Arena

We have a wealth of FREE online business resources that can help you to start your own business, continue studying, build professional skills and connect with others.

We are now part of the British Library Business & IP Centre National Network (BIPC). With our partner at Brighton and Hove Libraries, we can provide entrepeneurs, start up businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises in Sussex with free access to databases, market research, IP (intellectual property) information, networking and business events. 

Your local BIPC is based at Crawley Library.

For more information contact our Enquiries Team

These resources are available FREE to library members.

Not a member? Join here 

COBRA is available free in all West Sussex libraries and library card holders can access it 24/7 from their computer, tablet or smartphone. It is a continually expanding business database with information about starting and running a small business. Access to around 4000 factsheets, market reports, contacts, funding resources and help and support.

It's a unique source of information for starting a small-scale business.

For more help with COBRA, download or read our helpsheet or watch our video:

Kompass Easy Business contains information on over 43 million (mainly manufacturing) companies across 71 countries worldwide. You can use it to contact other businesses (B2B).

You can search and view individual company information on Kompass on PCs in any West Sussex Library.

Kompass is only available on computers in West Sussex Libraries.

For more help with Kompass, you can download or read our helpsheet or watch this video:

If you would like to download lists of companies in spreadsheet format, contact our Ask a Librarian service with details of the search you require.

Grantfinder is a database for all types of funding including loans, awards & grants to help local companies succeed and grow.

Local entrepreneurs and individuals can search independently through the thousands of funds available to them.

These include:

• Government programmes
• regional schemes
• local authority funds
• prestigious business award competitions.

Grantfinder is only available on computers in West Sussex Libraries.

Please ask library staff to sign you in to access this database.

For help with Grantfinder you can download our helpsheet.

Alternatively, you can contact our Ask a Librarian service with details of the search you require.

Local Data Online provides insight into high streets, shopping centres, retail parks, standalone stores and small parades for over 7000 locations, every retail chain and over 300,000 independent retailers across Great Britain.

Understand local, regional and national occupancy and vacancy trends, using primary research to enhance your decisions.

Local Data Online is only available on computers in West Sussex Libraries.

Please ask library staff to sign you in to access this database.

For help with using LDO in any West Sussex Library, use this Local Data Online User Guide.

Alternatively you can Ask a Librarian to help you with a search.

IBIS World market research and forecasting database provides:

• Industry Market Research for the UK, Ireland and general global reports.
• Industry Risk Ratings.
• Analysis of hundreds of industries including risk scores & revenue forecasts.

IBIS World is only available on computers in West Sussex Libraries.

You can search IBIS world in any West Sussex Library, but you can only download reports by contacting the West Sussex Ask a Librarian service to ask for the information you need.

For more help using IBIS world, download this helpsheet or watch this video:

Fame (Financial Analysis Made Easy) provides information on 11 million private companies in the UK and Ireland. It can help you create searches to find companies with specific profiles and do detailed analyses on individual or groups of companies (including your existing customers).

• Create targeted B2B marketing lists.
• Create intelligent searches to promote your firm to the right companies.
• Export your results for analysis or business development projects.

Fame is only available on computers in West Sussex Libraries.

Please ask library staff to sign you in to access this database.

Read this FAME user guide to find out how to search this database.

Alternatively, you can contact our Ask a Librarian service with details of the search you require.

EMIS (Emerging Markets Information Service Information platform) provides a unique blend of analysis, data and news on companies, industries and countries in eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as global data.

EMIS licenses content from leading sources of company and industry intelligence, combined with a database of over 6.6 Million companies, M&A information and country level research.

You can access up to 10 reports and up to 250 companies in list form per day.

EMIS is only available on computers in West Sussex Libraries.

To find out more about EMIS, you can download our helpsheet or watch these videos:

Alternatively, you can contact our Ask a Librarian service with details of the search you require.

Euromonitor International Passport provides strategic business information to thousands of companies worldwide.

A useful tool if you're doing either very specific analysis or looking at big picture economic or social changes.

Euromonitor is only available on computers in West Sussex Libraries.

You can browse or search Euromonitor, view market reports, articles and data and print up to twenty pages per session, for use in personal research and private study.

For more information, watch these videos:

Euromonitor - Getting Started

Euromonitor - The Search Page

Or download the Euromonitor User Guide

Alternatively, you can contact our Ask a Librarian service with details of the search you require.

Using Pressreader you can read or download current copies of The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Daily Mail, Daily Star, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, The Guardian as well as a selection of over 7000 worldwide newspapers and magazines.

You can translate some into different languages as well as reading foreign titles in English.

Download or read our helpsheet here.

eMagazines - borrow digital versions of magazines like this one for free to read on your computer, tablet, eBook reader or smartphone.

Designed by Google to boost your digital knowledge, The Digital Garage courses include everything from building a web presence to social media, to help you grow your business or career. You even get a certificate at the end.

MOOC List - Find a whole host of free courses provided by many different organisations. Topics include:

• Finance and Growth
• Start Ups
• Creativity and Planning 
• Entrepreneurial Mindsets

HMRC Free Online Course about Starting a Business and Tax

Includes information on:

• Choosing a structure for your business
• Telling HMRC about your self employment
• Keeping your business records and claiming expenses
• Sending HMRC your tax returns and payments
• Finding further help and support

Skills Toolkit 

A collection of training resources to help people to use the lockdown to acquire jobs skills for when more businesses reopen. Includes Open University courses on basic maths and how to write computer code, Future-Learn courses in digital skills and producing online content, Google courses in digital marketing and resources to help people get started online provided by the digital-inclusion charity the Good Things Foundation.