Brooklyn Public Library is a hub for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- Useful Subject Guides on the resources you need to be a successful entrepreneur, created by our business librarians. See the "Subject Guides" box on the right side of this page to see our most up to date Subject Guides.
- Online databases with authoritative information about your industry, competitors, and target customers.
- Subscriptions to the leading trade magazines and business newspapers in print and online.
- We partner with SCORE NYC to provide personalized business assistance from SBA-certified mentors. In response to the COVID-19 closures, SCORE is offering video and email consultations. Go to their website and select "Get Started, Request a Mentor." Complete the form and click "Submit." SCORE should respond by email with more details about their mentoring program, and attempt to contact you via email or phone within a two week period. They recommend checking your spam folder if you have not seen an email from them.
- The City Bar Justice Center’s Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project (NELP) provides low- to moderate-income micro-entrepreneurs with the legal services necessary to start their businesses on sound legal footing. NELP’s volunteer attorneys guide clients through such matters as incorporation and tax issues, contracts and agreements, commercial lease negotiations, copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Click here to learn more.
- Start Small Think Big! provides free small business legal assistance and financial consulting to qualified entrepreneurs. At this time they are consulting remotely. To qualify, you must complete an application which can be found here.
- Additional organizations providing one-on-one business counseling online include:
- Business Outreach Center Network Womens Business Center (BOC WBC)
- Brooklyn Women's Business Center at @LDCENY
- Local Development Corporation of East New York
- CAMBA
- Black Entrepreneurs NYC (BE NYC) Mentors
- Small Business Mentors NYC
- The NYC Small Business Resource Network and
- New York Small Business Development Center (NYSBDC).
- Annual business plan competition for Brooklyn entrepreneurs that awards finalists with seed capital and feedback from our qualified judges.
- Competition includes free workshops on:
- Writing your business plan.
- Implementing marketing strategies
- Determining financial projections.
- Researching your customers, competitors and market.
- Go to our PowerUP! page for more information.
- Expert led events and classes on all aspects of starting, running, and growing your business.
- Librarian led events on how to utilize all of the library’s business resources and where to look for additional help.
- Go to our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming business events and classes.