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Company and Industry Research: Resources
SIC and NAICS manuals
SIC codes and NAICS codes classify industries for government census-taking purposes. Many reference sources dealing with industry use these codes to organize the contents.
Financial Ratios--public and private companies
Financial ratios are composite, industry ratios that provide benchmarks to compare with your individual company's ratios. These benchmark ratios are variously computed (i.e. not always using data from SEC-required filings).
Industry Structure -- public and private companies
This section includes industry descriptions, industry statistics, marketing statistics, business rankings, and businesses by state, county, or Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Finding Financial Statements of public companies
Please note that most entrepreneurial firms are not public companies. However, you may want to find a public company involved in this industry and look at that company's financial statements. Note that the financial statements of a large public company will give the consolidated operating results rather than industry-specific results.
Finding Articles on companies and industries
Find online articles about similar companies & their industry.
Business Plans
Find sample business plans.
Small Business Commercial Sources
Find small business startup information.
Funding and Financing Sources
Find sources of venture capital.
Finding Industry Associations
This section relies on the Encyclopedia of Associations and its online equivalent, Associations Unlimited, for information about industry associations.
Texas Business Resources
In this section, find sources of demographic information including population, housing, land use, cost of living, economic development, wage and income data, major employers, transportation issues, unemployment rate, taxation, major area employers, business and consumer services, licenses, permits, registration, and regional and community resources.
U. S. Government -- Business Resources
Agencies include: Federal Reserve, IRS Small Business, OSHA Small Business, Small Business Administration, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Electronic resources include Regional Economic Accounts and the Survey of Current Business.
Company & Industry Reseach: Tutorial by Ellen Truax
This tutorial by Ellen Truax covers industry research, how to use the NAICS code search, company research, and company name search.