UMSI Market Research Basics: Getting Started: Workshop 1

There are a lot of resources that contain information about companies--some of which will be covered in this workshop.  When looking for company information, try to determine if your company is public, private, or subsidiary. Don't limit yourself to databases, either--look at social media like Twitter or YouTube. Look at patents, look at corporate filings, look at private equity and other investment activity and don't forget to do an article search in trade and industry publications.

It's important to define your industry and to be aware that many industries are made up of smaller, private companies. And some companies operate within more than one industry.  In addition to using some of the databases below, remember to ask "Who cares?" about your industry and try to identify trade associations, government agencies and other relevant experts, groups and publications. In addition to some of the general industry databases here, remember that there are many databases that focus on specific industries, such as Sports Business Research Network or Gartner (technology).

Many of the resources on this guide focus primarily on US-based companies and industries. These databases specifically focus on industries by country. Other databases have international content, as well, including Passport (from Euromonitor) and Avention. If you're looking for information on a specific country or non-US firm, don't hesitate to ask for assistance.