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Toolkit for Entrepreneurship: Company Information Research

This guide was created by Becky Smith

Company Information Research Flow Chart

Visual depiction of a BIS Librarian's suggested search strategy for finding company information using the Three Easy Steps to Find Company Information.

For resources under each step, visit the Three Easy Steps to Find Company Information.

Determine if the company is public, private, or subsidiary.

Use the following databases to determine if the company is public, private, or subsidiary:

Figure out what information you need.

Company Profiles in Subscription Databases often contain the following:

  • Revenues (either estimated for private companies or from filings)
  • Top Executives & brief bios
  • Lines of business
  • Revenues (either estimated for private companies or from filings)
  • Top Executives & brief bios
  • Lines of business
    • aka Industries (either NAICS or SICs)
    • What it does (makes, services, or both)
  • Designates if private or public (subsidiary, branch, parent)
  • Competitors (either designated by company or within SIC)
  • Option: financials and background/history
  • Some may have investment analysis
  • Ability to compile lists within an industry, geography, sales range, or stock index

Company information is also where you find potential customers as well as suppliers. 

Public Companies

Company Research Chart

Company Research Databases

The chart below displays databases with company information that BIS subscribes to annually. The chart provides the broad topics which are available within each database. To access the database desired, click on the database title to take you to the database. If you are off campus, you will be required to type your Illinois Net ID and password first for authentication.

Database Company Information Revenue/ Financials Industry Codes Products Competitors Investment Analysis SWOT Analysis Comparisons News
Business Source Ultimate ✔   ✔ ✔     ✔   ✔
Capital IQ (GIES only) ✔ ✔ ✔     ✔     ✔
Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS) ✔ ✔ ✔     ✔     ✔
Hoover's ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔
IDTechEx ✔     ✔ ✔       ✔
Mergent Online ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔     ✔ ✔
Nexis Uni ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔
PrivCo ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔         ✔
ProQuest One Business ✔               ✔
Statista ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔        

Private Companies

Consult sources below for information about private companies:

Also, check article databases:

Subsidiary Companies

Consult subsidiary sources below to verify subsidiary status and to get parent company name:

Then use Nexis Uni (tutorial video) to determine if the parent company is public or private.
Follow steps for Public or Private Companies.