Thinking of starting a new business or considering a change of career? Ask in your local library about how to access COBRA – the Complete Business Reference Adviser. This is an online resource that is available in all our libraries via the public access computers.

How can COBRA help? COBRA covers around 600 business trades and professions, with practical ‘how-to’ guides, market summaries and information about trade events, business support and funding. It gives you quick and easy access to exactly the information you need if you are considering self-employment, starting a new business, running a small business, thinking about career options or preparing for a job interview.

Research and explore COBRA guides, factsheets and reports by using the Local Area Profiles section you can find factsheets for specific areas of the country. Each month there are sector updates as well as new Business Opportunity Profiles and factsheets covering a range of topics.

One of the most useful places on the web if you’re starting or running a business is the government website Gov.UK. The home page has a list of broad subject areas, including Business and Self-Employed  (tools and guidance for business) and Employing People (pay, contracts and hiring).

Business and Self-Employed covers most of the administrative topics that new businesses need to be aware of. These include business taxation, running a limited company, business premises and rates, and licences and licence applications. There are also sections on importing and exporting goods, as well as information on specific areas of the economy, such as food, catering and retail, farming and scientific research.

Employing People covers all the topics that the prospective employer needs to know about : contracts, recruitment, pensions, payroll, health and safety, dismissing staff, leave and time off and trade unions.

There are many other more specialised websites and online tools aimed at the budding entrepreneur but Gov.UK is an excellent place to start your research!

Zero to one : notes on start-ups, or how to build the future (2015) by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

The story of the founder of PayPal or, in his words “How to go from zero to one”. Praised by his peers as a risk-taker, Thiel explains how he got started and it wasn’t by copying others. It was by doing something that no-one else had done. Could you be the next maverick? Read on and find out!

Mumpreneur : a comparative guide to starting and running a successful business (2015) by Annabel Karmel 

Bestselling author and food expert, Annabel Karmel shows how she built a business from her kitchen table, by has become a bestselling author and trusted food expert with 40 books, food ranges, weaning equipment and a vast online following. She will inspire you to gain the confidence, skills and tools to turn your own start-up dreams into a reality.

A guide to setting up and running your own business (2016) by Michael Major

Thinking of forming your own company and going into business? This essential book, in the Easyway Guides series, covers the first steps to take : getting finance, knowing your market, writing a marketing plan, bookkeeping and more.

Starting and running a business all-in-one for dummies. (2016; 3rd edition) by Colin Barrow & others

Written by a team of business and finance experts, this book is a guide to all aspects of setting up and growing a successful business. It includes advice on everything from business planning and marketing, managing staff and dealing with legal issues, to bookkeeping and taking care of tax obligations.  

There are plenty of ways of finding out about forthcoming business networking events in the county. Here are just a few of the local organisations that carry listings :

· Sussex Chamber of Commerce

· Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce

· Wired Sussex

· Chichester Chamber of Commerce

· First Friday Network

Starting your own business can be an exciting yet daunting experience. West Sussex libraries have a great selection of resources that can help small businesses and start-ups.To find out more check out our business information page. Follow the link to business resources for information on

· Business courses that you can sign up for

· Useful business-related websites

· Google’s Digital Garage

· MOOCs (massive open online courses) for business

and lots more!

If you’re thinking of starting your own business, West Sussex Library service can help! Exclusive to library members, COBRA (the Complete Business Reference Adviser) gives you access to over 1,000 factsheets, start-up guides and sector reports plus a directory listing over 3,000 business support and funding schemes. We also provide access to the new online service Law & Business. Come and find out about both at one of our free drop-in sessions and we’ll get your business idea off to a flying start!     

All of these events are listed on our What’s On in Libraries page.