The third type of information that will be helpful will be information about consumers, or the market or markets to which your company provides its products or services.  If there is a growing, or shrinking, number of consumers for the types of products your company makes, either circumstance will have an impact on the strength of your company.

Profiles will tell you what products and services people are buying now and why
Articles will tell you about trends and emerging consumer preferences and activities

Sources to start with:

• Statista—Profiles
• Mintel—Profiles
• Business Source Ultimate—Articles
• ProQuest One Business—Articles

Questions to consider:

• How do consumers feel about the industry or industries in which your company operates?
• How do consumers feel about your company’s products or services versus those of competitors?
• What are the trends in consumers’ preferences?