Research Guide: Company Research

Background Information

Directories

If your company is not listed in one of these, do not forget to search local or regional telephone books, locate the company's web site, or use a web directory such as Bigfoot.

• Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives
• REF HG 4057. A 4 P 62
• Utah Business Directory
• REF HF 5065. U 8 U 78

Company Profiles & Histories

These resources are ideal starting points when you are trying to find a quick snapshot of a company, and they provide good background information for more in depth research. Information generally includes: contact information, annual sales, number of employees, CEO, year founded, and type of business. Some may provide additional information such as a brief history or key financial data.

• Mergent Online
• Privco
• Westlaw Campus Research
• Hoover's Online Company Profiles
• International Directory of Company Histories
• REF HD 2721. I 63
• Standard & Poor's Corporation Records
• REF HG 4501. S 76635
• Datamonitor Company Profiles
• Business Source Premier

Financial Data

The sources listed below will give you financial information for publicly held companies. For private companies, finding financial information may be difficult or impossible to find. Check the company's web site for information. Some private companies provide an annual report, and this may be linked from their web site.

• Edgar
• Privco
• Westlaw Campus Research
• Mergent Online
• Standard & Poor's Corporation Records
• REF HG 4501. S 76635

Journal Articles

ABI/INFORM Global

Use this database to search through 1,800 business and economics journals, or find information on more than 60,000 companies.

Business Source Premier

Business Source Premier is a great place to start looking for information on business, management, human resources, economics, marketing, and much more.

JSTOR

JSTOR is a journal archive and can be used to locate older articles on all topics in business.

Web Sites

Business Directories

• BizWeb
• Industry Quick Search
• Internet Domain Name Database
• North American Industry Classification System
• Utah Department of Commerce Business Entity Search
• Yahoo! Business and Economy: Directories: Companies
• WHOIS database

Investment/Profile Resources

For a quick profile of a public company's financial position, use one of the following:

• AnnualReports.com
• CBS MarketWatch
• Yahoo! Finance
• ASAE's Gateway to Associations (trade and professional associations)
• Better Business Bureau
• GuideStar (non-profit organizations)
• International Chamber of Commerce
• World Chambers Network