French for the Professions

Need help with your research? Contact:

Kelly Cannon
Humanities & Business Librarian
phone: x3602
email: kcannon@muhlenberg.edu
IM (AIM, Yahoo, MSN): refcannon
Reference desk IM: talktotrexler

Stage 1

How do I identity consumer trends and market niches in France?

Business Source Elite (http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=bsh)
A full-text journal database with considerable focus on the EU. Search on keywords like education and france.

Countries and Their Cultures (Trexler Library, level A, call # Reference 306.03 E53c)
Reference book offering substantive overviews of a country's quality of life and its customs.

Global Market Information Database (http://0-www.portal.euromonitor.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/portal/server.pt)
See the "Consumer Lifestyle Reports" containing demographics.

Google France
(http://www.google.fr/)
Search by industry, limiting to France.

MarketLine Business Information Centre (http://0-library.marketlineinfo.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/library)
Succinct market reports arranged by country and industry.

Stat-USA (http://0-www.stat-usa.gov.library.muhlenberg.edu/)
U.S. Dept. of Commerce's "Country Commercial Guides" and other country-specific economic reports.

U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library (http://www.export.gov/mrktresearch/index.asp)
U.S. Dept. of Commerce's "Country Commercial Guides" and other country-specific economic reports.

Stage 2

How do I find out how to export, distribute, price, and advertise a product or service in France?

Global Market Information Database (http://0-www.portal.euromonitor.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/portal/server.pt)
Discusses media and communication systems, transportation, and distribution channels.

MarketLine Business Information Centre (http://0-library.marketlineinfo.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/library)
Succinct market reports arranged by country and industry.

Stat-USA (http://0-www.stat-usa.gov.library.muhlenberg.edu/)
U.S. Dept. of Commerce's "Country Commercial Guides" and other country-specific economic reports.

U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library (http://www.export.gov/mrktresearch/index.asp)
U.S. Dept. of Commerce's "Country Commercial Guides" and other country-specific economic reports.

News and Newspapers Online
(http://library.uncg.edu/news/)
Gateway to online papers worldwide. May include information about advertising.

Consumer Magazines Worldwide (Trexler Library, level A, call # Ready Reference 070.025 I61mc)
Ad prices for French consumer magazines.

Newspapers Worldwide (Trexler Library, level A, call # Ready Reference 070.025 I61m)
Ad prices for French newspapers

What about choosing a location?

Google France
(http://www.google.fr/)
Search by industry, limiting to France. Found out where existing establishments are located, to get a sense of local competition, and also how the business connects to the community.

What about employment and salaries?

Monster.fr
(http://www.monster.fr/)
French job ads.

News and Newspapers Online
(http://library.uncg.edu/news/)
Gateway to online papers worldwide. May include classified ads.

Competitors?

Google France
(http://www.google.fr/)
Search for industry type, limiting search to pages in France.

MarketLine Business Information Centre (http://0-library.marketlineinfo.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/library)
Succinct market reports arranged by country and industry.

Properties?

Craig's List Paris
(http://paris.fr.craigslist.org/)

Kijiji France
(http://paca.kijiji.fr/)

a relouer.com
(http://www.relouer.com/)

How do I get current news and trade journal articles about specific products, industries, and conducting business in France?

Business Source Elite (http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=bsh)
A full-text journal database with considerable focus on the EU. Search on keywords like entrepreneur and france or "small business" and france

Lexis-Nexis Academic (http://0-web.lexis-nexis.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/universe/form/academic/s_guidednews.html)
Includes European and French-language newspapers full text.

MarketLine Business Information Centre (http://0-library.marketlineinfo.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/library)
Succinct market reports arranged by country and industry.

How do I find out about setting up a small business in France?

Programme Croissance PME (http://www.pme.gouv.fr/)
French government resource for petites et moyennes entreprises.

Business Source Elite (http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=bsh)
A full-text journal database with considerable focus on the EU. Search on keywords like entrepreneur and france or "small business" and france

Lexis-Nexis Academic (http://0-web.lexis-nexis.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/universe/form/academic/s_guidednews.html)
Includes European and French-language newspapers full text.

MarketLine Business Information Centre (http://0-library.marketlineinfo.com.library.muhlenberg.edu/library)
Succinct market reports arranged by country and industry.

WorldCat (w/ interlibrary loan) (http://0-newfirstsearch.oclc.org.library.muhlenberg.edu/done=http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/;dbname=worldcat;fsip) How-to books for setting up petites entreprises in France. Search on small business and france or petites entreprises and france. Here are some sample results that could be interlibrary loaned.

How do I cite sources both within the text of my paper and in a bibliography?

Trexler Library's Citation Guides for Print and Electronic Documents (http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/citations.html)