Business Services

Your Library understands that the key to successful business management and healthy growth is convenient and swift access to the best resources. We provide reference services and library resources to help Charlotte-Mecklenburg area businesses succeed. 

Local Business Resources

    Charlotte Small Business Growth Fund

    The Charlotte Small Business Growth Fund is a public-private partnership providing business loans with competitive interest rates that don’t change over the life of the loan. It offers flexible working capital to help Charlotte businesses start, stabilize, and grow.

    Beyond Open CLT

    Beyond Open CLT created a small business resource guide to connect small business owners in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community with technical assistance, learning and mentoring opportunities, competitive accelerator programs, and grant and loan opportunities.

Library Resource Spotlight: MasterFILE Premier

    MasterFILE Premier

    A database of full-text magazines, journals, and reference books, as well as photo, map, and flag files dating back to 1917. Titles include popular magazines like Consumer Reports, Car and Driver, Country Living, Elle, Essence, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, and Popular Mechanics alongside an expansive list of scholarly and trade publications.

Upcoming Business Services Events


Does your business need:

  • Lists of companies in your target market?
  • Lists of competitors in your geographic area?
  • Names of executives to contact?
  • Demographic statistics, trends, and maps?
  • Industry data from nearby and from around the world?
  • Content for your webpage, tweets, or newsletter?
  • Classes on using technology to increase productivity?
     

Your library has all this and more. Find more information in the Business Resources: Starting a Business LibGuide (coming soon!)
 

Additionally, your library has spaces to meet and work. Meet informally at one of the 20 locations across the county or rent a room for a larger meeting. Your local branch has all the basics - free wifi, Internet and computer access, and Microsoft Office products.

 

Not sure where to start? Ask to speak with a Librarian at one of our 20 libraries around Mecklenburg County.

Government Documents Resources

Statistics, reports, and other information published by the government, which can be found through through various websites,  can be used to support your business research. GovInfo is a one-stop shop for accessing published, official U.S. Government information online. The Census Bureau provides demographic information to tell you more about potential customers and competitors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information on employment, labor, and trends in over 100 industries. Below, we've highlighted some resources related to upcoming events.

    Image

    Tax Season is Here!

    The IRS mission is to provide America's taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and to enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all.

    Statutory authority

    The IRS is organized to carry out the responsibilities of the Treasury secretary per Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 7801. The IRS was created based on the secretary's authority to administer and enforce the internal revenue laws.

     

    The Internal Revenue Service announced that tax relief is available for businesses in North Carolina that were affected by Hurricane Helene. You can find that announcement on the IRS website: IRS announces tax relief for victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina; various deadlines postponed to May 1, 2025 | Internal Revenue Service

    Image

    February is Black History Month

    The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.

    Image

    The University of California San Diego (UCSD) created a guide to information resources by and about the federal government. Please note: Some resources listed are only available to UCSD students/staff or those who visit UCSD in-person. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers may have access to some of the resources through the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's website.