Company FAQ

WB00958_.gif (1021 bytes) Magazines and Newspapers are a prime source for marketing and industry information, especially trade publications, and newspapers. However, they are not a guaranteed source, only a likely source. Click here for a list of article databases.

$ Consumer information:$

Reference books: In addition to information that you may find in magazine articles, there are many reference books with consumer profiles. Here are some examples:

Best Customers (REF HC 110 .C6 B47)

Consumer Dimensions (REF HC 110 .C6 C562)

Lifestyle Market Analyst (REF HF 5415.33 .U6 L54)

Consumer survey data: For the more adventurous, in Memorial Library only there are cd-rom databases of consumer survey data (learning to use and understand these will require an investment of time; please ask at the Reference Desk for help).

Mediamark Reporter (read about this database)
Mendelsohn Affluent Survey (read about this database, and about the IMS software we use it with.)
Simmons Study of Media and Markets (read about this database, and about the IMS software we use it with.)

Databases:

Global Market Information Database: especially for foreign consumer goods markets, this database is wonderful. Use the 'consumer market sizes' module.
TableBase: this database provides access to tabular data within many types of sources (journal articles, statistical reports, etc.) Includes many "top 10" type lists. Searchable by SIC code (click here for more information about the SIC codes).

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Competitor information:

Reference books:

Ward's Business Directory of US Private and Public Companies (REF HG 4057 .A575)
Volumes 5 and 8 have rankings by sales within SIC and NAICS codes respectively. For more information about SIC/NAICS, click here.

D&B Business Rankings (REF HG 4057 .A237) Sales rankings within SIC codes. For more information about SIC/NAICS, click here.

Hoover's Handbooks (They correspond to the premium content on the Hoovers web site.) Whereas the free content on Hoover's includes 3-4 competitors, these books provide a longer list of competitors.
Hoover's Handbook of American Business (REF HG 4057 .A28617)
    Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies (REF HG 4057 .A28618)
    Hoover's Handbook of Private Companies (REF HG 4057 .A28616)
    Hoover's Handbook of World Business (REF HG 4009 .H66)

Thomas Register of American Manufacturers (REF T 12 .T6)
The online version will be more up-to-date, but requires registration (free). Lists US manufacturing firms by product. Also has alphabetical and trade name indexes. Includes catalogs for some of the companies listed.

Databases:

ReferenceUSA: a directory database that can be searched by "yellow pages' headings" and company size (sales' range or number of employees' range.) (The "yellow pages' headings are actually SIC codes. Click here for more information about the SIC codes.)
TableBase: this database provides access to tabular data within many types of sources (journal articles, statistical reports, etc.) Includes many "top 10" type lists. Searchable by SIC code (click here for more information about the SIC codes).

SEC documents: in the 10-K report, companies are supposed to discuss their competition. Sometimes they will actually name their competitors, sometimes not.

Corporate web sites: many companies offer access to their annual reports and/or 10-K's on their web sites. Search using your favorite search engine, or try Hoover's Online, which usually has links to corporate web sites.
Thomson ONE Banker: this library subscription database provides alot! The original SEC filings themselves, but also the financial data in spreadsheet format, for the current year and a ten-year compilation. Go to the 'Filings' tab to find "everything".
SEC Filings (EDGAR): direct from the Securities and Exchange Commission itself. More limited searching capabilities, but this is free and 'straight from the horse's mouth'. Here is a link to descriptions of the most common filings.

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WB01517_.gif (727 bytes) Industry information and statistics:
It is often useful to look at the industry of your chosen company, simply as a way to gauge how well your company is doing in comparison to its peers. Many of these sources will by organized by SIC or NAICS code: to learn more about these codes, click here.

Reference books with narrative:

CRB Commodity Year Book (REF HF 1041 .C56)

Encyclopedia of American Industries (REF HC 102 .E53)

Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries (REF HD 2324 .E527)

Encyclopedia of Global Industries (REF HD 2324 .E53)

Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys (REF HC 106.6 .S74)

Databases:

TableBase: this database provides access to tabular data within many types of sources (journal articles, statistical reports, etc.) Includes many "top 10" type lists.

STAT-USA: an eclectic database from the Department of Commerce. Despite a poorly designed interface, this database can be especially good for information on conditions in industries abroad (in the Globus & NTDB section).

hieroglyph.gif (2363 bytes) SIC / NAICS codes:
To find competitor and industry information, you will almost certainly have to know the SIC code and/or the NAICS code used by the company you're researching. These are numeric codes used by the federal government to identify industries, and to organize the data the government collects on them. Currently, we are in a transition period, replacing the SIC code with the NAICS code. For lots more about both SIC and NAICS, click here; a few, introductory links are below.

SIC (Standard Industrial Classification System): currently being phased out and replaced with NAICS. A four-digit code.
NAICS (North American Industry Classification System): its use began in 1997, and in 2004 it will have completely replaced SIC codes. It is being used by Canada, the US, and Mexico. A six-digit code. For more information, click here.

History of Industry Classification in the US:
In case you're interested, the development of these codes goes back to the period just after the 1929 stock market crash. In order to prevent future devastating crashes, the government decided that it needed more data on American businesses. It also wanted to be able to compare data about each industry even when the data was collected by different governmental agencies, for instance from the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor. Therefore, a classification system was developed to describe American industry and it was to be used by all (or at least most) departments. For far more detail on the history of industry classification, read chapter 3 in the 2002 Report on the American Workforce (REF HD 5724 .R47). It is also available online.

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