Research Guides: Business Plan Research: Industry Research

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Overview

What is industry research?

If you want to get a general understanding or overview of an industry, here are a few things to look for:

News, Trends, Forecasts or Predictions
Economic Indicators that Influence the Industry
Domestic – vs – International
Market Share, Financials
Innovations, New Products
Legal or Regulatory Issues
Technology Driven (or not)

Depending on your industry, there may be other things to consider. Talk to your small business counselor to get ideas and suggestions about what you should look for when completing your business plan.

Industry Codes

Sometimes it's easier to search for industry information when you use either the NAICS or SIC code. Use the websites listed to find the code(s) for the industry you are researching.

NAICS
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. By finding the NAICS code for your industry, you can easily search for the industry in library databases as well as online.
SIC
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes are four-digit codes used by some U.S. government agencies to classify various industry areas.

U.S. Government Resources

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Industries
There is a lot of industry information here. If you need a basic overview, start with Industries at a Glance first.
Industries at a Glance (BLS)
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) pages that display a ‘snapshot’ of national data obtained from BLS surveys and programs related to various industries.
Business and Economy (U.S. Census Bureau)
Provides access to the Census Bureau programs that provide economic data for various industries.
Economic Indicators
Includes current press releases for various industries in the U.S.

ABI/INFORM

ABI/INFORM Collection
Business research from journals, trade publications, market research reports, dissertations, and working papers.

Search tips:

Click the Browse link to see what types of reports are available.
You can then click to view a list of reports.

Business Source Complete

Business Source Complete
Article database that covers all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, accounting, banking, finance, and more. Indexing and abstracts and full text are available back as far as 1886.

Search tips:

Company Information: From the homepage of Business Source Complete, click the Company Information link. Type a company name, then click Search.
Industry Profiles: From the homepage of Business Source Complete, click Advanced Search. Under Publication Type, choose Industry Profile.
Search by NAICS Code: Change the Select a Field drop-down menu to IC NAICS Code or Description.