The Age of Independents: Jay Lyman, Seattle Public Library

If there's one person who can credibly be said to be at the center of small business entrepreneurship in Seattle, it's Jay Lyman. For the past five years, Jay has led a team of reference librarians charged with helping the city’s business owners get smarter about their markets and their customers. As Jay says, “Research makes us stronger.”

In an era where search engines have become our first stop for convenient, quick-hit research, it's essential that we remember that one of the most powerful business planning tools around is the local public library.

Seattle's iconic Central Library

Jay and his team have help hundreds of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs strengthen their plans and their businesses over the years in branches across the city. Their work is part of a tradition going back over 100 years, as the library has always been a center of business knowledge.

This is a fun conversation that covers how to think about your research, the tools available, the role of libraries in community-building and even Jay's recent trip to SxSW.

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.