Being that we've moved from to the Information Age to the Access Age in a short 20-30 years, your idea to offer information services is timely. After all, information brokers are the people paid to sift through mountains of information available through reference books, periodicals, books, and on-line services to find out exactly what their clients need to know. What sets you apart, however, from the local library and a minimum wage company worker is either background or a degree in library science or expertise in the field of business you want to serve. But really anyone with strong research skills can succeed as an information broker. There are some excellent resources available to you for support and research.
Members can also attend their conferences and receive their publications.
This association is for you if you're not a librarian and it offers special member rates to on-line services. Most businesses get their start from referrals from former business colleagues, friends, and family. As an information broker, you'll also want your local librarians to know who you are as they often receive too many time-consuming search requests. If you're a natural teacher, you may even find yourself contracting to companies to train their employees how to do information gathering. Although any new business can take a year or two to begin panning out financially, if you have the resources to give it a try, and you feel your skills are a match, information brokering can be a very fascinating business arena.