Ask About Business

Manchester is an original and modern city with a proud tradition of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Manchester has transformed itself from an industrial city dependent on manufacturing to a thriving, knowledge-based economy. In the 4 years after hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2002, the city attracted around £2 billion of private sector investment that created 45,000 jobs. Through energy and enterprise, it has developed into the city it is today: diverse, vibrant, dynamic and ambitious.

An enterprising city

Manchester is the largest and fastest growing economy outside London and the economic powerhouse of North West England. It is the regional centre for finance, commerce, retail, culture and leisure, home to an excellent, major international airport and to world-class conference facilities and universities with one of the largest student populations in Europe. Manchester was voted best city in Britain to do business (Omis, 2006) and is a top European business location (European Cities Monitor).

Manchester Library & Information Service

The Commercial Library in Manchester Central Library contains a wealth of up-to-date business-related information including one of the largest collections of market research and statistical resources in the north, and it's free to access! A team of information professionals can offer impartial and unbiased support and direct you towards industry standard resources. But it's not just for business. Passing through the doors you'll find market traders and marketing professionals, headhunters and hairdressers, individuals looking for employment and companies looking for new contacts. As well as businesses, our customers include jobseekers, consumers, investors and students of all ages.

Don't lose out: you don't have to be a member of the library to make the Business Information Service part of your business plan. The Commercial Library contains the following sources of information:

• Starting a business
• Market research
• Company information
• Jobseeking
• Credit and B2B
• News & journals
• Products & services
• Creative Industries
• European info Business Services
• Patents
• British Standards

For more information and access to some resources visit our web pages here.

For information about business in Manchester go to: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/