using the instant message feature (meebo) in the upper-right pane of this blog.

- by phone:  305-892-7043

- or stop by, we’re happy to help.

Greenwood Digital Collection

This recent addition to our databases has over 100 e-book titles on topics that range from the arts to women’s studies.  The collection can be browsed by title, subject or author.  You can also search the collection by keyword (to search the full text within the books), title, author and other fields.

There’s a Quick Search feature at the top of every page in this resource, but most users will find that the Advanced Search offers more robust and accurate searching.  The resource also has the American Heritage College Dictionary built into it for looking up definitions without leaving the collection.

Here are a few Greenwood titles that relate to some of the majors here at JWU:

BUSINESS
Building High-Performance People and Organizations
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Successful Leadership
Global Business Etiquette Marketing in the 21st Century
Women in Business: The Changing Face of Leadership

CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Battleground: Criminal Justice
Crimes and Trials of the Century
The Crime Junkie’s Guide to Criminal Law
Eco-Terrorism: Radical Environmental and Animal Liberation Movements
Offender Profiling in the Courtroom: The Use and Abuse of Expert Witness Testimony

CULINARY
The American History Cookbook
American Indian Food
The Business of Wine: An Encyclopedia
Controversies in Food and Nutrition
Food Culture in France (there are several other “Food Culture” titles featuring other countries)

FASHION
Fashion and Costume in American Popular Culture: A Reference Guide

HOSPITALITY
The Business of Entertainment
The Business of Sports
Encyclopedia of Sports in America
Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl

To access the Greenwood Digital Collection, go to the Databases section of our site, and scroll down to “G” in the alphabetical listings:

http://library.jwu.edu/research/databases/az.htm

Dining Out For Life – Thursday, Apr 30th, 2009

Dining Out For Life is a one-day international fundraiser that benefits HIV/AIDS organizations in participating cities.  The funds raised locally from this event will go to Care Resource, a local non-profit organization dedicated to help those living in South Florida infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Information on Care Resource can be found at:
http://www.careresource.org

The DOFL spokesperson for South Florida is Top Chef’s Howie Kleinberg.

For more information, and for a list of local participating restaurants for the Apr 30th event, please visit:
http://diningoutforlife.com/miami