Hospitality 203 - South Bend-Elkhart

Encyclopedias: start here

• International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management Articles on Market Segmentation, etc.
• Credo Reference: all titles for Food, Drink, and Nutrition

 

Library Business Article Databases

• Small Business Reference Center (EBSCO)
  Learn how to start, finance, or manage your small business. Resources include sample business plans, how to guides, articles and websites. Whether you're looking for how-to information on small business planning, bookkeeping, financing, human resource management, marketing, regional tax laws, or starting a home-based business.
• Business Source Complete (EBSCO)
  Full-text articles covering business, marketing, accounting, economics, and more.

 

Small Business Resources

• U.S. Small Business Administration: Write Your Business Plan
• Indiana Small Business Development Center: North Central (@IUSB): Business Planning

 

Statistical Sources for Demographic Data

     Federal

• Explore Census Data: Find popular facts (population, income, etc.) and frequently requested data about communities.  Search by state, county, city, town, or zip code. 
• Consumer Expenditure Survey: The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey records how Americans spend their money by tracking expenditures on food, housing, transportation, education, pensions, healthcare, etc.
• My Best Segments: Nielsen's lifestyle segmentation systems define every household in the U.S. by distinct lifestyle types, called "segments", to provide you with a comprehensive picture of who lives where and what they are like. Marketers use these insights to create more effective and efficient marketing strategies.
• American Time Use Survey (ATUS) measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing.
• Esri ZIP Code Lookup Demographics and lifestyle by zip code

     Indiana

• Stats Indiana: Easy, one-stop access to critical statistics for states, counties, cities and towns, townships, regions, census tracts and more.
• Hoosiers by the Numbers: workforce data for the State of Indiana
• Quick Facts of Indiana: detailed demographic data from the US Census Bureau

 

USDA Consumer and Industry Information

• USDA Food Markets & Prices: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food is probably the most widely used indicator of changes in retail food prices. ERS regularly updates food price forecasts for the short-term period. Also find indicators of individual, household, and market-level food consumption, prices, expenditures, food marketing costs, and farm-to-retail price spreads.
• Food Service Industry: ERS research examines the size of the foodservice market, major market segments, and recent issues related to the foodservice industry.
• Food Consumption & Demand: ERS provides economic analyses of trends, dietary patterns, and the relationship between food intake and nutritional/health outcomes such as obesity.

 

Regulations, Permits, etc.

• FDA: How to Start a Food Business: Overview of Requirements for a Food Business
• Indiana State Department of Health: How to Start a Retail Food Business
• Indiana Alcohol Beverage Application and Permits
• St. Joseph County Permit for Opening Food Establishment
• USDA: Food Safety
• Indiana Food Protection: Food Protection Manager Certification

 

Associations

• National Restaurant Association: Lots of useful statistical information about the industry.
• Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association
• International Association of Culinary Professionals

 

Food Entrepreneurship Web Links

• Food Entrepreneurship
  North Dakota State University. County Extension Services. Links to resources to aid individuals in establishing themselves in the food industry.
• Cornell Food Venture Center
  Cornell University. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.  Provides comprehensive assistance to beginning and established food entrepreneurs, thus promoting sustainable economic development of rural communities.
   

Occupational Information

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. BLS provides access to the Consumer Price Index (monthly average consumer expenditures on products and services), pay & benefits information, employment, productivity, and selected international labor resources.
• Occupational Outlook Handbook career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations.
• O*Net Online detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, researchers, and more.