Company Research
This page contains directories of companies, and other resources for finding company information. You can use some of the sources recommended in this guide to help you research a company or product.
If you are researching a private company, especially one in North America, privately-held companies are not legally required to publish for public consumption materials such as annual reports.
Remember - when searching for information about a company, product, service or industry, you may have to look at the bigger picture as well as the details specific to your particular business, product or service. If you can’t find enough on the company/service/product, try to place it within the larger industry.
For example:
- Look for the NAICS code for more information about the industry.
- Look in library databases for industry reports, company reports, and/or articles related to your topic.
- Search by Company name in databases For example Business Source Complete) and Google. (look for their website)
- Check out the company on Linkedin, Facebook or other social media
- Security filings, filings, disclosure, payments and information - SEDAR (Canada) and EDGAR (USA)
- Business Directories online and in print can be useful
- Newspapers and trade journals - in print and online
- Check Library collections for published histories of known companies and their founders.
- Best bets at the Library for Canadian and Ontario companies
- Ibisworld
- Canadian Business and Current Affairs
- Canadian Newsstand (Canadian newspapers)
- trade journal content across AC Library database subscriptions.
- Be creative! Use other resources to find specific information about financials, market size and share, demographics, and/or consumer behaviour. For example, visit the company’s website and social media accounts, see if their annual report is online. If they are a public company see if you can view their financials on google/finance.
Adapted from: Iaizzo, Teresa. “Researching a Company, Product, Service, or Industry” George Brown College Library. Web. Sep 25, 2017
Library Resources
Back to Beer... and Hockey - Opens in a new window by Call Number: TP573.5.M645 A5866 2018ISBN: 9780773552876
Saving Big Blue : leadership lessons and turnaround tactics of IBM's Lou Gerstner - Opens in a new window by Call Number: HD9696.2.U64 I257 1999ISBN: 9780071342117
The Starbucks story : how the brand changed the world - Opens in a new window by Call Number: HD9199.U64 S737 2012ISBN: 9789814408769
The Microsoft Way : The Real Story of How the Company Outsmarts its Competition - Opens in a new window by Call Number: HD9696.C64 M536 1997ISBN: 02032797X
Onward: How Starbucks fought for its life without losing its soul - Opens in a new window by Call Number: HD9199.U54 S737 2011ISBN: 9781605292885- Swoosh : the unauthorized story of Nike, and the men who played there - Opens in a new window by Call Number: HD9992.U54 N557 1991ISBN: 9780151874309
Databases:
- Business (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new windowBroker research reports, trade publications, newspapers, journals and company directory listings. It includes subjects such as management, economics and politics.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowArticles from scholarly business journals and magazines. It also includes country overviews, market research reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses, industry reports, and videos from the Harvard Faculty Seminar Series.
- Canadian Business & Current Affairs This link opens in a new windowChoose newspaper as resource type from limiters or use the Newspaper Search in Page 1+ to add Canadian news content to your results
A diverse collection of publications, including scholarly journals, trade publications, dissertations, books, newspapers and magazines. Covers Canadian studies, business, culture, current event, education, literature, agriculture, history, and language, as well as government and politics. - Canadian Major Dailies This link opens in a new windowChoose newspaper as resource type from limiters or use the Newspaper Search in Page 1+ to add Canadian news content to your results
National and leading regional newspapers, such as the National Post, the Globe and Mail, the Montreal Gazette, and the Ottawa Citizen. - Entrepreneurship (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new windowPeriodicals that provide insights, tips, strategies and success stories for small businesses.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new window*Not searchable in Page 1+. Search directly in database to access content.*
Industry market research reports containing statistics and analysis on market characteristics, current and forecast performance, and major industry participants covering the US, Canada, Mexico as well as NEW GLOBAL CONTENT including Asia Pacific and Europe - Statista This link opens in a new window*Not searchable in Page 1+. Search directly in database to access content*
Provides coverage of consumer and market data covering more than 80,000 business-related topics from more than 22,500 sources in 170+ industries. Consumer Insights can be search independently by accessing it under the insights tab.
eCommerce Insights is its own product and is accessible from the main Statista platform under the Insights tab. Once you have linked out to the ecommerce product you should select the University Access button to reauthenticate before beginning your search.
Journals:
- Bloomberg Businessweek - Opens in a new windowReports on news, ideas and trends affecting industry and the economy for those in business management, with national and international coverage.
- ForbesFor corporate officers and other major executives in business interested in developing management insight through review of the nation's largest corporations.
- Fortune - Opens in a new windowGives top executives, and those working to reach senior positions in business information on the economic, political and social trends that affect the environment of business.
- IncPresents articles on financial & personnel management, marketing, administration, sales and operations for executives & managers of small to mid-sized companies
Web Resources
- Canada's Top 100 Employers - Opens in a new windowProfiling the companies and organizations that lead the nation in offering exceptional working conditions and benefits
- Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters - Opens in a new windowPromotes the interests of manufacturing and exporting firms. Follow industry trends, read publications and learn about services available in Canada
- Canadian Trade IndexSearch for Industrial and manufacturing products and services
- Directories of Canadian Companies - Opens in a new windowUse our directories of Canadian companies to find suppliers, research competitors, check a company's federal corporation status and more. Search or browse the directories or register your own company.
- NASDAQ - Opens in a new windowStock information
- Research and business intelligenceIndustry sector data, financial benchmarks, labour trends and business statistics.
- Search For a Federal Corporation - Opens in a new windowSearch the Industry Canada database by corporate name, corporation number, or business number (BN).
- SEDAR (the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval) - Opens in a new windowSEDAR is the system used for electronically filing most securities related information with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities.
- Business registers in EU countriesBusiness registers in EU countries
In Europe, business registers offer a range of services, which may vary from one Member State to another. - Companies House - Opens in a new windowFind brief information about UK publicly listed companies on this website.
- Company Registries by CountryAll countries have a register of companies, but not all of these are open to the public. Below is a list of company registries around the world where you can find more information about the company you need to research.
- EDC: Insights on Foreign CompaniesGetting into business with the wrong foreign company can cost you. We’ll help you find what you need to know before you sign on the dotted line.
- European DirectoryFind, select, contact companies
like millions of other professionals who use Europages every month - Forbes Global 2000Forbes Global 2000 ranks the largest companies in the world using four metrics: sales, profits, assets, and market value.
- Fortune – The Global 500 - Opens in a new windowFind information on the top 500 largest public companies in the world.
- National Corporation Directory (USA)This page allows you to search our database of over 28 million business locations in the United States.
- OpenCorporatesCovers over 100 million companies companies internationally. Searching is free but what is covered for each country and company varies.
- Reference for Business - Opens in a new windowContains company histories
- Securities information - (EDGAR) - Opens in a new windowFree access to more than 20 million filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Thomas Global Register (suppliers and products worldwide) - Opens in a new windowFree platform designed for sourcing components, equipment, MRO products, raw materials and custom manufacturing services.
- US Corporate Registry DirectorySearch by State
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