Research Guides: FASH 445: Fashion Entrepreneurship: Home

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For additional research information try these guides:

Business Model Canvas

Business Model Generation: a handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers by Alexander Osterwalder; Yves Pigneur
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2010
Co-created by 470 "Business Model Canvas" practitioners from 45 countries, the book features strategic ideas and tools, and makes them easy to implement in your organization. You will learn how to systematically understand, design, and implement a game-changing business model--or analyze and renovate an old one. Business Model Generation features practical innovation techniques used today by leading consultants and companies worldwide.

Define your industry

NAICS
The North American Industry Classification System was created by the government for statistical purposes to describe industries, but it is used for a number of reasons, and it can help you research an industry. It is commonly used in reports and databases (and sometimes you will be asked to identify it in an assignment or business plan). Also available via Data Axle.
SIC (Standard Industrial Classification)
The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) is a system for classifying industries by a four-digit code.
Industry Research Guide

Your Librarian

Carla-Mae Crookendale

(she/her)

Contact:

cmcrookendale@vcu.edu
(804) 827-0367
Cabell Library, Room 121-L

Subjects: Arts, Performing, Arts, Visual

Ask Us

Become an Industry Expert

IBISWorld
Includes industry reports for a wide range of retail operations including Women's Clothing Stores, Men's Clothing Stores, Beauty, Cosmetics & Fragrance Stores, Gift Shops & Card Stores, Thrift Stores, Home Furnishings Stores, Fashion Designers, Handbag, Luggage & Accessory Stores, Wedding Services, Used Goods Stores, Art Dealers and many, many more.
Plunkett Research Online
Analysis and market research for important industry sectors. Includes trend analysis, statistics, organizations, company profiles, information for job-seekers, and ability to create custom reports.
Passport GMID (Global Market Information Database)
International marketing data and research. Provides statistics and analysis across industries, countries, and consumers. Covers the apparel industry.
PrivCo
Business and financial data on major, non-publicly traded corporations, including family-owned, private equity owned, venture backed and international unlisted companies.
WWD
Direct, online access to WWD, the “Bible” of the fashion industry. (limited to 10 concurrent users)
Business Source Complete
A great starting place for almost any business topic. Includes a wide selection of sources including trade publications covering the fashion industry. Includes full-text access to WWD.
ABI/INFORM Complete
A great starting place for almost any business topic. For trade publications, look for the Trade Journals as the source types. You can also try the NAICS search field, and industries are typically subject terms. Includes content from the Wall Street Journal.

Get to Know Your Customers

Mintel
Full-text market research reports covering US and global consumer markets. Reports analyze market share, segmentation, and trends. Upon first login register with your VCU email address.
WARC
Global advertising and marketing trends, including market intelligence, case studies, conference reports, articles, expenditure data, profiles of major brand owners, and consumer insight.
Data Axle (formerly known as ReferenceUSA)
Comprehensive company and consumer intelligence. Good for discovering the hierarchy of companies and subsidiaries, and geographic consumer lifestyle data.
Statista
Statista consolidates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources. Their Market Outlooks provide market sizes, forecasts, and key consumer information for up to 150 countries.
American Factfinder
Watch a demo. From the U.S. Census Bureau. Start by searching with a county or city, and don't forget to try a search for Business and Industry statistics for retail establishments.

RKMA Report: Consumer Behavior 2021-2022
Call Number: Access Online
Consumer behavior data, including shopping preferences (in-store, online, omni-channel, peer-to-peer), purchase decision making, and response to advertising.
RKMA Report: Retail Business Market Research Handbook 2021-2022
Call Number: Access Online
Includes data on e-commerce, omnichannel shopping market leaders, and sector assessments (e.g. apparel, beauty, etc).

Use SimplyAnalytics to map and chart demographic and psychographic information about your target customers
in your chosen store location.

SimplyAnalytics
Create thematic maps and reports using extensive demographic, business, and marketing data (like Simmons and Claritas). Allows you to access data by geography, so you can focus on a city, county, zip code, or neighborhood. (5 concurrent users)
SimplyAnalytics/Claritas Segment Details
Use the "Narrow Segments" tool to filter consumer profiles e.g. by income, education or lifestage group. Find relevant consumer types you identified in Simplyanalytics and aply them to your chosen location.

More Resources for Small Business Retailing

Business Source Complete
Look for the Trade Publications option under Source Types to refine your search.
Dow Jones Factiva
News and business sources including the full text of the Wall Street Journal.
Entrepreneurship Research Guide
Includes links to Bizminer (financials and local market information)
U.S. Small Business Association - Learning Center
Info on creating a business plan, market research, managing employees and more.
Bizminer
Industry financial analysis and market trends for thousands of lines of business in national and local markets.
Bizstats.com
Free business statistics and financial ratios

Guide to Fashion Entrepreneurship
Call Number: HD9940.A2 C36 2014
A comprehensive, step-by-step entrepreneurial action plan that investigates how fashion product concepts are created, branded, sourced, marketed, channeled, and merchandised.
Advanced Fashion Technology and Operations Management
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2017
Features extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspectives and topics, such as online shopping behavior, digital fashion, and e-commerce.

Doing Business in Richmond, VA

Richmond Economic Development Authority
Thrive Resource Library
Info on starting and operating a business, funding and links to RVA-specific resources.