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Paid
information retrieval services
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Specialized
or company newsletters
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Patents
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Technical
/ trade articles written by employees
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Local
Chambers of Commerce
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Local
tax offices
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Local
public libraries
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Paper
directories
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- U.S. public companies must report certain
financial information to the SEC and their shareholders. This does not
necessarily hold true for foreign companies. Thus ALL sources report
much more on public US companies than on private or foreign owned
companies.
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- There are over 13 million companies in the
US, and only 3,000-4,000 are public.
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- A company controls the information that it
places about itself on the web page. Therefore, it is often necessary to
use other sources that add depth and perspective.
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- Good information may come with a cost. If
research firms go to the expense of compiling the data, do not expect
them to give it away for free. You get what you pay for often
applies to this kind of research.
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- The telephone is still a very useful tool!
Do not hesitate to call with more specific questions if a web or print
source does not include all of the data you need. Many times, the
information you are seeking is available, but has never been formally
written down. There may be an informed individual (editor, government
official, or researcher) just waiting for your call.
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- Find out about the leader of the company for
added insights.
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- If you are having difficulty finding a
particular piece of information, think about who within your own
organization holds the same/similar information. Then think as to
whether or not they would share the same with an outside
source.
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- Determine who has a vested interest in the
information you are trying to locate (i.e. government, associations,
trade magazines, individuals, others). They will be the ones who will
compile and keep it, and the ones you will want to
contact.
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