Information proliferates on the Internet, but timely, accurate, extensive, and accessible databases are as good as gold—and equally hard to find. With more than 30 years of experience mining federal data sources from the Census Bureau to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, the Office of Advocacy offers a research tool for small business researchers and policymakers, a hyperlinked listing of Small Business Data Resources.

The tool lists online databases by federal agency or private sector source, hyperlinks the listings to their websites, and keys them to the small-business-related topics on which they provide information—all in two one-page summaries. The databases listed provide a wealth of information from federal government agencies, as well as nongovernment private sector, university, nonprofit, international, and other sources. Key topics include demographics, employment, exports, finance, firm size data, firms and establishments, health care, income and sales, pension coverage, taxes, and training.  Small Business Data Resources is an invaluable tool for researchers, policymakers, small business trade associations, and members of the media interested in small businesses’ role in the economy.

Although the list includes many of the most widely used data resources, Advocacy notes that inclusion of any specific database on the list does not constitute an endorsement by the Office of Advocacy or the Small Business Administration.